Sample records for maximum wall thickness

  1. Optimisation of tool path for improved formability of commercial pure aluminium sheets during the incremental forming process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasad, Moyye Devi; Nagarajan, D.

    2018-05-01

    An axisymmetric dome of 70 mm in diameter and 35 mm in depth was formed using the ISF process using varying proportions (25, 50 and 75%) of spiral (S) and helical (H) tool path combinations as a single tool path strategy, on a 2 mm thickness commercially pure aluminium sheets. A maximum forming depth of ˜30 mm was observed on all the components, irrespective of the different tool path combinations employed. None of the components were fractured for the different tool path combinations used. The springback was also same and uniform for all the tool path combinations employed, except for the 75S25H which showed slightly larger springback. The wall thickness reduced drastically up to a certain forming depth and increased with the increase in forming depth for all the tool path combinations. The maximum thinning occurred near the maximum wall angle region for all the components. The wall thickness improved significantly (around 10-15%) near the maximum wall angle region for the 25S75H combination than that of the complete spiral and other tool path strategies. It is speculated that this improvement in wall thickness may be mainly due to the combined contribution of the simple shear and uniaxial dilatation deformation modes of the helical tool path strategy in the 25S75H combination. This increase in wall thickness will greatly help in reducing the plastic instability and postpone the early failure of the component.

  2. Cross-Sectional Elasticity Imaging of Arterial Wall by Comparing Measured Change in Thickness with Model Waveform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Jiang; Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi

    2005-06-01

    For the assessment of the elasticity of the arterial wall, we have developed the phased tracking method [H. Kanai et al.: IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 43 (1996) 791] for measuring the minute change in thickness due to heartbeats and the elasticity of the arterial wall with transcutaneous ultrasound. For various reasons, for example, an extremely small deformation of the wall, the minute change in wall thickness during one heartbeat is largely influenced by noise in these cases and the reliability of the elasticity distribution obtained from the maximum change in thickness deteriorates because the maximum value estimation is largely influenced by noise. To obtain a more reliable cross-sectional image of the elasticity of the arterial wall, in this paper, a matching method is proposed to evaluate the waveform of the measured change in wall thickness by comparing the measured waveform with a template waveform. The maximum deformation, which is used in the calculation of elasticity, was determined from the amplitude of the matched model waveform to reduce the influence of noise. The matched model waveform was obtained by minimizing the difference between the measured and template waveforms. Furthermore, a random error, which was obtained from the reproducibility among the heartbeats of the measured waveform, was considered useful for the evaluation of the reliability of the measured waveform.

  3. The association of lesion eccentricity with plaque morphology and components in the superficial femoral artery: a high-spatial-resolution, multi-contrast weighted CMR study.

    PubMed

    Li, Feiyu; McDermott, Mary McGrae; Li, Debiao; Carroll, Timothy J; Hippe, Daniel S; Kramer, Christopher M; Fan, Zhaoyang; Zhao, Xihai; Hatsukami, Thomas S; Chu, Baocheng; Wang, Jinnan; Yuan, Chun

    2010-07-01

    Atherosclerotic plaque morphology and components are predictors of subsequent cardiovascular events. However, associations of plaque eccentricity with plaque morphology and plaque composition are unclear. This study investigated associations of plaque eccentricity with plaque components and morphology in the proximal superficial femoral artery using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Twenty-eight subjects with an ankle-brachial index less than 1.00 were examined with 1.5 T high-spatial-resolution, multi-contrast weighted CMR. One hundred and eighty diseased locations of the proximal superficial femoral artery (about 40 mm) were analyzed. The eccentric lesion was defined as [(Maximum wall thickness- Minimum wall thickness)/Maximum wall thickness] >or= 0.5. The arterial morphology and plaque components were measured using semi-automatic image analysis software. One hundred and fifteen locations were identified as eccentric lesions and sixty-five as concentric lesions. The eccentric lesions had larger wall but similar lumen areas, larger mean and maximum wall thicknesses, and more calcification and lipid rich necrotic core, compared to concentric lesions. For lesions with the same lumen area, the degree of eccentricity was associated with an increased wall area. Eccentricity (dichotomous as eccentric or concentric) was independently correlated with the prevalence of calcification (odds ratio 3.78, 95% CI 1.47-9.70) after adjustment for atherosclerotic risk factors and wall area. Plaque eccentricity is associated with preserved lumen size and advanced plaque features such as larger plaque burden, more lipid content, and increased calcification in the superficial femoral artery.

  4. Serum Carotenoids Reduce Progression of Early Atherosclerosis in the Carotid Artery Wall among Eastern Finnish Men

    PubMed Central

    Karppi, Jouni; Kurl, Sudhir; Ronkainen, Kimmo; Kauhanen, Jussi; Laukkanen, Jari A.

    2013-01-01

    Background Several previous epidemiologic studies have shown that high blood levels of carotenoids may be protective against early atherosclerosis, but results have been inconsistent. We assessed the association between atherosclerotic progression, measured by intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery wall, and serum levels of carotenoids. Methods We studied the effect of carotenoids on progression of early atherosclerosis in a population-based study. The association between concentrations of serum carotenoids, and intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery wall was explored in 840 middle-aged men (aged 46–65 years) from Eastern Finland. Ultrasonography of the common carotid arteries were performed at baseline and 7-year follow-up. Serum levels of carotenoids were analyzed at baseline. Changes in mean and maximum intima media thickness of carotid artery wall were related to baseline serum carotenoid levels in covariance analyses adjusted for covariates. Results In a covariance analysis with adjustment for age, ultrasound sonographer, maximum intima media thickness, examination year, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, smoking, physical activity, serum LDL cholesterol, family history of coronary heart disease, antihypertensive medication and serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein, 7-year change in maximum intima media thickness was inversely associated with lycopene (p = 0.005), α-carotene (p = 0.002) and β-carotene (p = 0.019), respectively. Conclusions The present study shows that high serum concentrations of carotenoids may be protective against early atherosclerosis. PMID:23700460

  5. Ultrasound Thickness of Bladder Wall in Continent and Incontinent Women and Its Correlation with Cystometry

    PubMed Central

    Otsuki, Edney Norio; Oliveira, Emerson; Sartori, Marair Gracio Ferreira; Girão, Manoel João Batista Castelo; Jármy-Di Bella, Zsuzsanna Ilona Katalin

    2014-01-01

    Objective. To compare bladder wall thickness in two kinds of urinary incontinent women—stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB) with urodynamic detrusor overactivity (DO), and to compare them with continent patients by ultrasound, also, correlate with cystometric results in incontinent women. Methods. 91 women were divided into the following groups: continent (n = 31), SUI (n = 30), and DO (n = 30) groups after clinical evaluation and urodynamic test (only in incontinent women). Transvaginal ultrasound was performed to the bladder wall thickness (BWT) measurement. The mean of BWT was calculated and data were analyzed with ANOVA and Turkey's multiple comparison tests. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to compare two variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to study BWT as a diagnostic parameter. Results. BWT in DO group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P < 0.005). A moderate positive correlation was found between BWT and maximum bladder pressure during involuntary bladder contraction. There was no difference in BWT between SUI and continent groups. DO group had lower first desire to void and cystometric capacity. Maximum bladder pressure at detrusor contraction had a moderate positive correlation with BWT. The ROC revealed an area under the curve of 0.962 (95% CI, 0.90–1.01). Conclusions. DO patients have increased bladder wall thickness, lower first desire to void, and lower cystometric capacity. There was a moderate correlation between BWT and maximum bladder pressure during involuntary bladder contraction. PMID:25538959

  6. Polyunsaturated fats, carbohydrates and carotid disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Carotid MRI study

    PubMed Central

    Dearborn, Jennifer L.; Qiao, Ye; Guallar, Eliseo; Steffen, Lyn M.; Gottesman, Rebecca F.; Zhang, Yiyi; Wasserman, Bruce A.

    2016-01-01

    Background and aims Carbohydrates and fat intake have both been linked to development of atherosclerosis. We examined associations between glycemic index GI and fat intake with carotid atherosclerosis. Methods The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort enrolled participants during the period 1987–1989 and the Carotid MRI sub-study occurred between 2004 and 2006 (1,672 participants attending both visits). Measures of carbohydrate quality (usual GI), fat intake (total, polyunsaturated and saturated) and overall dietary quality index (DASH Diet Score) were derived from a 66-item food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline. Trained readers measured lipid core presence and maximum wall thickness. Using multivariate logistic regression, we determined the odds of lipid core presence by quintile (Q) of energy-adjusted dietary components. Restricted cubic spline models were used to examine non-linear associations between dietary components and maximum wall thickness. Results Mean daily polyunsaturated fat intake was 5 g (SD 1.4). GI and polyunsaturated fat intake had a nonlinear relationship with maximum wall thickness. Low (1–4 g) and high (6–12 g) polyunsaturated fat intake were associated with a statistically significant decreased odds of lipid core presence compared to intake in a majority of participants (OR Q5 vs. Q2–4: 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.98; OR Q1 vs. Q2–4: 0.64, 95% CI 0.42, 0.96), however, the association with lipid core was attenuated by adjustment for maximum wall thickness, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Conclusions GI and polyunsaturated fat intake were not associated with high-risk plaque features, such as lipid core presence, independent of traditional vascular risk factors. PMID:27234460

  7. Polyunsaturated fats, carbohydrates and carotid disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Carotid MRI study.

    PubMed

    Dearborn, Jennifer L; Qiao, Ye; Guallar, Eliseo; Steffen, Lyn M; Gottesman, Rebecca F; Zhang, Yiyi; Wasserman, Bruce A

    2016-08-01

    Carbohydrates and fat intake have both been linked to development of atherosclerosis. We examined associations between glycemic index (GI) and fat intake with carotid atherosclerosis. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort enrolled participants during the period 1987-1989 and the Carotid MRI sub-study occurred between 2004 and 2006 (1672 participants attending both visits). Measures of carbohydrate quality (usual GI), fat intake (total, polyunsaturated and saturated) and overall dietary quality index (DASH Diet Score) were derived from a 66-item food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline. Trained readers measured lipid core presence and maximum wall thickness. Using multivariate logistic regression, we determined the odds of lipid core presence by quintile (Q) of energy-adjusted dietary components. Restricted cubic spline models were used to examine non-linear associations between dietary components and maximum wall thickness. Mean daily polyunsaturated fat intake was 5 g (SD 1.4). GI and polyunsaturated fat intake had a nonlinear relationship with maximum wall thickness. Low (1-4 g) and high (6-12 g) polyunsaturated fat intake were associated with a statistically significant decreased odds of lipid core presence compared to intake in a majority of participants (OR Q5 vs. Q2-4: 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.98; OR Q1 vs. Q2-4: 0.64, 95% CI 0.42, 0.96), however, the association with lipid core was attenuated by adjustment for maximum wall thickness, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. GI and polyunsaturated fat intake were not associated with high-risk plaque features, such as lipid core presence, independent of traditional vascular risk factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparison of Maximal Wall Thickness in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Differs Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transthoracic Echocardiography.

    PubMed

    Bois, John P; Geske, Jeffrey B; Foley, Thomas A; Ommen, Steve R; Pellikka, Patricia A

    2017-02-15

    Left ventricular (LV) wall thickness is a prognostic marker in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). LV wall thickness ≥30 mm (massive hypertrophy) is independently associated with sudden cardiac death. Presence of massive hypertrophy is used to guide decision making for cardiac defibrillator implantation. We sought to determine whether measurements of maximal LV wall thickness differ between cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Consecutive patients were studied who had HC without previous septal ablation or myectomy and underwent both cardiac MRI and TTE at a single tertiary referral center. Reported maximal LV wall thickness was compared between the imaging techniques. Patients with ≥1 technique reporting massive hypertrophy received subset analysis. In total, 618 patients were evaluated from January 1, 2003, to December 21, 2012 (mean [SD] age, 53 [15] years; 381 men [62%]). In 75 patients (12%), reported maximal LV wall thickness was identical between MRI and TTE. Median difference in reported maximal LV wall thickness between the techniques was 3 mm (maximum difference, 17 mm). Of the 63 patients with ≥1 technique measuring maximal LV wall thickness ≥30 mm, 44 patients (70%) had discrepant classification regarding massive hypertrophy. MRI identified 52 patients (83%) with massive hypertrophy; TTE, 30 patients (48%). Although guidelines recommend MRI or TTE imaging to assess cardiac anatomy in HC, this study shows discrepancy between the techniques for maximal reported LV wall thickness assessment. In conclusion, because this measure clinically affects prognosis and therapeutic decision making, efforts to resolve these discrepancies are critical. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Measurements in the near-wall region of a relaxing three-dimensional low speed turbulent air boundary layer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hebbar, K. S.; Melnik, W. L.

    1976-01-01

    An experimental investigation was conducted at selected locations of the near-wall region of a three dimensional turbulent air boundary layer relaxing in a nominally zero external pressure gradient behind a transverse hump (in the form of a 30 deg swept, 5-foot chord wing-type model) faired into the side wall of a low speed wind tunnel. Wall shear stresses measured with a flush-mounted hot-film gage and a sublayer fence were in very good agreement with experimental data obtained with two Preston probes. With the upstream unit Reynolds number held constant at 325,000/ft. approximately one-fourth of the boundary layer thickness adjacent to the wall was surveyed with a single rotated hot-wire probe mounted on a specially designed minimum interference traverse mechanism. The boundary layer (approximately 3.5 in thick near the first survey station where the length Reynolds number was 5.5 million) had a maximum crossflow velocity ratio of 0.145 and a maximum crossflow angle of 21.875 deg close to the wall.

  10. Temperature Histories in Ceramic-Insulated Heat-Sink Nozzle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ciepluch, Carl C.

    1960-01-01

    Temperature histories were calculated for a composite nozzle wall by a simplified numerical integration calculation procedure. These calculations indicated that there is a unique ratio of insulation and metal heat-sink thickness that will minimize total wall thickness for a given operating condition and required running time. The optimum insulation and metal thickness will vary throughout the nozzle as a result of the variation in heat-transfer rate. The use of low chamber pressure results in a significant increase in the maximum running time of a given weight nozzle. Experimentally measured wall temperatures were lower than those calculated. This was due in part to the assumption of one-dimensional or slab heat flow in the calculation procedure.

  11. Evaluation of Strains and Thicknesses of Pipe Elbows on the Basis of Expressions Resulting from the Eudirective for the Case of Large and Small Deformations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Śloderbach, Z.

    2017-12-01

    The relations to calculate the maximum value of strains in processes of bending tubes on benders, in stretched layers of tubes, are presented in this work on the basis of the EU-Directive concerning production of pressure equipment. It has been shown that for large deformations that occur during bending of the pipes on knees, logarithmic strain measures (real) and relative strain measures give different values of strain but equal wall thicknesses in the bending zone. Logarithmic measures are frequently used in engineering practice and are valid for large and small deformations. Reverse expressions were also derived to calculate the required initial wall thickness of the tube to be bent, in order to obtain the desired wall thickness of the knee after bending.

  12. Effect of Various Interface Thicknesses on the Behaviour of Infilled frame Subjected to Lateral Load

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senthil, K.; Muthukumar, S.; Rupali, S.; Satyanarayanan, K. S.

    2018-03-01

    Two dimensional numerical investigations were carried out to study the influence of interface thickness on the behaviour of reinforced concrete frames subjected to in-plane lateral loads using commercial finite element tool SAP 2000. The cement mortar, cork and foam was used as interface material and their effect was studied by varying thicknesses as 6, 8, 10, 14 and 20 mm. The effect of lateral loads on infill masonry wall was also studied by varying arbitrary loads as 10, 20, 40 and 60 kN. The resistance of the frame with cement mortar was found maximum with the interface thickness 10 mm therefore, it is concluded that the maximum influence of interface thickness of 10 mm was found effective. The resistance of integral infill frame with cork and foam interface was found maximum with the interface thickness 6 mm and it is concluded that 6 mm thick interface among the chosen thickness was found effective.

  13. 49 CFR 178.61 - Specification 4BW welded steel cylinders with electric-arc welded longitudinal seam.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 4BW cylinder is a welded type steel cylinder with a longitudinal electric-arc welded seam, a water... a maximum wall stress of 24,000 p.s.i. in the formula described in paragraph (f)(4) of this section... any case the minimum wall thickness must be such that the wall stress calculated by the formula listed...

  14. 49 CFR 178.61 - Specification 4BW welded steel cylinders with electric-arc welded longitudinal seam.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... DOT 4BW cylinder is a welded type steel cylinder with a longitudinal electric-arc welded seam, a water... a maximum wall stress of 24,000 p.s.i. in the formula described in paragraph (f)(4) of this section... any case the minimum wall thickness must be such that the wall stress calculated by the formula listed...

  15. Charged magnetic domain walls as observed in nanostructured thin films: dependence on both film thickness and anisotropy.

    PubMed

    Favieres, C; Vergara, J; Madurga, V

    2013-02-13

    The magnetic domain configurations of soft magnetic, nanostructured, pulsed laser-deposited Co films were investigated. Their dependence on both the thickness t (20 nm ≤ t ≤ 200 nm) and the anisotropy was studied. Charged zigzag walls, with a characteristic saw-tooth vertex angle θ, were observed. θ changed with t from θ ≈ 17° to ≈25°, presenting an intermediate sharp maximum that has not been described before. The reduced length of the zigzag walls also exhibited a peak at t ≈ 70 nm. The relationship between the total reduced length and the density energy of the magnetic wall allowed us to establish a change from a Néel-type to a Bloch-type core of the zigzag walls at this thickness, t ≈ 70 nm. We also accounted for the magnetic energy arising from the surface roughness of the thinner films after imaging the film surface morphologies. Moreover, this distinctive behaviour of the zigzag walls of these low-anisotropy films was compared to that of high-anisotropy films.

  16. A benchmark study for the crown-type splashing dynamics of one- and two-component droplet wall-film interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geppert, A.; Terzis, A.; Lamanna, G.; Marengo, M.; Weigand, B.

    2017-12-01

    The present paper investigates experimentally the impact dynamics of crown-type splashing for miscible two- and one-component droplet wall-film interactions over a range of Weber numbers and dimensionless film thicknesses. The splashing outcome is parametrised in terms of a set of quantifiable parameters, such as crown height, top and base diameter, wall inclination, number of fingers, and secondary droplet properties. The results show that the outcome of a splashing event is not affected by the choice of similar or dissimilar fluids, provided the dimensionless film thickness is larger than 0.1. Below this threshold, distinctive features of two-component interactions appear, such as hole formation and crown bottom breakdown. The observation of different crown shapes (e.g. V-shaped, cylindrical, and truncated-cone) confirms that vorticity production induces changes in the crown wall inclination, thus affecting the evolution of the crown height and top diameter. The evolution of the crown base diameter, instead, is mainly dependent on the relative importance of liquid inertia and viscous losses in the wall-film. The maximum number of liquid fingers decreases with increasing wall, film thickness, due to the enhanced attenuation of the effect of surface properties on the fingering process. The formation of secondary droplets is also affected by changes in the crown wall inclination. In particular, for truncated-cone shapes the occurrence of crown rim contraction induces a large scatter in the secondary droplet properties. Consequently, empirical models for the maximum number and mean diameter of the secondary droplets are derived for V-shaped crowns, as observed for the hexadecane-Hyspin interactions.

  17. Human Uterine Wall Tension Trajectories and the Onset of Parturition

    PubMed Central

    Sokolowski, Peter; Saison, Francis; Giles, Warwick; McGrath, Shaun; Smith, David; Smith, Julia; Smith, Roger

    2010-01-01

    Uterine wall tension is thought to be an important determinant of the onset of labor in pregnant women. We characterize human uterine wall tension using ultrasound from the second trimester of pregnancy until parturition and compare preterm, term and twin pregnancies. A total of 320 pregnant women were followed from first antenatal visit to delivery during the period 2000–2004 at the John Hunter Hospital, NSW, Australia. The uterine wall thickness, length, anterior-posterior diameter and transverse diameter were determined by serial ultrasounds. Subjects were divided into three groups: women with singleton pregnancies and spontaneous labor onset, either preterm or term and women with twin pregnancies. Intrauterine pressure results from the literature were combined with our data to form trajectories for uterine wall thickness, volume and tension for each woman using the prolate ellipsoid method and the groups were compared at 20, 25 and 30 weeks gestation. Uterine wall tension followed an exponential curve, with results increasing throughout pregnancy with the site of maximum tension on the anterior wall. For those delivering preterm, uterine wall thickness was increased compared with term. For twin pregnancies intrauterine volume was increased compared to singletons (), but wall thickness was not. There was no evidence for increased tension in those delivering preterm or those with twin gestations. These data are not consistent with a role for high uterine wall tension as a causal factor in preterm spontaneous labor in singleton or twin gestations. It seems likely that hormonal differences in multiple gestations are responsible for increased rates of preterm birth in this group rather than increased tension. PMID:20585649

  18. 49 CFR 178.65 - Specification 39 non-reusable (non-refillable) cylinders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    .... Maximum water capacity may not exceed: (i) 55 pounds (1,526 cubic inches) for a service pressure of 500 p... minimum wall thickness must be such that the wall stress at test pressure does not exceed the yield...: (1) Calculation of the stress for cylinders must be made by the following formula: S = [P(1.3D2 + 0...

  19. Resistance training improves aortic structure in Wistar rats.

    PubMed

    Souza, Romeu R; de França, Elias; Madureira, Diana; Pontes, Carla C R; Santana, Jeferson O; Caperuto, Erico C

    Little information is available on the effects of resistance training on the aortic wall. This study aimed to quantify the effects of a resistance-training program on blood pressure and aortic wall structural components. Rats (aged three months) were randomized into sedentary group (control group, CG; n=10) or trained group (TG; n=10). The TG rats performed resistance training by climbing a 1.1-m vertical ladder (80° incline) five times a week for 12 weeks, and the CG remained sedentary. The rats were sacrificed and 5mm of the ascending aorta was submitted to histological sections, which were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Picrosirius red, and Verhoeff's elastin, and used for morphometric studies. Left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy was determined by measuring LV wall thickness and LV internal diameter. The rats had similar repetition maximum before the resistance training. At the end of the resistance training period, the repetition maximum of the TG was 3.04-fold greater than the body weight. In the twelfth month, the left ventricular weight was 15.3% larger in the TG than in the CG, and the left ventricular internal diameter was reduced by 10% in the TG. Rats exposed to resistance training had a significant increase in aortic wall thickness, in both elastic lamina and collagen fibers, and in the thickness of collagen fibrils. Resistance training induces the development of concentric cardiac hypertrophy and improves the aortic wall components by producing a morphological expression pattern distinct from aortic pathological adaptation. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda.

  20. Quantitative analysis of airway abnormalities in CT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petersen, Jens; Lo, Pechin; Nielsen, Mads; Edula, Goutham; Ashraf, Haseem; Dirksen, Asger; de Bruijne, Marleen

    2010-03-01

    A coupled surface graph cut algorithm for airway wall segmentation from Computed Tomography (CT) images is presented. Using cost functions that highlight both inner and outer wall borders, the method combines the search for both borders into one graph cut. The proposed method is evaluated on 173 manually segmented images extracted from 15 different subjects and shown to give accurate results, with 37% less errors than the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) algorithm and 62% less than a similar graph cut method without coupled surfaces. Common measures of airway wall thickness such as the Interior Area (IA) and Wall Area percentage (WA%) was measured by the proposed method on a total of 723 CT scans from a lung cancer screening study. These measures were significantly different for participants with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) compared to asymptomatic participants. Furthermore, reproducibility was good as confirmed by repeat scans and the measures correlated well with the outcomes of pulmonary function tests, demonstrating the use of the algorithm as a COPD diagnostic tool. Additionally, a new measure of airway wall thickness is proposed, Normalized Wall Intensity Sum (NWIS). NWIS is shown to correlate better with lung function test values and to be more reproducible than previous measures IA, WA% and airway wall thickness at a lumen perimeter of 10 mm (PI10).

  1. An Experimental and Numerical Comparison of the Rupture Locations of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

    PubMed Central

    Doyle, Barry J.; Corbett, Timothy J.; Callanan, Anthony; Walsh, Michael T.; Vorp, David A.; McGloughlin, Timothy M.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To identify the rupture locations of idealized physical models of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) using an in-vitro setup and to compare the findings to those predicted numerically. Methods: Five idealized AAAs were manufactured using Sylgard 184 silicone rubber, which had been mechanically characterized from tensile tests, tear tests, and finite element analysis. The models were then inflated to the point of rupture and recorded using a high-speed camera. Numerical modeling attempted to confirm these rupture locations. Regional variations in wall thickness of the silicone models was also quantified and applied to numerical models. Results: Four of the 5 models tested ruptured at inflection points in the proximal and distal regions of the aneurysm sac and not at regions of maximum diameter. These findings agree with high stress regions computed numerically. Wall stress appears to be independent of wall thickness, with high stress occurring at regions of inflection regardless of wall thickness variations. Conclusion: According to these experimental and numerical findings, AAAs experience higher stresses at regions of inflection compared to regions of maximum diameter. Ruptures of the idealized silicone models occurred predominantly at the inflection points, as numerically predicted. Regions of inflection can be easily identified from basic 3-dimensional reconstruction; as ruptures appear to occur at inflection points, these findings may provide a useful insight into the clinical significance of inflection regions. This approach will be applied to patient-specific models in a future study. PMID:19642790

  2. Strength Tests on Thin-walled Duralumin Cylinders in Torsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lundquist, Eugene E

    1932-01-01

    This report is the first of a series presenting the results of strength tests on thin-walled cylinders and truncated cones of circular and elliptical section; it comprises the results obtained to date from torsion (pure shear) tests on 65 thin-walled duralumin cylinders of circular section with ends clamped to rigid bulkheads. The effect of variations in the length/radius and radius/thickness ratios on the type of failure is indicated, and a semi-empirical equation for the shearing stress at maximum load is given.

  3. Intracranial arterial wall imaging using three-dimensional high isotropic resolution black blood MRI at 3.0 Tesla.

    PubMed

    Qiao, Ye; Steinman, David A; Qin, Qin; Etesami, Maryam; Schär, Michael; Astor, Brad C; Wasserman, Bruce A

    2011-07-01

    To develop a high isotropic-resolution sequence to evaluate intracranial vessels at 3.0 Tesla (T). Thirteen healthy volunteers and 4 patients with intracranial stenosis were imaged at 3.0T using 0.5-mm isotropic-resolution three-dimensional (3D) Volumetric ISotropic TSE Acquisition (VISTA; TSE, turbo spin echo), with conventional 2D-TSE for comparison. VISTA was repeated for 6 volunteers and 4 patients at 0.4-mm isotropic-resolution to explore the trade-off between SNR and voxel volume. Wall signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR(wall) ), wall-lumen contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR(wall-lumen) ), lumen area (LA), wall area (WA), mean wall thickness (MWT), and maximum wall thickness (maxWT) were compared between 3D-VISTA and 2D-TSE sequences, as well as 3D images acquired at both resolutions. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlations (ICC). Compared with 2D-TSE measurements, 3D-VISTA provided 58% and 74% improvement in SNR(wall) and CNR(wall-lumen) , respectively. LA, WA, MWT and maxWT from 3D and 2D techniques highly correlated (ICCs of 0.96, 0.95, 0.96, and 0.91, respectively). CNR(wall-lumen) using 0.4-mm resolution VISTA decreased by 27%, compared with 0.5-mm VISTA but with reduced partial-volume-based overestimation of wall thickness. Reliability for 3D measurements was good to excellent. The 3D-VISTA provides SNR-efficient, highly reliable measurements of intracranial vessels at high isotropic-resolution, enabling broad coverage in a clinically acceptable time. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. Effect of the body wall on lithotripter shock waves.

    PubMed

    Li, Guangyan; McAteer, James A; Williams, James C; Berwick, Zachary C

    2014-04-01

    Determine the influence of passage through the body wall on the properties of lithotripter shock waves (SWs) and the characteristics of the acoustic field of an electromagnetic lithotripter. Full-thickness ex vivo segments of pig abdominal wall were secured against the acoustic window of a test tank coupled to the lithotripter. A fiber-optic probe hydrophone was used to measure SW pressures, determine shock rise time, and map the acoustic field in the focal plane. Peak positive pressure on axis was attenuated roughly proportional to tissue thickness-approximately 6% per cm. Irregularities in the tissue path affected the symmetry of SW focusing, shifting the maximum peak positive pressure laterally by as much as ∼2 mm. Within the time resolution of the hydrophone (7-15 ns), shock rise time was unchanged, measuring ∼17-21 ns with and without tissue present. Mapping of the field showed no effect of the body wall on focal width, regardless of thickness of the body wall. Passage through the body wall has minimal effect on the characteristics of lithotripter SWs. Other than reducing pulse amplitude and having the potential to affect the symmetry of the focused wave, the body wall has little influence on the acoustic field. These findings help to validate laboratory assessment of lithotripter acoustic field and suggest that the properties of SWs in the body are much the same as have been measured in vitro.

  5. Tank Inspection NDE Results for Fiscal Year 2014, Waste Tanks 26, 27, 28 and 33

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Elder, J.; Vandekamp, R.

    2014-09-29

    Ultrasonic nondestructive examinations (NDE) were performed on waste storage tanks 26, 27, 28 and 33 at the Savannah River Site as a part of the “In-Service Inspection (ISI) Program for High Level Waste Tanks.” No reportable conditions were identified during these inspections. The results indicate that the implemented corrosion control program continues to effectively mitigate corrosion in the SRS waste tanks. Ultrasonic inspection (UT) is used to detect general wall thinning, pitting and interface attack, as well as vertically oriented cracks through inspection of an 8.5 inch wide strip extending over the accessible height of the primary tank wall andmore » accessible knuckle regions. Welds were also inspected in tanks 27, 28 and 33 with no reportable indications. In a Type III/IIIA primary tank, a complete vertical strip includes scans of five plates (including knuckles) so five “plate/strips” would be completed at each vertical strip location. In FY 2014, a combined total of 79 plate/strips were examined for thickness mapping and crack detection, equating to over 45,000 square inches of area inspected on the primary tank wall. Of the 79 plate/strips examined in FY 2014 all but three have average thicknesses that remain at or above the construction minimum thickness which is nominal thickness minus 0.010 inches. There were no service induced reportable thicknesses or cracking encountered. A total of 2 pits were documented in 2014 with the deepest being 0.032 inches deep. One pit was detected in Tank 27 and one in Tank 33. No pitting was identified in Tanks 26 or 28. The maximum depth of any pit encountered in FY 2014 is 5% of nominal thickness, which is less than the minimum reportable criteria of 25% through-wall for pitting. In Tank 26 two vertical strips were inspected, as required by the ISI Program, due to tank conditions being outside normal chemistry controls for more than 3 months. Tank 28 had an area of localized thinning on the exterior wall of the secondary tank noted during the initial inspections in 2005. That area was inspected again in 2014 and found to be larger and slightly deeper. The deepest area of thinning in the secondary wall is less than 20% wall loss. The maximum length of thinning is less than 24 inches and does not impact structural or leak integrity per WSRC-TR-2002-00063. Inspection results were presented to the In-service Inspection Review Committee (ISIRC) where it was determined that no additional data was required to complete these inspections.« less

  6. Responses of retaining wall and surrounding ground to pre-excavation dewatering in an alternated multi-aquifer-aquitard system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Chao-Feng; Xue, Xiu-Li; Zheng, Gang; Xue, Teng-Yun; Mei, Guo-Xiong

    2018-04-01

    Pre-excavation dewatering (PED) is an important construction stage in deep excavation. Field measurements show that retaining walls can develop obvious deflections during PED, which has been rarely considered in the past. The characteristics of PED-induced wall deflection, and the relationship of this deflection to surrounding ground deformation are still unclear. In this study, a PED test is simulated by a numerical model. The model is verified by field observations and used to investigate the responses of retaining wall and surrounding ground to PED. Results indicate that the maximum wall defection (δhm) and surface settlement (δvm) can all reach centimeter level under common conditions of PED. The ratio of δvm to δhm varies at the range of 0.45-0.67. Wall and soil deformations will be more obvious if the soils within the dewatering depth (Hd) have better permeability. The relative positions between Hd and strata (i.e., aquifer or aquitard) have great influence on the PED-induced deformations. If an aquifer appears below Hd, further increasing Hd can induce a rapid growth of wall and soil deformations. If thick aquitard appears below Hd, the deformation increments by further increasing Hd are not apparent. However, once Hd exceeds the center of the thick aquitard and reaches a thick confined aquifer, the wall deflections and soil deformation zones behind the wall will enlarge significantly. Meanwhile, a large bending moment in the retaining wall will arise around the bottom of the confined aquifer. The designers should consider this condition and allocate enough steel rebars there, preventing the appearance of wall cracks in the confined aquifer.

  7. Limitations of Airway Dimension Measurement on Images Obtained Using Multi-Detector Row Computed Tomography

    PubMed Central

    Oguma, Tsuyoshi; Hirai, Toyohiro; Niimi, Akio; Matsumoto, Hisako; Muro, Shigeo; Shigematsu, Michio; Nishimura, Takashi; Kubo, Yoshiro; Mishima, Michiaki

    2013-01-01

    Objectives (a) To assess the effects of computed tomography (CT) scanners, scanning conditions, airway size, and phantom composition on airway dimension measurement and (b) to investigate the limitations of accurate quantitative assessment of small airways using CT images. Methods An airway phantom, which was constructed using various types of material and with various tube sizes, was scanned using four CT scanner types under different conditions to calculate airway dimensions, luminal area (Ai), and the wall area percentage (WA%). To investigate the limitations of accurate airway dimension measurement, we then developed a second airway phantom with a thinner tube wall, and compared the clinical CT images of healthy subjects with the phantom images scanned using the same CT scanner. The study using clinical CT images was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Results Errors noted in airway dimension measurement were greater in the tube of small inner radius made of material with a high CT density and on images reconstructed by body algorithm (p<0.001), and there was some variation in error among CT scanners under different fields of view. Airway wall thickness had the maximum effect on the accuracy of measurements with all CT scanners under all scanning conditions, and the magnitude of errors for WA% and Ai varied depending on wall thickness when airways of <1.0-mm wall thickness were measured. Conclusions The parameters of airway dimensions measured were affected by airway size, reconstruction algorithm, composition of the airway phantom, and CT scanner types. In dimension measurement of small airways with wall thickness of <1.0 mm, the accuracy of measurement according to quantitative CT parameters can decrease as the walls become thinner. PMID:24116105

  8. Root and Canal Morphology of Mandibular Molars in a Selected Iranian Population Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

    PubMed Central

    Madani, Zahra Sadat; Mehraban, Nika; Moudi, Ehsan; Bijani, Ali

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the root canal morphology of mandibular first and second molars using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in northern Iranian population and also to indicate the thinnest area around root canals. Methods and Materials: We evaluated CBCT images of 154 first molars and 147 second molars. By evaluating three axial, sagittal and coronal planes of each tooth we determined the number of root canals, prevalence of C-shaped Melton types, and prevalence of Vertucci configuration and inter orifice distance. Also the minimum wall thickness of root canals was determined by measuring buccal, lingual, distal and mesial wall thicknesses of each canal in levels with 2 mm intervals from apex to orifice. Results: Amongst 154 first mandibular molars, 149 (96.7%) had two roots, 3 (1.9%) had three roots and 2 (1.2%) had C-shaped root configuration. Of 147 second mandibular molars, 120 (81.6%) had two roots, 1 (0.6%) had three roots and 26 (17.6%) had C-shaped roots. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Vertucci’s type between two genders. The most common configuration in mesial roots of first and second molars were type IV (57%-42.9%) and type II (31.5%-28%). Mesial and distal walls had the most frequency as the thinnest wall in all levels of root canals with mostly less than 1 mm thickness. In second molars the DB-DL inter orifice distance and in first molars the MB-ML distance were the minimum. MB-D in first molars had the maximum distance while ML-DL, MB-DB and ML-D had the same and maximum distance in second molars. Conclusion: Vertucci’s type IV and type I were the most prevalent configurations in mesial and distal roots of first and second mandibular molars and the thickness of thinnest area around the canals should be considered during endodontic treatments. PMID:28512476

  9. Robotic-assisted modified retroauricular cervical approach: initial experience in Latin America.

    PubMed

    Chulam, Thiago Celestino; Lira, Renan Bezerra; Kowalski, Luiz Paulo

    2016-01-01

    to evaluate the thickness of the gastric wall at the time of intra gastric balloon (IGB) placement, at the time of its withdrawal and one month after withdrawal. fifteen morbidly obese patients underwent the introduction of IGB under general anesthesia. In all patients, there was infusion of 500ml of distilled water in the balloon for the test. Measurements of the thickness of the gastric wall were made in the antrum, body and proximal body, using a radial echoendoscope with a frequency of 12MHz and maximum zoom, and its own balloon inflated with 5ml of distilled water. the presence of IGB led to increased wall thickness of the gastric body by expanding the muscle layer. These changes were apparently transient, since 30 days after the balloon withdrawal there was a tendency to return of the wall thickness values ​​observed before the balloon insertion. the use of intragastric balloon for the treatment of obesity determines transient increase in the wall thickness of the gastric body caused by expanded muscle layer. A preocupação com a melhoria dos resultados estéticos e funcionais sem comprometimento dos resultados oncológicos na cirurgia de cabeça e pescoço tem aumentado significativamente. Os procedimentos minimamente invasivos e principalmente aqueles que utilizam a tecnologia robótica permitiram o desenvolvimento de novas abordagens, incluindo o acesso retroauricular, que agora é usado rotineiramente, especialmente na Coréia do Sul. A presente nota irá ilustrar a técnica e a experiência inicial na América Latina, demonstrando que esta abordagem é viável, segura e eficaz oncologicamente, podendo ser utilizada em casos selecionados com um benefício estético evidente.

  10. Analysis of the effects of gravity and wall thickness in a model of blood flow through axisymmetric vessels.

    PubMed

    Payne, S J

    2004-11-01

    The effects of gravitational forces and wall thickness on the behaviour of a model of blood flow through axisymmetric vessels were studied. The governing fluid dynamic equations were derived from the Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible fluid and linked to a simple model of the vessel wall. A closed form of the hyperbolic partial differential equations was found, including a significant source term from the gravitational forces. The inclination of the vessel is modelled using a slope parameter that varied between -1 and 1. The wave speed was shown to be related to the wall thickness, and the time to first shock formation was shown to be directly proportional to this thickness. Two non-dimensional parameters were derived for the ratio of gravitational forces to viscous and momentum forces, respectively, and their values were calculated for the different types of vessel found in the human vasculature, showing that gravitational forces were significant in comparison with either viscous or momentum forces for every type of vessel. The steady-state solution of the governing equations showed that gravitational forces cause an increase in area of approximately 5% per metre per unit slope. Numerical simulations of the flow field in the aorta showed that a positive slope causes a velocity pulse to change in amplitude approximately linearly with distance: -4% per metre and +5% per metre for vessels inclined vertically upwards and downwards, respectively, in comparison with only +0.5% for a horizontal vessel. These simulations also showed that the change relative to the zero slope condition in the maximum rate of change of area with distance, which was taken to be a measure of the rate of shock formation, is proportional to both the slope and the wall thickness-to-inner radius ratio, with a constant of proportionality of 1.2. At a ratio of 0.25, typical of that found in human arteries, the distance to shock formation is thus decreased and increased by 30% for vessels inclined vertically downwards and upwards, respectively. Gravity and wall thickness thus have a significant impact on a number of aspects of the fluid and wall behaviour, despite conventionally being neglected.

  11. The Relationship Between Surface Curvature and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Wall Stress.

    PubMed

    de Galarreta, Sergio Ruiz; Cazón, Aitor; Antón, Raúl; Finol, Ender A

    2017-08-01

    The maximum diameter (MD) criterion is the most important factor when predicting risk of rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). An elevated wall stress has also been linked to a high risk of aneurysm rupture, yet is an uncommon clinical practice to compute AAA wall stress. The purpose of this study is to assess whether other characteristics of the AAA geometry are statistically correlated with wall stress. Using in-house segmentation and meshing algorithms, 30 patient-specific AAA models were generated for finite element analysis (FEA). These models were subsequently used to estimate wall stress and maximum diameter and to evaluate the spatial distributions of wall thickness, cross-sectional diameter, mean curvature, and Gaussian curvature. Data analysis consisted of statistical correlations of the aforementioned geometry metrics with wall stress for the 30 AAA inner and outer wall surfaces. In addition, a linear regression analysis was performed with all the AAA wall surfaces to quantify the relationship of the geometric indices with wall stress. These analyses indicated that while all the geometry metrics have statistically significant correlations with wall stress, the local mean curvature (LMC) exhibits the highest average Pearson's correlation coefficient for both inner and outer wall surfaces. The linear regression analysis revealed coefficients of determination for the outer and inner wall surfaces of 0.712 and 0.516, respectively, with LMC having the largest effect on the linear regression equation with wall stress. This work underscores the importance of evaluating AAA mean wall curvature as a potential surrogate for wall stress.

  12. Modeling thermal performance of exterior walls retrofitted from insulation and modified laterite based bricks materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wati, Elvis; Meukam, Pierre; Damfeu, Jean Claude

    2017-12-01

    Uninsulated concrete block walls commonly found in tropical region have to be retrofitted to save energy. The thickness of insulation layer used can be reduced with the help of modified laterite based bricks layer (with the considerably lower thermal conductivity than that of concrete block layer) during the retrofit building fabrics. The aim of this study is to determine the optimum location and distribution of different materials. The investigation is carried out under steady periodic conditions under the climatic conditions of Garoua in Cameroon using a Simulink model constructed from H-Tools (the library of Simulink models). Results showed that for the continuous air-conditioned space, the best wall configuration from the maximum time lag, minimum decrement factor and peak cooling transmission load perspective, is dividing the insulation layer into two layers and placing one at the exterior surface and the other layer between the two different massive layers with the modified laterite based bricks layer at the interior surface. For intermittent cooling space, the best wall configuration from the minimum energy consumption depends on total insulation thickness. For the total insulation thickness less than 8 cm approximately, the best wall configuration is placing the half layer of insulation material at the interior surface and the other half between the two different massive layers with the modified earthen material at the exterior surface. Results also showed that, the optimum insulation thickness calculated from the yearly cooling transmission (estimated only during the occupied period) and some economic considerations slightly depends on the location of that insulation.

  13. A film-based wall shear stress sensor for wall-bounded turbulent flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amili, Omid; Soria, Julio

    2011-07-01

    In wall-bounded turbulent flows, determination of wall shear stress is an important task. The main objective of the present work is to develop a sensor which is capable of measuring surface shear stress over an extended region applicable to wall-bounded turbulent flows. This sensor, as a direct method for measuring wall shear stress, consists of mounting a thin flexible film on the solid surface. The sensor is made of a homogeneous, isotropic, and incompressible material. The geometry and mechanical properties of the film are measured, and particles with the nominal size of 11 μm in diameter are embedded on the film's surface to act as markers. An optical technique is used to measure the film deformation caused by the flow. The film has typically deflection of less than 2% of the material thickness under maximum loading. The sensor sensitivity can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the layer or the shear modulus of the film's material. The paper reports the sensor fabrication, static and dynamic calibration procedure, and its application to a fully developed turbulent channel flow at Reynolds numbers in the range of 90,000-130,000 based on the bulk velocity and channel full height. The results are compared to alternative wall shear stress measurement methods.

  14. Prospective cohort study of ultrasound-ultrasound and ultrasound-MR enterography agreement in the evaluation of pediatric small bowel Crohn disease.

    PubMed

    Dillman, Jonathan R; Smith, Ethan A; Sanchez, Ramon; DiPietro, Michael A; Dehkordy, Soudabeh Fazeli; Adler, Jeremy; DeMatos-Maillard, Vera; Khalatbari, Shokoufeh; Davenport, Matthew S

    2016-04-01

    There is a paucity of published literature describing ultrasound (US)-US and US-MR enterography (MRE) inter-radiologist agreement in pediatric small bowel Crohn disease. To prospectively assess US-US and US-MRE inter-radiologist agreement in pediatric small bowel Crohn disease. Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent/assent were obtained for this HIPAA-compliant prospective cohort study of children with newly diagnosed distal small bowel Crohn disease (July 2012 to December 2014). Enrolled subjects (n = 29) underwent two small bowel US examinations performed by blinded independent radiologists both before and at multiple time points after initiation of medical therapy (231 unique US examinations, in total); 134 US examinations were associated with concurrent MRE. The MRE examination was interpreted by a third blinded radiologist. The following was documented on each examination: involved length of ileum (cm); maximum bowel wall thickness (mm); amount of bowel wall and mesenteric Doppler signal, and presence of stricture, penetrating disease and/or abscess. Inter-radiologist agreement was assessed with single-measure, three-way, mixed-model intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted kappa statistics (κ). Numbers in brackets are 95% confidence intervals. Ultrasound-US agreement was moderate for involved length (ICC: 0.41 [0.35-0.49]); substantial for maximum bowel wall thickness (ICC: 0.67 [0.64-0.70]); moderate for bowel wall Doppler signal (ICC: 0.53 [0.48-0.59]); slight for mesenteric Doppler signal (ICC: 0.25 [0.18-0.42]), and moderate to almost perfect for stricture (κ: 0.54), penetrating disease (κ: 0.80), and abscess (κ: 0.96). US-MRE agreement was moderate for involved length (ICC: 0.42 [0.37-0.49]); substantial for maximum bowel wall thickness (ICC: 0.66 [0.65-0.69]), and substantial to almost perfect for stricture (κ: 0.61), penetrating disease (κ: 0.72) and abscess (κ: 0.88). Ultrasound-US agreement was similar to US-MRE agreement for assessing pediatric small bowel Crohn disease. Discrepancies in US-US and US-MRE reporting question the utility of US as an accurate, reproducible radiologic biomarker for assessing response to medical therapy and disease-related complications.

  15. The effect of different temperature profiles upon the length and crystallinity of vertically-aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Yun, Jongju; Lee, Cheesung; Zheng, Qing; Baik, Seunghyun

    2012-08-01

    We synthesized vertically-aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes with an inner diameter of 1.6-7.5 nm and stack height of 80-28600 microm by chemical vapor deposition. The effects of synthesis conditions such as substrate position in the tube furnace, maximum temperature, temperature increasing rate and synthesis duration on the structure of nanotubes were investigated. It was found that slightly faster temperature increase rate resulted in significantly longer length, larger diameter and more defects of nanotubes. Structural parameters such as inner, outer diameters, wall thickness and defects were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.

  16. The Thermal And Hydrodynamic Behavior of Thick, Rough-Wall, Turbulent Boundary Layers,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-08-01

    Nikuradse, J., "Stromungsgesetze in rauhen Rohren," VDI Forschungsschaft, No. 361, 1933, English translation, NACA-TM 1292, 1950. 168 I I Orlando, A. F...used. 2048 data samples were takeu from the signal, providing a maximum spectral resolution of 9.77 Hz. The digital samples were processed using a

  17. Composite aerogel insulation for cryogenic liquid storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kyeongho, Kim; Hyungmook, Kang; Soojin, Shin; In Hwan, Oh; Changhee, Son; Hyung, Cho Yun; Yongchan, Kim; Sarng Woo, Karng

    2017-02-01

    High porosity materials such as aerogel known as a good insulator in a vacuum range (10-3 ∼ 1 Torr) was widely used to storage and to transport cryogenic fluids. It is necessary to be investigated the performance of aerogel insulations for cryogenic liquid storage in soft vacuum range to atmospheric pressure. A one-dimensional insulating experimental apparatus was designed and fabricated to consist of a cold mass tank, a heat absorber and an annular vacuum space with 5-layer (each 10 mm thickness) of the aerogel insulation materials. Aerogel blanket for cryogenic (used maximum temperature is 400K), aerogel blanket for normal temperature (used maximum temperature is 923K), and combination of the two kinds of aerogel blankets were 5-layer laminated between the cryogenic liquid wall and the ambient wall in vacuum space. Also, 1-D effective thermal conductivities of the insulation materials were evaluated by measuring boil-off rate from liquid nitrogen and liquid argon. In this study, the effective thermal conductivities and the temperature-thickness profiles of the two kinds of insulators and the layered combination of the two different aerogel blankets were presented.

  18. A unified EM approach to bladder wall segmentation with coupled level-set constraints

    PubMed Central

    Han, Hao; Li, Lihong; Duan, Chaijie; Zhang, Hao; Zhao, Yang; Liang, Zhengrong

    2013-01-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based virtual cystoscopy (VCys), as a non-invasive, safe and cost-effective technique, has shown its promising virtue for early diagnosis and recurrence management of bladder carcinoma. One primary goal of VCys is to identify bladder lesions with abnormal bladder wall thickness, and consequently a precise segmentation of the inner and outer borders of the wall is required. In this paper, we propose a unified expectation-maximization (EM) approach to the maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) solution of bladder wall segmentation, by integrating a novel adaptive Markov random field (AMRF) model and the coupled level-set (CLS) information into the prior term. The proposed approach is applied to the segmentation of T1-weighted MR images, where the wall is enhanced while the urine and surrounding soft tissues are suppressed. By introducing scale-adaptive neighborhoods as well as adaptive weights into the conventional MRF model, the AMRF model takes into account the local information more accurately. In order to mitigate the influence of image artifacts adjacent to the bladder wall and to preserve the continuity of the wall surface, we apply geometrical constraints on the wall using our previously developed CLS method. This paper not only evaluates the robustness of the presented approach against the known ground truth of simulated digital phantoms, but further compares its performance with our previous CLS approach via both volunteer and patient studies. Statistical analysis on experts’ scores of the segmented borders from both approaches demonstrates that our new scheme is more effective in extracting the bladder wall. Based on the wall thickness calibrated from the segmented single-layer borders, a three-dimensional virtual bladder model can be constructed and the wall thickness can be mapped on to the model, where the bladder lesions will be eventually detected via experts’ visualization and/or computer-aided detection. PMID:24001932

  19. Manufacture of thin-walled clad tubes by pressure welding of roll bonded sheets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Hans Christian; Grydin, Olexandr; Stolbchenko, Mykhailo; Homberg, Werner; Schaper, Mirko

    2017-10-01

    Clad tubes are commonly manufactured by fusion welding of roll bonded metal sheets or, mechanically, by hydroforming. In this work, a new approach towards the manufacture of thin-walled tubes with an outer diameter to wall thickness ratio of about 12 is investigated, involving the pressure welding of hot roll bonded aluminium-steel strips. By preparing non-welded edges during the roll bonding process, the strips can be zip-folded and (cold) pressure welded together. This process routine could be used to manufacture clad tubes in a continuous process. In order to investigate the process, sample tube sections with a wall thickness of 2.1 mm were manufactured by U-and O-bending from hot roll bonded aluminium-stainless steel strips. The forming and welding were carried out in a temperature range between RT and 400°C. It was found that, with the given geometry, a pressure weld is established at temperatures starting above 100°C. The tensile tests yield a maximum bond strength at 340°C. Micrograph images show a consistent weld of the aluminium layer over the whole tube section.

  20. Explosion hazards of LPG-air mixtures in vented enclosure with obstacles.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qi; Wang, Yaxing; Lian, Zhen

    2017-07-15

    Numerical simulations were performed to study explosion characteristics of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) explosion in enclosure with a vent. Unlike explosion overpressure and dynamic pressure, explosion temperature of the LPG-air mixture at a given concentration in a vented enclosure has very little variation with obstacle numbers for a given blockage ratio. For an enclosure without obstacle, explosion overpressures for the stoichiometric mixtures and the fuel-lean mixtures reach their maximum within the vent and that for fuel-rich mixture reaches its maximum beyond and near the vent. Dynamic pressures produced by an indoor LPG explosion reach their maximum always beyond the vent no matter obstacles are present or not in the enclosure. A LPG explosion in a vented enclosure with built-in obstacles is strong enough to make the brick and mortar wall with a thickness of 370mm damaged. If there is no obstacle in the enclosure, the lower explosion pressure of several kPa can not break the brick and mortar wall with a thickness of 370mm. For a LPG explosion produced in an enclosure with a vent, main hazards, within the vent, are overpressure and high temperature. However main hazards are dynamic pressure, blast wind, and high temperature beyond the vent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. High-performance supercapacitors based on hollow polyaniline nanofibers by electrospinning.

    PubMed

    Miao, Yue-E; Fan, Wei; Chen, Dan; Liu, Tianxi

    2013-05-22

    Hollow polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers with controllable wall thickness are fabricated by in situ polymerization of aniline using the electrospun poly(amic acid) fiber membrane as a template. A maximum specific capacitance of 601 F g(-1) has been achieved at 1 A g(-1), suggesting the potential application of hollow PANI nanofibers for supercapacitors. The superior electrochemical performance of the hollow nanofibers is attributed to their hollow structure, thin wall thickness, and orderly pore passages, which can drastically facilitate the ion diffusion and improve the utilization of the electroactive PANI during the charge-discharge processes. Furthermore, the high flexibility of the self-standing fiber membrane template provides possibilities for the facile construction and fabrication of conducting polymers with hollow nanostructures, which may find potential applications in various high-performance electrochemical devices.

  2. Current-induced domain wall motion in permalloy nanowires with a rectangular cross-section

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ai, J. H.; Miao, B. F.; Sun, L.

    2011-11-01

    We performed micromagnetic simulations of the current-induced domain wall motion in permalloy nanowires with rectangular cross-section. In the absence of the nonadiabatic spin-transfer term, a threshold current, J{sub c} is required to drive the domain wall moving continuously. We find that J{sub c} is proportional to the maximum cross product of the demagnetization field and magnetization orientation of the domain wall and the domain wall width. With varying both the wire thickness and width, a minimum threshold current in the order of 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} is obtained when the thickness is equivalent to the wire width. With the nonadiabaticmore » spin-transfer term, the calculated domain wall velocity {nu} equals to the adiabatic spin transfer velocity u when the current is far above the Walker limit J{sub w}. Below J{sub w}, {nu}=({beta}/{alpha})u, where {beta} is the nonadiabatic parameter and {alpha} is the damping factor. For different {beta}, we find the Walker limit can be scaled as J{sub w}=({alpha}/{beta}-{alpha})J{sub c}. Our simulations agree well with the one dimensional analytical calculation, suggesting the findings are the general behaviors of the systems in this particular geometry.« less

  3. Drop impact on thin liquid films using TIRM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pack, Min; Ying Sun Team

    2015-11-01

    Drop impact on thin liquid films is relevant to a number of industrial processes such as pesticide spraying and repellent surface research such as self-cleaning applications. In this study, we systematically investigate the drop impact dynamics on thin liquid films on plain glass substrates by varying the film thickness, viscosity and impact velocity. High speed imaging is used to track the droplet morphology and trajectory over time as well as observing instability developments at high Weber number impacts. Moreover, the air layer between the drop and thin film upon drop impact is probed by total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) where the grayscale intensity is used to measure the air layer thickness and spreading radius over time. For low We impact on thick films (We ~ 10), the effect of the air entrainment is pronounced where the adhesion of the droplet to the wall is delayed by the air depletion and liquid film drainage, whereas for high We impact (We >100) the air layer is no longer formed and instead, the drop contact with the wall is limited only to the film drainage for all film thicknesses. In addition, the maximum spreading radius of the droplet is analyzed for varying thin film thickness and viscosity.

  4. Optimum structure of Whipple shield against hypervelocity impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, M.

    2014-05-01

    Hypervelocity impact of a spherical aluminum projectile onto two spaced aluminum plates (Whipple shield) was simulated to estimate an optimum structure. The Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) code which has a unique migration scheme from a rectangular coordinate to an axisymmetic coordinate was used. The ratio of the front plate thickness to sphere diameter varied from 0.06 to 0.48. The impact velocities considered here were 6.7 km/s. This is the procedure we explored. To guarantee the early stage simulation, the shapes of debris clouds were first compared with the previous experimental pictures, indicating a good agreement. Next, the debris cloud expansion angle was predicted and it shows a maximum value of 23 degree for thickness ratio of front bumper to sphere diameter of 0.23. A critical sphere diameter causing failure of rear wall was also examined while keeping the total thickness of two plates constant. There exists an optimum thickness ratio of front bumper to rear wall, which is identified as a function of the size combination of the impacting body, front and rear plates. The debris cloud expansion-correlated-optimum thickness ratio study provides a good insight on the hypervelocity impact onto spaced target system.

  5. High Reynolds number rough wall turbulent boundary layer experiments using Braille surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, Michael; Monty, Jason; Nova, Todd; Allen, James; Chong, Min

    2007-11-01

    This paper details smooth, transitional and fully rough turbulent boundary layer experiments in the New Mexico State high Reynolds number rough wall wind tunnel. The initial surface tested was generated with a Braille printer and consisted of an uniform array of Braille points. The average point height being 0.5mm, the spacing between the points in the span was 0.5mm and the surface consisted of span wise rows separated by 4mm. The wavelength to peak ratio was 8:1. The boundary layer thickness at the measurement location was 190mm giving a large separation of roughness height to layer thickness. The maximum friction velocity was uτ=1.5m/s at Rex=3.8 x10^7. Results for the skin friction co-efficient show that this surface follows a Nikuradse type inflectional curve and that Townsends outer layer similarity hypothesis is valid for rough wall flows with a large separation of scales. Mean flow and turbulence statistics will be presented.

  6. Influence of image slice thickness on rectal dose-response relationships following radiotherapy of prostate cancer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olsson, C.; Thor, M.; Liu, M.; Moissenko, V.; Petersen, S. E.; Høyer, M.; Apte, A.; Deasy, J. O.

    2014-07-01

    When pooling retrospective data from different cohorts, slice thicknesses of acquired computed tomography (CT) images used for treatment planning may vary between cohorts. It is, however, not known if varying slice thickness influences derived dose-response relationships. We investigated this for rectal bleeding using dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of the rectum and rectal wall for dose distributions superimposed on images with varying CT slice thicknesses. We used dose and endpoint data from two prostate cancer cohorts treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy to either 74 Gy (N = 159) or 78 Gy (N = 159) at 2 Gy per fraction. The rectum was defined as the whole organ with content, and the morbidity cut-off was Grade ≥2 late rectal bleeding. Rectal walls were defined as 3 mm inner margins added to the rectum. DVHs for simulated slice thicknesses from 3 to 13 mm were compared to DVHs for the originally acquired slice thicknesses at 3 and 5 mm. Volumes, mean, and maximum doses were assessed from the DVHs, and generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) values were calculated. For each organ and each of the simulated slice thicknesses, we performed predictive modeling of late rectal bleeding using the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) model. For the most coarse slice thickness, rectal volumes increased (≤18%), whereas maximum and mean doses decreased (≤0.8 and ≤4.2 Gy, respectively). For all a values, the gEUD for the simulated DVHs were ≤1.9 Gy different than the gEUD for the original DVHs. The best-fitting LKB model parameter values with 95% CIs were consistent between all DVHs. In conclusion, we found that the investigated slice thickness variations had minimal impact on rectal dose-response estimations. From the perspective of predictive modeling, our results suggest that variations within 10 mm in slice thickness between cohorts are unlikely to be a limiting factor when pooling multi-institutional rectal dose data that include slice thickness variations within this range. Presented in part at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiotherapy and Oncology Annual Meeting, April 5-8, 2014, Vienna, Austria.

  7. An efficient method for extraction of astaxanthin from green alga Haematococcus pluvialis.

    PubMed

    Sarada, R; Vidhyavathi, R; Usha, D; Ravishankar, G A

    2006-10-04

    Haematococcus pluvialis is one of the potent organisms for production of astaxanthin, a high value ketocarotenoid. Astaxanthin is accumulated in thick-walled cyst cells of Haematococcus. The thick cell wall is made up of sporopollenin-like material, algaenan, which hinders solvent extraction of astaxanthin. In the present study, an improved method for extraction of astaxanthin without homogenization of cells is reported. Extractability of astaxanthin from cyst cells was evaluated by treating cells with various solvents and pretreating the cells with organic and mineral acids at 70 degrees C followed by acetone extraction. Hydrochloric acid treatment facilitated 86-94% extractability of astaxanthin. Treatment time, temperature, and concentration of the acid were found to be critical factors for maximum extractability. The treatment did not affect the astaxanthin ester profile and the treated cells can be preserved until further use.

  8. Elastic-Plastic Thermal Stress Analysis of a High-Pressure Cryogenic Storage Tank

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barker, J. Mark; Field, Robert E. (Technical Monitor)

    2003-01-01

    The thermal stresses on a cryogenic storage tank contribute strongly to the state of stress of the tank material and its ability to withstand operational stresses. These thermal stresses also affect the growth of any surface damage that might occur in the tank walls. These stresses are particularly of concern during the initial cooldown period for a new tank placed into service, and during any subsequent thermal cycles. A previous preliminary elastic analysis showed that the thermal stress on the inner wall would reach approximately 1,000MPa (145,000 psi). This stress far exceeds the ASTM specified room temperature values for both yield (170MPa) and ultimate (485 MPa) strength for 304L stainless steel. The present analysis determines the thermal stresses using an elastic-plastic model. The commercial software application ANSYS was used to determine the transient spatial temperature profile and the associated spatial thermal stress profiles in a segment of a thick-walled vessel during a typical cooldown process. A strictly elastic analysis using standard material properties for 304L stainless steel showed that the maximum thermal stress on the inner and outer walls was approximately 960 MPa (tensile) and - 270 MPa (compressive) respectively. These values occurred early in the cooldown process, but at different times, An elastic-plastic analysis showed significantly reducing stress, as expected due to the plastic deformation of the material. The maximum stress for the inner wall was approximately 225 MPa (tensile), while the maximum stress for the outer wall was approximately - 130 MPa (compressive).

  9. Optical assessment of tissue anisotropy in ex vivo distended rat bladders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alali, Sanaz; Aitken, Karen J.; Shröder, Annette; Bagli, Darius J.; Alex Vitkin, I.

    2012-08-01

    Microstructural remodelling in epithelial layers of various hollow organs, including changes in tissue anisotropy, are known to occur under mechanical distension and during disease processes. In this paper, we analyze how bladder distension alters wall anisotropy using polarized light imaging (followed by Mueller matrix decomposition). Optical retardance values of different regions of normal rat bladders under different distension pressures are derived. Then optical coherence tomography is used to measure local bladder wall thicknesses, enabling the calculation of the tissue birefringence maps as a measure of the tissue anisotropy. Selected two-photon microscopy is also performed to better understand the compositional origins of the obtained anisotropy results. The dome region of the bladder shows maximum birefringence when the bladder is distended to high pressures, whereas the ventral remains roughly isotropic during distension. In addition, the average anisotropy direction is longitudinal, along the urethra to dome. The derived wall anisotropy trends are based on birefringence as an intrinsic property of the tissue organization independent of its thickness, to aid in understanding the structure-functions relation in healthy bladders. These new insights into the wall microstructure of ex vivo distending bladders may help improve the functionality of the artificially engineered bladder tissues.

  10. As-Fabricated Reinforced Carbon/Carbon Characterized

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacobson, Nathan S.; Calomino, Anthony M.; Webster, Neal

    2004-01-01

    Reinforced carbon/carbon (RCC) is a critical material for the space shuttle orbiter. It is used on the wing leading edge and the nose cap, where maximum temperatures are reached on reentry. The existing leading-edge system is a single-plate RCC composite construction with a wall thickness of approximately 1/4 in., making it a prime reliant protection scheme for vehicle operation.

  11. Hydride vapor phase epitaxy of AlN using a high temperature hot-wall reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baker, Troy; Mayo, Ashley; Veisi, Zeinab; Lu, Peng; Schmitt, Jason

    2014-10-01

    Aluminum nitride (AlN) was grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). The experiments utilized a two zone inductively heated hot-wall reactor. The surface morphology, crystal quality, and growth rate were investigated as a function of growth temperature in the range of 1450-1575 °C. AlN templates grown to a thickness of 1 μm were optimized with double axis X-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curve full width half maximums (FWHMs) of 135″ for the (002) and 513″ for the (102).

  12. Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis of the Stress Distribution at the Internal Implant-Abutment Connection.

    PubMed

    Cho, Sung-Yong; Huh, Yoon-Hyuk; Park, Chan-Jin; Cho, Lee-Ra

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated stress distribution in four different implant-abutment interface conditions in the internal tapered connection implant system. Four different implant diameters (3.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm, and 5.0 mm) and two abutment types (hexagonal and conical) were simulated. Four unique implant-abutment interface conditions were assumed based on wall thickness, mating surface length, distance to the vertical stop, and abutment shape. Axial and oblique loading was applied during abutment screw preload, and the Von Mises stresses were measured at the implant-abutment and abutment-screw interfaces. The implant-abutment interface stress decreased as the wall thickness increased. As the mating surface increased, the stress distribution trended downward, and when the distance to the implant vertical stop was 0 μm, the Von Mises stress was extremely high at the vertical stop. Despite their different shapes, the abutments showed similar stress distributions. However, the maximum Von Mises stress was higher in the conical connection than in the hexagonal connection, particularly at the contralateral side to loading. To decrease the stress distribution at the implant-abutment interface, the implant wall thickness, mating surface contact length, distance to the vertical stop, and abutment shape should be carefully considered.

  13. [Hepatic artery of the rat in experimental cirrhosis of the liver].

    PubMed

    Baĭbekov, I M; Vorozheĭkin, V M; Khoroshaev, V A; Khamidov, P M

    1984-04-01

    In 30 male rats of Wistar strain (20 more rats served as controls) thickness of the internal elastic membrane, that of the media, cross section area of the media and that of the lumen were define 3, 4, 5 and 6 months after the experiment was started. The initial changes in the hepatic artery structure are noted on the 4th month, however, differences in the parameters are not yet statistically significant. On the 5th month certain signs of hypertrophy in the smooth muscle cells of the media are clearly seen, as well as an increasing thickness of the internal elastic membrane and that of the tunica media. Simultaneously, the index of labelling the myocyte nuclei reaches its maximum. The increasing thickness of the arterial wall causes certain decrease in the lumen cross section area. The changes of all the parameters are statistically significant. In 6 months after the beginning of the experiment, a pronounced hyperelastosis develops in the wall of the hepatic artery; a part of the smooth muscle cells in the tunica media undergoes atrophy. The area of the vascular lumen decreases by 16%, comparing to the age control. The experimental data confirm certain clinical observations and reveal some features in the mechanism of pathological changes occurring in the hepatic artery wall at cirrhosis.

  14. Thinner regions of intracranial aneurysm wall correlate with regions of higher wall shear stress: a 7.0 tesla MRI

    PubMed Central

    Blankena, Roos; Kleinloog, Rachel; Verweij, Bon H.; van Ooij, Pim; ten Haken, Bennie; Luijten, Peter R.; Rinkel, Gabriel J.E.; Zwanenburg, Jaco J.M.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose To develop a method for semi-quantitative wall thickness assessment on in vivo 7.0 tesla (7T) MRI images of intracranial aneurysms for studying the relation between apparent aneurysm wall thickness and wall shear stress. Materials and Methods Wall thickness was analyzed in 11 unruptured aneurysms in 9 patients, who underwent 7T MRI with a TSE based vessel wall sequence (0.8 mm isotropic resolution). A custom analysis program determined the in vivo aneurysm wall intensities, which were normalized to signal of nearby brain tissue and were used as measure for apparent wall thickness (AWT). Spatial wall thickness variation was determined as the interquartile range in AWT (the middle 50% of the AWT range). Wall shear stress was determined using phase contrast MRI (0.5 mm isotropic resolution). We performed visual and statistical comparisons (Pearson’s correlation) to study the relation between wall thickness and wall shear stress. Results 3D colored AWT maps of the aneurysms showed spatial AWT variation, which ranged from 0.07 to 0.53, with a mean variation of 0.22 (a variation of 1.0 roughly means a wall thickness variation of one voxel (0.8mm)). In all aneurysms, AWT was inversely related to WSS (mean correlation coefficient −0.35, P<0.05). Conclusions A method was developed to measure the wall thickness semi-quantitatively, using 7T MRI. An inverse correlation between wall shear stress and AWT was determined. In future studies, this non-invasive method can be used to assess spatial wall thickness variation in relation to pathophysiologic processes such as aneurysm growth and –rupture. PMID:26892986

  15. Micro-Computed Tomography Evaluation of ProTaper Next and BioRace Shaping Outcomes in Maxillary First Molar Curved Canals.

    PubMed

    Pasqualini, Damiano; Alovisi, Mario; Cemenasco, Andrea; Mancini, Lucia; Paolino, Davide Salvatore; Bianchi, Caterina Chiara; Roggia, Andrea; Scotti, Nicola; Berutti, Elio

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this micro-computed tomography study was to describe the shaping properties of ProGlider/ProTaper Next (PG/PTN) and ScoutRace/BioRace (SR/BR) nickel-titanium rotary systems. Thirty maxillary first permanent molars were selected. Mesiobuccal canals were randomly assigned (n = 15) to PG/PTN or SR/BR groups. Irrigation was performed with 5% NaOCl and 10% EDTA. Specimens were scanned (voxel size, 9.1 μm) for matching volumes and surface areas and post-treatment analyses. Root canal centering ability, canal geometry enlargement, and thickness of dentinal wall at inner curvature were assessed at apical level and point of maximum curvature. Results were analyzed with 4 one-way analyses of variance. Canal centering ability was superior in PG/PTN (P = .006 at apical level, P = .025 at point of maximum curvature). PG/PTN demonstrated a more conservative increase of canal areas (P = .027 at apical level, P = .038 at point of maximum curvature). Centrifugal increase in canal diameters did not significantly differ between groups (P = .65 at apical level, P = .61 at point of maximum curvature). Inner dentinal wall thickness was less reduced with PG/PTN compared with SR/BR, with no statistical differences (P = .23 at point of maximum curvature, P = .89 at apical level). PG/PTN shaping taper ranged between 6% and 7%. Neither system produced significant shaping errors in curved canals. PG/PTN system showed better preservation of canal anatomy. PTN offset section did not influence final preparation taper. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A pilot study on bladder wall thickness at different filling stages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xi; Liu, Yang; Li, Baojuan; Zhang, Guopeng; Liang, Zhengrong; Lu, Hongbing

    2015-03-01

    The ever-growing death rate and the high recurrence of bladder cancer make the early detection and appropriate followup procedure of bladder cancer attract more attention. Compare to optical cystoscopy, image-based studies have revealed its potentials in non-invasive observations of the abnormities of bladder recently, in which MR imaging turns out to be a better choice for bladder evaluation due to its non-ionizing and high contrast between urine and wall tissue. Recent studies indicate that bladder wall thickness tends to be a good indicator for detecting bladder wall abnormalities. However, it is difficult to quantitatively compare wall thickness of the same subject at different filling stages or among different subjects. In order to explore thickness variations at different bladder filling stages, in this study, we preliminarily investigate the relationship between bladder wall thickness and bladder volume based on a MRI database composed of 40 datasets acquired from 10 subjects at different filling stages, using a pipeline for thickness measurement and analysis proposed in our previous work. The Student's t-test indicated that there was no significant different on wall thickness between the male group and the female group. The Pearson correlation analysis result indicated that negative correlation with a correlation coefficient of -0.8517 existed between the wall thickness and bladder volume, and the correlation was significant(p <0.01). The corresponding linear regression equation was then estimated by the unary linear regression. Compared to the absolute value of wall thickness, the z-score of wall thickness would be more appropriate to reflect the thickness variations. For possible abnormality detection of a bladder based on wall thickness, the intra-subject and inter-subject thickness variation should be considered.

  17. Axial Crushing of Thin-Walled Columns with Octagonal Section: Modeling and Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yucheng; Day, Michael L.

    This chapter focus on numerical crashworthiness analysis of straight thinwalled columns with octagonal cross sections. Two important issues in this analysis are demonstrated here: computer modeling and crashworthiness design. In the first part, this chapter introduces a method of developing simplified finite element (FE) models for the straight thin-walled octagonal columns, which can be used for the numerical crashworthiness analysis. Next, this chapter performs a crashworthiness design for such thin-walled columns in order to maximize their energy absorption capability. Specific energy absorption (SEA) is set as the design objective, side length of the octagonal cross section and wall thickness are selected as design variables, and maximum crushing force (Pm) occurs during crashes is set as design constraint. Response surface method (RSM) is employed to formulate functions for both SEA and Pm.

  18. Parametric study of electromagnetic waves propagating in absorbing curved S ducts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baumeister, Kenneth J.

    1989-01-01

    A finite-element Galerkin formulation has been developed to study attenuation of transverse magnetic (TM) waves propagating in two-dimensional S-curved ducts with absorbing walls. In the frequency range where the duct diameter and electromagnetic wave length are nearly equal, the effect of duct length, curvature (duct offset), and absorber wall thickness was examined. For a given offset in the curved duct, the length of the S-duct was found to significantly affect both the absorptive and reflective characteristics of the duct. For a straight and a curved duct with perfect electric conductor terminations, power attenuation contours were examined to determine electromagnetic wall properties associated with maximum input signal absorption. Offset of the S-duct was found to significantly affect the value of the wall permittivity associated with the optimal attenuation of the incident electromagnetic wave.

  19. Impact of wall thickness and saccular geometry on the computational wall stress of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms.

    PubMed

    Shang, Eric K; Nathan, Derek P; Sprinkle, Shanna R; Fairman, Ronald M; Bavaria, Joseph E; Gorman, Robert C; Gorman, Joseph H; Jackson, Benjamin M

    2013-09-10

    Wall stress calculated using finite element analysis has been used to predict rupture risk of aortic aneurysms. Prior models often assume uniform aortic wall thickness and fusiform geometry. We examined the effects of including local wall thickness, intraluminal thrombus, calcifications, and saccular geometry on peak wall stress (PWS) in finite element analysis of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Computed tomographic angiography of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (n=10 total, 5 fusiform and 5 saccular) underwent 3-dimensional reconstruction with custom algorithms. For each aneurysm, an initial model was constructed with uniform wall thickness. Experimental models explored the addition of variable wall thickness, calcifications, and intraluminal thrombus. Each model was loaded with 120 mm Hg pressure, and von Mises PWS was computed. The mean PWS of uniform wall thickness models was 410 ± 111 kPa. The imposition of variable wall thickness increased PWS (481 ± 126 kPa, P<0.001). Although the addition of calcifications was not statistically significant (506 ± 126 kPa, P=0.07), the addition of intraluminal thrombus to variable wall thickness (359 ± 86 kPa, P ≤ 0.001) reduced PWS. A final model incorporating all features also reduced PWS (368 ± 88 kPa, P<0.001). Saccular geometry did not increase diameter-normalized stress in the final model (77 ± 7 versus 67 ± 12 kPa/cm, P=0.22). Incorporation of local wall thickness can significantly increase PWS in finite element analysis models of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Incorporating variable wall thickness, intraluminal thrombus, and calcifications significantly impacts computed PWS of thoracic aneurysms; sophisticated models may, therefore, be more accurate in assessing rupture risk. Saccular aneurysms did not demonstrate a significantly higher normalized PWS than fusiform aneurysms.

  20. Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method

    DOEpatents

    Bylenok, Paul J.; Patmos, William M.; Wagner, Thomas A.; Martin, Francis H.

    1992-08-04

    An ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system uses an ultrasonic fsed beam probe for measuring thickness of an object, such as a wall of a tube, a computer for controlling movement of the probe in a scanning pattern within the tube and processing an analog signal produced by the probe which is proportional to the tube wall thickness in the scanning pattern, and a line scan recorder for producing a record of the tube wall thicknesses measured by the probe in the scanning pattern. The probe is moved in the scanning pattern to sequentially scan circumferentially the interior tube wall at spaced apart adjacent axial locations. The computer processes the analog signal by converting it to a digital signal and then quantifies the digital signal into a multiplicity of thickness points with each falling in one of a plurality of thickness ranges corresponding to one of a plurality of shades of grey. From the multiplicity of quantified thickness points, a line scan recorder connected to the computer generates a pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses with each quantified thickness point thus being obtained from a minute area, e.g. 0.010 inch by 0.010 inch, of tube wall and representing one pixel of the pictorial map. In the pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses, the pixels represent different wall thicknesses having different shades of grey.

  1. Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method

    DOEpatents

    Bylenok, Paul J.; Patmos, William M.; Wagner, Thomas A.; Martin, Francis H.

    1992-01-01

    An ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system uses an ultrasonic fsed beam probe for measuring thickness of an object, such as a wall of a tube, a computer for controlling movement of the probe in a scanning pattern within the tube and processing an analog signal produced by the probe which is proportional to the tube wall thickness in the scanning pattern, and a line scan recorder for producing a record of the tube wall thicknesses measured by the probe in the scanning pattern. The probe is moved in the scanning pattern to sequentially scan circumferentially the interior tube wall at spaced apart adjacent axial locations. The computer processes the analog signal by converting it to a digital signal and then quantifies the digital signal into a multiplicity of thickness points with each falling in one of a plurality of thickness ranges corresponding to one of a plurality of shades of grey. From the multiplicity of quantified thickness points, a line scan recorder connected to the computer generates a pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses with each quantified thickness point thus being obtained from a minute area, e.g. 0.010 inch by 0.010 inch, of tube wall and representing one pixel of the pictorial map. In the pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses, the pixels represent different wall thicknesses having different shades of grey.

  2. 49 CFR 192.109 - Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. 192.109 Section 192.109 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND... Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. (a) If the nominal wall thickness for steel pipe is not known...

  3. 49 CFR 192.109 - Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. 192.109 Section 192.109 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND... Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. (a) If the nominal wall thickness for steel pipe is not known...

  4. 49 CFR 192.109 - Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. 192.109 Section 192.109 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND... Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. (a) If the nominal wall thickness for steel pipe is not known...

  5. 49 CFR 192.109 - Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. 192.109 Section 192.109 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND... Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. (a) If the nominal wall thickness for steel pipe is not known...

  6. 49 CFR 192.109 - Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. 192.109 Section 192.109 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND... Nominal wall thickness (t) for steel pipe. (a) If the nominal wall thickness for steel pipe is not known...

  7. Free form hemispherical shaped charge

    DOEpatents

    Haselman, L.C. Jr.

    1996-06-04

    A hemispherical shaped charge has been modified such that one side of the hemisphere is spherical and the other is aspherical allowing a wall thickness variation in the liner. A further modification is to use an elongated hemispherical shape. The liner has a thick wall at its pole and a thin wall at the equator with a continually decreasing wall thickness from the pole to the equator. The ratio of the wall thickness from the pole to the equator varies depending on liner material and HE shape. Hemispherical shaped charges have previously been limited to spherical shapes with no variations in wall thicknesses. By redesign of the basic liner thicknesses, the jet properties of coherence, stability, and mass distribution have been significantly improved. 8 figs.

  8. Free form hemispherical shaped charge

    DOEpatents

    Haselman, Jr., Leonard C.

    1996-01-01

    A hemispherical shaped charge has been modified such that one side of the hemisphere is spherical and the other is aspherical allowing a wall thickness variation in the liner. A further modification is to use an elongated hemispherical shape. The liner has a thick wall at its pole and a thin wall at the equator with a continually decreasing wall thickness from the pole to the equator. The ratio of the wall thickness from the pole to the equator varies depending on liner material and HE shape. Hemispherical shaped charges have previously been limited to spherical shapes with no variations in wall thicknesses. By redesign of the basic liner thicknesses, the jet properties of coherence, stability, and mass distribution have been significantly improved.

  9. Turbine airfoil with outer wall thickness indicators

    DOEpatents

    Marra, John J; James, Allister W; Merrill, Gary B

    2013-08-06

    A turbine airfoil usable in a turbine engine and including a depth indicator for determining outer wall blade thickness. The airfoil may include an outer wall having a plurality of grooves in the outer surface of the outer wall. The grooves may have a depth that represents a desired outer surface and wall thickness of the outer wall. The material forming an outer surface of the outer wall may be removed to be flush with an innermost point in each groove, thereby reducing the wall thickness and increasing efficiency. The plurality of grooves may be positioned in a radially outer region of the airfoil proximate to the tip.

  10. Gastric wall changes after intragastric balloon placement: a preliminary experience.

    PubMed

    Périssé, Luís Gustavo Santos; Ecbc-Rj, Paulo Cézar Marques Périssé; Ribeiro, Kelson Ferreira

    2016-01-01

    : to evaluate the thickness of the gastric wall at the time of intra gastric balloon (IGB) placement, at the time of its withdrawal and one month after withdrawal. : fifteen morbidly obese patients underwent the introduction of IGB under general anesthesia. In all patients, there was infusion of 500ml of distilled water in the balloon for the test. Measurements of the thickness of the gastric wall were made in the antrum, body and proximal body, using a radial echoendoscope with a frequency of 12MHz and maximum zoom, and its own balloon inflated with 5ml of distilled water. : the presence of IGB led to increased wall thickness of the gastric body by expanding the muscle layer. These changes were apparently transient, since 30 days after the balloon withdrawal there was a tendency to return of the wall thickness values ​​observed before the balloon insertion. : the use of intragastric balloon for the treatment of obesity determines transient increase in the wall thickness of the gastric body caused by expanded muscle layer. avaliar a espessura da parede gástrica no momento do posicionamento do balão intragástrico (BIG), no momento de sua retirada e um mês após a retirada. quinze pacientes obesos mórbidos foram submetidos à introdução de BIG sob anestesia geral. Em todos os pacientes foi feita infusão de 500 ml de água destilada e o balão foi insuflado com 5ml de água destilada. As medidas da espessura da parede gástrica foram feitas no antro, corpo e corpo alto utilizando-se um ecoendoscópio radial com frequência de 12MHz e zoom máximo. a presença do BIG levou ao aumento da espessura da parede do corpo gástrico pelo aumento de espessura da sua camada muscular. Estas alterações são aparentemente transitórias já que após 30 dias da retirada do balão existiu uma tendência de retorno da espessura da parede aos valores observados antes do seu posicionamento. a utilização do balão intragástrico para tratamento da obesidade determina aumento transitório da espessura da parede do corpo gástrico causado pelo aumento da camada muscular.

  11. Credit BG. View shows north and west sides of structure ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Credit BG. View shows north and west sides of structure as seen when looking east southeast (124°). The thick walls of this building are solid concrete, and the rooms are isolated from each other. The magazine is rated for a maximum of 100 pounds (45.4 Kg) of class 1.1 materials, and two personnel. Handles, attached to walls next to door handles, are static electric discharge points for personnel to touch before entering magazine doors. Note the lightning rods on roof corners and the exterior electrical system for interior lighting - Jet Propulsion Laboratory Edwards Facility, Igniter Magazine, Edwards Air Force Base, Boron, Kern County, CA

  12. Normal reference values for bladder wall thickness on CT in a healthy population.

    PubMed

    Fananapazir, Ghaneh; Kitich, Aleksandar; Lamba, Ramit; Stewart, Susan L; Corwin, Michael T

    2018-02-01

    To determine normal bladder wall thickness on CT in patients without bladder disease. Four hundred and nineteen patients presenting for trauma with normal CTs of the abdomen and pelvis were included in our retrospective study. Bladder wall thickness was assessed, and bladder volume was measured using both the ellipsoid formula and an automated technique. Patient age, gender, and body mass index were recorded. Linear regression models were created to account for bladder volume, age, gender, and body mass index, and the multiple correlation coefficient with bladder wall thickness was computed. Bladder volume and bladder wall thickness were log-transformed to achieve approximate normality and homogeneity of variance. Variables that did not contribute substantively to the model were excluded, and a parsimonious model was created and the multiple correlation coefficient was calculated. Expected bladder wall thickness was estimated for different bladder volumes, and 1.96 standard deviation above expected provided the upper limit of normal on the log scale. Age, gender, and bladder volume were associated with bladder wall thickness (p = 0.049, 0.024, and < 0.001, respectively). The linear regression model had an R 2 of 0.52. Age and gender were negligible in contribution to the model, and a parsimonious model using only volume was created for both the ellipsoid and automated volumes (R 2  = 0.52 and 0.51, respectively). Bladder wall thickness correlates with bladder wall volume. The study provides reference bladder wall thicknesses on CT utilizing both the ellipsoid formula and automated bladder volumes.

  13. Modelling ultrasound guided wave propagation for plate thickness measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malladi, Rakesh; Dabak, Anand; Murthy, Nitish Krishna

    2014-03-01

    Structural Health monitoring refers to monitoring the health of plate-like walls of large reactors, pipelines and other structures in terms of corrosion detection and thickness estimation. The objective of this work is modeling the ultrasonic guided waves generated in a plate. The piezoelectric is excited by an input pulse to generate ultrasonic guided lamb waves in the plate that are received by another piezoelectric transducer. In contrast with existing methods, we develop a mathematical model of the direct component of the signal (DCS) recorded at the terminals of the piezoelectric transducer. The DCS model uses maximum likelihood technique to estimate the different parameters, namely the time delay of the signal due to the transducer delay and amplitude scaling of all the lamb wave modes due to attenuation, while taking into account the received signal spreading in time due to dispersion. The maximum likelihood estimate minimizes the energy difference between the experimental and the DCS model-generated signal. We demonstrate that the DCS model matches closely with experimentally recorded signals and show it can be used to estimate thickness of the plate. The main idea of the thickness estimation algorithm is to generate a bank of DCS model-generated signals, each corresponding to a different thickness of the plate and then find the closest match among these signals to the received signal, resulting in an estimate of the thickness of the plate. Therefore our approach provides a complementary suite of analytics to the existing thickness monitoring approaches.

  14. 77 FR 64478 - Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Pipe From India: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-22

    ....D. and 0.165 inch wall thickness (gage 8) 4.000 inch O.D. and 0.148 inch wall thickness (gage 9) 4.000 inch O.D. and 0.165 inch wall thickness (gage 8) 4.500 inch O.D. and 0.203 inch wall thickness... investigation is Zenith Birla (India) Limited (previously known as Zenith Steel Pipes and Industries Ltd...

  15. The role of angiography in the congruence of cardiovascular measurements between autopsy and postmortem imaging.

    PubMed

    Troxler, Renaud; Minoiu, Costin; Vaucher, Paul; Michaud, Katarzyna; Doenz, Francesco; Ducrot, Kewin; Grabherr, Silke

    2018-01-01

    Postmortem CT angiography is the method of choice for the postmortem imaging investigations of the cardiovascular (CV) system. However, autopsy still remains the gold standard for CV measurement. Nevertheless, there are not any studies on CV measurements on the multi-phase postmortem angiography (MPMCTA) which includes comparisons with autopsy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare CV measurements between the native CT scan and the three phases of the MPMCTA to find out which of these modalities correlate the best with autopsy measurements. For this study, we selected retrospectively 50 postmortem cases that underwent both MPMCTA and autopsy. A comparison was carried out between the CV measurements obtained with imaging (aorta; heart cavities and cardiac wall thicknesses; maximum cardiac diameter and cardiothoracic ratio) and at the autopsy (aorta; cardiac valves, ventricular thicknesses, and weight). Our results show that the dynamic phase displays an advantage for the measurement of the aortas. However, the MPMCTA is not accurate to measure the cardiac wall thicknesses. The measurements of the heart cavities show no correlation with the heart valves. The cardiothoracic ratio measured by the MPMCTA shows no correlation with the heart weight. Nevertheless, the maximum cardiac diameter exhibits a correlation with the latter on the venous and dynamic phase. These results show that only few CV parameters measured with imaging correlate with measurement obtained at the autopsy. These results indicate that in order to better estimate values obtained at the autopsy, we need to define new reference values for the CV measurement on MPMCTA.

  16. Stress analysis and failure of an internally pressurized composite-jacketed steel cylinder

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Peter C. T.

    1992-01-01

    This paper presents a nonlinear stress analysis of a thick-walled compound tube subjected to internal pressure. The compound tube is constructed of a steel liner and a graphite-bismaleimide outer shell. Analytical expressions for the stresses, strains, and displacements are derived for all loading ranges up to failure. Numerical results for the stresses and the maximum value that the compound tube can contain without failure are presented.

  17. Optical Strain Measurement of an Inflated Cylinder using Photogrammetry with Application to Scientific Balloons

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blandino, Joseph R.; Sterling, Jerry; Baginski, Frank; Steadman, Eric; Black, Jonathan T.; Pappa, Richard S.

    2004-01-01

    A study is presented using photogrammetry to measure the biaxial strain in an inflated cylinder. Two cylinders constructed from polyethylene and each approximately 222 mm in diameter and 930 mm in length were studied. The first had a 0.038 mm wall thickness while the second had a 0.02 mm wall thickness. The cylinders were inflated to a maximum pressure of 1379 Pa. The strain was determined from data collected from 60 retro-reflective targets arranged in a 12 x 5 grid. The uncertainty of the measurement system was determined to be 0.08, 0.04 and 0.06 mm in the x, y, and z directions respectively. The hoop and meridional strains determined from displacement data were compared to values obtained from a finite element analysis of a related proxy problem. The predicted hoop strains showed good agreement over the entire range of pressures while the meridional strains showed good agreement at the lower pressures.

  18. Average chest wall thickness at two anatomic locations in trauma patients.

    PubMed

    Schroeder, Elizabeth; Valdez, Carrie; Krauthamer, Andres; Khati, Nadia; Rasmus, Jessica; Amdur, Richard; Brindle, Kathleen; Sarani, Babak

    2013-09-01

    Needle thoracostomy is the emergent treatment for tension pneumothorax. This procedure is commonly done using a 4.5cm catheter, and the optimal site for chest wall puncture is controversial. We hypothesize that needle thoracostomy cannot be performed using this catheter length irrespective of the site chosen in either gender. A retrospective review of all chest computed tomography (CT) scans obtained on trauma patients from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 was performed. Patients aged 18 and 80 years were included and patients whose chest wall thickness exceeded the boundary of the images acquired were excluded. Chest wall thickness was measured at the 2nd intercostal (ICS), midclavicular line (MCL) and the 5th ICS, anterior axillary line (AAL). Injury severity score (ISS), chest wall thickness, and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed. 201 patients were included, 54% male. Average (SD) BMI was 26 (7)kg/m(2). The average chest wall thickness in the overall cohort was 4.08 (1.4)cm at the 2nd ICS/MCL and 4.55 (1.7)cm at the 5th ICS/AAL. 29% of the overall cohort (27 male and 32 female) had a chest wall thickness greater than 4.5cm at the 2nd ICS/MCL and 45% (54 male and 36 female) had a chest wall thickness greater than 4.5cm at the 5th ICS/AAL. There was no significant interaction between gender and chest wall thickness at either site. BMI was positively associated with chest wall thickness at both the 2nd and 5th ICS/AAL. A 4.5cm catheter is inadequate for needle thoracostomy in most patients regardless of puncture site or gender. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Influence of the internal wall thickness of electrical capacitance tomography sensors on image quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Shiguo; Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Wu, Meng; Yang, Wuqiang

    2018-03-01

    In the design of electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensors, the internal wall thickness can vary with specific applications, and it is a key factor that influences the sensitivity distribution and image quality. This paper will discuss the effect of the wall thickness of ECT sensors on image quality. Three flow patterns are simulated for wall thicknesses of 2.5 mm to 15 mm on eight-electrode ECT sensors. The sensitivity distributions and potential distributions are compared for different wall thicknesses. Linear back-projection and Landweber iteration algorithms are used for image reconstruction. Relative image error and correlation coefficients are used for image evaluation using both simulation and experimental data.

  20. Implications Enzymatic Degradation of the Endothelial Glycocalyx on the Microvascular Hemodynamics and the Arteriolar Red Cell Free Layer of the Rat Cremaster Muscle.

    PubMed

    Yalcin, Ozlem; Jani, Vivek P; Johnson, Paul C; Cabrales, Pedro

    2018-01-01

    The endothelial glycocalyx is a complex network of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans; it lines the vascular endothelial cells facing the lumen of blood vessels forming the endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL). This study aims to investigate the microvascular hemodynamics implications of the EGL by quantifying changes in blood flow hydrodynamics post-enzymatic degradation of the glycocalyx layer. High-speed intravital microscopy videos of small arteries (around 35 μm) of the rat cremaster muscle were recorded at various time points after enzymatic degradation of the EGL. The thickness of the cell free layer (CFL), blood flow velocity profiles, and volumetric flow rates were quantified. Hydrodynamic effects of the presence of the EGL were observed in the differences between the thickness of CFL in microvessels with an intact EGL and glass tubes of similar diameters. Maximal changes in the thickness of CFL were observed 40 min post-enzymatic degradation of the EGL. Analysis of the frequency distribution of the thickness of CFL allows for estimation of the thickness of the endothelial surface layer (ESL), the plasma layer, and the glycocalyx. Peak flow, maximum velocity, and mean velocity were found to statistically increase by 24, 27, and 25%, respectively, after enzymatic degradation of the glycocalyx. The change in peak-to-peak maximum velocity and mean velocity were found to statistically increase by 39 and 32%, respectively, after 40 min post-enzymatic degradation of the EGL. The bluntness of blood flow velocity profiles was found to be reduced post-degradation of the EGL, as the exclusion volume occupied by the EGL increased the effective volume impermeable to RBCs in microvessels. This study presents the effects of the EGL on microvascular hemodynamics. Enzymatic degradation of the EGL resulted in a decrease in the thickness of CFL, an increase in blood velocity, blood flow, and decrease of the bluntness of the blood flow velocity profile in small arterioles. In summary, the EGL functions as a molecular sieve to solute transport and as a lubrication layer to protect the endothelium from red blood cell (RBC) motion near the vessel wall, determining wall shear stress.

  1. SU-C-BRA-04: Use of Esophageal Wall Thickness in Evaluation of the Response to Chemoradiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, J; Kligerman, S; Lu, W

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the esophageal cancer response to chemoradiation therapy (CRT) by measuring the esophageal wall thickness in CT. Method: Two datasets were used in this study. The first dataset is composed of CT scans of 15 esophageal cancer patients and 15 normal controls. The second dataset is composed of 20 esophageal cancer patients who underwent PET/CT scans before (Pre-CRT) and after CRT (Post-CRT). We first segmented the esophagus using a multi-atlas-based algorithm. The esophageal wall thickness was then computed, on each slice, as the equivalent circle radius of the segmented esophagus excluding the lumen. To evaluate the changesmore » of wall thickness, we computed the standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (COV, SD/Mean), and flatness [(Max–Min)/Mean] of wall thickness along the entire esophagus. Results: For the first dataset, the mean wall thickness of cancer patients and normal controls were 6.35 mm and 6.03 mm, respectively. The mean SD, COV, and flatness of the wall thickness were 2.59, 0.21, and 1.27 for the cancer patients and 1.99, 0.16, and 1.13 for normal controls. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were identified in SD and flatness. For the second dataset, the mean wall thickness of pre-CRT and post-CRT patients was 7.13 mm and 6.84 mm, respectively. The mean SD, COV, and flatness were 1.81, 0.26, and 1.06 for pre-CRT and 1.69, 0.26, and 1.06 for post-CRT. Statistically significant difference was not identified for these measurements. Current results are based on the entire esophagus. We believe significant differences between pre- and post-CRT scans could be obtained, if we conduct the measurements at tumor sites. Conclusion: Results show thicker wall thickness in pre-CRT scans and differences in wall thickness changes between normal and abnormal esophagus. This demonstrated the potential of esophageal wall thickness as a marker in the tumor CRT response evaluation. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grant R01CA172638.« less

  2. Mechanosensation Dynamically Coordinates Polar Growth and Cell Wall Assembly to Promote Cell Survival.

    PubMed

    Davì, Valeria; Tanimoto, Hirokazu; Ershov, Dmitry; Haupt, Armin; De Belly, Henry; Le Borgne, Rémi; Couturier, Etienne; Boudaoud, Arezki; Minc, Nicolas

    2018-04-23

    How growing cells cope with size expansion while ensuring mechanical integrity is not known. In walled cells, such as those of microbes and plants, growth and viability are both supported by a thin and rigid encasing cell wall (CW). We deciphered the dynamic mechanisms controlling wall surface assembly during cell growth, using a sub-resolution microscopy approach to monitor CW thickness in live rod-shaped fission yeast cells. We found that polar cell growth yielded wall thinning and that thickness negatively influenced growth. Thickness at growing tips exhibited a fluctuating behavior with thickening phases followed by thinning phases, indicative of a delayed feedback promoting thickness homeostasis. This feedback was mediated by mechanosensing through the CW integrity pathway, which probes strain in the wall to adjust synthase localization and activity to surface growth. Mutants defective in thickness homeostasis lysed by rupturing the wall, demonstrating its pivotal role for walled cell survival. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. The Bulging Behavior of Thick-Walled 6063 Aluminum Alloy Tubes Under Double-Sided Pressures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Xiao-Lei; Wang, Xiao-Song; Yuan, Shi-Jian

    2015-05-01

    To make further exploration on the deformation behavior of tube under double-sided pressures, the thick-walled 6063 aluminum alloy tubes with an outer diameter of 65 mm and an average thickness of 7.86 mm have been used to be bulged under the combined action of internal and external pressures. In the experiment, two ends of the thick-walled tubes were fixed using the tooth and groove match. Three levels of external pressure (0 MPa, 40 MPa, and 80 MPa), in conjunction with the internal pressure, were applied on the tube outside and inside simultaneously. The effect of external pressure on the bulging behavior of the thick-walled tubes, such as the limiting expansion ratio, the bulging zone profile, and the thickness distribution, has been investigated. It is shown that the limiting expansion ratio, the bulging zone profile, and the thickness distribution in the homogeneous bulging area are all insensitive to the external pressure. However, the external pressure can make the thick-walled tube achieve a thinner wall at the fracture area. It reveals that the external pressure can only improve the fracture limit of the thick-walled 6063 tubes, but it has very little effect on their homogeneous bulging behavior. It might be because the external pressure can only increase the magnitude of the hydrostatic pressure for the tube but has no effect on the Lode parameter.

  4. Dynamics of High Sound-Speed Metal Confiners Driven By Non-Ideal High-Explosive Detonation

    DOE PAGES

    Short, Mark; Jackson, Scott I.

    2015-01-23

    Here, the results of 14 tests examining the behavior of aluminum (Al) conifners driven by non-ideal ANFO detonation in a cylinder test configuration are presented. In each test, the measured detonation phase velocity is slower than the aluminum sound speed. Thus, in the detonation reference frame, the ow in the Al is both shockless and subsonic. The tests involve: 3-inch inner diameter (ID) cylinders with Al wall thicknesses of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 1 and 2 inches; a 4-inch ID cylinder with a 1/2-inch Al wall thickness; and 6-inch ID cylinders with Al wall thicknesses of 1/2, 1 and 2 inches.more » The ANFO detonation velocity is seen to increase with increasing wall thickness for both the 3- and 6-inch ID tests, with no limiting velocity reached for the wall thicknesses used. The motion of the outer Al wall due to precursor elastic waves in the Al running ahead of the detonation is also measured at various axial locations along the cylinders. It is found that the magnitude of the outer wall motion due to the precursor elastic waves is small, while the associated wall motion is unsteady and decays in amplitude as the elastic disturbances move further ahead of the detonation front. The variations in the expansion history of the main outer wall motion of the cylinders are presented for increasing wall thickness at fixed ID, and for increasing cylinder inner diameter at a fixed wall thickness. Finally, we also explore the existence of a geometric similarity scaling of the wall expansion history for three geometrically scaled tests (3- and 6-inch ID cylinders with 1/4- and 1/2-inch walls respectively, 3- and 6-inch ID cylinders with 1/2- and 1-inch walls and 3- and 6-inch ID cylinders with 1- and 2-inch walls respectively). We find that the wall velocity histories for each of the three scaled tests, when plotted directly against time relative to start of main motion of the wall, are similar over a certain range of wall velocities without any geometric based rescaling in time. The range of wall velocities where the overlap occurs increases as the ratio of the wall thickness to inner diameter decreases. In conclusion, this is in contrast to ideal high explosives, where the outer wall velocity histories are only similar when the geometric scale factor (in this case a factor of 2) is applied to the wall velocity motion.« less

  5. Dynamics of High Sound-Speed Metal Confiners Driven By Non-Ideal High-Explosive Detonation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Short, Mark; Jackson, Scott I.

    Here, the results of 14 tests examining the behavior of aluminum (Al) conifners driven by non-ideal ANFO detonation in a cylinder test configuration are presented. In each test, the measured detonation phase velocity is slower than the aluminum sound speed. Thus, in the detonation reference frame, the ow in the Al is both shockless and subsonic. The tests involve: 3-inch inner diameter (ID) cylinders with Al wall thicknesses of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 1 and 2 inches; a 4-inch ID cylinder with a 1/2-inch Al wall thickness; and 6-inch ID cylinders with Al wall thicknesses of 1/2, 1 and 2 inches.more » The ANFO detonation velocity is seen to increase with increasing wall thickness for both the 3- and 6-inch ID tests, with no limiting velocity reached for the wall thicknesses used. The motion of the outer Al wall due to precursor elastic waves in the Al running ahead of the detonation is also measured at various axial locations along the cylinders. It is found that the magnitude of the outer wall motion due to the precursor elastic waves is small, while the associated wall motion is unsteady and decays in amplitude as the elastic disturbances move further ahead of the detonation front. The variations in the expansion history of the main outer wall motion of the cylinders are presented for increasing wall thickness at fixed ID, and for increasing cylinder inner diameter at a fixed wall thickness. Finally, we also explore the existence of a geometric similarity scaling of the wall expansion history for three geometrically scaled tests (3- and 6-inch ID cylinders with 1/4- and 1/2-inch walls respectively, 3- and 6-inch ID cylinders with 1/2- and 1-inch walls and 3- and 6-inch ID cylinders with 1- and 2-inch walls respectively). We find that the wall velocity histories for each of the three scaled tests, when plotted directly against time relative to start of main motion of the wall, are similar over a certain range of wall velocities without any geometric based rescaling in time. The range of wall velocities where the overlap occurs increases as the ratio of the wall thickness to inner diameter decreases. In conclusion, this is in contrast to ideal high explosives, where the outer wall velocity histories are only similar when the geometric scale factor (in this case a factor of 2) is applied to the wall velocity motion.« less

  6. Flow characteristics and scaling past highly porous wall-mounted fences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez-López, Eduardo; Bruce, Paul J. K.; Buxton, Oliver R. H.

    2017-07-01

    An extensive characterization of the flow past wall-mounted highly porous fences based on single- and multi-scale geometries has been performed using hot-wire anemometry in a low-speed wind tunnel. Whilst drag properties (estimated from the time-averaged momentum equation) seem to be mostly dependent on the grids' blockage ratio; wakes of different size and orientation bars seem to generate distinct behaviours regarding turbulence properties. Far from the near-grid region, the flow is dominated by the presence of two well-differentiated layers: one close to the wall dominated by the near-wall behaviour and another one corresponding to the grid's wake and shear layer, originating from between this and the freestream. It is proposed that the effective thickness of the wall layer can be inferred from the wall-normal profile of root-mean-square streamwise velocity or, alternatively, from the wall-normal profile of streamwise velocity correlation. Using these definitions of wall-layer thickness enables us to collapse different trends of the turbulence behaviour inside this layer. In particular, the root-mean-square level of the wall shear stress fluctuations, longitudinal integral length scale, and spanwise turbulent structure is shown to display a satisfactory scaling with this thickness rather than with the whole thickness of the grid's wake. Moreover, it is shown that certain grids destroy the spanwise arrangement of large turbulence structures in the logarithmic region, which are then re-formed after a particular streamwise extent. It is finally shown that for fences subject to a boundary layer of thickness comparable to their height, the effective thickness of the wall layer scales with the incoming boundary layer thickness. Analogously, it is hypothesized that the growth rate of the internal layer is also partly dependent on the incoming boundary layer thickness.

  7. Local and systemic effects of leg cycling training on arterial wall thickness in healthy humans.

    PubMed

    Thijssen, Dick H J; Dawson, Ellen A; van den Munckhof, Inge C L; Birk, Gurpreet K; Timothy Cable, N; Green, Daniel J

    2013-08-01

    Exercise training is associated with direct effects on conduit artery function and structure. Cross-sectional studies suggest the presence of systemic changes in wall thickness as a result of exercise in healthy subjects, but no previous study has examined this question in humans undertaking exercise training. To examine the change in superficial femoral (SFA, i.e. local effect) and carotid (CA, i.e. systemic effect) artery wall thickness across 8 weeks of lower limb cycle training in healthy young men. Fourteen healthy young male subjects were assigned to an 8-week training study of cycling exercise (n = 9) or a control period (n = 5). Before, during (2, 4 and 6 weeks) and after training, SFA and CA wall thickness was examined using automated edge-detection of high resolution ultrasound images. We also measured resting diameter and calculated the wall:lumen(W:L)-ratio. Exercise training did not alter CA or SFA baseline diameter (P = 0.14), but was associated with gradual, consistent and significant decreases in wall thickness and W:L-ratio in both the CA and SFA (P < 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Two-way ANOVA revealed a comparable magnitude of decrease in wall thickness and W:L-ratio in both arteries across the 8-week period (interaction-effect; P = 0.29 and 0.12, respectively). No changes in artery diameter, wall thickness or W:L-ratio were apparent in controls (0.82, 0.38 and 0.52, respectively). We found that cycle exercise training in healthy young individuals is associated with modest, but significant, decreases in wall thickness in the superficial femoral and carotid arteries. These findings suggest that exercise training causes systemic adaptation of the arterial wall in healthy young subjects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The influence of head diameter and wall thickness on deformations of metallic acetabular press-fit cups and UHMWPE liners: a finite element analysis.

    PubMed

    Goebel, Paul; Kluess, Daniel; Wieding, Jan; Souffrant, Robert; Heyer, Horst; Sander, Manuela; Bader, Rainer

    2013-03-01

    To increase the range of motion of total hip endoprostheses, prosthetic heads need to be enlarged, which implies that the cup and/or liner thickness must decrease. This may have negative effects on the wear rate, because the acetabular cups and liners could deform during press-fit implantation and hip joint loading. We compared the metal cup and polyethylene liner deformations that occurred when different wall thicknesses were used in order to evaluate the resulting changes in the clearance of the articulating region. A parametric finite element model utilized three cup and liner wall thicknesses to analyze cup and liner deformations after press-fit implantation into the pelvic bone. The resultant hip joint force during heel strike was applied while the femur was fixed, accounting for physiological muscle forces. The deformation behavior of the liner under joint loading was therefore assessed as a function of the head diameter and the resulting clearance. Press-fit implantation showed diametral cup deformations of 0.096, 0.034, and 0.014 mm for cup wall thicknesses of 3, 5, and 7 mm, respectively. The largest deformations (average 0.084 ± 0.003 mm) of liners with thicknesses of 4, 6, and 8 mm occurred with the smallest cup wall thickness (3 mm). The smallest liner deformation (0.011 mm) was obtained with largest cup and liner wall thicknesses. Under joint loading, liner deformations in thin-walled acetabular cups (3 mm) reduced the initial clearance by about 50 %. Acetabular press-fit cups with wall thicknesses of ≤5 mm should only be used in combination with polyethylene liners >6 mm thick in order to minimize the reduction in clearance.

  9. Flat-walled multilayered anechoic linings: Optimization and application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Jingfeng; Buchholz, Jörg M.; Fricke, Fergus R.

    2005-11-01

    The concept of flat-walled multilayered absorbent linings for anechoic rooms was proposed three decades ago. Flat-walled linings have the advantage of being less complicated and, hence, less costly to manufacture and install than the individual units such as wedges. However, there are difficulties in optimizing the design of such absorbent linings. In the present work, the design of a flat-walled multilayered anechoic lining that targeted a 250 Hz cut-off frequency and a 300 mm maximum lining thickness was first optimized using an evolutionary algorithm. Sixteen of the most commonly used commercial fibrous building insulation materials available in Australia were investigated and fourteen design options (i.e., material combinations) were found by the evolutionary algorithm. These options were then evaluated in accordance with their costs and measured acoustic absorption performances. Finally, the completed anechoic room, where the optimized design was applied, was qualified and the results showed that a large percentage (75%-85%) of the distance between the sound source and the room boundaries, on the traverses made, were anechoic.

  10. Acoustic propagation in curved ducts with extended reacting wall treatment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baumeister, Kenneth J.

    1989-01-01

    A finite-element Galerkin formulation was employed to study the attenuation of acoustic waves propagating in two-dimensional S-curved ducts with absorbing walls without a mean flow. The reflection and transmission at the entrance and the exit of a curved duct were determined by coupling the finite-element solutions in the curved duct to the eigenfunctions of an infinite, uniform, hard wall duct. In the frequency range where the duct height and acoustic wave length are nearly equal, the effects of duct length, curvature (duct offset) and absorber thickness were examined. For a given offset in the curved duct, the length of the S-duct was found to significantly affect both the absorptive and reflective characteristics of the duct. A means of reducing the number of elements in the absorber region was also presented. In addition, for a curved duct, power attenuation contours were examined to determine conditions for maximum acoustic power absorption. Again, wall curvature was found to significantly effect the optimization process.

  11. Technical note: Influence of surface roughness and local turbulence on coated-wall flow tube experiments for gas uptake and kinetic studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Guo; Su, Hang; Kuhn, Uwe; Meusel, Hannah; Ammann, Markus; Shao, Min; Pöschl, Ulrich; Cheng, Yafang

    2018-02-01

    Coated-wall flow tube reactors are frequently used to investigate gas uptake and heterogeneous or multiphase reaction kinetics under laminar flow conditions. Coating surface roughness may potentially distort the laminar flow pattern, induce turbulence and introduce uncertainties in the calculated uptake coefficient based on molecular diffusion assumptions (e.g., Brown/Cooney-Kim-Davis (CKD)/Knopf-Pöschl-Shiraiwa (KPS) methods), which has not been fully resolved in earlier studies. Here, we investigate the influence of surface roughness and local turbulence on coated-wall flow tube experiments for gas uptake and kinetic studies. According to laminar boundary theory and considering the specific flow conditions in a coated-wall flow tube, we derive and propose a critical height δc to evaluate turbulence effects in the design and analysis of coated-wall flow tube experiments. If a geometric coating thickness δg is larger than δc, the roughness elements of the coating may cause local turbulence and result in overestimation of the real uptake coefficient (γ). We further develop modified CKD/KPS methods (i.e., CKD-LT/KPS-LT) to account for roughness-induced local turbulence effects. By combination of the original methods and their modified versions, the maximum error range of γCKD (derived with the CKD method) or γKPS (derived with the KPS method) can be quantified and finally γ can be constrained. When turbulence is generated, γCKD or γKPS can bear large difference compared to γ. Their difference becomes smaller for gas reactants with lower uptake (i.e., smaller γ) and/or for a smaller ratio of the geometric coating thickness to the flow tube radius (δg / R0). On the other hand, the critical height δc can also be adjusted by optimizing flow tube configurations and operating conditions (i.e., tube diameter, length, and flow velocity), to ensure not only unaffected laminar flow patterns but also other specific requirements for an individual flow tube experiment. We use coating thickness values from previous coated-wall flow tube studies to assess potential roughness effects using the δc criterion. In most studies, the coating thickness was sufficiently small to avoid complications, but some may have been influenced by surface roughness and local turbulence effects.

  12. Sensitivity of dual-wall structures under hypervelocity impact to multi-layer thermal insulation thickness and placement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schonberg, William P.

    1993-04-01

    Results are presented from an experimental study in which Al dual-wall structures were tested, under various high-speed impact conditions, with a view to the effect of multilayer insulation thickness and location on perforation resistance. Attention is given to comparisons of the damage sustained by dual-wall systems with multilayer insulation blankets of various thicknesses and at various locations within the dual-wall system, under comparable impact loading conditions. The placement of the insulation has a significant effect on the ballistic limit of the dual-wall structures considered, while reducing insulation thickness by as much as a third did not.

  13. Visualization of the aneurysm wall: a 7.0-tesla magnetic resonance imaging study.

    PubMed

    Kleinloog, Rachel; Korkmaz, Emine; Zwanenburg, Jaco J M; Kuijf, Hugo J; Visser, Fredy; Blankena, Roos; Post, Jan A; Ruigrok, Ynte M; Luijten, Peter R; Regli, Luca; Rinkel, Gabriel J E; Verweij, Bon H

    2014-12-01

    Risk prediction of rupture of intracranial aneurysms is poor and is based mainly on lumen characteristics. However, characteristics of the aneurysm wall may be more informative predictors. The limited resolution of currently available imaging techniques and the thin aneurysm wall make imaging of wall thickness challenging. To introduce a novel protocol for imaging wall thickness variation using ultra--high-resolution 7.0-Tesla (7.0-T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We studied 33 unruptured intracranial aneurysms in 24 patients with a T1-weighted 3-dimensional magnetization-prepared inversion-recovery turbo-spin-echo whole-brain sequence with a resolution of 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.8 mm. We performed a validation study with a wedge phantom and with 2 aneurysm wall biopsies obtained during aneurysm treatment using ex vivo MRI and histological examination and correlating variations in MRI signal intensity with variations in actual thickness of the aneurysm wall. In vivo, the aneurysm wall was visible in 28 of the 33 aneurysms. Variation in signal intensity was observed in all visible aneurysm walls. Ex vivo MRI showed variation in signal intensity across the wall of the biopsies, similar to that observed on the in vivo images. Signal intensity and actual thickness in both biopsies had a linear correlation, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.85 and 0.86. Unruptured intracranial aneurysm wall and its variation in thickness can be visualized with 7.0-T MRI. Aneurysm wall thickness variation can now be further studied as a risk factor for rupture in prospective studies.

  14. Jet impinging onto a laser drilled tapered hole: Influence of tapper location on heat transfer and skin friction at hole surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shuja, S. Z.; Yilbas, B. S.

    2013-02-01

    Jet emerging from a conical nozzle and impinging onto a tapered hole in relation to laser drilling is investigated and the influence taper location on the heat transfer and skin friction at the hole wall surface is examined. The study is extended to include four different gases as working fluid. The Reynolds stress model is incorporated to account for the turbulence effect in the flow field. The hole wall surface temperature is kept at 1500 K to resemble the laser drilled hole. It is found that the location of tapering in the hole influences the heat transfer rates and skin friction at the hole wall surface. The maximum skin friction coefficient increases for taper location of 0.25 H, where H is the thickness of the workpiece, while Nusselt number is higher in the hole for taper location of 0.75 H.

  15. Study of Individual Characteristic Abdominal Wall Thickness Based on Magnetic Anchored Surgical Instruments

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Ding-Hui; Liu, Wen-Yan; Feng, Hai-Bo; Fu, Yi-Li; Huang, Shi; Xiang, Jun-Xi; Lyu, Yi

    2015-01-01

    Background: Magnetic anchored surgical instruments (MASI), relying on magnetic force, can break through the limitations of the single port approach in dexterity. Individual characteristic abdominal wall thickness (ICAWT) deeply influences magnetic force that determines the safety of MASI. The purpose of this study was to research the abdominal wall characteristics in MASI applied environment to find ICAWT, and then construct an artful method to predict ICAWT, resulting in better safety and feasibility for MASI. Methods: For MASI, ICAWT is referred to the thickness of thickest point in the applied environment. We determined ICAWT through finding the thickest point in computed tomography scans. We also investigated the traits of abdominal wall thickness to discover the factor that can be used to predict ICAWT. Results: Abdominal wall at C point in the middle third lumbar vertebra plane (L3) is the thickest during chosen points. Fat layer thickness plays a more important role in abdominal wall thickness than muscle layer thickness. “BMI-ICAWT” curve was obtained based on abdominal wall thickness of C point in L3 plane, and the expression was as follow: f(x) = P1 × x2 + P2 × x + P3, where P1 = 0.03916 (0.01776, 0.06056), P2 = 1.098 (0.03197, 2.164), P3 = −18.52 (−31.64, −5.412), R-square: 0.99. Conclusions: Abdominal wall thickness of C point at L3 could be regarded as ICAWT. BMI could be a reliable predictor of ICAWT. In the light of “BMI-ICAWT” curve, we may conveniently predict ICAWT by BMI, resulting a better safety and feasibility for MASI. PMID:26228215

  16. Pulse wave velocity as a diagnostic index: The effect of wall thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hodis, Simona

    2018-06-01

    Vascular compliance is a major determinant of wave propagation within the vascular system, and hence the measurement of pulse wave velocity (PWV) is commonly used clinically as a method of detecting vascular stiffening. The accuracy of that assessment is important because vascular stiffening is a major risk factor for hypertension. PWV is usually measured by timing a pressure wave as it travels from the carotid artery to the femoral or radial artery and estimating the distance that it traveled in each case to obtain the required velocity. A major assumption on which this technique is based is that the vessel wall thickness h is negligibly small compared with the vessel radius a . The extent to which this assumption is satisfied in the cardiovascular system is not known because the ratio h /a varies widely across different regions of the vascular tree and under different pathological conditions. Using the PWV as a diagnostic test without knowing the effect of wall thickness on the measurement could lead to error when interpreting the PWV value as an index of vessel wall compliance. The aim of the present study was to extend the validity of the current practice of assessing wall stiffness by developing a method of analysis that goes beyond the assumption of a thin wall. We analyzed PWVs calculated with different wall models, depending on the ratio of wall thickness to vessel radius and the results showed that PWV is not reliable when it is estimated with the classic thin wall theory if the vessel wall is not around 25% of vessel radius. If the arterial wall is thicker than 25% of vessel radius, then the wave velocity calculated with the thin wall theory could be overestimated and in the clinical setting, this could lead to a false positive. For thicker walls, a thick wall model presented here should be considered to account for the stresses within the wall thickness that become dominant compared with the wall inertia.

  17. Ultrasound follow-up of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) during conservative therapy: ultrasound findings as criteria for diagnosis and cure.

    PubMed

    Miura, Sachiko; Haku, Eijitsu; Hirai, Toshiko; Marugami, Nagaaki; Itoh, Takahiro; Tanaka, Takehiro; Kichikawa, Kimihiko; Ohishi, Hajime

    2008-06-01

    During conservative therapy of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) with atropine sulfate, there are many patients who do not achieve normal values of pyloric wall thickness and canal length even though they are clinically cured (vomiting has ceased); an objective criterion for cure has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to examine whether the appearance of pyloric wall stratification can be used as a criterion for cure. Twenty infants with IHPS who were treated conservatively were enrolled. Two of them ultimately required surgery. Ultrasound examinations were done serially and the pyloric wall thickness and canal length were measured. The echogenicity of the pyloric wall and the presence of wall stratification were noted. On admission, all infants satisfied the ultrasound criteria for IHPS and had a heterogeneous pyloric wall without stratification. With conservative therapy, symptoms disappeared, the pyloric wall thickness and the canal length gradually decreased, the echogenicity gradually became homogeneous and hypoechoic, and wall stratification appeared (in most cases before the pyloric wall thickness and the canal length had normalized). The absence of wall stratification suggests that cellular interstitial changes, such as edema or inflammation, are present in the pyloric wall in the acute stage. Pyloric wall stratification was absent during the acute stage, but it appeared after initiation of treatment but before the pyloric wall thickness and the canal length had normalized. The presence of pyloric wall stratification can be used as a criterion for cure; the absence of wall stratification can be added to ultrasound diagnostic criteria for IHPS.

  18. Noninvasive detection of coronary artery wall thickening with age in healthy subjects using high resolution MRI with beat-to-beat respiratory motion correction.

    PubMed

    Scott, Andrew D; Keegan, Jennifer; Mohiaddin, Raad H; Firmin, David N

    2011-10-01

    To demonstrate coronary artery wall thickening with age in a small healthy cohort using a highly efficient, reliable, and reproducible high-resolution MR technique. A 3D cross-sectional MR vessel wall images (0.7 × 0.7 × 3 mm resolution) with retrospective beat-to-beat respiratory motion correction (B2B-RMC) were obtained in the proximal right coronary artery of 21 healthy subjects (age, 22-62 years) with no known cardiovascular disease. Lumen and outer wall (lumen + vessel wall) areas were measured in one central slice from each subject and average wall thickness and wall area/outer wall area ratio (W/OW) calculated. Imaging was successful in 18 (86%) subjects with average respiratory efficiency 99.3 ± 1.7%. Coronary vessel wall thickness and W/OW significantly correlate with subject age, increasing by 0.088 mm and 0.031 per decade respectively (R = 0.53, P = 0.024 and R = 0.48, P = 0.046). No relationship was found between lumen area and vessel wall thickness (P = NS), but outer wall area increased significantly with vessel wall thickness at 19 mm(2) per mm (P = 0.046). This is consistent with outward vessel wall remodeling. Despite the small size of our healthy cohort, using high-resolution MR imaging and B2B-RMC, we have demonstrated increasing coronary vessel wall thickness and W/OW with age. The results obtained are consistent with outward vessel wall remodeling. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  19. Simulation on Effect of Preform Diameter in Injection Stretch Blow Molding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Z. Q.; Rosli, Nurrina; Oktaviandri, Muchamad

    2018-03-01

    Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most common material of resin for manufacturing plastic bottle by injection stretch blow molding due to its excellent properties. As various issues of health and environmental hazards due to the PET use have risen, PET bottle manufacture may be improved by minimizing the wall thickness to reduce the PET use. One of the critical qualifications of the manufacturing process which lead to the wall thickness distribution is the initial preform diameter. In this project, we used the ANSYS Polyflow with aim to evaluate the wall thickness distribution of PET bottle for different diameter of initial preform. As a result, only 4 mm preform diameter presented wall thickness below than 1 mm. On the other hand, at least 6 mm preform diameter can permit the wall thickness 1.3 mm i.e. at the shoulder area.

  20. Method and apparatus for determining diameter and wall thickness of minute hollow spherical shells

    DOEpatents

    Steinman, D.A.

    1980-05-30

    Method and apparatus for determining diameter and wall thickness of hollow microspheres or shells wherein terminal velocities of shells traveling in fluid-filled conduits of differing diameters are measured. A wall-effect factor is determined as a ratio of the terminal velocities, and shell outside diameter may then be ascertained as a predetermined empirical function of wall-effect factor. For shells of known outside diameter, wall thickness may then be ascertained as a predetermined empirical function of terminal velocity in either conduit.

  1. Method and apparatus for determining diameter and wall thickness of minute hollow spherical shells

    DOEpatents

    Steinman, David A.

    1982-01-01

    Method and apparatus for determining diameter and wall thickness of hollow microspheres or shells wherein terminal velocities of shells traveling in fluid-filled conduits of differing diameters are measured. A wall-effect factor is determined as a ratio of the terminal velocities, and shell outside diameter may then be ascertained as a predetermined empirical function of wall-effect factor. For shells of known outside diameter, wall thickness may then be ascertained as a predetermined empirical function of terminal velocity in either conduit.

  2. Numerical Calculation of the Peaking Factor of a Water-Cooled W/Cu Monoblock for a Divertor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Le; Chang, Haiping; Zhang, Jingyang; Xu, Tiejun

    2015-09-01

    In order to accurately predict the incident critical heat flux (ICHF, the heat flux at the heated surface when CHF occurs) of a water-cooled W/Cu monoblock for a divertor, the exact knowledge of its peaking factors (fp) under one-sided heating conditions with different design parameters is a key issue. In this paper, the heat conduction in the solid domain of a water-cooled W/Cu monoblock is calculated numerically by assuming the local heat transfer coefficients (HTC) of the cooling wall to be functions of the local wall temperature, so as to obtain fp. The reliability of the calculation method is validated by an experimental example result, with the maximum error of 2.1% only. The effects of geometric and flow parameters on the fp of a water-cooled W/Cu monoblock are investigated. Within the scope of this study, it is shown that the fp increases with increasing dimensionless W/Cu monoblock width and armour thickness (the shortest distance between the heated surface and Cu layer), and the maximum increases are 43.8% and 22.4% respectively. The dimensionless W/Cu monoblock height and Cu thickness have little effect on fp. The increase of Reynolds number and Jakob number causes the increase of fp, and the maximum increases are 6.8% and 9.6% respectively. Based on the calculated results, an empirical correlation on peaking factor is obtained via regression. These results provide a valuable reference for the thermal-hydraulic design of water-cooled divertors. supported by National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (No. 2010GB104005) and Funding of Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education, China (CXLX12_0170), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China

  3. Defining the ultrasound longitudinal natural history of newly diagnosed pediatric small bowel Crohn disease treated with infliximab and infliximab-azathioprine combination therapy.

    PubMed

    Dillman, Jonathan R; Dehkordy, Soudabeh Fazeli; Smith, Ethan A; DiPietro, Michael A; Sanchez, Ramon; DeMatos-Maillard, Vera; Adler, Jeremy; Zhang, Bin; Trout, Andrew T

    2017-07-01

    Little is known about changes in the imaging appearances of the bowel and mesentery over time in either pediatric or adult patients with newly diagnosed small bowel Crohn disease treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy. To define how bowel ultrasound findings change over time and correlate with laboratory inflammatory markers in children who have been newly diagnosed with pediatric small bowel Crohn disease and treated with infliximab. We included 28 pediatric patients treated with infliximab for newly diagnosed ileal Crohn disease who underwent bowel sonography prior to medical therapy and at approximately 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after treatment initiation; these patients also had laboratory testing at baseline, 1 month and 6 months. We used linear mixed models to compare mean results between visits and evaluate whether ultrasound measurements changed over time. We used Spearman rank correlation to assess bivariate relationships. Mean subject age was 15.3±2.2 years; 11 subjects were girls (39%). We observed decreases in mean length of disease involvement (12.0±5.4 vs. 9.1±5.3 cm, P=0.02), maximum bowel wall thickness (5.6±1.8 vs. 4.7±1.7 mm, P=0.02), bowel wall color Doppler signal (1.7±0.9 vs. 1.2±0.8, P=0.002) and mesenteric color Doppler signal (1.1±0.9 vs. 0.6±0.6, P=0.005) at approximately 2 weeks following the initiation of infliximab compared to baseline. All laboratory inflammatory markers decreased at 1 month (P-values<0.0001). There was strong correlation between bowel wall color Doppler signal and fecal calprotectin (ρ=0.710; P<0.0001). Linear mixed models confirmed that maximum bowel wall thickness (P=0.04), length of disease involvement (P=0.0002) and bowel wall color Doppler signal (P<0.0001) change over time in response to infliximab, when adjusted for age, sex, azathioprine therapy, scanning radiologist and baseline short pediatric Crohn's disease activity index score. The ultrasound appearance of the bowel changes as early as 2 weeks after the initiation of infliximab therapy. There is strong correlation between bowel wall color Doppler signal and fecal calprotectin.

  4. Effect of the Coronal Wall Thickness of Dental Implants on the Screw Joint Stability in the Internal Implant-Abutment Connection.

    PubMed

    Lee, Ji-Hye; Huh, Yoon-Hyuk; Park, Chan-Jin; Cho, Lee-Ra

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of implant coronal wall thickness on load-bearing capacity and screw joint stability. Experimental implants were customized after investigation of the thinnest coronal wall thickness of commercially available implant systems with a regular platform diameter. Implants with four coronal wall thicknesses (0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 mm) were fabricated. Three sets of tests were performed. The first set was a failure test to evaluate load-bearing capacity and elastic limit. The second and third sets were cyclic and static loading tests. After abutment screw tightening of each implant, vertical cyclic loading of 250 N or static loading from 250 to 800 N was applied. Coronal diameter expansion, axial displacement, and removal torque values of the implants were compared. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for statistical analysis (α = .05). Implants with 0.2-mm coronal wall thickness demonstrated significantly low load-bearing capacity and elastic limit (both P < .05). These implants also showed significantly large coronal diameter expansion and axial displacement after screw tightening (both P < .05). Greater vertical load and thinner coronal wall thickness significantly increased coronal diameter expansion of the implant, axial displacement of the abutment, and removal torque loss of the abutment screw (all P < .05). Implant coronal wall thickness of 0.2 mm produces significantly inferior load-bearing capacity and screw joint stability.

  5. Gastric full-thickness suturing during EMR and for treatment of gastric-wall defects (with video).

    PubMed

    von Renteln, Daniel; Schmidt, Arthur; Riecken, Bettina; Caca, Karel

    2008-04-01

    The endoscopic full-thickness Plicator device was initially developed to provide an endoscopic treatment option for patients with GERD. Because the endoscopic full-thickness Plicator enables rapid and easy placement of transmural sutures, comparable with surgical sutures, we used the Plicator device for endoscopic treatment or prevention of GI-wall defects. To describe the outcomes and complications of endoscopic full-thickness suturing during EMR and for the treatment of gastric-wall defects. A report of 4 cases treated with the endoscopic full-thickness suturing between June 2006 and April 2007. A large tertiary-referral center. Four subjects received endoscopic full-thickness suturing. The subjects were women, with a mean age of 67 years. Of the 4 subjects, 3 received endoscopic full-thickness suturing during or after an EMR. One subject received endoscopic full-thickness suturing for treatment of a fistula. Primary outcome measurements were clinical procedural success and procedure-related adverse events. The mean time for endoscopic full-thickness suturing was 15 minutes. In all cases, GI-wall patency was restored or ensured, and no procedure-related complications occurred. All subjects responded well to endoscopic full-thickness suturing. The resection of one GI stromal tumor was incomplete. Because of the Plicator's 60F distal-end diameter, endoscopic full-thickness suturing could only be performed with the patient under midazolam and propofol sedation. The durable Plicator suture might compromise the endoscopic follow-up after EMR. The endoscopic full-thickness Plicator permits rapid and easy placement of transmural sutures and seems to be a safe and effective alternative to surgical intervention to restore GI-wall defects or to ensure GI-wall patency during EMR procedures.

  6. Comparative physical and chemical analyses of cotton fibers from two near isogenic upland lines differing in fiber wall thickness

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The thickness of cotton fiber cell walls is an important property that partially determines the economic value of cotton. To better understand the physical and chemical manifestations of the genetic variations that regulate the degree of fiber wall thickness, we used a comprehensive set of methods t...

  7. Acetabular shell deformation as a function of shell stiffness and bone strength.

    PubMed

    Dold, Philipp; Pandorf, Thomas; Flohr, Markus; Preuss, Roman; Bone, Martin C; Joyce, Tom J; Holland, James; Deehan, David

    2016-04-01

    Press-fit acetabular shells used for hip replacement rely upon an interference fit with the bone to provide initial stability. This process may result in deformation of the shell. This study aimed to model shell deformation as a process of shell stiffness and bone strength. A cohort of 32 shells with two different wall thicknesses (3 and 4 mm) and 10 different shell sizes (44- to 62-mm outer diameter) were implanted into eight cadavers. Shell deformation was then measured in the cadavers using a previously validated ATOS Triple Scan III optical system. The shell-bone interface was then considered as a spring system according to Hooke's law and from this the force exerted on the shell by the bone was calculated using a combined stiffness consisting of the measured shell stiffness and a calculated bone stiffness. The median radial stiffness for the 3-mm wall thickness was 4192 N/mm (range, 2920-6257 N/mm), while for the 4-mm wall thickness the median was 9633 N/mm (range, 6875-14,341 N/mm). The median deformation was 48 µm (range, 3-187 µm), while the median force was 256 N (range, 26-916 N). No statistically significant correlation was found between shell stiffness and deformation. Deformation was also found to be not fully symmetric (centres 180° apart), with a median angle discrepancy of 11.5° between the two maximum positive points of deformation. Further work is still required to understand how the bone influences acetabular shell deformation. © IMechE 2016.

  8. Post-cast EDM method for reducing the thickness of a turbine nozzle wall

    DOEpatents

    Jones, Raymond Joseph; Bojappa, Parvangada Ganapathy; Kirkpatrick, Francis Lawrence; Schotsch, Margaret Jones; Rajan, Rajiv; Wei, Bin

    2002-01-01

    A post-cast EDM process is used to remove material from the interior surface of a nozzle vane cavity of a turbine. A thin electrode is passed through the cavity between opposite ends of the nozzle vane and displaced along the interior nozzle wall to remove the material along a predetermined path, thus reducing the thickness of the wall between the cavity and the external surface of the nozzle. In another form, an EDM process employing a profile as an electrode is disposed in the cavity and advanced against the wall to remove material from the wall until the final wall thickness is achieved, with the interior wall surface being complementary to the profile surface.

  9. Diffusion of drag-reducing polymer solutions within a rough-walled turbulent boundary layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elbing, Brian R.; Dowling, David R.; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven L.

    2010-04-01

    The influence of surface roughness on diffusion of wall-injected, drag-reducing polymer solutions within a turbulent boundary layer was studied with a 0.94 m long flat-plate test model at speeds of up to 10.6 m s-1 and Reynolds numbers of up to 9×106. The surface was hydraulically smooth, transitionally rough, or fully rough. Mean concentration profiles were acquired with planar laser induced fluorescence, which was the primary flow diagnostic. Polymer concentration profiles with high injection concentrations (≥1000 wppm) had the peak concentration shifted away from the wall, which was partially attributed to a lifting phenomenon. The diffusion process was divided into three zones—initial, intermediate, and final. Studies of polymer injection into a polymer ocean at concentrations sufficient for maximum drag reduction indicated that the maximum initial zone length is of the order of 100 boundary layer thicknesses. The intermediate zone results indicate that friction velocity and roughness height are important scaling parameters in addition to flow and injection conditions. Lastly, the current results were combined with those in Petrie et al. ["Polymer drag reduction with surface roughness in flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flow," Exp. Fluids 35, 8 (2003)] to demonstrate that the influence of polymer degradation increases with increased surface roughness.

  10. Aspects of fiber morphology affecting properties of handsheets made from loblolly pine refiner groundwood

    Treesearch

    Charles W. McMillin

    1969-01-01

    In Pinus taeda L., burst, breaking length, and sheet density were improved by using fiber refined from wood having long, narrow-diameter tracheids with thick walls. Only narrow-diameter teacheids with thick walls were required to improve tear factor. A theoretical stress analysis revealed that thick-walled cells of small outside diameter fail by...

  11. Quantitative evaluation of the relationship between dorsal wall length, sole thickness, and rotation of the distal phalanx in the bovine claw using computed tomography.

    PubMed

    Tsuka, T; Murahata, Y; Azuma, K; Osaki, T; Ito, N; Okamoto, Y; Imagawa, T

    2014-10-01

    Computed tomography (CT) was performed on 800 untrimmed claws (400 inner claws and 400 outer claws) of 200 pairs of bovine hindlimbs to investigate the relationships between dorsal wall length and sole thickness, and between dorsal wall length and the relative rotation angle of distal phalanx-to-sole surface (S-D angle). Sole thickness was 3.8 and 4.0 mm at the apex of the inner claws and outer claws, respectively, with dorsal wall lengths <70 mm. These sole thickness values were less than the critical limit of 5 mm, which is associated with a softer surface following thinning of the soles. A sole thickness of 5 mm at the apex was estimated to correlate with dorsal wall lengths of 72.1 and 72.7 mm for the inner and outer claws, respectively. Sole thickness was 6.1 and 6.4 mm at the apex of the inner and outer claws, respectively, with dorsal wall lengths of 75 mm. These sole thickness values were less than the recommended sole thickness of 7 mm based on the protective function of the soles. A sole thickness >7 mm at the apex was estimated to correlate with a dorsal wall length of 79.8 and 78.4mm for the inner and outer claws, respectively. The S-D angles were recorded as anteversions of 2.9° and 4.7° for the inner and outer claws, respectively, with a dorsal wall length of 75 mm. These values indicate that the distal phalanx is likely to have rotated naturally forward toward the sole surface. The distal phalanx rotated backward to the sole surface at 3.2° and 7.6° for inner claws with dorsal wall lengths of 90-99 and ≥100 mm, respectively; and at 3.5° for outer claws with a dorsal wall length ≥100 mm. Dorsal wall lengths of 85.7 and 97.2 mm were estimated to correlate with a parallel positional relationship of the distal phalanx to the sole surface in the inner and outer claws, respectively. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. An Automatic Method for Measurements of Arterial Intima-Media Thickness Using Ultrasonic B-Mode Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cinthio, Magnus; Ahlgren, Åsa Rydén; Jansson, Tomas; Nilsson, Tobias; Lindström, Kjell; Persson, Hans W.

    We have previously developed algorithms that use B-mode cineloops for simultaneous measurements of arterial diameter change and longitudinal movement of the arterial wall. In this study the lumen diameter algorithm was extended to also measure arterial intima-media thickness of the far wall. To optimize the algorithm the influence of the lateral width of the region-of-interest (1 pixel, 0.1 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2.5 mm and 5 mm) was evaluated. The algorithm estimated intima-media thickness at diastole automatically by measuring the distance between the two positions where the laterally averaged B-mode intensity envelope crosses a threshold value relative to the maximum amplitudes of the intimal and adventitial echoes, respectively. The sub-pixel resolution is achieved by solving the equation of a straight line between the two samples on either side of the threshold value. The measurements were performed on 20 healthy normotensive volunteers (age 25-57 years) on the common carotid artery 2-3 cm proximal to the bifurcation. For the 2.5-mm width, which was considered the best, the intima-media thickness was mean 646 μm (SD 66) for men and 613 μm (SD 68) for women. The systematic difference was -5 μm and the random difference was 31 μm. The CV was 4.9%. The study indicates that the reproducibility is sufficient for in vivo studies when the width of the region-of-interest is 1.0 mm or wider.

  13. 49 CFR 107.807 - Approval of non-domestic chemical analyses and tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... performed; (2) Complete details concerning the dimensions, materials of construction, wall thickness, water... calculations for cylinder wall stress and wall thickness, which may be shown on a drawing or on separate sheets...

  14. 49 CFR 107.807 - Approval of non-domestic chemical analyses and tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... performed; (2) Complete details concerning the dimensions, materials of construction, wall thickness, water... calculations for cylinder wall stress and wall thickness, which may be shown on a drawing or on separate sheets...

  15. Computer-aided detection of bladder wall thickening in CT urography (CTU)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cha, Kenny H.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir M.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Caoili, Elaine M.; Cohan, Richard H.; Weizer, Alon Z.; Gordon, Marshall N.; Samala, Ravi K.

    2018-02-01

    We are developing a computer-aided detection system for bladder cancer in CT urography (CTU). Bladder wall thickening is a manifestation of bladder cancer and its detection is more challenging than the detection of bladder masses. We first segmented the inner and outer bladder walls using our method that combined deep-learning convolutional neural network with level sets. The non-contrast-enhanced region was separated from the contrast-enhanced region with a maximum-intensity-projection-based method. The non-contrast region was smoothed and gray level threshold was applied to the contrast and non-contrast regions separately to extract the bladder wall and potential lesions. The bladder wall was transformed into a straightened thickness profile, which was analyzed to identify regions of wall thickening candidates. Volume-based features of the wall thickening candidates were analyzed with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to differentiate bladder wall thickenings from false positives. A data set of 112 patients, 87 with wall thickening and 25 with normal bladders, was collected retrospectively with IRB approval, and split into independent training and test sets. Of the 57 training cases, 44 had bladder wall thickening and 13 were normal. Of the 55 test cases, 43 had wall thickening and 12 were normal. The LDA classifier was trained with the training set and evaluated with the test set. FROC analysis showed that the system achieved sensitivities of 93.2% and 88.4% for the training and test sets, respectively, at 0.5 FPs/case.

  16. 3D mapping of airway wall thickening in asthma with MSCT: a level set approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fetita, Catalin; Brillet, Pierre-Yves; Hartley, Ruth; Grenier, Philippe A.; Brightling, Christopher

    2014-03-01

    Assessing the airway wall thickness in multi slice computed tomography (MSCT) as image marker for airway disease phenotyping such asthma and COPD is a current trend and challenge for the scientific community working in lung imaging. This paper addresses the same problem from a different point of view: considering the expected wall thickness-to-lumen-radius ratio for a normal subject as known and constant throughout the whole airway tree, the aim is to build up a 3D map of airway wall regions of larger thickness and to define an overall score able to highlight a pathological status. In this respect, the local dimension (caliber) of the previously segmented airway lumen is obtained on each point by exploiting the granulometry morphological operator. A level set function is defined based on this caliber information and on the expected wall thickness ratio, which allows obtaining a good estimate of the airway wall throughout all segmented lumen generations. Next, the vascular (or mediastinal dense tissue) contact regions are automatically detected and excluded from analysis. For the remaining airway wall border points, the real wall thickness is estimated based on the tissue density analysis in the airway radial direction; thick wall points are highlighted on a 3D representation of the airways and several quantification scores are defined. The proposed approach is fully automatic and was evaluated (proof of concept) on a patient selection coming from different databases including mild, severe asthmatics and normal cases. This preliminary evaluation confirms the discriminative power of the proposed approach regarding different phenotypes and is currently extending to larger cohorts.

  17. A hybrid method for airway segmentation and automated measurement of bronchial wall thickness on CT.

    PubMed

    Xu, Ziyue; Bagci, Ulas; Foster, Brent; Mansoor, Awais; Udupa, Jayaram K; Mollura, Daniel J

    2015-08-01

    Inflammatory and infectious lung diseases commonly involve bronchial airway structures and morphology, and these abnormalities are often analyzed non-invasively through high resolution computed tomography (CT) scans. Assessing airway wall surfaces and the lumen are of great importance for diagnosing pulmonary diseases. However, obtaining high accuracy from a complete 3-D airway tree structure can be quite challenging. The airway tree structure has spiculated shapes with multiple branches and bifurcation points as opposed to solid single organ or tumor segmentation tasks in other applications, hence, it is complex for manual segmentation as compared with other tasks. For computerized methods, a fundamental challenge in airway tree segmentation is the highly variable intensity levels in the lumen area, which often causes a segmentation method to leak into adjacent lung parenchyma through blurred airway walls or soft boundaries. Moreover, outer wall definition can be difficult due to similar intensities of the airway walls and nearby structures such as vessels. In this paper, we propose a computational framework to accurately quantify airways through (i) a novel hybrid approach for precise segmentation of the lumen, and (ii) two novel methods (a spatially constrained Markov random walk method (pseudo 3-D) and a relative fuzzy connectedness method (3-D)) to estimate the airway wall thickness. We evaluate the performance of our proposed methods in comparison with mostly used algorithms using human chest CT images. Our results demonstrate that, on publicly available data sets and using standard evaluation criteria, the proposed airway segmentation method is accurate and efficient as compared with the state-of-the-art methods, and the airway wall estimation algorithms identified the inner and outer airway surfaces more accurately than the most widely applied methods, namely full width at half maximum and phase congruency. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Structural health monitoring ultrasonic thickness measurement accuracy and reliability of various time-of-flight calculation methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eason, Thomas J.; Bond, Leonard J.; Lozev, Mark G.

    2016-02-01

    The accuracy, precision, and reliability of ultrasonic thickness structural health monitoring systems are discussed in-cluding the influence of systematic and environmental factors. To quantify some of these factors, a compression wave ultrasonic thickness structural health monitoring experiment is conducted on a flat calibration block at ambient temperature with forty four thin-film sol-gel transducers and various time-of-flight thickness calculation methods. As an initial calibration, the voltage response signals from each sensor are used to determine the common material velocity as well as the signal offset unique to each calculation method. Next, the measurement precision of the thickness error of each method is determined with a proposed weighted censored relative maximum likelihood analysis technique incorporating the propagation of asymmetric measurement uncertainty. The results are presented as upper and lower confidence limits analogous to the a90/95 terminology used in industry recognized Probability-of-Detection assessments. Future work is proposed to apply the statistical analysis technique to quantify measurement precision of various thickness calculation methods under different environmental conditions such as high temperature, rough back-wall surface, and system degradation with an intended application to monitor naphthenic acid corrosion in oil refineries.

  19. Microwave background distortions from domain walls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goetz, Guenter; Noetzold, Dirk

    1990-01-01

    Domain walls arising in a cosmic phase transition after decoupling were recently proposed as seeds for the formation of large scale structure. The distortion induced in the microwave background radiation is calculated in dependence of the wall thickness, surface density, scalar field potential, cosmic redshift and the velocity of the wall. It was found that the maximal redshift distortion for both spherical and planar walls is of the order pi G sigma H(sup -1)(sub 0), where sigma is the surface energy density and H(sup -1)(sub 0) the Hubble parameter. It was also found that, for a wall thickness smaller than the horizon, walls can be treated as infinitely thin, i.e., the redshift distortion is independent of the wall thickness and the specific form of the scalar potential. For planar walls moving with a Lorentz-factor gamma the redshift distortion is enhanced by gamma cubed.

  20. Process for forming a long gas turbine engine blade having a main wall with a thin portion near a tip

    DOEpatents

    Campbell, Christian X; Thomaidis, Dimitrios

    2014-05-13

    A process is provided for forming an airfoil for a gas turbine engine involving: forming a casting of a gas turbine engine airfoil having a main wall and an interior cavity, the main wall having a wall thickness extending from an external surface of the outer wall to the interior cavity, an outer section of the main wall extending from a location between a base and a tip of the airfoil casting to the tip having a wall thickness greater than a final thickness. The process may further involve effecting movement, using a computer system, of a material removal apparatus and the casting relative to one another such that a layer of material is removed from the casting at one or more radial portions along the main wall of the casting.

  1. Comparative effectiveness of 18F-FDG PET-CT and contrast-enhanced CT in the diagnosis of suspected large-vessel vasculitis.

    PubMed

    Vaidyanathan, Sriram; Chattopadhyay, Arpita; Mackie, Sarah L; Scarsbrook, Andrew

    2018-06-21

    Large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) is a serious illness with potentially life-threatening consequences. 18 F-FDG PET-CT has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool in suspected LVV, combining the strengths of functional and structural imaging. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of FDG PET-CT and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) in the evaluation of patients with LVV. A retrospective database review for LVV patients undergoing CECT and PET-CT between 2011 to 2016 yielded demographics, scan interval and vasculitis type. Qualitative and quantitative PET-CT analyses included aorta: liver FDG uptake, bespoke FDG uptake distribution scores and vascular maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax). Quantitative CECT data were assessed wall thickness and mural/lumen ratio. ROC curves were constructed to evaluate comparative diagnostic accuracy and a correlational analysis was conducted between SUVmax and wall-thickness. 36 adults (17 LVV, 19 controls) with a mean age (range) 63 (38-89) years, of which 17 (47%) were males were included. Time interval between CT and PET was mean (standard deviation (SD)) 1.9 (1.2) months. Both SUVmax and wall-thickness demonstrated a significant difference between LVV and controls, with a mean difference (95%confidence interval (CI)) for SUVmax 1.6 (1.1, 2.0) and wall thickness 1.25 (0.68, 1.83) mm, respectively. These two parameters were significantly correlated (p < .0001, R = 0.62). The area under the curve (AUC) (95% CI) for SUVmax was 0.95 (0.88-1.00), and for mural thickening was 0.83 (0.66-0.99). FDG PET-CT demonstrated excellent accuracy whilst CECT mural thickening showed good accuracy in the diagnosis of LVV. Both parameters showed a highly significant correlation. In hospitals without access to FDG PET-CT or in patients unsuitable for PET-CT (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes) CECT offers a viable alternative for the assessment LVV. Advances in knowledge: FDG PET-CT is a highly accurate test for the diagnosis of LVV. Aorta:liver SUVmax ratio is the most specific parameter for LVV. In hospitals without PET-CT or in unsuitable patients e.g. diabetics, CECT is a viable alternative.

  2. Failure Analysis of T-38 Aircraft Burst Hydraulic Aileron Return Line

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martinez, J. E.; Figert, J. D.; Paton, R. M.; Nguyen, S. D.; Flint, A.

    2012-01-01

    During maintenance troubleshooting for fluctuating hydraulic pressures, a technician found that a right hand aileron return line, on the flight hydraulic side, was ruptured (Fig. 1, 2). This tubing is part of the Hydraulic Flight Control Aileron Return Reducer to Aileron Manifold and is suspected to be original to the T-38 Talon trainer aircraft. Ailerons are small hinged sections on the outboard portion of a wing used to generate rolling motion thereby banking the aircraft. The ailerons work by changing the effective shape of the airfoil of the outer portion of the wing [1]. The drawing, Northrop P/N 3-43033-55 (6/1960), specifies that the line is made from 0.375 inch OD, aluminum 5052-0 tubing with a 0.049 inch wall thickness. WW-T-787 requires the tube shall be seamless and uniform in quality and temper [2]. The test pressure for this line is 3000 psi, and the operational pressure for this line is estimated to be between 45 psi and 1500 psi based on dynamic loading during flight. Examination of the fracture surface found evidence of arrest bands originating on the inner diameter (Fig 3). Ductile dimples are observed on the tube fractures (Fig. 4). The etched cross-section revealed thinning and work-hardening in the burst region (Fig. 5). The wall thickness just outside the work-hardened fracture region measured 0.035". Barlow's Formula: P = 2St/D, where P is burst pressure, S is allowable stress, t is wall thickness and D is the outer diameter of tube. Using the ultimate tensile strength of 28 ksi and a measured wall thickness of 0.035 inches at burst, P = 5.2 ksi (burst pressure). Using the yield of 13 ksi (YS) for aluminum 5052-0, plastic deformation will happen at P = 2.4 ksi suggesting plastic deformation occurred at a proof pressure of 3.0 ksi. Conclusion: The burst resulted from high stress, low-cycle fatigue. Evidence of arrest bands originating on the inner diameter. Fracture is predominately shear dimples, characteristic of high load ductile fractures (Fig 6). Section wall reduction in the burst region. Plastic deformation and thinning of the out-of-specification tube wall likely happened during the initial proof testing years ago. Metallography of tubing away from rupture site confirmed tubing was seamless. Based on the tube microstructure, it is likely that the initial wall thickness was about 30 % thinner than the requirement of 0.049 inches. Fracture initiated on the ID and progressed to the OD (shear lip). The tube is made of the correct material of 5052-0 aluminum as verified using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (Table 2). The tubing hardness tested 77 HV100 (77 HRE). This hardness is slightly above the requirement for 70 HRE maximum for aluminum 5052-0 in AMS 2658C [3].

  3. Assessment of bronchial wall thickness and lumen diameter in human adults using multi-detector computed tomography: comparison with theoretical models

    PubMed Central

    Montaudon, M; Desbarats, P; Berger, P; de Dietrich, G; Marthan, R; Laurent, F

    2007-01-01

    A thickened bronchial wall is the morphological substratum of most diseases of the airway. Theoretical and clinical models of bronchial morphometry have so far focused on bronchial lumen diameter, and bronchial length and angles, mainly assessed from bronchial casts. However, these models do not provide information on bronchial wall thickness. This paper reports in vivo values of cross-sectional wall area, lumen area, wall thickness and lumen diameter in ten healthy subjects as assessed by multi-detector computed tomography. A validated dedicated software package was used to measure these morphometric parameters up to the 14th bronchial generation, with respect to Weibel's model of bronchial morphometry, and up to the 12th according to Boyden's classification. Measured lumen diameters and homothety ratios were compared with theoretical values obtained from previously published studies, and no difference was found when considering dichotomic division of the bronchial tree. Mean wall area, lumen area, wall thickness and lumen diameter were then provided according to bronchial generation order, and mean homothety ratios were computed for wall area, lumen area and wall thickness as well as equations giving the mean value of each parameter for a given bronchial generation with respect to its value in generation 0 (trachea). Multi-detector computed tomography measurements of bronchial morphometric parameters may help to improve our knowledge of bronchial anatomy in vivo, our understanding of the pathophysiology of bronchial diseases and the evaluation of pharmacological effects on the bronchial wall. PMID:17919291

  4. Simulation of condensation and liquid break-up on a micro-object with upper and lower movable walls using Lattice Boltzmann Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asadollahi, Arash; Esmaeeli, Asghar

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, two-dimensional condensation, liquid behavior on the micro-object with moving walls, and breaking up have been investigated by the Shan and Chen multiphase Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), which has the ability to incorporate interactions such as fluid-fluid, and also fluid-solid. Four test cases with low, medium, high, and very high Weber numbers are investigated considering the velocity control of walls in detail. Vertical spread fraction n / h (where n is the minimum liquid thickness after deformation and h is the maximum length of liquid deformation in each time) decreases quickly indicating the liquid tendency to breakup in all cases. Except for the case of a very high Weber number, the separation will not happen and finally after fluctuation the fixed bulk of condensed liquid will be placed on the side of the micro-object. The maximum value of reaction parameter h / d becomes larger as the Weber number increases. It is shown that an increase in the Weber number leads to liquid breakup and this mechanism provides an effective way for removing the condensed liquid from micro-devices surfaces. The results by LBM reveal the liquid evolutionary behavior and breaking up over time and show that it is a controllable situation by manipulating the walls velocity. Moreover, it can be used in order to centralize and aggregate all the liquid to a specific direction.

  5. Development of a Flexible Broadband Rayleigh Waves Comb Transducer with Nonequidistant Comb Interval for Defect Detection of Thick-Walled Pipelines

    PubMed Central

    He, Cunfu; Yan, Lyu; Zhang, Haijun

    2018-01-01

    It is necessary to develop a transducer that can quickly detect the inner and outer wall defects of thick-walled pipes, in order to ensure the safety of such pipes. In this paper, a flexible broadband Rayleigh-waves comb transducer based on PZT (lead zirconate titanate) for defect detection of thick-walled pipes is studied. The multiple resonant coupling theory is used to expand the transducer broadband and the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) method is used to optimize transducer array element parameters. Optimization results show that the best array element parameters of the transducer are when the transducer array element length is 30 mm, the thickness is 1.2 mm, the width of one end of is 1.5 mm, and the other end is 3 mm. Based on the optimization results, such a transducer was fabricated and its performance was tested. The test results were consistent with the finite-element simulation results, and the −3 dB bandwidth of the transducer reached 417 kHz. Transducer directivity test results show that the Θ−3dB beam width was equal to 10 °, to meet the defect detection requirements. Finally, defects of thick-walled pipes were detected using the transducer. The results showed that the transducer could detect the inner and outer wall defects of thick-walled pipes within the bandwidth. PMID:29498636

  6. Development of a Flexible Broadband Rayleigh Waves Comb Transducer with Nonequidistant Comb Interval for Defect Detection of Thick-Walled Pipelines.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Huamin; He, Cunfu; Yan, Lyu; Zhang, Haijun

    2018-03-02

    It is necessary to develop a transducer that can quickly detect the inner and outer wall defects of thick-walled pipes, in order to ensure the safety of such pipes. In this paper, a flexible broadband Rayleigh-waves comb transducer based on PZT (lead zirconate titanate) for defect detection of thick-walled pipes is studied. The multiple resonant coupling theory is used to expand the transducer broadband and the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) method is used to optimize transducer array element parameters. Optimization results show that the best array element parameters of the transducer are when the transducer array element length is 30 mm, the thickness is 1.2 mm, the width of one end of is 1.5 mm, and the other end is 3 mm. Based on the optimization results, such a transducer was fabricated and its performance was tested. The test results were consistent with the finite-element simulation results, and the -3 dB bandwidth of the transducer reached 417 kHz. Transducer directivity test results show that the Θ -3dB beam width was equal to 10 °, to meet the defect detection requirements. Finally, defects of thick-walled pipes were detected using the transducer. The results showed that the transducer could detect the inner and outer wall defects of thick-walled pipes within the bandwidth.

  7. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance demonstration of the spectrum of morphological phenotypes and patterns of myocardial scarring in Anderson-Fabry disease.

    PubMed

    Deva, Djeven Parameshvara; Hanneman, Kate; Li, Qin; Ng, Ming Yen; Wasim, Syed; Morel, Chantal; Iwanochko, Robert M; Thavendiranathan, Paaladinesh; Crean, Andrew Michael

    2016-03-31

    Although it is known that Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD) can mimic the morphologic manifestations of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) on echocardiography, there is a lack of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) literature on this. There is limited information in the published literature on the distribution of myocardial fibrosis in patients with AFD, with scar reported principally in the basal inferolateral midwall. All patients with confirmed AFD undergoing CMR at our center were included. Left ventricular (LV) volumes, wall thicknesses and scar were analyzed offline. Patients were categorized into 4 groups: (1) no wall thickening; (2) concentric hypertrophy; (3) asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH); and (4) apical hypertrophy. Charts were reviewed for clinical information. Thirty-nine patients were included (20 males [51%], median age 45.2 years [range 22.3-64.4]). Almost half (17/39) had concentric wall thickening. Almost half (17/39) had pathologic LV scar; three quarters of these (13/17) had typical inferolateral midwall scar. A quarter (9/39) had both concentric wall thickening and typical inferolateral scar. A subgroup with ASH and apical hypertrophy (n = 5) had greater maximum wall thickness, total LV scar, apical scar and mid-ventricular scar than those with concentric hypertrophy (n = 17, p < 0.05). Patients with elevated LVMI had more overall arrhythmia (p = 0.007) more ventricular arrhythmia (p = 0.007) and sustained ventricular tachycardia (p = 0.008). Concentric thickening and inferolateral mid-myocardial scar are the most common manifestations of AFD, but the spectrum includes cases morphologically identical to apical and ASH subtypes of HCM and these have more apical and mid-ventricular LV scar. Significant LVH is associated with ventricular arrhythmia.

  8. Corrections to the thin wall approximation in general relativity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garfinkle, David; Gregory, Ruth

    1989-01-01

    The question is considered whether the thin wall formalism of Israel applies to the gravitating domain walls of a lambda phi(exp 4) theory. The coupled Einstein-scalar equations that describe the thick gravitating wall are expanded in powers of the thickness of the wall. The solutions of the zeroth order equations reproduce the results of the usual Israel thin wall approximation for domain walls. The solutions of the first order equations provide corrections to the expressions for the stress-energy of the wall and to the Israel thin wall equations. The modified thin wall equations are then used to treat the motion of spherical and planar domain walls.

  9. 49 CFR 178.45 - Specification 3T seamless steel cylinder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., and service pressure. A DOT 3T cylinder is a seamless steel cylinder with a minimum water capacity of...) Wall thickness. The minimum wall thickness must be such that the wall stress at the minimum specified... the physical tests required in paragraphs (j) and (k) of this section. A wall stress of more than 90...

  10. 77 FR 64471 - Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Pipe From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Final Negative...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-22

    ... (gage 8) 4.000 inch O.D. and 0.148 inch wall thickness (gage 9) 4.000 inch O.D. and 0.165 inch wall thickness (gage 8) 4.500 inch O.D. and 0.203 inch wall thickness (gage 7) The pipe subject to this... 4, 2012, the Department issued an additional supplemental questionnaire to the GOV, and it received...

  11. Ultrasonographic wall thickness measurement of the upper and lower uterine segments in the prediction of the progress of preterm labour.

    PubMed

    Sayed Ahmed, W A; Madny, E H; Habash, Y H; Ibrahim, Z M; Morsy, A G K; Said, M E

    2015-01-01

    To assess the role of ultrasonographic measurement of the upper and lower uterine segments wall thickness in predicting the progress of preterm labour in patients presenting with preterm labour pains. Fifty pregnant women presenting at Obstetrics Department - Suez Canal University, Egypt with regular lower abdominal pains and diagnosed as having preterm labour were enrolled in the study. Measurements of the upper and lower uterine segments wall thickness by transabdominal ultrasonography in-between contractions and with full bladder were taken. The upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was calculated and correlated to the progress of the preterm labour and to the response to tocolytics. The ultrasonographic upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was directly related to the progress of preterm delivery (PTD). The change in this ratio is correlated inversely with the response to tocolysis. Using the ROC curve, when the upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was ≤ 1.26 the sensitivity was 94.74 and the specificity was 100.00, and when the ratio was ≤ 1.52 the sensitivity was 100.00 and the specificity was 83.33. These data may serve as a baseline ultrasonographic reference values for further studies in prediction the progress of preterm labour in patients presenting with preterm labour pains.

  12. Dietary fat intake and carotid artery wall thickness: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

    PubMed

    Tell, G S; Evans, G W; Folsom, A R; Shimakawa, T; Carpenter, M A; Heiss, G

    1994-05-15

    Associations between atherosclerosis and dietary fat and cholesterol have been demonstrated in numerous animal experiments. The relation between these dietary components and atherosclerosis has not previously been reported in a population-based study among human beings. The associations of dietary fat and cholesterol with carotid artery wall thickness (atherosclerosis) were investigated in a population-based study, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, from 1987 to 1989. Participants were 2,095 black women, 5,146 white women, 1,318 black men and 4,589 white men, aged 45-64 years, recruited from four US communities: Jackson, Mississippi; Forsyth County, North Carolina; Washington County, Maryland; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Habitual diet was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Wall thickness was measured with B-mode ultrasound. After adjustment for age and energy intake, animal fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, cholesterol, and Keys' score were positively related to wall thickness, while vegetable fat and polyunsaturated fat were inversely related to wall thickness. These associations persisted after further adjustment for smoking and hypertension and were consistent across the four race and sex groups. Thus, elements of habitual dietary intake were consistently associated with carotid artery wall thickness, compatible with their putatively atherogenic and antiatherogenic properties.

  13. 49 CFR 178.60 - Specification 8AL steel cylinders with porous fillings for acetylene.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... thickness; wall stress. The wall thickness/wall stress of the cylinder must conform to the following: (1) The calculated wall stress at 750 psi may not exceed 35,000 psi, or one-half of the minimum ultimate... stress must be made by the formula: S = [P(1.3D2 + 0.4d2)] / (D2 − d2) Where: S = wall stress in pounds...

  14. A Probabilistic Method for Estimation of Bowel Wall Thickness in MR Colonography

    PubMed Central

    Menys, Alex; Jaffer, Asif; Bhatnagar, Gauraang; Punwani, Shonit; Atkinson, David; Halligan, Steve; Hawkes, David J.; Taylor, Stuart A.

    2017-01-01

    MRI has recently been applied as a tool to quantitatively evaluate the response to therapy in patients with Crohn’s disease, and is the preferred choice for repeated imaging. Bowel wall thickness on MRI is an important biomarker of underlying inflammatory activity, being abnormally increased in the acute phase and reducing in response to successful therapy; however, a poor level of interobserver agreement of measured thickness is reported and therefore a system for accurate, robust and reproducible measurements is desirable. We propose a novel method for estimating bowel wall-thickness to improve the poor interobserver agreement of the manual procedure. We show that the variability of wall thickness measurement between the algorithm and observer measurements (0.25mm ± 0.81mm) has differences which are similar to observer variability (0.16mm ± 0.64mm). PMID:28072831

  15. Primary Arterial Switch Operation for Late Referral of Transposition of the Great Arteries with Intact Ventricular Septum in the Current Era: Do We Still Need a Rapid Two-Stage Operation?

    PubMed

    Ota, Noritaka; Sivalingam, Sivakumar; Pau, Kiew Kong; Hew, Chee Chin; Dillon, Jeswant; Latiff, Haifa Abdul; Samion, Hasri; Yakub, Mohd Azhari

    2018-01-01

    We introduced primary arterial switch operation for the patient with transposition of great arteries and intact ventricular septum (TGA-IVS) who had more than 3.5 mm of posterior left ventricle (LV) wall thickness. Between January 2013 and June 2015, a total of 116 patients underwent arterial switch operation. Of the 116 patients, 26 with TGA-IVS underwent primary arterial switch operation at more than 30 days of age. The age and body weight (mean ± SD) at the operation were 120.4 ± 93.8 days and 4.1 ±1.0 kg, respectively. There was no hospital mortality. The thickness of posterior LV wall (preoperation vs postoperation; mm) was 4.04 ± 0.71 versus 5.90 ± 1.3; P < .0001; interval: 11.8 ± 6.5 days. The left atrial pressure (mm Hg; postoperative day 0 vs 3) was 20.0 ± 3.2 versus 10.0 ± 2.0; P < .0001; and the maximum blood lactate level (mmol/dL) was 4.7 ± 1.4 versus 1.4 ± 0.3; P < .0001, which showed significant improvement in the postoperative course. All cases had delayed sternal closure. The patients who belonged to the thin LV posterior wall group (<4 mm [preoperative echo]: n = 13) had significantly longer ventilation time (days; 10.6 ± 4.8 vs 4.8 ± 1.7, P = .0039), and the intensive care unit stay (days) was 14 ± 9.2 versus 7.5 ± 3.5; P = .025, compared with thick LV wall group (≥4.0 mm: n = 13). The children older than 30 days with TGA-IVS can benefit from primary arterial switch operation with acceptable results under our indication. However, we need further investigation for LV function.

  16. Wall stress reduction in abdominal aortic aneurysms as a result of polymeric endoaortic paving.

    PubMed

    Ashton, John H; Ayyalasomayajula, Avinash; Simon, Bruce R; Vande Geest, Jonathan P

    2011-06-01

    Polymeric endoaortic paving (PEAP) may improve endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) since it has the potential to treat patients with complex AAA geometries while reducing the incidence of migration and endoleak. Polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyurethane (PU) blends are proposed as PEAP materials due to their range of mechanical properties, thermoformability, and resistance to biodegradation. In this study, the reduction in AAA wall stress that can be achieved using PEAP was estimated and compared to that resulting from stent-grafts. This was accomplished by mechanically modeling the anisotropic response of PCL/PU blends and implementing these results into finite element model (FEM) simulations. We found that at the maximum diameter of the AAA, the 50/50 and 10/90 PCL/PU blends reduced wall stress by 99 and 98%, respectively, while a stent-graft reduced wall stress by 99%. Our results also show that wall stress reduction increases with increasing PEAP thickness and PCL content in the blend ratio. These results indicate that PEAP can reduce AAA wall stress as effectively as a stent-graft. As such, we propose that PEAP may provide an improved treatment alternative for AAA, since many of the limitations of stent-grafts have the potential to be solved using this approach.

  17. Spacecraft shielding for a Mars mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Brien, K.

    Calculations of the effective radiation dose due to cosmic rays in the interplanetary medium between Earth and Mars show that, as in the atmosphere above the Pfotzer Maximum, the dose rate increases with increasing wall thickness. An unshielded space crew member would receive almost 70 rem (0.70 Sv) a year. The effect of a typically proposed composite space-craft hull of aluminum and polyethylene would increase the dose rate by a few percent. However, 100 g/cm2 of almost any light material would more than double the cosmic radiation exposure of the crew.

  18. Effects of inter- and intra-observer variability on echocardiographic measurements in awake cats.

    PubMed

    Chetboul, V; Concordet, D; Pouchelon, J L; Athanassiadis, N; Muller, C; Benigni, L; Munari, A C; Lefebvre, H P

    2003-08-01

    The objective of this study was to determine intra- and inter-observer variability of echocardiographic measurements in awake cats. Four observers with different levels of experience in echocardiography performed 96 echocardiographic examinations in four cats on four different days over a 3-week period. The examinations were randomized and blinded. The maximum within-day and between-day CV values were 17.4 and 18.5% for inter-ventricular septal thickness in diastole, 18.7 and 22.6% for left ventricular free-wall thickness in diastole, 9.8 and 14.9% for left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, 20.8 and 15.2% for left ventricular end-systolic diameter, and 21.2 and 18.4% for left ventricular shortening fraction. The maximum within-day CV values were most often associated with the least competent observer (i.e. the graduate student) and, the minimum CV values with the most competent observer (i.e. the associate professor in cardiology). A significant interaction between cat and observer was also evidenced. Thus, the most competent observer could not be replaced by any of the other observers.

  19. Metal/polymer composite Nuss bar for minimally invasive bar removal after Pectus Excavatum treatment: FEM simulations.

    PubMed

    Ricotti, Leonardo; Ciuti, Gastone; Ghionzoli, Marco; Messineo, Antonio; Menciassi, Arianna

    2014-12-01

    This study aims at assessing the mechanical behavior of a composite metal/polymer bar to be implanted in the retrosternal position, in order to correct chest wall deformities, such as Pectus Excavatum. A 300-mm-long, 12.7-mm-wide, and 3.5-mm-thick Nuss bar was considered, made of different metals and biodegradable polymers, fixed at its extremities, and with a constant force of 250 N applied on its center. Two different geometries for the metal elements to be embedded in the polymeric matrix were tested: in the former, thin metal sheets and in the latter, cylindrical metal reinforcing rods were considered. Finite element method simulation results are reported, in terms of maximum stress and strain of the bar. Furthermore, the maximum stress values obtained by varying metal sheet thickness or rod diameter (and therefore the volumetric percentage of metal within the matrix) for different material combinations are also shown; optimal configuration for the Pectus Excavatum treatment was finally identified for a composite Nuss bar. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. 49 CFR 179.400-8 - Thickness of plates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-8 Thickness of plates... joints, except that for seamless heads, E = 1.0. (b) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of any 3..., except that for seamless heads, E=1.0. (c) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of a flanged and...

  1. 49 CFR 179.400-8 - Thickness of plates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-8 Thickness of plates... joints, except that for seamless heads, E = 1.0. (b) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of any 3..., except that for seamless heads, E=1.0. (c) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of a flanged and...

  2. 49 CFR 179.400-8 - Thickness of plates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-8 Thickness of plates... joints, except that for seamless heads, E = 1.0. (b) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of any 3..., except that for seamless heads, E=1.0. (c) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of a flanged and...

  3. 49 CFR 179.400-8 - Thickness of plates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-8 Thickness of plates... joints, except that for seamless heads, E = 1.0. (b) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of any 3..., except that for seamless heads, E=1.0. (c) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of a flanged and...

  4. Wall thickness measuring method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Salzer, L.J.; Bergren, D.A.

    1987-10-06

    An apparatus for measuring the wall thickness of a nonmagnetic article having a housing supporting a magnet and a contiguous supporting surface. The tubular article and the housing are releasably secured to the supporting surface and a support member of an optical comparator, respectively. To determine the wall thickness of the article at a selected point, a magnetically responsive ball is positioned within the tubular article over said point and retained therein by means of a magnetic field produced by the magnet. Thereafter, an optical comparator is employed to project a magnified image of the ball on a screen and the wall thickness at the selected point is calculated by using a ball surface measurement taken with the comparator in conjunction with a previously determined base line measurement.

  5. Wall thickness measuring method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Salzer, Leander J.; Bergren, Donald A.

    1989-01-01

    An apparatus for measuring the wall thickness of a nonmagnetic article having a housing supporting a magnet and a contiguous supporting surface. The tubular article and the housing are releasably secured to the supporting surface and a support member of an optical comparator, respectively. To determine the wall thickness of the article at a selected point, a magnetically responsive ball is positioned within the tubular article over said point and retained therein by means of a magnetic field produced by the magnet. Thereafter, an optical comparator is employed to project a magnified image of the ball on a screen and the wall thickness at the selected point is calculated by using a ball surface measurement taken with the comparator in conjunction with a previously determined base line measurement.

  6. Echocardiographic Manifestations of Glycogen Storage Disease III: Increase in Wall Thickness and Left Ventricular Mass over Time

    PubMed Central

    Vertilus, Shawyntee M.; Austin, Stephanie L.; Foster, Kimberly S.; Boyette, Keri E.; Bali, Deeksha; Li, Jennifer S.; Kishnani, Priya S.; Wechsler, Stephanie Burns

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD) type III, glycogen debranching enzyme deficiency, causes accumulation of glycogen in liver, skeletal, and cardiac muscle. Some patients develop increased left ventricular (LV) thickness by echocardiography, but the rate of increase and its significance remain unclear. Methods We evaluated 33 patients with GSD type III, 23 with IIIa and 10 with IIIb, ages 1 month – 55.5 yrs, by echocardiography for wall thickness, LV mass, shortening and ejection fractions, at 1 time point (n = 33) and at 2 time points in patients with more than 1 echocardiogram (13 of the 33). Results Of 23 cross-sectional patients with type IIIa, 12 had elevated LV mass, 11 had elevated wall thickness. One type IIIb patient had elevated LV mass but 4 had elevated wall thickness. For those with multiple observations, 9 of 10 with type IIIa developed increased LV mass over time, with 3 already increased at first measurement. Shortening and ejection fractions were generally normal. Conclusion Elevated LV mass and wall thickness is more common in patients with type IIIa but develops rarely in type IIIb, though ventricular systolic function is preserved. This suggests serial echocardiograms with attention to LV thickness and mass are important for care of these patients. PMID:20526204

  7. Vesicular thick-walled swollen hyphae in pulmonary zygomycosis.

    PubMed

    Kimura, Masatomo; Ito, Hiroyuki

    2009-03-01

    An autopsy case of pulmonary zygomycosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis on immunosuppressive therapy is presented herein. There was a pulmonary cavitated infarct caused by mycotic thrombosis. Thin-walled narrow hyphae and vesicular thick-walled swollen hyphae were found on the pleural surface and in the necrotic tissue at the periphery of the cavity. Findings of such shaped fungal elements may cause erroneous histopathological diagnosis because pauciseptate broad thin-walled hyphae are usually the only detectable fungal elements in zygomycosis tissue. Although immunohistochemistry confirmed these unusual elements to be zygomycetous in the present case, it is important for the differential diagnosis to be aware that zygomycetes can form thin narrow hyphae and vesicular thick-walled swollen hyphae.

  8. Enhanced washout of 99mTc-tetrofosmin in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: quantitative comparisons with regional 123I-BMIPP uptake and wall thickness determined by MRI.

    PubMed

    Thet-Thet-Lwin; Takeda, Tohoru; Wu, Jin; Fumikura, Yuko; Iida, Keiji; Kawano, Satoru; Yamaguchi, Iwao; Itai, Yuji

    2003-07-01

    The diagnostic value of technetium-99m tetrofosmin (TF) washout in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) was examined by investigating its relation to the metabolic abnormality depicted by iodine-123 beta-methyl- p-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) uptake and the left ventricular (LV) myocardial wall thickness as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). TF washout was evaluated in 31 patients with HCM and 23 normal control subjects using 30-min (early) and 3-h (delayed) TF single-photon emission tomography images. The LV myocardial wall was divided into 19 segments and the percentage TF washout, regional BMIPP uptake and LV wall thickness were measured in each segment. Mean TF washout in the patients with HCM was significantly faster than that in normal control subjects (23.7+/-5.7 vs 13.4+/-4.1, P<0.0001). In the patients with HCM, TF washout showed an excellent correlation with MRI wall thickness ( r=0.82, P<0.0001) and a good inverse correlation with regional BMIPP uptake ( r=-0.72, P<0.0001). In addition, a good linear correlation was observed between TF uptake and MRI wall thickness in the 19 regional segments. In conclusion, the degree of TF washout corresponds well with the severity of myocardial wall thickness and the degree of metabolic abnormality in patients with HCM. These results suggest that enhanced TF washout might provide additional clinical information regarding metabolic alterations in HCM.

  9. Material Distribution Optimization for the Shell Aircraft Composite Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shevtsov, S.; Zhilyaev, I.; Oganesyan, P.; Axenov, V.

    2016-09-01

    One of the main goal in aircraft structures designing isweight decreasing and stiffness increasing. Composite structures recently became popular in aircraft because of their mechanical properties and wide range of optimization possibilities.Weight distribution and lay-up are keys to creating lightweight stiff strictures. In this paperwe discuss optimization of specific structure that undergoes the non-uniform air pressure at the different flight conditions and reduce a level of noise caused by the airflowinduced vibrations at the constrained weight of the part. Initial model was created with CAD tool Siemens NX, finite element analysis and post processing were performed with COMSOL Multiphysicsr and MATLABr. Numerical solutions of the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations supplemented by k-w turbulence model provide the spatial distributions of air pressure applied to the shell surface. At the formulation of optimization problem the global strain energy calculated within the optimized shell was assumed as the objective. Wall thickness has been changed using parametric approach by an initiation of auxiliary sphere with varied radius and coordinates of the center, which were the design variables. To avoid a local stress concentration, wall thickness increment was defined as smooth function on the shell surface dependent of auxiliary sphere position and size. Our study consists of multiple steps: CAD/CAE transformation of the model, determining wind pressure for different flow angles, optimizing wall thickness distribution for specific flow angles, designing a lay-up for optimal material distribution. The studied structure was improved in terms of maximum and average strain energy at the constrained expense ofweight growth. Developed methods and tools can be applied to wide range of shell-like structures made of multilayered quasi-isotropic laminates.

  10. Tectonic history of the Syria Planum province of Mars

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tanaka, K.L.; Davis, P.A.

    1988-01-01

    We attribute most of the development of extensive fractures in the Tharsis region to discrete tectonic provinces within the region, rather than to Tharsis as a single entity. One of these provinces is in Syria Planum. Faults and collapse structures in the Syria Planum tectonic province on Mars are grouped into 13 sets based on relative age, areal distribution, and morphology. According to superposition and fault crosscutting relations and crater counts we designate six distinct episodes of tectonic activity. Photoclinometric topographic profiles across 132 grabens and fault scarps show that Syria Planum grabens have widths (average of 2.5 km, and most range from 1 to 6 km) similar to lunar grabens, but the Martian grabens have slightly higher side walls (average abour 132 m) and gentler wall slopes (average of 9?? and range of 2??-25??) than lunar grabens (93 m high and 18?? slopes). Estimates of the amount of extension for individual grabens range from 20 to 350 m; most estimates of the thickness of the faulted layer range from 0.5 to 4.5 km (average is 1.5 km). This thickness range corresponds closely to the 0.8- to 3.6-km range in depth for pits, troughs, and canyons in Noctis Labyrinthus and along the walls of Valles Marineris. We propose that the predominant 1- to 1.5-km values obtained for both the thickness of the faulted layer and the depths of the pits, troughs, and theater heads of the canyons reflect the initial depth to the water table in this region, as governed by the depth to the base of ground ice. Maximum depths for these features may indicate lowered groundwater table depths and the base of ejecta material. -from Authors

  11. Hydraulic and mechanical properties of young Norway spruce clones related to growth and wood structure

    PubMed Central

    ROSNER, SABINE; KLEIN, ANDREA; MÜLLER, ULRICH; KARLSSON, BO

    2011-01-01

    Summary Stem segments of eight five-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) clones differing in growth characteristics were tested for maximum specific hydraulic conductivity (ks100), vulnerability to cavitation and behavior under mechanical stress. The vulnerability of the clones to cavitation was assessed by measuring the applied air pressure required to cause 12 and 50% loss of conductivity (Ψ12, Ψ50) and the percent loss of conductivity at 4 MPa applied air pressure (PLC4MPa). The bending strength and stiffness and the axial compression strength and stiffness of the same stem segments were measured to characterize wood mechanical properties. Growth ring width, wood density, latewood percentage, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, tracheid length and pit dimensions of earlywood cells, spiral grain and microfibril angles were examined to identify structure–function relationships. High ks100 was strongly and positively related to spiral grain angle, which corresponded positively to tracheid length and pit dimensions. Spiral grain may reduce flow resistance of the bordered pits of the first earlywood tracheids, which are characterized by rounded tips and an equal distribution of pits along the entire length. Wood density was unrelated to hydraulic vulnerability parameters. Traits associated with higher hydraulic vulnerability were long tracheids, high latewood percentage and thick earlywood cell walls. The positive relationship between earlywood cell wall thickness and vulnerability to cavitation suggest that air seeding through the margo of bordered pits may occur in earlywood. There was a positive phenotypic and genotypic relationship between ks100 and PLC4MPa, and both parameters were positively related to tree growth rate. Variability in mechanical properties depended mostly on wood density, but also on the amount of compression wood. Accordingly, hydraulic conductivity and mechanical strength or stiffness showed no tradeoff. PMID:17472942

  12. Effect of multi-layer thermal insulation thickness and location on the hypervelocity impact response of dual-wall structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schonberg, William P.

    Traditional perforation-resistant wall design for long-duration spacecraft consists of a "bumper" that is placed a small distance away from the main "pressure wall" of a spacecraft compartment or module. This concept has been studied extensively as a means of reducing the perforation threat of hypervelocity projectiles such as meteoroids and orbital debris. If a dual-wall system is employed on an earth-orbiting spacecraft, then a blanket of multi-layer insulation (MLI) will typically be included within the dual-wall system for thermal protection purposes. This paper presents the results of an experimental study in which aluminum dual-wall structures were tested under a variety of high-speed impact conditions to study the effect of MLI thickness and location on perforation resistance. The results presented consist of test-by-test comparisons of the damage sustained by similar dual-wall systems with blanket MLI of various thicknesses and at various locations within the dual-wall systems under similar impact loading conditions. The analyses performed revealed that the placement of the MLI had a significant effect on the ballistic limit of the dual-wall structures considered while reducing the thickness of the MLI by as much as 1/3 did not.

  13. Parametric analysis: SOC meteoroid and debris protection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kowalski, R.

    1985-01-01

    The meteoroid and man made space debris environments of an Earth orbital manned space operations center are discussed. Protective shielding thickness and design configurations for providing given levels of no penetration probability were also calculated. Meteoroid/debris protection consists of a radiator/shield thickness, which is actually an outer skin, separated from the pressure wall, thickness by a distance. An ideal shield thickness, will, upon impact with a particle, cause both the particle and shield to vaporize, allowing a minimum amount of debris to impact the pressure wall itself. A shield which is too thick will crater on the outside, and release small particles of shield from the inside causing damage to the pressure wall. Inversely, if the shield is too thin, it will afford no protection, and the backup must provide all necessary protection. It was concluded that a double wall concept is most effective.

  14. Fine-tuning the Wall Thickness of Ordered Mesoporous Graphene by Exploiting Ligand Exchange of Colloidal Nanocrystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Dandan; Yan, Yancui; Wei, Jishi; Wang, Biwei; Li, Tongtao; Guo, Guannan; Yang, Dong; Xie, Songhai; Dong, Angang

    2017-12-01

    Because of their unique physical properties, three-dimensional (3D) graphene has attracted enormous attention over the past years. However, it is still a challenge to precisely control the layer thickness of 3D graphene. Here, we report a novel strategy to rationally adjust the wall thickness of ordered mesoporous graphene (OMG). By taking advantage of ligand exchange capability of colloidal Fe3O4 nanocrystals, we are able to fine-tune the wall thickness of OMG from 2 to 6 layers of graphene by tailoring the hydrocarbon ligands attached to the nanocrystal surface. When evaluated as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction upon S and N doping, the 4-layer OMG is found to show better catalytic performance compared with its 2- and 6-layer counterparts, which we attribute to the enhanced exposure of active sites resulting from its ultrathin wall thickness and high surface area.

  15. Three-dimensional atrial wall thickness maps to inform catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Bishop, Martin; Rajani, Ronak; Plank, Gernot; Gaddum, Nicholas; Carr-White, Gerry; Wright, Matt; O'Neill, Mark; Niederer, Steven

    2016-03-01

    Transmural lesion formation is critical to success in atrial fibrillation ablation and is dependent on left atrial wall thickness (LAWT). Pre- and peri-procedural planning may benefit from LAWT measurements. To calculate the LAWT, the Laplace equation was solved over a finite element mesh of the left atrium derived from the segmented computed tomographic angiography (CTA) dataset. Local LAWT was then calculated from the length of field lines derived from the Laplace solution that spanned the wall from the endocardium or epicardium. The method was validated on an atrium phantom and retrospectively applied to 10 patients who underwent routine coronary CTA for standard clinical indications at our institute. The Laplace wall thickness algorithm was validated on the left atrium phantom. Wall thickness measurements had errors of <0.2 mm for thicknesses of 0.5-5.0 mm that are attributed to image resolution and segmentation artefacts. Left atrial wall thickness measurements were performed on 10 patients. Successful comprehensive LAWT maps were generated in all patients from the coronary CTA images. Mean LAWT measurements ranged from 0.6 to 1.0 mm and showed significant inter and intra patient variability. Left atrial wall thickness can be measured robustly and efficiently across the whole left atrium using a solution of the Laplace equation over a finite element mesh of the left atrium. Further studies are indicated to determine whether the integration of LAWT maps into pre-existing 3D anatomical mapping systems may provide important anatomical information for guiding radiofrequency ablation. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Positive feedback loop for cystitis cystica: the effect of recurrent urinary tract infection on the number of bladder wall mucosa nodules.

    PubMed

    Vrljicak, Kristina; Turudić, Daniel; Bambir, Ivan; Gradiski, Ivan Pavao; Spajić, Borislav; Batinić, Danica; Topalović-Grković, Marija; Spajić, Marija; Batinić, Danko; Milosević, Danko

    2013-12-01

    The main purpose of this study was to demonstrate positive feedback loop between bladder wall nodules (nodules being one of the key diagnostic factors), bladder wall thickness, and recurrent urinary tract infections. Cystitis cystica was diagnosed in 115 prepubertal girls (mean age 7.79 +/- 3.05 years) by optic examination of bladder mucosal nodules and by ultrasonographic measurement of bladder wall thickness. Bladder wall thickness increased with the frequency of recurrent urinary tract infections as well as with the number of nodules on bladder wall mucosa (3.52 +/- 0.522 mm < or = 5 nodules vs. 4.42 +/- 0.429 mm 6-10 nodules vs. 5.20 +/- 0.610 mm > 10 nodules, respectively). Study results suggested that early control of urinary tract infections by chemoprophylaxis could prevent higher grades of bladder wall mucosal changes and consequently shorten the length of chemoprophylaxis.

  17. Action of a Local Time-Periodic Load on an Ice Sheet with a Crack

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tkacheva, L. A.

    2017-11-01

    The problem of vibrations of an ice sheet with a rectilinear crack on the surface of an ideal incompressible fluid of finite depth under the action of a time-periodic local load is solved analytically using the Wiener-Hopf technique. Ice cover is simulated by two thin elastic semi-infinite plates of constant thickness. The thickness of the plates may be different on the opposite sides of the crack. Various boundary conditions on the edges of the plates are considered. For the case of contact of plates of the same thickness, a solution in explicit form is obtained. The asymptotics of the deflection of the plates in the far field is studied. It is shown that in the case of contact of two plates of different thickness, predominant directions of wave propagation at an angle to the crack can be identified in the far field. In the case of contact of plates of the same thickness with free edges and with free overlap, an edge waveguide mode propagating along the crack is excited. It is shown that the edge mode propagates with maximum amplitude if the vertical wall is in contact with the plate. Examples of calculations are given.

  18. Forming limit diagrams of tubes with initial wall-thickness difference based on different instability criteria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Qiwen; Yang, Lianfa; He, Yulin

    2018-05-01

    The Forming limit diagram (FLD), also known as a forming limit curves (FLC), is generally used in metal forming for predicting forming behavior of metals. The purpose of the study is to clarify the difference among the FLC of tubes with initial wall-thickness difference under tension-compression strain states using finite element (FE) simulation of tube hydroforming (THF) and different instability criteria. Firstly, geometrical models for SUS304 stainless steel tubes with initial wall-thickness differences were built by introducing an index `wall-thickness deviation rate'. Secondly, forced-end hydro-bugling of the tubes was modeled and the forming process was simulated by using the commercial finite element (FE) code ABAQUS/Explicit 6.10. Afterwards, the limiting strains of the material in the hydro-bugling process were calculated based on the simulated resultant data and three instability criteria-strain change criterion, strain rate change criterion and strain path change criterion, respectively. Finally, the FLD for the tubes was established and the effect of wall-thickness deviation rate on the FLD was analyzed and the differences among the FLC based on the three instability criteria were compared. The results showed that the FLC are observed to shift in the major-minor strain coordinate system due to the initial non-uniform wall-thickness; however, no distinct differences among the FLC based on the three instability criteria were observed.

  19. The upper crust laid on its side: tectonic implications of steeply tilted crustal slabs for extension in the basin and range

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Howard, Keith A.

    2005-01-01

    Tilted slabs expose as much as the top 8–15 km of the upper crust in many parts of the Basin and Range province. Exposures of now-recumbent crustal sections in these slabs allow analysis of pre-tilt depth variations in dike swarms, plutons, and thermal history. Before tilting the slabs were panels between moderately dipping, active Tertiary normal faults. The slabs and their bounding normal faults were tilted to piggyback positions on deeper footwalls that warped up isostatically beneath them during tectonic unloading. Stratal dips within the slabs are commonly tilted to vertical or even slightly overturned, especially in the southern Basin and Range where the thin stratified cover overlies similarly tilted basement granite and gneiss. Some homoclinal recumbent slabs of basement rock display faults that splay upward into forced folds in overlying cover sequences, which thereby exhibit shallower dips. The 15-km maximum exposed paleodepth for the slabs represents the base of the brittle upper crust, as it coincides with the depth of the modern base of the seismogenic zone and the maximum focal depths of large normal-fault earthquakes in the Basin and Range. Many upended slabs accompany metamorphic core complexes, but not all core complexes have corresponding thick recumbent hanging-wall slabs. The Ruby Mountains core complex, for example, preserves only scraps of upper-plate rocks as domed-up extensional klippen, and most of the thick crustal section that originally overlay the uplifted metamorphic core now must reside below little-tilted hanging-wall blocks in the Elko-Carlin area to the west. The Whipple and Catalina Mountains core complexes in contrast are footwall to large recumbent hanging-wall slabs of basement rock exposing 8-15 km paleodepths that originally roofed the metamorphic cores; the exposed paleodepths require that a footwall rolled up beneath the slabs.

  20. 49 CFR 178.47 - Specification 4DS welded stainless steel cylinders for aircraft use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... both with a water capacity of not over 100 pounds and a service pressure of at least 500 but not over... (b) of this section. (f) Wall thickness. The minimum wall thickness must be such that the wall stress...) Calculation for sphere must be made by the formula: S = PD / 4tE Where: S = Wall stress in psi; P = Test...

  1. Accurate Measurement of Small Airways on Low-Dose Thoracic CT Scans in Smokers

    PubMed Central

    Conradi, Susan H.; Atkinson, Jeffrey J.; Zheng, Jie; Schechtman, Kenneth B.; Senior, Robert M.; Gierada, David S.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Partial volume averaging and tilt relative to the scan plane on transverse images limit the accuracy of airway wall thickness measurements on CT scan, confounding assessment of the relationship between airway remodeling and clinical status in COPD. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of partial volume averaging and tilt corrections on airway wall thickness measurement accuracy and on relationships between airway wall thickening and clinical status in COPD. Methods: Airway wall thickness measurements in 80 heavy smokers were obtained on transverse images from low-dose CT scan using the open-source program Airway Inspector. Measurements were corrected for partial volume averaging and tilt effects using an attenuation- and geometry-based algorithm and compared with functional status. Results: The algorithm reduced wall thickness measurements of smaller airways to a greater degree than larger airways, increasing the overall range. When restricted to analyses of airways with an inner diameter < 3.0 mm, for a theoretical airway of 2.0 mm inner diameter, the wall thickness decreased from 1.07 ± 0.07 to 0.29 ± 0.10 mm, and the square root of the wall area decreased from 3.34 ± 0.15 to 1.58 ± 0.29 mm, comparable to histologic measurement studies. Corrected measurements had higher correlation with FEV1, differed more between BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index scores, and explained a greater proportion of FEV1 variability in multivariate models. Conclusions: Correcting for partial volume averaging improves accuracy of airway wall thickness estimation, allowing direct measurement of the small airways to better define their role in COPD. PMID:23172175

  2. Compliance of the abdominal wall during laparoscopic insufflation.

    PubMed

    Becker, Chuck; Plymale, Margaret A; Wennergren, John; Totten, Crystal; Stigall, Kyle; Roth, J Scott

    2017-04-01

    To provide adequate workspace between the viscera and abdominal wall, insufflation with carbon dioxide is a common practice in laparoscopic surgeries. An insufflation pressure of 15 mmHg is considered to be safe in patients, but all insufflation pressures create perioperative and postoperative physiologic effects. As a composition of viscoelastic materials, the abdominal wall should distend in a predictable manner given the pressure of the pneumoperitoneum. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between degree of abdominal distention and the insufflation pressure, with the goal of determining factors which impact the compliance of the abdominal wall. A prospective, IRB-approved study was conducted to video record the abdomens of patients undergoing insufflation prior to a laparoscopic surgery. Photo samples were taken every 5 s, and the strain of the patient's abdomen in the sagittal plane was determined, as well as the insufflator pressure (stress) at bedside. Patients were insufflated to 15 mmHg. The relationship between the stress and strain was determined in each sample, and compliance of the patient's abdominal wall was calculated. Subcutaneous fat thickness and rectus abdominus muscle thickness were obtained from computed tomography scans. Correlations between abdominal wall compliances and subcutaneous fat and muscle content were determined. Twenty-five patients were evaluated. An increased fat thickness in the abdominal wall had a direct exponential relationship with abdominal wall compliance (R 2  = 0.59, p < 0.05). There was no correlation between muscle and fat thickness. All insufflation pressures create perioperative and postoperative complications. The compliance of patients' abdominal body walls differs, and subcutaneous fat thickness has a direct exponential relationship with abdominal wall compliance. Thus, insufflation pressures can be better tailored per the patient. Future studies are needed to demonstrate the clinical impact of varying insufflation pressures.

  3. Study on thickness distribution of thermoformed medical PVC blister

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yiping

    2017-08-01

    Vacuum forming has many advantages over other plastic forming processes due to its cost effectiveness, time efficiency, higher product precision, and more design flexibility. Nevertheless, when pressures greater than the atmospheric value are required to force the thermo-plastic into more intimate contact with the mold surface, pressure forming is a better choice. This paper studies the process of air-pressure thermoforming of plastic sheet, and focuses on medical blister PVC products. ANSYS POLYFLOW tool is used to simulate the process and analyze the wall thickness distribution of the blister. The influence of mold parameters on the wall thickness distribution of thermoformed part is thus obtained through simulation. Increasing radius between mold and side wall at the bottom of blister and draft prove to improve the wall thickness distribution.

  4. Experimental study on melting and flowing behavior of thermoplastics combustion based on a new setup with a T-shape trough.

    PubMed

    Xie, Qiyuan; Zhang, Heping; Ye, Ruibo

    2009-07-30

    The objective of this work is to quantitatively study the burning characteristics of thermoplastics. A new experimental setup with a T-shape trough is designed. Based on this setup, the loop mechanism between the wall fire and pool fires induced by the melting and dripping of thermoplastic can be well simulated and studied. Additionally, the flowing characteristics of pool fires can also be quantitatively analyzed. Experiments are conducted for PP and PE sheets with different thicknesses. The maximum distances of the induced flowing pool flame in the T-shape trough are recorded and analyzed. The typical fire parameters, such as heat release rates (HRRs), CO concentrations are also monitored. The results show that the softening and clinging of the thermoplastic sheets plays a considerable role for their vertical wall burning. It is illustrated that the clinging of burning thermoplastic sheet may be mainly related with the softening temperatures and the ignition temperatures of the thermoplastics, as well as their viscosity coefficients. Through comparing the maximum distances of flowing flame of induced pool fires in the T-shape trough for thermoplastic sheets with different thicknesses, it is indicated that the pool fires induced by PE materials are easier to flow away than that of PP materials. Therefore, PE materials may be more dangerous for their faster pool fire spread on the floor. These experimental results preliminarily illustrate that this new experimental setup is helpful for quantitatively studying the special burning feature of thermoplastics although further modifications is needed for this setup in the future.

  5. Aspect ratios and magma overpressures of non-feeder dikes observed in the Miyake-jima volcano (Japan), and fracture toughness of its upper part

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusumoto, Shigekazu; Geshi, Nobuo; Gudmundsson, Agust

    2013-03-01

    present a new method for estimating the length and maximum thickness (aperture) of a dike from the observed opening at one dike tip. We apply the method to 15 arrested non-feeder dikes (where the upper tip is known, the lower tip unknown) in the caldera walls of Miyake-jima, Japan, to estimate the length-thickness ratio, as well as the magma overpressure and fracture toughness. The calculated length-thickness ratio ranges from 61 to 246, with an average of 136. The ratios are low because the dikes are emplaced close to the surface in comparatively compliant (soft) rocks. Using these ratios and the appropriate elastic constants, the calculated magmatic overpressures of the dikes are between 2.3 and 8.9 MPa, and the stress intensity factors between 38 and 117 MPa m1/2. All these values are within the range of typical in situ estimates, supporting the validity of this new method.

  6. Tissue factor levels and the fibrinolytic system in thin and thick intraluminal thrombus and underlying walls of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

    PubMed

    Siennicka, Aldona; Zuchowski, Marta; Kaczmarczyk, Mariusz; Cnotliwy, Miłosław; Clark, Jeremy Simon; Jastrzębska, Maria

    2018-03-20

    The hemostatic system cooperates with proteolytic degradation in processes allowing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. In previous studies, it has been suggested that aneurysm rupture depends on intraluminal thrombus (ILT) thickness, which varies across each individual aneurysm. We hypothesized that hemostatic components differentially accumulate in AAA tissue in relation to ILT thickness. Thick (A1) and thin (B1) segments of ILTs and aneurysm wall sections A (adjacent to A1) and B (adjacent to B1) from one aneurysm sac were taken from 35 patients undergoing elective repair. Factor levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of protein extract. Tissue factor (TF) activities were significantly higher in thinner segments of AAA (B1 vs A1, P = .003; B vs A, P < .001; B vs A1, P < .001; B vs B1, P = .001). Significantly higher tissue plasminogen activator was found in thick thrombus-covered wall segments (A) than in B, A1, and B1 (P = .015, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). Plasminogen concentrations were highest in ILT. Concentrations of α 2 -antiplasmin in thin ILT adjacent walls (B) were higher compared with wall (A) adjacent to thick ILT (P = .021) and thick ILT (A1; P < .001). Significant correlations between levels of different factors were mostly found in thick ILT (A1). However, no correlations were found at B sites, except for a correlation between plasmin and TF activities (r = 0.55; P = .004). These results suggest that higher TF activities are present in thinner AAA regions. These parameters and local fibrinolysis may be part of the processes leading to destruction of the aneurysm wall. Copyright © 2018 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Risk Assessment of Abdominal Wall Thickness Measured on Pre-Operative Computerized Tomography for Incisional Surgical Site Infection after Abdominal Surgery.

    PubMed

    Tongyoo, Assanee; Chatthamrak, Putipan; Sriussadaporn, Ekkapak; Limpavitayaporn, Palin; Mingmalairak, Chatchai

    2015-07-01

    The surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication of abdominal operation. It relates to increased hospital stay, increased healthcare cost, and decreased patient's quality of life. Obesity, usually defined by BMI, is known as one of the risks of SSI. However, the thickness of subcutaneous layers of abdominal wall might be an important local factor affecting the rate of SSI after the abdominal operations. The objective of this study is to assess the importance of the abdominal wall thickness on incisional SSI rate. The subjects of the present study were patients who had undergone major abdominal operations at Thammasat University Hospital between June 2013 and May 2014, and had been investigated with CT scans before their operations. The demographic data and clinical information of these patients were recorded. The thickness ofsubcutaneous fatty tissue from skin down to the most superficial layer of abdominal wall muscle at the surgical site was measured on CT images. The wound infectious complication was reviewed and categorized as superficial and deep incisional SSIfollowing the definition from Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The significance ofeach potentialfactors on SSI rates was determined separately with student t-test for quantitative data and χ2-test for categorical data. Then all factors, which had p < 0.10, were included into the multivariate logistic regression analysis and were analyzed with significance at p < 0.05. One hundred and thirty-nine patients were included in this study. They all underwent major abdominal surgery and had had pre-operative CTscans. Post-operative SSI was 25.2% (35/139), superficial and deep types in 27 and 8 patients, respectively. The comparison of abdominal wall thickness between patients with and without infection was significantly different (20.0 ± 8.4 mm and 16.0 ± 7.2 mm, respectively). When the thickness at 20 mm was used as the cut-off value, 43 of 139 patients had abdominal wall thickness ≥ 20 mm. The incidence of SSI of the thickness ±20 mm group was 37.2% (16/43) and of the less thickness group was 19.8% (19/96), with p < 0.05. The univariate analysis revealed that abdominal wall thickness ≥ 20 mm, body weight ≥ 60 kg, and wound classification were the important factors related to SSI after the abdominal operation. However, only abdominal wall thickness and wound classification were still significant by multivariate analysis. The findings of this study confirmed the significance of the subcutaneous thickness of abdominal wall at the surgical site on the incidence of incisional SSI. The thickness ≥ 20 mm had an effect on increasing post operative SSI rate especially in contaminated operations. These findings could be helpful in making healthcare providers fully aware and thus exercise special attention in wound care or even develop new modalities to prevent SSI in patients with the aforementioned risks.

  8. The development and structure of thick-walled, multicellular, aerial spores in Diheterospora chlamydosporia (=Verticillium chlamydosporium).

    PubMed

    Cambell, W P; Griffiths, D A

    1975-07-01

    The aerial, thick-walled spores in Diheterospara chlamydosporia arose as terminal swellings on erect hyphae. Repeated septation of the continuously swelling spore resulted in a multicellular structure. Immediately after the onset of septation secondary wall material was laid down between the two-layered primary wall and the plasmalemma. The presence of secondary wall material indicates that the multicellular spore is a dictyochlamydospore and not an aleuriospore. The relationship between chlamydospores and aleuriospores in other fungi is discussed.

  9. Electricity generation in low cost microbial fuel cell made up of earthenware of different thickness.

    PubMed

    Behera, M; Ghangrekar, M M

    2011-01-01

    Performance of four microbial fuel cells (MFC-1, MFC-2, MFC-3 and MFC-4) made up of earthen pots with wall thicknesses of 3, 5, 7 and 8.5 mm, respectively, was evaluated. The MFCs were operated in fed batch mode with synthetic wastewater having sucrose as the carbon source. The power generation decreased with increase in the thickness of the earthen pot which was used to make the anode chamber. MFC-1 generated highest sustainable power density of 24.32 mW/m(2) and volumetric power of 1.04 W/m(3) (1.91 mA, 0.191 V) at 100 Ω external resistance. The maximum Coulombic efficiencies obtained in MFC-1, MFC-2, MFC-3 and MFC-4 were 7.7, 7.1, 6.8 and 6.1%, respectively. The oxygen mass transfer and oxygen diffusion coefficients measured for earthen plate of 3 mm thickness were 1.79 × 10(-5) and 5.38 × 10(-6) cm(2)/s, respectively, which implies that earthen plate is permeable to oxygen as other polymeric membranes. The internal resistance increased with increase in thickness of the earthen pot MFCs. The thickness of the earthen material affected the overall performance of MFCs.

  10. [The cutaneous groin flap for coverage of a full-thickness abdominal wall defect].

    PubMed

    Doebler, O; Spierer, R

    2010-08-01

    A full-thickness defect of the abdominal wall is rare and may occur as a complication of extended abdominal surgery procedures. We report about a 69-year-old patient who was presented to our department with a full-thickness abdominal wall defect and a fully exposed collagen-mesh for reconstructive wound closure. 13 operations with resections of necrotic parts of the abdominal wall were performed following a complicated intraabdominal infection. After debridement and mesh explantation, closure of the remaining defect of the lower abdominal region was achieved by a cutaneous groin flap. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart New York.

  11. Ceramic inlays and partial ceramic crowns: influence of remaining cusp wall thickness on the marginal integrity and enamel crack formation in vitro.

    PubMed

    Krifka, Stephanie; Anthofer, Thomas; Fritzsch, Marcus; Hiller, Karl-Anton; Schmalz, Gottfried; Federlin, Marianne

    2009-01-01

    No information is currently available about what the critical cavity wall thickness is and its influence upon 1) the marginal integrity of ceramic inlays (CI) and partial ceramic crowns (PCC) and 2) the crack formation of dental tissues. This in vitro study of CI and PCC tested the effects of different remaining cusp wall thicknesses on marginal integrity and enamel crack formation. CI (n = 25) and PCC (n = 26) preparations were performed in extracted human molars. Functional cusps of CI and PCC were adjusted to a 2.5 mm thickness; for PCC, the functional cusps were reduced to a thickness of 2.0 mm. Non-functional cusps were adjusted to wall thicknesses of 1) 1.0 mm and 2) 2.0 mm. Ceramic restorations (Vita Mark II, Cerec3 System) were fabricated and adhesively luted to the cavities with Excite/Variolink II. The specimens were exposed to thermocycling and central mechanical loading (TCML: 5000 x 5 degrees C-55 degrees C; 30 seconds/cycle; 500000 x 72.5N, 1.6Hz). Marginal integrity was assessed by evaluating a) dye penetration (fuchsin) on multiple sections after TCML and by using b) quantitative margin analysis in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) before and after TCML. Ceramic- and tooth-luting agent interfaces (LA) were evaluated separately. Enamel cracks were documented under a reflective light microscope. The data were statistically analyzed with the Mann Whitney U-test (alpha = 0.05) and the Error Rates Method (ERM). Crack formation was analyzed with the Chi-Square-test (alpha = 0.05) and ERM. In general, the remaining cusp wall thickness, interface, cavity design and TCML had no statistically significant influence on marginal integrity for both CI and PCC (ERM). Single pairwise comparisons showed that the CI and PCC of Group 2 had a tendency towards less microleakage along the dentin/LA interface than Group 1. Cavity design and location had no statistically significant influence on crack formation, but the specimens with 1.0 mm of remaining wall thickness had statistically significantly more crack formation after TCML than the group with 2.0 mm of remaining cusp wall thickness for CI. The remaining cusp wall thickness of non-functional cusps of adhesively bonded restorations (especially for CI) should have a thickness of at least 2.0 mm to avoid cracks and marginal deficiency at the dentin/LA interface.

  12. Ceramic Spheres—A Novel Solution to Deep Sea Buoyancy Modules

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Bo; Blugan, Gurdial; Sturzenegger, Philip N.; Gonzenbach, Urs T.; Misson, Michael; Thornberry, John; Stenerud, Runar; Cartlidge, David; Kuebler, Jakob

    2016-01-01

    Ceramic-based hollow spheres are considered a great driving force for many applications such as offshore buoyancy modules due to their large diameter to wall thickness ratio and uniform wall thickness geometric features. We have developed such thin-walled hollow spheres made of alumina using slip casting and sintering processes. A diameter as large as 50 mm with a wall thickness of 0.5–1.0 mm has been successfully achieved in these spheres. Their material and structural properties were examined by a series of characterization tools. Particularly, the feasibility of these spheres was investigated with respect to its application for deep sea (>3000 m) buoyancy modules. These spheres, sintered at 1600 °C and with 1.0 mm of wall thickness, have achieved buoyancy of more than 54%. As the sphere’s wall thickness was reduced (e.g., 0.5 mm), their buoyancy reached 72%. The mechanical performance of such spheres has shown a hydrostatic failure pressure above 150 MPa, corresponding to a rating depth below sea level of 5000 m considering a safety factor of 3. The developed alumina-based ceramic spheres are feasible for low cost and scaled-up production and show great potential at depths greater than those achievable by the current deep-sea buoyancy module technologies. PMID:28773651

  13. An approach for characterising cellular polymeric foam structures using computed tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Youming; Das, Raj; Battley, Mark

    2018-02-01

    Global properties of foams depend on foam base materials and microstructures. Characterisation of foam microstructures is important for developing numerical foam models. In this study, the microstructures of four polymeric structural foams were imaged using a micro-CT scanner. Image processing and analysis methods were proposed to quantify the relative density, cell wall thickness and cell size of these foams from the captured CT images. Overall, the cells in these foams are fairly isotropic, and cell walls are rather straight. The measured average relative densities are in good agreement with the actual values. Relative density, cell size and cell wall thickness in these foams are found to vary along the thickness of foam panel direction. Cell walls in two of these foams are found to be filled with secondary pores. In addition, it is found that the average cell wall thickness measured from 2D images is around 1.4 times of that measured from 3D images, and the average cell size measured from 3D images is 1.16 times of that measured from 2D images. The distributions of cell wall thickness and cell size measured from 2D images exhibit lager dispersion in comparison to those measured from 3D images.

  14. Multiscale Analysis of the Residual Stresses Occurring During Curing and Cooling of Thick-Wall Cross-Ply Filament-Wound Cylinders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Memarianfard, H.; Turusov, R. A.

    2017-11-01

    A nonlinear numerical multiscale analysis to predict the residual shrinkage and thermal stresses arising during curing and cooling of thickwall cross-ply filament-wound cylinders of a reinforced polymer is performed at macro- and microscales using the representative volume element (RVE) of the composite. The mechanical behavior of the polymeric matrix is described by a nonlinear viscoelastic model with account of chemical shrinkage. The fiber material is considered elastic, isotropic, and temperature-independent. The maximum residual macrostresses arising during manufacture of the cylinders were calculated. The fields of residual microstresses in the RVE in three different zones across the thickness of the cylinders were found. Results of the microscale analysis showed that microstresses in some zones of RVE were several times higher than macrostresses in these areas.

  15. Constant Group Velocity Ultrasonic Guided Wave Inspection for Corrosion and Erosion Monitoring in Pipes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Instanes, Geir; Pedersen, Audun; Toppe, Mads; Nagy, Peter B.

    2009-03-01

    This paper describes a novel ultrasonic guided wave inspection technique for the monitoring of internal corrosion and erosion in pipes, which exploits the fundamental flexural mode to measure the average wall thickness over the inspection path. The inspection frequency is chosen so that the group velocity of the fundamental flexural mode is essentially constant throughout the wall thickness range of interest, while the phase velocity is highly dispersive and changes in a systematic way with varying wall thickness in the pipe. Although this approach is somewhat less accurate than the often used transverse resonance methods, it smoothly integrates the wall thickness over the whole propagation length, therefore it is very robust and can tolerate large and uneven thickness variations from point to point. The constant group velocity (CGV) method is capable of monitoring the true average of the wall thickness over the inspection length with an accuracy of 1% even in the presence of one order of magnitude larger local variations. This method also eliminates spurious variations caused by changing temperature, which can cause fairly large velocity variations, but do not significantly influence the dispersion as measured by the true phase angle in the vicinity of the CGV point. The CGV guided wave CEM method was validated in both laboratory and field tests.

  16. Enhancing cell-free layer thickness by bypass channels in a wall.

    PubMed

    Saadatmand, M; Shimogonya, Y; Yamaguchi, T; Ishikawa, T

    2016-07-26

    When blood flows near a wall, red blood cells (RBCs) drift away from the wall and a cell-free layer (CFL) is formed adjacent to the wall. Controlling the CFL thickness is important for preventing adhesion of cells in the design of biomedical devices. In this study, a novel wall configuration with stenoses and bypass channels is proposed to increase the CFL thickness. We found that the presence of bypass channels modified the spatial distribution of cells and substantially increased the CFL downstream of the stenosis. A single-bypass geometry with 5% hematocrit (Hct) blood flow showed a 1.7μm increase in CFL thickness compared to without the bypass. In the case of three bypass channels, a 3μm increase in CFL thickness was observed. The CFL enhancement was observed up to 10% Hct, but no significant enhancement of CFL was indicated for 20% Hct blood flow. The mechanism of the CFL enhancement was investigated using a numerical simulation of the flow field. The results showed that the distance between each streamline and the corner of the stenosis compared with size of RBC was important parameter in regulating CFL thickness. These results show the potential of the proposed mechanism to prevent adhesion of cells to biomedical devices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Transition of unsteady velocity profiles with reverse flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Debopam; Arakeri, Jaywant H.

    1998-11-01

    This paper deals with the stability and transition to turbulence of wall-bounded unsteady velocity profiles with reverse flow. Such flows occur, for example, during unsteady boundary layer separation and in oscillating pipe flow. The main focus is on results from experiments in time-developing flow in a long pipe, which is decelerated rapidly. The flow is generated by the controlled motion of a piston. We obtain analytical solutions for laminar flow in the pipe and in a two-dimensional channel for arbitrary piston motions. By changing the piston speed and the length of piston travel we cover a range of values of Reynolds number and boundary layer thickness. The velocity profiles during the decay of the flow are unsteady with reverse flow near the wall, and are highly unstable due to their inflectional nature. In the pipe, we observe from flow visualization that the flow becomes unstable with the formation of what appears to be a helical vortex. The wavelength of the instability [simeq R: similar, equals]3[delta] where [delta] is the average boundary layer thickness, the average being taken over the time the flow is unstable. The time of formation of the vortices scales with the average convective time scale and is [simeq R: similar, equals]39/([Delta]u/[delta]), where [Delta]u=(umax[minus sign]umin) and umax, umin and [delta] are the maximum velocity, minimum velocity and boundary layer thickness respectively at each instant of time. The time to transition to turbulence is [simeq R: similar, equals]33/([Delta]u/[delta]). Quasi-steady linear stability analysis of the velocity profiles brings out two important results. First that the stability characteristics of velocity profiles with reverse flow near the wall collapse when scaled with the above variables. Second that the wavenumber corresponding to maximum growth does not change much during the instability even though the velocity profile does change substantially. Using the results from the experiments and the stability analysis, we are able to explain many aspects of transition in oscillating pipe flow. We postulate that unsteady boundary layer separation at high Reynolds numbers is probably related to instability of the reverse flow region.

  18. Tube wall thickness measurement apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Lagasse, P.R.

    1985-06-21

    An apparatus for measuring the thickness of a tube's wall for the tube's entire length and radius by determining the deviation of the tube wall thickness from the known thickness of a selected standard item. The apparatus comprises a base and a first support member having first and second ends. The first end is connected to the base and the second end is connected to a spherical element. A second support member is connected to the base and spaced apart from the first support member. A positioning element is connected to and movable relative to the second support member. An indicator is connected to the positioning element and is movable to a location proximate the spherical element. The indicator includes a contact ball for first contacting the selected standard item and holding it against the spherical element. The contact ball then contacts the tube when the tube is disposed about the spherical element. The indicator includes a dial having a rotatable needle for indicating the deviation of the tube wall thickness from the thickness of the selected standard item.

  19. Tube wall thickness measurement apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Lagasse, Paul R.

    1987-01-01

    An apparatus for measuring the thickness of a tube's wall for the tube's entire length and circumference by determining the deviation of the tube wall thickness from the known thickness of a selected standard item. The apparatus comprises a base and a first support member having first and second ends. The first end is connected to the base and the second end is connected to a spherical element. A second support member is connected to the base and spaced apart from the first support member. A positioning element is connected to and movable relative to the second support member. An indicator is connected to the positioning element and is movable to a location proximate the spherical element. The indicator includes a contact ball for first contacting the selected standard item and holding it against the spherical element. The contact ball then contacts the tube when the tube is disposed about the spherical element. The indicator includes a dial having a rotatable needle for indicating the deviation of the tube wall thickness from the thickness of the selected standard item.

  20. Lamb mode selection for accurate wall loss estimation via guided wave tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huthwaite, P.; Ribichini, R.; Lowe, M. J. S.; Cawley, P.

    2014-02-01

    Guided wave tomography offers a method to accurately quantify wall thickness losses in pipes and vessels caused by corrosion. This is achieved using ultrasonic waves transmitted over distances of approximately 1-2m, which are measured by an array of transducers and then used to reconstruct a map of wall thickness throughout the inspected region. To achieve accurate estimations of remnant wall thickness, it is vital that a suitable Lamb mode is chosen. This paper presents a detailed evaluation of the fundamental modes, S0 and A0, which are of primary interest in guided wave tomography thickness estimates since the higher order modes do not exist at all thicknesses, to compare their performance using both numerical and experimental data while considering a range of challenging phenomena. The sensitivity of A0 to thickness variations was shown to be superior to S0, however, the attenuation from A0 when a liquid loading was present was much higher than S0. A0 was less sensitive to the presence of coatings on the surface of than S0.

  1. Incidence of non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer by amount of emphysema and airway wall thickness: a community-based cohort.

    PubMed

    Aamli Gagnat, Ane; Gjerdevik, Miriam; Gallefoss, Frode; Coxson, Harvey O; Gulsvik, Amund; Bakke, Per

    2017-05-01

    There is limited knowledge about the prognostic value of quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness in cancer.The aim of this study was to investigate if using CT to quantitatively assess the amount of emphysema and airway wall thickness independently predicts the subsequent incidence of non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer.In the GenKOLS study of 2003-2005, 947 ever-smokers performed spirometry and underwent CT examination. The main predictors were the amount of emphysema measured by the percentage of low attenuation areas (%LAA) on CT and standardised measures of airway wall thickness (AWT-PI10). Cancer data from 2003-2013 were obtained from the Norwegian Cancer Register. The hazard ratio associated with emphysema and airway wall thickness was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression for cancer diagnoses.During 10 years of follow-up, non-pulmonary cancer was diagnosed in 11% of the subjects with LAA <3%, in 19% of subjects with LAA 3-10%, and in 17% of subjects with LAA ≥10%. Corresponding numbers for lung cancer were 2%, 3% and 11%, respectively. After adjustment, the baseline amount of emphysema remained a significant predictor of the incidence of non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer. Airway wall thickness did not predict cancer independently.This study offers a strong argument that emphysema is an independent risk factor for both non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

  2. Plasma Chamber and First Wall of the Ignitor Experiment^*

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cucchiaro, A.; Coppi, B.; Bianchi, A.; Lucca, F.

    2005-10-01

    The new designs of the Plasma Chamber (PC) and of the First Wall (FW) system are based on updated scenarios for vertical plasma disruption (VDE) as well as estimates for the maximum thermal wall loadings at ignition. The PC wall thickness has been optimized to reduce the deformation during the worst disruption event without sacrificing the dimensions of the plasma column. A non linear dynamic analysis of the PC has been performed on a 360^o model of it, taking into account possible toroidal asymmetries of the halo current. Radial EM loads obtained by scaling JET measurements have been also considered. The low-cycle fatigue analysis confirms that the PC is able to meet a lifetime of few thousand cycles for the most extreme combinations of magnetic fields and plasma currents. The FW, made of Molybdenum (TZM) tiles covering the entire inner surface of the PC, has been designed to withstand thermal and EM loads, both under normal operating conditions and in case of disruption. Detailed elasto-plastic structural analyses of the most (EM) loaded tile-carriers show that these are compatible with the adopted fabrication requirements. ^*Sponsored in part by ENEA of Italy and by the U.S. DOE.

  3. Effect of ceramic thickness and composite bases on stress distribution of inlays--a finite element analysis.

    PubMed

    Durand, Letícia Brandão; Guimarães, Jackeline Coutinho; Monteiro Junior, Sylvio; Baratieri, Luiz Narciso

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of cavity depth, ceramic thickness, and resin bases with different elastic modulus on von Mises stress patterns of ceramic inlays. Tridimensional geometric models were developed with SolidWorks image software. The differences between the models were: depth of pulpal wall, ceramic thickness, and presence of composite bases with different thickness and elastic modulus. The geometric models were constrained at the proximal surfaces and base of maxillary bone. A load of 100 N was applied. The stress distribution pattern was analyzed with von Mises stress diagrams. The maximum von Mises stress values ranged from 176 MPa to 263 MPa and varied among the 3D-models. The highest von Mises stress value was found on models with 1-mm-thick composite resin base and 1-mm-thick ceramic inlay. Intermediate values (249-250 MPa) occurred on models with 2-mm-thick composite resin base and 1-mm-thick ceramic inlay and 1-mm-thick composite resin base and 2-mm-thick ceramic inlay. The lowest values were observed on models restored exclusively with ceramic inlay (176 MPa to 182 MPa). It was found that thicker inlays distribute stress more favorably and bases with low elastic modulus increase stress concentrations on the internal surface of the ceramic inlay. The increase of ceramic thickness tends to present more favorable stress distribution, especially when bonded directly onto the cavity without the use of supporting materials. When the use of a composite base is required, composite resin with high elastic modulus and reduced thickness should be preferred.

  4. Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for surgical trainees: predictive factors of operative time.

    PubMed

    Haji, A; Khan, A; Haq, A; Ribeiro, B

    2009-08-01

    To determine pre-operative criteria to predict duration and technical difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomies that will aid in identifying patients suitable for training lists. A prospective analysis of 835 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Data collected included patient demographics, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES), duration of surgery (from skin incision to skin closure), peri-operative and postoperative complications and histological gallbladder wall thickness. Post-operative complications were seen in 3% (n=20). Overall open conversion rate was 2%. The mean duration of surgery was 78.76 +/- 1.75 minutes. Age, ERCP and ES were not independent predictors of a long operation time. However, a positive correlation was seen with histological gallbladder wall thickness and duration of surgery (p=0.001). The mean operating time for gallbladder wall thickness < 3 mm was 72.1 +/- 1.62 minutes whereas that for > 3 mm thickness was 83.3 +/- 2.05 minutes (p=<0.001). Gallbladder wall thickness can be used as an independent predictor of a long operation time.

  5. An experimental study of near wall flow parameters in the blade end-wall corner region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhargava, Rakesh K.; Raj, Rishi S.

    1989-01-01

    The near wall flow parameters in the blade end-wall corner region is investigated. The blade end-wall corner region was simulated by mounting an airfoil section (NACA 65-015 base profile) symmetric blades on both sides of the flat plate with semi-circular leading edge. The initial 7 cm from the leading edge of the flat plate was roughened by gluing No. 4 floor sanding paper to artificially increase the boundary layer thickness on the flat plate. The initial flow conditions of the boundary layer upstream of the corner region are expected to dictate the behavior of flow inside the corner region. Therefore, an experimental investigation was extended to study the combined effect of initial roughness and increased level of free stream turbulence on the development of a 2-D turbulent boundary layer in the absence of the blade. The measurement techniques employed in the present investigation included, the conventional pitot and pitot-static probes, wall taps, the Preston tube, piezoresistive transducer and the normal sensor hot-wire probe. The pitot and pitot-static probes were used to obtain mean velocity profile measurements within the boundary layer. The measurements of mean surface static pressure were obtained with the surface static tube and the conventional wall tap method. The wall shear vector measurements were made with a specially constructed Preston tube. The flush mounted piezoresistive type pressure transducer were employed to measure the wall pressure fluctuation field. The velocity fluctuation measurements, used in obtaining the wall pressure-velocity correlation data, were made with normal single sensor hot-wire probe. At different streamwise stations, in the blade end-wall corner region, the mean values of surface static pressure varied more on the end-wall surface in the corner region were mainly caused by the changes in the curvature of the streamlines. The magnitude of the wall shear stress in the blade end-wall corner region increased significantly in the close vicinity of the corner line. The maximum value of the wall shear stress and its location from the corner line, on both the surfaces forming the corner region, were observed to change along the corner. These observed changes in the maximum values of the wall shear stress and its location from the corner line could be associated with the stretching and attenuation of the horseshoe vortex. The wall shear stress vectors in the blade end-wall corner region were observed to be more skewed on the end-wall surface as compared to that on the blade surface. The differences in the wall shear stress directions obtained with the Preston tube and flow visualization method were within the range in which the Preston tube was found to be insensitive to the yaw angle.

  6. 49 CFR 178.47 - Specification 4DS welded stainless steel cylinders for aircraft use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... the formula: S = PD / 4tE Where: S = Wall stress in psi; P = Test pressure prescribed for water jacket... stainless steel sphere (two seamless hemispheres) or circumferentially welded cylinder both with a water... thickness. The minimum wall thickness must be such that the wall stress at the minimum specified test...

  7. Electrophoretic deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotube on a stainless steel electrode for use in sediment microbial fuel cells.

    PubMed

    Song, Tian-Shun; Peng-Xiao; Wu, Xia-Yuan; Zhou, Charles C

    2013-07-01

    Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) could be used as power sources and one type of new technology for the removal of organic matters in sediments. In order to improve electrode materials and enhance their effect on the performance, we deposited multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) on stainless steel net (SSN). Electrophoretic deposition technique as a method with low cost, process simplicity, and thickness control was used for this electrode modification and produced this novel SSN-MWNT electrode. The performances of SMFCs with SSN-MWNT as electrode were investigated. The results showed that the maximum power density of SMFC with SSN-MWNT cathode was 31.6 mW m(-2), which was 3.2 times that of SMFC with an uncoated stainless steel cathode. However, no significant increase in the maximum power density of SMFC with SSN-MWNT anode was detected. Further electrochemical analysis showed that when SSN-MWNT was used as the cathode, the cathodic electrochemical activity and oxygen reduction rate were significantly improved. This study demonstrates that the electrophoretic deposition of carbon nanotubes on conductive substrate can be applied for improving the performance of SMFC.

  8. The Effects of Modified Wall Squat Exercises on Average Adults’ Deep Abdominal Muscle Thickness and Lumbar Stability

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Misuk

    2013-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of bridge exercises applying the abdominal drawing-in method and modified wall squat exercises on deep abdominal muscle thickness and lumbar stability. [Subjects] A total of 30 subjects were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. [Methods] The experimental group completed modified wall squat exercises, and the control group performed bridge exercises. Both did so for 30 minutes three times per week over a six-week period. Both groups’ transversus abdominis (Tra), internal oblique (IO), and multifidus muscle thickness were measured using ultrasonography, while their static lumbar stability and dynamic lumbar stability were measured using a pressure biofeedback unit. [Results] A comparison of the pre-intervention and post-intervention measures of the experimental group and the control group was made; the Tra and IO thicknesses were significantly different in both groups. [Conclusion] The modified wall squat exercise and bridge exercise affected the thicknesses of the Tra and the IO muscles. While the bridge exercise requirs space and a mattress to lie on, the modified wall squat exercise can be conveniently performed anytime. PMID:24259831

  9. Velocity distribution in a turbulent flow near a rough wall

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korsun, A. S.; Pisarevsky, M. I.; Fedoseev, V. N.; Kreps, M. V.

    2017-11-01

    Velocity distribution in the zone of developed wall turbulence, regardless of the conditions on the wall, is described by the well-known Prandtl logarithmic profile. In this distribution, the constant, that determines the value of the velocity, is determined by the nature of the interaction of the flow with the wall and depends on the viscosity of the fluid, the dynamic velocity, and the parameters of the wall roughness.In extreme cases depending on the ratio between the thickness of the viscous sublayer and the size of the roughness the constant takes on a value that does not depend on viscosity, or leads to a ratio for a smooth wall.It is essential that this logarithmic profile is the result not only of the Prandtl theory, but can be derived from general considerations of the theory of dimensions, and also follows from the condition of local equilibrium of generation and dissipation of turbulent energy in the wall area. This allows us to consider the profile as a universal law of velocity distribution in the wall area of a turbulent flow.The profile approximation up to the maximum speed line with subsequent integration makes possible to obtain the resistance law for channels of simple shape. For channels of complex shape with rough walls, the universal profile can be used to formulate the boundary condition when applied to the calculation of turbulence models.This paper presents an empirical model for determining the constant of the universal logarithmic profile. The zone of roughness is described by a set of parameters and is considered as a porous structure with variable porosity.

  10. Hypanocotyle bullardi n. gen. n. sp. (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) from gill of the diamond stingray Hypanus dipterurus (Jordan et Gilbert) (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean off Peru.

    PubMed

    Chero, Jhon D; Cruces, Celso L; Sáez, Gloria; Camargo, Ana Carolina A; Santos, Cláudia Portes; Luque, José L

    2018-08-01

    A new genus and species of monogenean belonging to Hexabothriidae, Hypanocotyle bullardi n. gen. n. sp., is described based on specimens collected from the gill filaments of the diamond stingray, Hypanus dipterurus (Jordan et Gilbert) (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae), a demersal chondrichthyan collected off the coast of Callao, Peru. Hypanocotyle n. gen. has the following combination of diagnostic features that differentiate it from other hexabothriid genera: haptor symmetrical; vasa efferentia having proximal (narrow, with thin glandular wall) and distal (expanded, interlaced, with thick glandular wall) portions, joining medially to form vas deferens; vas deferens having proximal (expanded, sinuous, with thick glandular wall) and distal (narrow, strongly sinuous, with thin glandular wall) portions; male copulatory organ unarmed, proximal portion slightly sinuous and tube-like, distal portion funnel-shaped; prostatic glands present, distributed around of the MCO; seminal receptacle present; ootype lacking longitudinal rows of large cells (no oötype côtelé); vaginae parallel, with well-differentiated proximal (glandular, narrow, tube-like, slightly sinuous) and distal (musculoglandular, convoluted) portions; gland cells surrounding the vaginal duct along the entire length of distal portion, densely clustered in middle portion; uterine eggs with 2 elongate filaments. Phylogenetic reconstructions by maximum-likelihood method, based on newly obtained partial 18S and 28S sequences, shows that H. bullardi n. gen. is included within the family Hexabothriidae, order Diclybothriidea. This is the second hexabothriid genus recorded from a diamond stingray (Dasyatidae), and the fourth hexabothriid species recorded from Peru. A key to hexabothriid genera is provided. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. A new oomycete species parasitic in nematodes, Chlamydomyzium dictyuchoides sp. nov.: developmental biology and phylogenetic studies.

    PubMed

    Beakes, Gordon W; Glockling, Sally L; James, Timothy Y

    2014-07-01

    The genus Chlamydomyzium is a little studied holocarpic oomycete parasite of nematodes of uncertain phylogenetic and taxonomic position. A new holocarpic species, Chlamydomyzium dictyuchoides, is described which has usually refractile cytoplasm and a dictyuchoid pattern of spore release. This new species infects bacteriotrophic rhabditid nematodes and was isolated from diverse geographical locations. Infection was initiated by zoospore encystment on the host surface and direct penetration of the cuticle. A sparsely branched, constricted, refractile thallus was formed which eventually occupied almost the entire host body cavity, often accompanied by complete dissolution of the host cuticle. Walled primary cysts formed throughout the thallus and each cyst released a single zoospore via an individual exit papillum, leaving a characteristic dictyuchoid wall net behind. At later stages of infection some thalli formed thick-walled stellate resting spores in uniseriate rows. Resting spore formation appeared to be parthenogenetic and was not accompanied by the formation of antheridial compartments. These spores had ooplast-like vacuoles and thick multi-layered walls, both of which suggest they were oospores. The maximum likelihood tree of sequences of the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) gene placed this new isolate in a clade before the main saprolegnialean and peronosporalean lines diverge. A second undescribed Chlamydomyzium sp., which has direct spore release forms a paraphyletic clade, close to C. dictyuchoides and Sapromyces. The fine structure of other documented Chlamydomyzium species was compared, including an undescribed (but sequenced) isolate, SL02, from Japan, Chlamydomyzium anomalum and Chlamydomyzium oviparasiticum. Chlamydomyzium as currently constituted is a paraphyletic genus that is part of a group of phylogenetically problematic early diverging clades that lie close to both the Leptomitales and Rhipidiales. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. 49 CFR 179.400-8 - Thickness of plates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Specification for Cryogenic Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400... welded joints, except that for seamless heads, E = 1.0. (b) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of..., except that for seamless heads, E=1.0. (c) The minimum wall thickness, after forming, of a flanged and...

  13. Conjugate Heat Transfer in Rayleigh-Bénard Convection in a Square Enclosure

    PubMed Central

    Hashim, Ishak

    2014-01-01

    Conjugate natural convection-conduction heat transfer in a square enclosure with a finite wall thickness is studied numerically in the present paper. The governing parameters considered are the Rayleigh number (5 × 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 106), the wall-to-fluid thermal conductivity ratio (0.5 ≤ Kr ≤ 10), and the ratio of wall thickness to its height (0.2 ≤ D ≤ 0.4). The staggered grid arrangement together with MAC method was employed to solve the governing equations. It is found that the fluid flow and the heat transfer can be controlled by the thickness of the bottom wall, the thermal conductivity ratio, and the Rayleigh number. PMID:24971390

  14. Measurement of vascular wall attenuation: comparison of CT angiography using model-based iterative reconstruction with standard filtered back-projection algorithm CT in vitro.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Shigeru; Machida, Haruhiko; Tanaka, Isao; Ueno, Eiko

    2012-11-01

    To compare the performance of model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) with that of standard filtered back projection (FBP) for measuring vascular wall attenuation. After subjecting 9 vascular models (actual attenuation value of wall, 89 HU) with wall thickness of 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mm that we filled with contrast material of 275, 396, or 542 HU to scanning using 64-detector computed tomography (CT), we reconstructed images using MBIR and FBP (Bone, Detail kernels) and measured wall attenuation at the center of the wall for each model. We performed attenuation measurements for each model and additional supportive measurements by a differentiation curve. We analyzed statistics using analyzes of variance with repeated measures. Using the Bone kernel, standard deviation of the measurement exceeded 30 HU in most conditions. In measurements at the wall center, the attenuation values obtained using MBIR were comparable to or significantly closer to the actual wall attenuation than those acquired using Detail kernel. Using differentiation curves, we could measure attenuation for models with walls of 1.0- or 1.5-mm thickness using MBIR but only those of 1.5-mm thickness using Detail kernel. We detected no significant differences among the attenuation values of the vascular walls of either thickness (MBIR, P=0.1606) or among the 3 densities of intravascular contrast material (MBIR, P=0.8185; Detail kernel, P=0.0802). Compared with FBP, MBIR reduces both reconstruction blur and image noise simultaneously, facilitates recognition of vascular wall boundaries, and can improve accuracy in measuring wall attenuation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Building and degradation of secondary cell walls: are there common patterns of lamellar assembly of cellulose microfibrils and cell wall delamination?

    PubMed

    De Micco, Veronica; Ruel, Katia; Joseleau, Jean-Paul; Aronne, Giovanna

    2010-08-01

    During cell wall formation and degradation, it is possible to detect cellulose microfibrils assembled into thicker and thinner lamellar structures, respectively, following inverse parallel patterns. The aim of this study was to analyse such patterns of microfibril aggregation and cell wall delamination. The thickness of microfibrils and lamellae was measured on digital images of both growing and degrading cell walls viewed by means of transmission electron microscopy. To objectively detect, measure and classify microfibrils and lamellae into thickness classes, a method based on the application of computerized image analysis combined with graphical and statistical methods was developed. The method allowed common classes of microfibrils and lamellae in cell walls to be identified from different origins. During both the formation and degradation of cell walls, a preferential formation of structures with specific thickness was evidenced. The results obtained with the developed method allowed objective analysis of patterns of microfibril aggregation and evidenced a trend of doubling/halving lamellar structures, during cell wall formation/degradation in materials from different origin and which have undergone different treatments.

  16. Compositional-Spread Discovery of Catalysts for the Growth of Long-Length Dense Forests of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christen, Hans M.; Puretzky, Alex A.; Cui, Hongtao; Lowndes, Douglas H.; Belay, Kalayu; Geohegan, David B.

    2004-03-01

    The growth of dense forests of vertically aligned arrays of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VAA-MWNTs) by chemical vapor deposition [CVD] from a single metallic catalyst layer typically self-terminates after only a few hundred microns of tube length. In order to obtain maximal growth to long lengths, a systematic simultaneous study of catalyst composition and thickness is needed performed here by a compositional-spread approach. Using Pulsed-Laser Deposition (PLD), metallic layers with a wedge-shaped thickness profile are deposited onto Al-coated silicon substrates. High temperature annealing of the metal catalyst films in flowing Ar/H2 gas followed by the one-hour growth of VA-MWNTs by CVD using acetylene gas yields VAA-MWNTs. Tube height (and thus the catalytic activity) is determined as function of position and can be analyzed as a function of catalyst thickness and composition. A dependence of tube height as function of catalyst composition (Mo/Fe ratio) demonstrates that a specific catalyst composition exhibits a local maximum in catalytic activity, permitting the extension of nanotube array growth up to 4 millimeters in height. Other combinations of catalysts and the growth of single-walled tubes will be discussed. This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, and the Laboratory-Directed Research and Development Program at ORNL.

  17. Prevalence and histopathological finding of thin-walled and thick-walled Sarcocysts in slaughtered cattle of Karaj abattoir, Iran.

    PubMed

    Nourollahi-Fard, Saeid R; Kheirandish, Reza; Sattari, Saeid

    2015-06-01

    Sarcocystosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Sarcocystis spp. with obligatory two host life cycle generally alternating between an herbivorous intermediate host and a carnivorous definitive host. Some species of this coccidian parasite can cause considerable morbidity and mortality in cattle. The present study was set to investigate the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. and type of cyst wall in slaughtered cattle of Karaj abattoir, Iran. For this purpose 125 cattle (88 males and 37 females) were investigated for the presence of macroscopic and microscopic Sarcocystis cysts in muscular tissues. No macroscopic Sarcocystis cysts were found in any of the samples. In light microscopy, 121 out of 125 cattle (96.8 %) had thin-walled cysts of Sarcocystis cruzi, while 43 out of them (34.4 %) had thick-walled Sarcocystis cyst. In this survey, the most infected tissue was esophagus and heart and the less was diaphragm. Thin-walled cysts (S. cruzi) mostly found in heart and skeletal muscle showed the less. However, thick-walled cyst (S. hominis or S. hirsuta) mostly were detected in diaphragm, heart muscle showed no thick-walled cyst. No significant relation was observed between age and sex and the rate of infection. The results showed that Sarcocystis cyst is prevalent in cattle in the North part of Iran and the evaluation of infection potential can be useful when considering control programs.

  18. Associations Between Egg Capsule Morphology and Predation Among Populations of the Marine Gastropod, Nucella emarginata.

    PubMed

    Rawlings, T A

    1990-12-01

    Intraspecific variation in the morphology of egg capsules is ideal for assessing the costs and benefits of encapsulation, yet little is known about the extent of such variation among populations of a single species. In the present study, I compared capsule morphology among three populations of the intertidal gastropod, Nucella emarginata. Significant differences were found both in capsule wall thickness and capsule strength. Mean capsule wall thickness varied as much as 25% among populations, with the dry weight of capsular cases differing accordingly. Capsule strength, measured as resistance to puncturing and squeezing forces, also varied among populations, but did not directly reflect differences in capsule wall thickness. Despite extensive variation in capsule morphology within this species, the number and size of eggs contained within capsules of equal volume did not differ significantly among populations. I also compared the type of capsule-eating predators that were present at each site. Shore crabs, Hemigrapsus spp., were abundant at all three sites; however, the predatory isopods Idotea wosnesenskii were only present at sites containing relatively thick-walled capsules. Although Hemigrapsus and Idotea were able to chew through both thick- and thin-walled capsules, laboratory experiments revealed that Idotea preferentially opened thin-walled capsules. These results suggest that variation in capsule morphology among populations of N. emarginata may, at least in part, reflect selection for the protection of embryos against predation.

  19. 49 CFR 178.39 - Specification 3BN seamless nickel cylinders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...) Type, size and service pressure. A DOT 3BN cylinder is a seamless nickel cylinder with a water capacity (nominal) not over 125 pounds water capacity (nominal) and a service pressure at least 150 to not over 500...) Wall thickness. The wall stress may not exceed 15,000 psi. A minimum wall thickness of 0.100 inch is...

  20. 49 CFR 178.39 - Specification 3BN seamless nickel cylinders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...) Type, size and service pressure. A DOT 3BN cylinder is a seamless nickel cylinder with a water capacity (nominal) not over 125 pounds water capacity (nominal) and a service pressure at least 150 to not over 500...) Wall thickness. The wall stress may not exceed 15,000 psi. A minimum wall thickness of 0.100 inch is...

  1. Poster — Thur Eve — 48: Dosimetric dependence on bone backscatter in orthovoltage radiotherapy: A Monte Carlo photon fluence spectral study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chow, J; Grigor, G

    This study investigated dosimetric impact due to the bone backscatter in orthovoltage radiotherapy. Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate depth doses and photon fluence spectra using the EGSnrc-based code. Inhomogeneous bone phantom containing a thin water layer (1–3 mm) on top of a bone (1 cm) to mimic the treatment sites of forehead, chest wall and kneecap was irradiated by the 220 kVp photon beam produced by the Gulmay D3225 x-ray machine. Percentage depth doses and photon energy spectra were determined using Monte Carlo simulations. Results of percentage depth doses showed that the maximum bone dose was about 210–230%more » larger than the surface dose in the phantoms with different water thicknesses. Surface dose was found to be increased from 2.3 to 3.5%, when the distance between the phantom surface and bone was increased from 1 to 3 mm. This increase of surface dose on top of a bone was due to the increase of photon fluence intensity, resulting from the bone backscatter in the energy range of 30 – 120 keV, when the water thickness was increased. This was also supported by the increase of the intensity of the photon energy spectral curves at the phantom and bone surface as the water thickness was increased. It is concluded that if the bone inhomogeneity during the dose prescription in the sites of forehead, chest wall and kneecap with soft tissue thickness = 1–3 mm is not considered, there would be an uncertainty in the dose delivery.« less

  2. Optimization of Surface Roughness and Wall Thickness in Dieless Incremental Forming Of Aluminum Sheet Using Taguchi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamedon, Zamzuri; Kuang, Shea Cheng; Jaafar, Hasnulhadi; Azhari, Azmir

    2018-03-01

    Incremental sheet forming is a versatile sheet metal forming process where a sheet metal is formed into its final shape by a series of localized deformation without a specialised die. However, it still has many shortcomings that need to be overcome such as geometric accuracy, surface roughness, formability, forming speed, and so on. This project focus on minimising the surface roughness of aluminium sheet and improving its thickness uniformity in incremental sheet forming via optimisation of wall angle, feed rate, and step size. Besides, the effect of wall angle, feed rate, and step size to the surface roughness and thickness uniformity of aluminium sheet was investigated in this project. From the results, it was observed that surface roughness and thickness uniformity were inversely varied due to the formation of surface waviness. Increase in feed rate and decrease in step size will produce a lower surface roughness, while uniform thickness reduction was obtained by reducing the wall angle and step size. By using Taguchi analysis, the optimum parameters for minimum surface roughness and uniform thickness reduction of aluminium sheet were determined. The finding of this project helps to reduce the time in optimising the surface roughness and thickness uniformity in incremental sheet forming.

  3. Quantification of esophageal wall thickness in CT using atlas-based segmentation technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jiahui; Kang, Min Kyu; Kligerman, Seth; Lu, Wei

    2015-03-01

    Esophageal wall thickness is an important predictor of esophageal cancer response to therapy. In this study, we developed a computerized pipeline for quantification of esophageal wall thickness using computerized tomography (CT). We first segmented the esophagus using a multi-atlas-based segmentation scheme. The esophagus in each atlas CT was manually segmented to create a label map. Using image registration, all of the atlases were aligned to the imaging space of the target CT. The deformation field from the registration was applied to the label maps to warp them to the target space. A weighted majority-voting label fusion was employed to create the segmentation of esophagus. Finally, we excluded the lumen from the esophagus using a threshold of -600 HU and measured the esophageal wall thickness. The developed method was tested on a dataset of 30 CT scans, including 15 esophageal cancer patients and 15 normal controls. The mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean absolute distance (MAD) between the segmented esophagus and the reference standard were employed to evaluate the segmentation results. Our method achieved a mean Dice coefficient of 65.55 ± 10.48% and mean MAD of 1.40 ± 1.31 mm for all the cases. The mean esophageal wall thickness of cancer patients and normal controls was 6.35 ± 1.19 mm and 6.03 ± 0.51 mm, respectively. We conclude that the proposed method can perform quantitative analysis of esophageal wall thickness and would be useful for tumor detection and tumor response evaluation of esophageal cancer.

  4. Carotid artery thickness is associated with chronic use of highly active antiretroviral therapy in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus: A 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging study.

    PubMed

    LaBounty, T M; Hardy, W D; Fan, Z; Yumul, R; Li, D; Dharmakumar, R; Conte, A Hernandez

    2016-08-01

    While patients with HIV infection have an elevated stroke risk, ultrasound studies of carotid artery wall thickness have reported variable results. We hypothesized that subjects with HIV infection on chronic highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) would have increased carotid artery wall thickness by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This cross-sectional study compared carotid artery wall thickness between 26 individuals infected with HIV on chronic HAART and 20 controls, without HIV infection but with similar cardiovascular risk factors, using 3.0-T noncontrast MRI. Inclusion criteria included male gender, age 35-55 years, and chronic HAART (≥ 3 years) among HIV-seropositive subjects; those with known cardiovascular disease or diabetes were excluded. Between subjects with HIV infection and controls, there were no differences in mean (±SD) age (47.8 ± 5.0 vs. 47.8 ± 4.7 years, respectively; P = 0.19) or cardiovascular risk factors (P > 0.05 for each). Mean (±SD) wall thickness was increased in those with HIV infection vs. controls for the left (0.88 ± 0.08 vs. 0.83 ± 0.08 mm, respectively; P = 0.03) and right (0.90 ± 0.10 vs. 0.85 ± 0.07 mm, respectively; P = 0.046) common carotid arteries. Among individuals with HIV infection, variables associated with increased mean carotid artery wall thickness included lipoaccumulation [+0.09 mm; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03-0.14 mm; P = 0.003], Framingham risk score ≥ 5% (+0.07 mm; 95% CI 0.01-0.12; P = 0.02 mm), and increased duration of protease inhibitor therapy (+0.03 mm per 5 years; 95% CI 0.01-0.06 mm; P = 0.02). Individuals with HIV infection on chronic HAART had increased carotid artery wall thickness as compared to similar controls. In subjects with HIV infection, the presence of lipoaccumulation and longer duration of protease inhibitor therapy were associated with greater wall thickness. © 2015 British HIV Association.

  5. 30 CFR 75.1904 - Underground diesel fuel tanks and safety cans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...— (1) Have steel walls of a minimum 3/16-inch thickness, or walls made of other metal of a thickness that provides equivalent strength; (2) Be protected from corrosion; (3) Be of seamless construction or...

  6. 30 CFR 75.1904 - Underground diesel fuel tanks and safety cans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...— (1) Have steel walls of a minimum 3/16-inch thickness, or walls made of other metal of a thickness that provides equivalent strength; (2) Be protected from corrosion; (3) Be of seamless construction or...

  7. 30 CFR 75.1904 - Underground diesel fuel tanks and safety cans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...— (1) Have steel walls of a minimum 3/16-inch thickness, or walls made of other metal of a thickness that provides equivalent strength; (2) Be protected from corrosion; (3) Be of seamless construction or...

  8. 30 CFR 75.1904 - Underground diesel fuel tanks and safety cans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...— (1) Have steel walls of a minimum 3/16-inch thickness, or walls made of other metal of a thickness that provides equivalent strength; (2) Be protected from corrosion; (3) Be of seamless construction or...

  9. Stapled haemorrhoidopexy: extent of tissue excision and clinical implications in the early postoperative period.

    PubMed

    Behboo, R; Zanella, S; Ruffolo, C; Vafai, M; Marino, F; Scarpa, M

    2011-06-01

    This study quantified prospectively the amount of rectal wall removed during stapled haemorrhoidopexy and assessed its effect on ano-rectal function and health-related quality of life. Thirty-three consecutive patients who underwent stapled haemorrhoidopexy for second- or third- degree haemorrhoids, or for failed medical treatment, in the Department of Surgery and Gastroenterological Sciences at the University of Padova were included. All patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using a structured questionnaire to determine the number of defecations per week, incomplete defecations, time taken to defecate any difficulty in defecating, soiling, the use of drugs and continence. All patients were reassessed at 1 and 2 weeks and at 30 days after the procedure using the Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) questionnaire. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative ano-rectal manometry at least 30 days after stapled haemorrhoidopexy. The median surface area of the resected rectal wall was 10.5 (range, 9-15) mm(2) and the median thickness was 3 (range, 2-4) mm. Muscle tissue was included in all specimens. The median thickness of the resected rectal wall correlated inversely with the rectal volume when the recto-anal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) was initiated during postoperative manometry (ρ = -0.50, P = 0.07). A significant, direct correlation was found between the surface area of the resected rectal wall and the rectal volume during postoperative manometry (ρ = 0.53, P = 0.08) and the use of analgesic drugs after 2 weeks (ρ = 0.63, P = 0.04). Significant correlations were found between being female and postoperative resting pressure (ρ = -0.74, P < 0.01), squeeze pressure (ρ = -0.64, P = 0.01) and maximum tolerated volume (ρ = -0.78, P < 0.01). Stapled haemorrhoidopexy is safe and effective. The thicker the resected rectal wall, the lower the volume of initiation of the RAIR. © 2011 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2011 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  10. Effects of thickness, insulation, and surface color on the net heat loss through an adobe wall

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Herman, R.W.

    1980-01-01

    A finite difference computer program was written and run to study the net thermal losses through a large variety of adobe walls. Fifty-four different combinations of surface color, wall thickness, and insulation position and R value were modeled over a typical two week winter period for locations similar to Albuquerque, New Mexico. A transient analysis of the heat loss from the room to the interior wall surface was compared to both conventional U value and steady-state calculations.

  11. Fracture resistance of welded thick-walled high-pressure vessels in power plants. Report No. 2. Approach to evaluating static strength

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gorynin, I.V.; Filatov, V.M.; Ignatov, V.A.

    1986-07-01

    The authors examine data on the effect of defects on the fracture resistance of high-pressure vessels and their models obtained within the framework of the HSST program. Results of internal-pressure tests of two types of vessels with a wall thickness of 152 mm made from forgings of steels SA508 and SA533, as well as small vessels with a wall thickness of 11.5 and 23mm made of steel SA533 are shown. The authors state that testing thick-walled welded high-pressure vessels and thin-walled vessels with surface defects of different sizes has demonstrated that there are substantial static-strength reserves in structures designed bymore » existing domestic and foreign standards on the strength of power-plant equipment. A correction was proposed for the presently used method of calculating the resistance of highpressure vessels to brittle fracture that allows for the dimensions of the defects in relation to the type of vessel, the manufacturing technology, and the method of inspection.« less

  12. 49 CFR 173.302a - Additional requirements for shipment of nonliquefied (permanent) compressed gases in...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... elastic expansion was determined at the time of the last test or retest by the water jacket method. (3) Either the average wall stress or the maximum wall stress does not exceed the wall stress limitation shown in the following table: Type of steel Average wall stress limitation Maximum wall stress...

  13. Novel sonographic clues for diagnosis of antral gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection: a clinical study.

    PubMed

    Cakmakci, Emin; Ucan, Berna; Colak, Bayram; Cinar, Hasibe Gokçe

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to find out whether transabdominal sonography may have a predictive role for detection of antral gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection in the antrum. A total of 108 patients and 54 control participants were allocated into 3 groups: group 1, controls without any symptoms or findings of antral gastritis and H pylori infection; group 2, patients with symptoms and endoscopic findings consistent with gastritis in the absence of documented H pylori infection; and group 3, patients with symptoms and endoscopic findings consistent with gastritis and documented H pylori infection. These groups were compared in terms of demographics, antral wall thickness, mucosal layer (together with muscularis mucosa) thickness, and mucosal layer-to-antral wall thickness ratio. The groups had no statistically significant differences with respect to age, sex, body mass index, and smoking habits. However, it turned out that both antral walls and muscularis mucosa layers were thicker and the mucosal layer-to-antral wall thickness ratio was higher in groups 2 and 3 compared to group 1 (P > .001). In addition, group 3 had statistically significantly thicker antral walls and muscularis mucosa layers and a significantly increased mucosal layer-to-antral wall thickness ratio than group 2 (P < .001). Our results suggest that antral gastritis caused by H pylori infection is associated with characteristic features such as thickening of antral walls and mucosal layers on sonography. These novel clues may be useful in the diagnosis of gastritis, and unnecessary interventions and measures can be avoided in some cases. © 2014 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  14. Phenotypic expression in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance.

    PubMed

    Caetano, Francisca; Botelho, Ana; Trigo, Joana; Silva, Joana; Almeida, Inês; Venâncio, Margarida; Pais, João; Sanches, Conceição; Leitão Marques, António

    2014-05-01

    The prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) for risk stratification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients is the subject of disagreement. We set out to examine the association between clinical and morphological variables, risk factors for sudden cardiac death and LGE in HCM patients. From a population of 78 patients with HCM, we studied 53 who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance. They were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of LGE. Ventricular arrhythmias and morbidity and mortality during follow-up were analyzed. Patients with LGE were younger at the time of diagnosis (p=0.046) and more often had a family history of sudden death (p=0.008) and known coronary artery disease (p=0.086). On echocardiography they had greater maximum wall thickness (p=0.007) and left atrial area (p=0.037) and volume (p=0.035), and more often presented a restrictive pattern of diastolic dysfunction (p=0.011) with a higher E/É ratio (p=0.003) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (p=0.038). Cardiac magnetic resonance supported the association between LGE and previous echocardiographic findings: greater left atrial area (p=0.029) and maximum wall thickness (p<0.001) and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.056). Patients with LGE more often had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) (p=0.015). At follow-up, no differences were found in the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias, appropriate ICD therapies or mortality. The presence of LGE emerges as a risk marker, associated with the classical predictors of sudden cardiac death in this population. However, larger studies are required to confirm its independent association with clinical events. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  15. On the Impact of Intraluminal Thrombus Mechanical Behavior in AAA Passive Mechanics.

    PubMed

    Riveros, Fabián; Martufi, Giampaolo; Gasser, T Christian; Rodriguez-Matas, Jose F

    2015-09-01

    Intraluminal thrombus (ILT) is a pseudo-tissue that develops from coagulated blood, and is found in most abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) of clinically relevant size. A number of studies have suggested that ILT mechanical characteristics may be related to AAA risk of rupture, even though there is still great controversy in this regard. ILT is isotropic and inhomogeneous and may appear as a soft (single-layered) or stiff (multilayered fibrotic) tissue. This paper aims to investigate how ILT constitution and topology influence the magnitude and location of peak wall stress (PWS). In total 21 patient-specific AAAs (diameter 4.2-5.4 cm) were reconstructed from computer tomography images and biomechanically analyzed using state-of-the-art modeling assumptions. Results indicated that PWS correlated stronger with ILT volume (ρ = 0.44, p = 0.05) and minimum thickness of ILT layer (ρ = 0.73, p = 0.001) than with maximum AAA diameter (ρ = 0.05, p = 0.82). On average PWS was 20% (SD 12%) higher for FE models that used soft instead of stiff ILT models (p < 0.001). PWS location strongly correlated with sites of minimum ILT thickness in the section of maximum AAA diameter and was independent from ILT stiffness. In addition, ILT heterogeneity, i.e., the spatial composition of soft and stiff thrombus tissue, can considerably influence stress in the AAA wall. The present study is limited to identification of influential biomechanical factors, and how its findings translate to an AAA rupture risk assessment remains to be explored by clinical studies.

  16. Ultrasonographic analysis versus histopathologic evaluation of carotid advanced atherosclerotic stenosis in an experimental rabbit model.

    PubMed

    Mehrad, Hossein; Mokhtari-Dizaji, Manijhe; Ghanaati, Hossein; Shahbazfar, Amir-Ali; Salehnia, Mojdeh

    2012-08-01

    Advanced carotid atherosclerosis with severe stenosis (>70%) is a major clinical risk factor for ischemic stroke. Our ability to test new protocols for the treatment of atherosclerotic stenosis in humans is limited for obvious ethical reasons; therefore, a suitable animal model is required. The aim of this study was to generate an easily reproducible and inexpensive experimental rabbit carotid model of advanced atherosclerosis with morphological similarities to the human disease and the subsequent assessment of the reliability of B-mode ultrasound technology in the study of lumen area stenosis in this model. Briefly, New Zealand white rabbits underwent primary perivascular cold injury at the right common carotid artery followed by a 1.5% cholesterol-rich diet injury for eight weeks. All of the rabbits' arteries were imaged by B-mode ultrasound weekly, after which the rabbits were sacrificed, and their vessels were processed for histopathology. Ultrasound longitudinal view images from three cardiac cycles were processed by a new computerized analyzing method based on dynamic programming and maximum gradient algorithm for measurement of instantaneous changes in arterial wall thickness and lumen diameter in sequential ultrasound images. Histopathology results showed progressive changes, from the lipid-laden cells and fibrous connective tissue proliferation in neointimal layer, up to the fibro-lipid plaque formation, resulting in vessel wall thickening, remodeling and lumen stenosis. The B-mode ultrasound images and the histologic measurements showed an increase in the mean wall thickness and the lumen area stenosis within eight weeks. Quantitative and morphometric analysis of the mean wall thickness and the lumen area stenosis percentage showed a significant correlation between the B-mode ultrasound and the histological measurements at each time point (R = 0.989 and R = 0.995, p < 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, we successfully produced advanced atherosclerosis in the rabbit carotid artery that is similar to the condition seen in patients. This condition in rabbits can be properly assessed by B-mode ultrasound image processing. Copyright © 2012 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Skin Friction at Very High Reynolds Numbers in the National Transonic Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watson, Ralph D.; Anders, John B.; Hall, Robert M.

    2006-01-01

    Skin friction coefficients were derived from measurements using standard measurement technologies on an axisymmetric cylinder in the NASA Langley National Transonic Facility (NTF) at Mach numbers from 0.2 to 0.85. The pressure gradient was nominally zero, the wall temperature was nominally adiabatic, and the ratio of boundary layer thickness to model diameter within the measurement region was 0.10 to 0.14, varying with distance along the model. Reynolds numbers based on momentum thicknesses ranged from 37,000 to 605,000. The measurements approximately doubled the range of available data for flat plate skin friction coefficients. Three different techniques were used to measure surface shear. The maximum error of Preston tube measurements was estimated to be 2.5 percent, while that of Clauser derived measurements was estimated to be approximately 5 percent. Direct measurements by skin friction balance proved to be subject to large errors and were not considered reliable.

  18. Multimodal optical measurement in vitro of surface deformations and wall thickness of the pressurized aortic arch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Genovese, Katia; Humphrey, Jay D.

    2015-04-01

    Computational modeling of arterial mechanics continues to progress, even to the point of allowing the study of complex regions such as the aortic arch. Nevertheless, most prior studies assign homogeneous and isotropic material properties and constant wall thickness even when implementing patient-specific luminal geometries obtained from medical imaging. These assumptions are not due to computational limitations, but rather to the lack of spatially dense sets of experimental data that describe regional variations in mechanical properties and wall thickness in such complex arterial regions. In this work, we addressed technical challenges associated with in vitro measurement of overall geometry, full-field surface deformations, and regional wall thickness of the porcine aortic arch in its native anatomical configuration. Specifically, we combined two digital image correlation-based approaches, standard and panoramic, to track surface geometry and finite deformations during pressurization, with a 360-deg fringe projection system to contour the outer and inner geometry. The latter provided, for the first time, information on heterogeneous distributions of wall thickness of the arch and associated branches in the unloaded state. Results showed that mechanical responses vary significantly with orientation and location (e.g., less extensible in the circumferential direction and with increasing distance from the heart) and that the arch exhibits a nearly linear increase in pressure-induced strain up to 40%, consistent with other findings on proximal porcine aortas. Thickness measurements revealed strong regional differences, thus emphasizing the need to include nonuniform thicknesses in theoretical and computational studies of complex arterial geometries.

  19. The effect of screw tunnels on the biomechanical stability of vertebral body after pedicle screws removal: a finite element analysis.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jia-Ming; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Yang; Chen, Xuan-Yin; Huang, Shan-Hu; Hua, Zi-Kai; Liu, Zhi-Li

    2017-06-01

    Posterior reduction and pedicle screw fixation is a widely used procedure for thoracic and lumbar vertebrae fractures. Usually, the pedicle screws would be removed after the fracture healing and screw tunnels would be left. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of screw tunnels on the biomechanical stability of the lumbar vertebral body after pedicle screws removal by finite element analysis (FEA). First, the CT values of the screw tunnels wall in the fractured vertebral bodies were measured in patients whose pedicle screws were removed, and they were then compared with the values of vertebral cortical bone. Second, an adult patient was included and the CT images of the lumbar spine were harvested. Three dimensional finite element models of the L1 vertebra with unilateral or bilateral screw tunnels were created based on the CT images. Different compressive loads were vertically acted on the models. The maximum loads which the models sustained and the distribution of the force in the different parts of the models were recorded and compared with each other. The CT values of the tunnels wall and vertebral cortical bone were 387.126±62.342 and 399.204±53.612, which were not statistically different (P=0.149). The models of three dimensional tetrahedral mesh finite element of normal lumbar 1 vertebra were established with good geometric similarity and realistic appearance. After given the compressive loads, the cortical bone was the first one to reach its ultimate stress. The maximum loads which the bilateral screw tunnels model, unilateral screw tunnel model, and normal vertebral model can sustain were 3.97 Mpa, 3.83 Mpa, and 3.78 Mpa, respectively. For the diameter of the screw tunnels, the model with a diameter of 6.5 mm could sustain the largest load. In addition, the stress distributing on the outside of the cortical bone gradually decreased as the thickness of the tunnel wall increased. Based on the FEA, pedicle screw tunnels would not decrease the biomechanical stability and strength of the vertebral body. A large diameter of screw tunnel and thick tunnel wall were helpful for the biomechanical stability of the vertebral body.

  20. Quantitative ionization chamber alignment to a water surface: Theory and simulation.

    PubMed

    Siebers, Jeffrey V; Ververs, James D; Tessier, Frédéric

    2017-07-01

    To examine the response properties of cylindrical cavity ionization chambers (ICs) in the depth-ionization buildup region so as to obtain a robust chamber-signal - based method for definitive water surface identification, hence absolute ionization chamber depth localization. An analytical model with simplistic physics and geometry is developed to explore the theoretical aspects of ionization chamber response near a phantom water surface. Monte Carlo simulations with full physics and ionization chamber geometry are utilized to extend the model's findings to realistic ion chambers in realistic beams and to study the effects of IC design parameters on the entrance dose response. Design parameters studied include full and simplified IC designs with varying central electrode thickness, wall thickness, and outer chamber radius. Piecewise continuous fits to the depth-ionization signal gradient are used to quantify potential deviation of the gradient discontinuity from the chamber outer radius. Exponential, power, and hyperbolic sine functional forms are used to model the gradient for chamber depths of zero to the depth of the gradient discontinuity. The depth-ionization gradient as a function of depth is maximized and discontinuous when a submerged IC's outer radius coincides with the water surface. We term this depth the gradient chamber alignment point (gCAP). The maximum deviation between the gCAP location and the chamber outer radius is 0.13 mm for a hypothetical 4 mm thick wall, 6.45 mm outer radius chamber using the power function fit, however, the chamber outer radius is within the 95% confidence interval of the gCAP determined by this fit. gCAP dependence on the chamber wall thickness is possible, but not at a clinically relevant level. The depth-ionization gradient has a discontinuity and is maximized when the outer-radius of a submerged IC coincides with the water surface. This feature can be used to auto-align ICs to the water surface at the time of scanning and/or be applied retrospectively to scan data to quantify absolute IC depth. Utilization of the gCAP should yield accurate and reproducible depth calibration for clinical depth-ionization measurements between setups and between users. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  1. Evolution of thick domain walls in de Sitter universe

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dolgov, A.D.; Godunov, S.I.; Rudenko, A.S., E-mail: dolgov@fe.infn.it, E-mail: sgodunov@itep.ru, E-mail: a.s.rudenko@inp.nsk.su

    We consider thick domain walls in a de Sitter universe following paper by Basu and Vilenkin. However, we are interested not only in stationary solutions found therein, but also investigate the general case of domain wall evolution with time. When the wall thickness parameter, δ{sub 0}, is smaller than H {sup −1}/√2, where H is the Hubble parameter in de Sitter space-time, then the stationary solutions exist, and initial field configurations tend with time to the stationary ones. However, there are no stationary solutions for δ{sub 0} ≥ H {sup −1}/√2. We have calculated numerically the rate of the wallmore » expansion in this case and have found that the width of the wall grows exponentially fast for δ{sub 0} >> H {sup −1}. An explanation for the critical value δ{sub 0} {sub c} = H {sup −1}/√2 is also proposed.« less

  2. Effects of finite wall thickness and sinusoidal heating on convection in nanofluid-saturated local thermal non-equilibrium porous cavity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alsabery, A. I.; Chamkha, A. J.; Saleh, H.; Hashim, I.; Chanane, B.

    2017-03-01

    The effects of finite wall thickness and sinusoidal heating on convection in a nanofluid-saturated local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) porous cavity are studied numerically using the finite difference method. The finite thickness vertical wall of the cavity is maintained at a constant temperature and the right wall is heated sinusoidally. The horizontal insulated walls allow no heat transfer to the surrounding. The Darcy law is used along with the Boussinesq approximation for the flow. Water-based nanofluids with Cu nanoparticles are chosen for investigation. The results of this study are obtained for various parameters such as the Rayleigh number, periodicity parameter, nanoparticles volume fraction, thermal conductivity ratio, ratio of wall thickness to its height and the modified conductivity ratio. Explanation for the influence of the various above-mentioned parameters on the streamlines, isotherms, local Nusselt number and the weighted average heat transfer is provided with regards to the thermal conductivities of nanoparticles suspended in the pure fluid and the porous medium. It is shown that the overall heat transfer is significantly increased with the relative non-uniform heating. Further, the convection heat transfer is shown to be inhibited by the presence of the solid wall. The results have possible applications in the heat-storage fluid-saturated porous systems and the applications of the high power heat transfer.

  3. Method of controlling the side wall thickness of a turbine nozzle segment for improved cooling

    DOEpatents

    Burdgick, Steven Sebastian

    2002-01-01

    A gas turbine nozzle segment has outer and inner bands and a vane extending therebetween. Each band has a side wall, a cover and an impingement plate between the cover and nozzle wall defining two cavities on opposite sides of the impingement plate. Cooling steam is supplied to one cavity for flow through apertures of the impingement plate to cool the nozzle wall. The side wall of the band has an inturned flange defining with the nozzle wall an undercut region. The outer surface of the side wall is provided with a step prior to welding the cover to the side wall. A thermal barrier coating is applied in the step and, after the cover is welded to the side wall, the side wall is finally machined to a controlled thickness removing all, some or none of the coating.

  4. The implications of different lateral wall thicknesses on surgical access to the maxillary sinus.

    PubMed

    Lim, Ee Lian; Ngeow, Wei Cheong; Lim, Daniel

    2017-11-27

    The objective of this study was to measure the topographic thickness of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus in selected Asian populations. Measurements were made on the lateral walls of maxillary sinuses recorded using CBCT in a convenient sample of patients attending an Asian teaching hospital. The points of measurement were the intersections between the axes along the apices of the canine, first premolar, and second premolar and along the mesiobuccal and distobuccal apices of the first and second molars and horizontal planes 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm and 40 mm beneath the orbital floor. The CBCT images of 109 patients were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 33.0 (SD 14.8) years. Almost three quarters (71.8%) of the patients were male. The mean bone thickness decreased beginning at the 10-mm level and continuing to 40 mm below the orbital floor. Few canine regions showed encroachment of the maxillary sinus. The thickness of the buccal wall gradually increased from the canine region (where sinus encroachment of the canine region was present) to the first molar region, after which it decreased to the thickness observed at the canine region. The buccal wall of the maxillary sinus became thicker anteroposteriorly, except in the region of the second molar, and thinner superoinferiorly. These changes will affect the approach used to osteotomize the lateral sinus wall for oral surgery and for the sinus lift procedure.

  5. Templates Aid Removal Of Defects From Castings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hendrickson, Robert G.

    1992-01-01

    Templates used to correlate defects in castings with local wall thicknesses. Placed on part to be inspected after coated with penetrant dye. Positions of colored spots (indicative of defects) noted. Ultrasonic inspector measures thickness of wall at unacceptable defects only - overall inspection not necessary.

  6. Fluid-structure interaction in abdominal aortic aneurysms: Structural and geometrical considerations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mesri, Yaser; Niazmand, Hamid; Deyranlou, Amin; Sadeghi, Mahmood Reza

    2015-08-01

    Rupture of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the result of the relatively complex interaction of blood hemodynamics and material behavior of arterial walls. In the present study, the cumulative effects of physiological parameters such as the directional growth, arterial wall properties (isotropy and anisotropy), iliac bifurcation and arterial wall thickness on prediction of wall stress in fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis of five idealized AAA models have been investigated. In particular, the numerical model considers the heterogeneity of arterial wall and the iliac bifurcation, which allows the study of the geometric asymmetry due to the growth of the aneurysm into different directions. Results demonstrate that the blood pulsatile nature is responsible for emerging a time-dependent recirculation zone inside the aneurysm, which directly affects the stress distribution in aneurismal wall. Therefore, aneurysm deviation from the arterial axis, especially, in the lateral direction increases the wall stress in a relatively nonlinear fashion. Among the models analyzed in this investigation, the anisotropic material model that considers the wall thickness variations, greatly affects the wall stress values, while the stress distributions are less affected as compared to the uniform wall thickness models. In this regard, it is confirmed that wall stress predictions are more influenced by the appropriate structural model than the geometrical considerations such as the level of asymmetry and its curvature, growth direction and its extent.

  7. An exact solution for a thick domain wall in general relativity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goetz, Guenter; Noetzold, Dirk

    1989-01-01

    An exact solution of the Einstein equations for a static, planar domain wall with finite thickness is presented. At infinity, density and pressure vanish and the space-time tends to the Minkowski vacuum on one side of the wall and to the Taub vacuum on the other side. A surprising feature of this solution is that the density and pressure distribution are symmetric about the central plane of the wall whereas the space-time metric and therefore also the gravitational field experienced by a test particle is asymmetric.

  8. Lightweight Shield for Centrifuge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Luper, C.

    1982-01-01

    Centrifuge bowl composed of laminated aluminum offers required combination of high strength at reduced weight. Around outside wall of bowl core of 1/16 inch thick spun aluminum are wrapped two layers of aluminum, each also one-sixteenth inch thick. Layered structure prevents cracks from propagating through wall.

  9. 49 CFR 179.500-4 - Thickness of wall.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specification for Cryogenic Liquid Tank Car Tanks and Seamless Steel Tanks (Classes DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.500-4 Thickness of wall...

  10. Deep drawing of 304 L Steel Sheet using Vegetable oils as Forming Lubricants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shashidhara, Y. M.; Jayaram, S. R.

    2012-12-01

    The study involves the evaluation of deep drawing process using two non edible oils, Pongam (Pongammia pinnata) and Jatropha (Jatropha carcass) as metal forming lubricants. Experiments are conducted on 304L steel sheets under the raw and modified oils with suitable punch and die on a hydraulic press of 200 ton capacity. The punch load, draw-in-length and wall thickness distribution for deep drawn cups are observed. The drawn cups are scanned using laser scanning technique and 3D models are generated using modeling package. The wall thickness profiles of cups at different sections (or height) are measured using CAD package. Among the two raw oils, the drawn cups under Jatropha oil, have uniform wall thickness profile compared to Pongam oil. Uneven flow of material and cup rupturing is observed under methyl esters of Pongam and Jatropha oil lubricated conditions. However, the results are observed under epoxidised Jatropha oil with uniform metal flow and wall thicknesses compared to mineral and other versions of vegetable oils.

  11. An ultrasonographic evaluation of skin thickness in breast cancer patients after postmastectomy radiation therapy

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background To determine the usefulness of ultrasonography in the assessment of post radiotherapy skin changes in postmastectomy breast cancer patients. Methods Patients treated for postmastectomy radiotherapy in National University Hospital (NUH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Singapore between January 2004- December 2005 was recruited retrospectively. Ultrasound scan was performed on these Asian patients who had been treated to a total dose of 46-50 Gy with 1 cm bolus placed on the skin. The ultrasound scans were performed blinded to the RTOG scores, and the skin thickness of the individually marked points on the irradiated chest wall was compared to the corresponding points on the non-irradiated breast. Results The mean total skin thickness inclusive of the epidermis and the dermis of the right irradiated chest wall was 0.1712 mm (± 0.03392 mm) compared with the contra-lateral non-irradiated breast which was 0.1845 mm (± 0.04089 mm; p = 0.007). The left irradiated chest wall had a mean skin thickness of 0.1764 mm (± 0.03184 mm) compared with the right non-irradiated breast which was 0.1835 mm (± 0.02584 mm; p = 0.025). These independent t-tests produced a significant difference of reduced skin thickness on the right irradiated chest wall, p = 0.007 (p < 0.05) and left irradiated chest wall p = 0.025 (p < 0.025) in comparison to the non-irradiated skin thickness investigating chronic skin reactions. Patients with grade 2 acute skin toxicity presented with thinner skin as compared to patients with grade 1 (p = 0.006). Conclusions This study has shown that there is a statistically significant difference between the skin thicknesses of the irradiated chest wall and the contra-lateral non-irradiated breast and a predisposition to chronic reactions was found in patients with acute RTOG scoring of grade1 and grade 2. PMID:21261940

  12. Neonatal Arterial Morphology Is Related to Body Size in Abnormal Human Fetal Growth.

    PubMed

    Olander, Rasmus F W; Sundholm, Johnny K M; Ojala, Tiina H; Andersson, Sture; Sarkola, Taisto

    2016-09-01

    Restriction in fetal growth is associated with cardiovascular disease in adulthood. It is unclear whether abnormal intrauterine growth influences arterial morphology during the fetal or neonatal stage. The objective was to study the regional arterial morphology with respect to gestational age and abnormal fetal body size. We studied body anthropometrics and arterial morphology and physiology in 174 neonates born between 31 and 42 weeks of gestation, including neonates with birth weights appropriate, small, and large for age, with very high resolution vascular ultrasound (35-55 MHz). In simple linear regressions, parameters of body size (body weight, body surface area, and organ circumference) and gestational age were statistically significantly associated with common carotid, brachial, femoral arterial parameters (lumen diameter [LD], wall layer thickness [intima-media thickness and intima-media-adventitia thickness], and carotid artery wall stress [CAWS]). Male sex was statistically significantly associated with LD and CAWS. In multiple linear regression models, body size, gestational age, and sex explained a large proportion of the arterial variance (R( 2) range, 0.37-0.47 for LD; 0.09-0.35 for intima-media thickness; 0.21-0.41 for intima-media-adventitia thickness; and 0.23 for CAWS; all models P<0.001). Arterial wall layer thickness, LDs, and CAWS were independently and strongly predicted by body size, and no effect of maternal disease was observed when added to the models. Gestational age and male sex were also independently but more weakly associated with arterial LDs and CAWS (P<0.01), but not with arterial wall layers. These results indicate that the intrauterine growth of fetal arterial LD and wall layer thickness are primarily attributed to body growth overall. LD and CAWS show weaker association with gestational age and sex. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

  13. Measurement of retinal wall-to-lumen ratio by adaptive optics retinal camera: a clinical research.

    PubMed

    Meixner, Eva; Michelson, Georg

    2015-11-01

    To measure the wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) and the cross-sectional area of the vascular wall (WCSA) of retinal arterioles by an Adaptive Optics (AO) retinal camera. Forty-seven human subjects were examined and their medical history was explored. WLR and WCSA were measured on the basis of retinal arteriolar wall thickness (VW), lumen diameter (LD) and vessel diameter (VD) assessed by rtx1 Adaptive Optics retinal camera. WLR was calculated by the formula [Formula: see text]. Arterio-venous ratio (AVR) and microvascular abnormalities were attained by quantitative and qualitative assessment of fundus photographs. Influence of age, arterial hypertension, body mass index (BMI) and retinal microvascular abnormalities on the WLR was examined. An age-adjusted WLR was created to test influences on WLR independently of age. Considering WLR and WCSA, a distinction between eutrophic and hypertrophic retinal remodeling processes was possible. The intra-observer variability (IOV) was 6 % ± 0.9 for arteriolar wall thickness and 2 % ± 0.2 for arteriolar wall thickness plus vessel lumen. WLR depended significantly on the wall thickness (r = 0.715; p < 0.01) of retinal arterioles, but was independent of the total vessel diameter (r = 0.052; p = 0.728). WLR correlated significantly with age (r = 0.769; p < 0.01). Arterial hypertension and a higher BMI were significantly associated with an increased age-adjusted WLR. WLR correlated significantly with the stage of microvascular abnormalities. 55 % of the hypertensive subjects and 11 % of the normotensive subjects showed eutrophic remodeling, while hypertrophic remodeling was not detectable. WLR correlated inversely with AVR. AVR was independent of the arteriolar wall thickness, age and arterial hypertension. The technique of AO retinal imaging allows a direct measurement of the retinal vessel wall and lumen diameter with good intra-observer variability. Age, arterial hypertension and an elevated BMI level are significantly associated with an increased WLR. The wall-to-lumen ratio measured by AO can be used to detect structural retinal microvascular alterations in an early stage of remodeling processes.

  14. RADIOAUTOGRAPHIC STUDY OF CELL WALL DEPOSITION IN GROWING PLANT CELLS

    PubMed Central

    Ray, Peter M.

    1967-01-01

    Segments cut from growing oat coleoptiles and pea stems were fed glucose-3H in presence and absence of the growth hormone indoleacetic acid (IAA). By means of electron microscope radioautography it was demonstrated that new cell wall material is deposited both at the wall surface (apposition) and within the preexisting wall structure (internally). Quantitative profiles for the distribution of incorporation with position through the thickness of the wall were obtained for the thick outer wall of epidermal cells. With both oat coleoptile and pea stem epidermal outer walls, it was found that a larger proportion of the newly synthesized wall material appeared to become incorporated within the wall in the presence of IAA. Extraction experiments on coleoptile tissue showed that activity that had been incorporated into the cell wall interior represented noncellulosic constituents, mainly hemicelluloses, whereas cellulose was deposited largely or entirely by apposition. It seems possible that internal incorporation of hemicelluloses plays a role in the cell wall expansion process that is involved in cell growth. PMID:6064369

  15. Quantification of common carotid artery and descending aorta vessel wall thickness from MR vessel wall imaging using a fully automated processing pipeline.

    PubMed

    Gao, Shan; van 't Klooster, Ronald; Brandts, Anne; Roes, Stijntje D; Alizadeh Dehnavi, Reza; de Roos, Albert; Westenberg, Jos J M; van der Geest, Rob J

    2017-01-01

    To develop and evaluate a method that can fully automatically identify the vessel wall boundaries and quantify the wall thickness for both common carotid artery (CCA) and descending aorta (DAO) from axial magnetic resonance (MR) images. 3T MRI data acquired with T 1 -weighted gradient-echo black-blood imaging sequence from carotid (39 subjects) and aorta (39 subjects) were used to develop and test the algorithm. The vessel wall segmentation was achieved by respectively fitting a 3D cylindrical B-spline surface to the boundaries of lumen and outer wall. The tube-fitting was based on the edge detection performed on the signal intensity (SI) profile along the surface normal. To achieve a fully automated process, Hough Transform (HT) was developed to estimate the lumen centerline and radii for the target vessel. Using the outputs of HT, a tube model for lumen segmentation was initialized and deformed to fit the image data. Finally, lumen segmentation was dilated to initiate the adaptation procedure of outer wall tube. The algorithm was validated by determining: 1) its performance against manual tracing; 2) its interscan reproducibility in quantifying vessel wall thickness (VWT); 3) its capability of detecting VWT difference in hypertensive patients compared with healthy controls. Statistical analysis including Bland-Altman analysis, t-test, and sample size calculation were performed for the purpose of algorithm evaluation. The mean distance between the manual and automatically detected lumen/outer wall contours was 0.00 ± 0.23/0.09 ± 0.21 mm for CCA and 0.12 ± 0.24/0.14 ± 0.35 mm for DAO. No significant difference was observed between the interscan VWT assessment using automated segmentation for both CCA (P = 0.19) and DAO (P = 0.94). Both manual and automated segmentation detected significantly higher carotid (P = 0.016 and P = 0.005) and aortic (P < 0.001 and P = 0.021) wall thickness in the hypertensive patients. A reliable and reproducible pipeline for fully automatic vessel wall quantification was developed and validated on healthy volunteers as well as patients with increased vessel wall thickness. This method holds promise for helping in efficient image interpretation for large-scale cohort studies. 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:215-228. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  16. Shock Desensitization Effect in the STANAG 4363 Confined Explosive Component Water Gap Test

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lefrancois, A S; Lee, R S; Tarver, C M

    2006-06-07

    The Explosive Component Water Gap Test (ECWGT) in the Stanag 4363 has been recently investigated to assess the shock sensitivity of lead and booster components having a diameter less than 5 mm. For that purpose, Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) based pellets having a height and diameter of 3 mm have been confined by a steel annulus of wall thickness 1-3.5 mm and with the same height as the pellet. 1-mm wall thickness makes the component more sensitive (larger gap). As the wall thickness is increased to 2-mm, the gap increases a lesser amount, but when the wall thickness is increased tomore » 3.5-mm a decrease in sensitivity is observed (smaller gap). This decrease of the water gap has been reproduced experimentally by many nations. Numerical simulations using Ignition and Growth model have been performed in this paper and have reproduced the experimental results for the steel confinement up to 2 mm thick and aluminum confinement. A stronger re-shock following the first input shock from the water is focusing on the axis due to the confinement. The double shock configuration is well-known to lead in some cases to shock desensitization.« less

  17. CMR assessment of the left ventricle apical morphology in subjects with unexplainable giant T-wave inversion and without apical wall thickness ≥15 mm.

    PubMed

    Wu, Bailin; Lu, Minjie; Zhang, Yan; Song, Bo; Ling, Jian; Huang, Jinghan; Yin, Gang; Lan, Tian; Dai, Linlin; Song, Lei; Jiang, Yong; Wang, Hao; He, Zuoxiang; Lee, Jongmin; Yong, Hwan Seok; Patel, Mehul B; Zhao, Shihua

    2017-02-01

    Patients with unexplainable giant T-wave inversion in the precordial leads and apical wall thickness <15 mm have been reported. These patients cannot be diagnosed as apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) according to the current criteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the apical morphological features of this type of patients using cardiac magnetic resonance. Institutional ethics approval and written informed consent were obtained. A total of 60 subjects with unexplainable giant T-wave inversion and 76 healthy volunteers were prospectively enrolled in the study. The segmented left ventricular (LV) wall thickness was measured according to the American Heart Association 17-segmented model. The apical angle (apA) as well as the regional variations in LV wall thickness was analysed. Considerable variation in LV wall thickness in normals was observed with progressive thinning from the base to apex (male and female, P < 0.01). The apical thickness of subjects with giant T-wave inversion was 8.10 ± 1.67 mm in male, which is thicker than that of controls (4.14 ± 1.17 mm, P < 0.01). In female, the apical thickness was also significantly different from controls (5.85 ± 2.16 vs. 2.99 ± 0.65 mm, P < 0.01). Compared with normals, the apA decreased significantly in male (87.44 ± 13.86 vs.115.03 ± 9.90°, P < 0.01) and female (90.69 ± 8.84 vs. 110.07 ± 13.58°, P < 0.01) subjects, respectively. Although the absolute thickness of apical wall was below the current diagnostic criteria of AHCM, the apical morphological features of subjects with unexplainable giant T-wave inversion were significantly different from normals. Whether these subjects should be included into a preclinical scope of AHCM needs further investigations. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. The impact of personalized probabilistic wall thickness models on peak wall stress in abdominal aortic aneurysms.

    PubMed

    Biehler, J; Wall, W A

    2018-02-01

    If computational models are ever to be used in high-stakes decision making in clinical practice, the use of personalized models and predictive simulation techniques is a must. This entails rigorous quantification of uncertainties as well as harnessing available patient-specific data to the greatest extent possible. Although researchers are beginning to realize that taking uncertainty in model input parameters into account is a necessity, the predominantly used probabilistic description for these uncertain parameters is based on elementary random variable models. In this work, we set out for a comparison of different probabilistic models for uncertain input parameters using the example of an uncertain wall thickness in finite element models of abdominal aortic aneurysms. We provide the first comparison between a random variable and a random field model for the aortic wall and investigate the impact on the probability distribution of the computed peak wall stress. Moreover, we show that the uncertainty about the prevailing peak wall stress can be reduced if noninvasively available, patient-specific data are harnessed for the construction of the probabilistic wall thickness model. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Effects of spaceflight on polysaccharides of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hong-Zhi; Wang, Qiang; Liu, Xiao-Yong; Tan, Sze-Sze

    2008-12-01

    Freeze-dried samples of four Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, namely, FL01, FL03, 2.0016, and 2.1424, were subjected to spaceflight. After the satellite's landing on Earth, the samples were recovered and changes in yeast cell wall were analyzed. Spaceflight strains of all S. cerevisiae strains showed significant changes in cell wall thickness (P < 0.05). One mutant of S. cerevisiae 2.0016 with increased biomass, cell wall thickness, and cell wall glucan was isolated (P < 0.05). The spaceflight mutant of S. cerevisiae 2.0016 showed 46.7%, 62.6%, and 146.0% increment in biomass, cell wall thickness and beta-glucan content, respectively, when compared to the ground strain. Moreover, growth curve analysis showed spaceflight S. cerevisiae 2.0016 had a faster growth rate, shorter lag phase periods, higher final biomass, and higher content of beta-glucan. Genetic stability analysis showed that prolonged subculturing of spaceflight strain S. cerevisiae 2.0016 did not lead to the appearance of variants, indicating that the genetic stability of S. cerevisiae 2.0016 mutant could be sufficient for its exploitation of beta-glucan production.

  20. Impact of emphysema and airway wall thickness on quality of life in smoking-related COPD.

    PubMed

    Gietema, Hester A; Edwards, Lisa D; Coxson, Harvey O; Bakke, Per S

    2013-08-01

    Limited data are available as to the relationship between computed tomography (CT) derived data on emphysema and airway wall thickness, and quality of life in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Such data may work to clarify the clinical correlate of the CT findings. We included 1778 COPD subjects aged 40-75 years with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years. They were examined with St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ-C) and high-resolution chest CT. Level of emphysema was assessed as percent low-attenuation areas less than -950 Hounsfield units (%LAA). Airway wall thickness was estimated by calculating the square root of wall area of an imaginary airway with an internal perimeter of 10 mm (Pi10). In both men and women, the mean total score and most of the subscores of SGRQ-C increased with increasing level of emphysema and increasing level of airway wall thickness, after adjusting for age, smoking status, pack years, body mass index and FEV1. The highest gradient was seen in the relationship between the activity score and the emphysema level. The activity score increased by 35% from the lowest to the highest emphysema tertile. The relationship between level of emphysema and the total SGRQ-C score became weaker with increasing GOLD (Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) stages (p < 0.001), while the impact of gender was limited. In subjects with COPD, increasing levels of emphysema and airway wall thickness are independently related to impaired quality of life. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Effects of increased left ventricular wall thickness on the myocardium in severe aortic stenosis with normal left ventricular ejection fraction: Two- and three-dimensional multilayer speckle tracking echocardiography.

    PubMed

    Cho, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung-Ji; Kim, Eun Kyoung; Lee, Ga Yeon; Chang, Sung-A; Choi, Jin-Oh; Lee, Sang-Chol; Park, Seung Woo

    2017-04-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the capability of real time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) and two-dimensional (2D) multilayer speckle tracking echocardiography (MSTE) for evaluation of early myocardial dysfunction triggered by increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness in severe aortic stenosis (AS) with normal LV ejection fraction (EF≥55%). Conventional, RT3D STE and 2D MSTE were performed in 45 patients (mean 68.9±9.0 years) with severe AS (aortic valve area <1 cm 2 , aortic velocity Vmax >4 m/s or mean PG >40 mm Hg) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) without overt coronary artery disease and in 18 age-, sex-matched healthy controls. Global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global area strain (GAS), and global radial strain (GRS) were calculated using RT3DE and MSTE. The severe AS group had lower 3D GLS, GRS, GAS and 2D epicardium, and mid-wall and endocardium GLS compared to healthy controls. In MSTE analysis, 2D LS and CS values decreased from the endocardial layer toward the epicardial layer. Severe AS patients with increased LV wall thickness had lower 3D GLS and 2D epicardium, and mid-wall and endocardium GLS compared with severe AS patients without LV wall thickening. GLS on RT3D STE was correlated with GLS on 2D MSTE, left ventricular mass index, LVEF, left atrial volume index, and lnNT-proBNP. RT3DE and 2D MSTE can be used to identify subtle contractile dysfunction triggered by increased LV wall thickness in severe AS with normal LVEF. Therefore, RT3D STE and 2D MSTE may provide additional information that can facilitate decision-making regarding severe AS patients with increased LV wall thickness and normal LV function. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Transient Fetal Compartments during Prenatal Human Brain Development

    PubMed Central

    Vasung, Lana; Lepage, Claude; Radoš, Milan; Pletikos, Mihovil; Goldman, Jennifer S.; Richiardi, Jonas; Raguž, Marina; Fischi-Gómez, Elda; Karama, Sherif; Huppi, Petra S.; Evans, Alan C.; Kostovic, Ivica

    2016-01-01

    The cerebral wall of the human fetal brain is composed of transient cellular compartments, which show characteristic spatiotemporal relationships with intensity of major neurogenic events (cell proliferation, migration, axonal growth, dendritic differentiation, synaptogenesis, cell death, and myelination). The aim of the present study was to obtain new quantitative data describing volume, surface area, and thickness of transient compartments in the human fetal cerebrum. Forty-four postmortem fetal brains aged 13–40 postconceptional weeks (PCW) were included in this study. High-resolution T1 weighted MR images were acquired on 19 fetal brain hemispheres. MR images were processed using in-house software (MNI-ACE toolbox). Delineation of fetal compartments was performed semi-automatically by co-registration of MRI with histological sections of the same brains, or with the age-matched brains from Zagreb Neuroembryological Collection. Growth trajectories of transient fetal compartments were reconstructed. The composition of telencephalic wall was quantitatively assessed. Between 13 and 25 PCW, when the intensity of neuronal proliferation decreases drastically, the relative volume of proliferative (ventricular and subventricular) compartments showed pronounced decline. In contrast, synapse- and extracellular matrix-rich subplate compartment continued to grow during the first two trimesters, occupying up to 45% of telencephalon and reaching its maximum volume and thickness around 30 PCW. This developmental maximum coincides with a period of intensive growth of long cortico-cortical fibers, which enter and wait in subplate before approaching the cortical plate. Although we did not find significant age related changes in mean thickness of the cortical plate, the volume, gyrification index, and surface area of the cortical plate continued to exponentially grow during the last phases of prenatal development. This cortical expansion coincides developmentally with the transformation of embryonic cortical columns, dendritic differentiation, and ingrowth of axons. These results provide a quantitative description of transient human fetal brain compartments observable with MRI. Moreover, they will improve understanding of structural-functional relationships during brain development, will enable correlation between in vitro/in vivo imaging and fine structural histological studies, and will serve as a reference for study of perinatal brain injuries. PMID:26941612

  3. Effect of metallic walls on dynamos generated by laminar boundary-driven flow in a spherical domain.

    PubMed

    Guervilly, Céline; Wood, Toby S; Brummell, Nicholas H

    2013-11-01

    We present a numerical study of dynamo action in a conducting fluid encased in a metallic spherical shell. Motions in the fluid are driven by differential rotation of the outer metallic shell, which we refer to as "the wall." The two hemispheres of the wall are held in counter-rotation, producing a steady, axisymmetric interior flow consisting of differential rotation and a two-cell meridional circulation with radial inflow in the equatorial plane. From previous studies, this type of flow is known to maintain a stationary equatorial dipole by dynamo action if the magnetic Reynolds number is larger than about 300 and if the outer boundary is electrically insulating. We vary independently the thickness, electrical conductivity, and magnetic permeability of the wall to determine their effect on the dynamo action. The main results are the following: (a) Increasing the conductivity of the wall hinders the dynamo by allowing eddy currents within the wall, which are induced by the relative motion of the equatorial dipole field and the wall. This processes can be viewed as a skin effect or, equivalently, as the tearing apart of the dipole by the differential rotation of the wall, to which the field lines are anchored by high conductivity. (b) Increasing the magnetic permeability of the wall favors dynamo action by constraining the magnetic field lines in the fluid to be normal to the wall, thereby decoupling the fluid from any induction in the wall. (c) Decreasing the wall thickness limits the amplitude of the eddy currents, and is therefore favorable for dynamo action, provided that the wall is thinner than the skin depth. We explicitly demonstrate these effects of the wall properties on the dynamo field by deriving an effective boundary condition in the limit of vanishing wall thickness.

  4. Comparison of two procedures for predicting rocket engine nozzle performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidian, Kenneth J.

    1987-01-01

    Two nozzle performance prediction procedures which are based on the standardized JANNAF methodology are presented and compared for four rocket engine nozzles. The first procedure required operator intercedence to transfer data between the individual performance programs. The second procedure is more automated in that all necessary programs are collected into a single computer code, thereby eliminating the need for data reformatting. Results from both procedures show similar trends but quantitative differences. Agreement was best in the predictions of specific impulse and local skin friction coefficient. Other compared quantities include characteristic velocity, thrust coefficient, thrust decrement, boundary layer displacement thickness, momentum thickness, and heat loss rate to the wall. Effects of wall temperature profile used as an input to the programs was investigated by running three wall temperature profiles. It was found that this change greatly affected the boundary layer displacement thickness and heat loss to the wall. The other quantities, however, were not drastically affected by the wall temperature profile change.

  5. Ballistic Limit Equation for Single Wall Titanium

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ratliff, J. M.; Christiansen, Eric L.; Bryant, C.

    2009-01-01

    Hypervelocity impact tests and hydrocode simulations were used to determine the ballistic limit equation (BLE) for perforation of a titanium wall, as a function of wall thickness. Two titanium alloys were considered, and separate BLEs were derived for each. Tested wall thicknesses ranged from 0.5mm to 2.0mm. The single-wall damage equation of Cour-Palais [ref. 1] was used to analyze the Ti wall's shielding effectiveness. It was concluded that the Cour-Palais single-wall equation produced a non-conservative prediction of the ballistic limit for the Ti shield. The inaccurate prediction was not a particularly surprising result; the Cour-Palais single-wall BLE contains shield material properties as parameters, but it was formulated only from tests of different aluminum alloys. Single-wall Ti shield tests were run (thicknesses of 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, and 0.5 mm) on Ti 15-3-3-3 material custom cut from rod stock. Hypervelocity impact (HVI) tests were used to establish the failure threshold empirically, using the additional constraint that the damage scales with impact energy, as was indicated by hydrocode simulations. The criterion for shield failure was defined as no detached spall from the shield back surface during HVI. Based on the test results, which confirmed an approximately energy-dependent shield effectiveness, the Cour-Palais equation was modified.

  6. Effect of shock interactions on mixing layer between co-flowing supersonic flows in a confined duct

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, S. M. V.; Asano, S.; Imani, I.; Saito, T.

    2018-03-01

    Experiments are conducted to observe the effect of shock interactions on a mixing layer generated between two supersonic streams of Mach number M _{1} = 1.76 and M _{2} = 1.36 in a confined duct. The development of this mixing layer within the duct is observed using high-speed schlieren and static pressure measurements. Two-dimensional, compressible Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved using the k-ω SST turbulence model in Fluent. Further, adverse pressure gradients are imposed by placing inserts of small (<7% of duct height) but finite (> boundary layer thickness) thickness on the walls of the test section. The unmatched pressures cause the mixing layer to bend and lead to the formation of shock structures that interact with the mixing layer. The mixing layer growth rate is found to increase after the shock interaction (nearly doubles). The strongest shock is observed when a wedge insert is placed in the M _{2} flow. This shock interacts with the mixing layer exciting flow modes that produce sinusoidal flapping structures which enhance the mixing layer growth rate to the maximum (by 1.75 times). Shock fluctuations are characterized, and it is observed that the maximum amplitude occurs when a wedge insert is placed in the M _{2} flow.

  7. Fabrication of chitosan single-component microcapsules with a micrometer-thick and layered wall structure by stepwise core-mediated precipitation.

    PubMed

    Han, Yuanyuan; Tong, Weijun; Zhang, Yuying; Gao, Changyou

    2012-02-27

    Incubation of CaCO(3) microparticles in chitosan (CS) solution at pH 5.2 and following with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA) treatment resulted in CS single-component microcapsules with an ultra-thick wall structure. Repeating the incubation caused stepwise increase of wall thickness and finally resulted in CS microcapsules with a layered structure. This unique method is mediated by precipitation of CS on the CaCO(3) particles as a result of pH increase caused by the partial dissolution of CaCO(3) . The obtained CS capsules are stable at neutral pH. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. CFD-DEM study of effect of bed thickness for bubbling fluidized beds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tingwen, Li; Gopalakrishnan, Pradeep; Garg, Rahul

    2011-10-01

    The effect of bed thickness in rectangular fluidized beds is investigated through the CFD–DEM simulations of small-scale systems. Numerical results are compared for bubbling fluidized beds of various bed thicknesses with respect to particle packing, bed expansion, bubble behavior, solids velocities, and particle kinetic energy. Good two-dimensional (2D) flow behavior is observed in the bed having a thickness of up to 20 particle diameters. However, a strong three-dimensional (3D) flow behavior is observed in beds with a thickness of 40 particle diameters, indicating the transition from 2D flow to 3D flow within the range of 20–40 particle diameters. Comparison ofmore » velocity profiles near the walls and at the center of the bed shows significant impact of the front and back walls on the flow hydrodynamics of pseudo-2D fluidized beds. Hence, for quantitative comparison with experiments in pseudo-2D columns, the effect of walls has to be accounted for in numerical simulations.« less

  9. Laser erosion diagnostics of plasma facing materials with displacement sensors and their application to safeguard monitors to protect nuclear fusion chambers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kasuya, Koichi; Motokoshi, Shinji; Taniguchi, Seiji; Nakai, Mitsuo; Tokunaga, Kazutoshi; Mroz, Waldemar; Budner, Boguslaw; Korczyc, Barbara

    2015-02-01

    Tungsten and SiC are candidates for the structural materials of the nuclear fusion reactor walls, while CVD poly-crystal diamond is candidate for the window material under the hazardous fusion stresses. We measured the surface endurance strength of such materials with commercial displacement sensors and our recent evaluation method. The pulsed high thermal input was put into the material surfaces by UV lasers, and the surface erosions were diagnosed. With the increase of the total number of the laser shots per position, the crater depth increased gradually. The 3D and 2D pictures of the craters were gathered and compared under various experimental conditions. For example, the maximum crater depths were plotted as a function of shot accumulated numbers, from which we evaluated the threshold thermal input for the surface erosions to be induced. The simple comparison-result showed that tungsten was stronger roughly two times than SiC. Then we proposed how to monitor the surface conditions of combined samples with such diamonds coated with thin tungsten layers, when we use such samples as parts of divertor inner walls, fusion chamber first walls, and various diagnostic windows. We investigated how we might be able to measure the inner surface erosions with the same kinds of displacement sensors. We found out the measurable maximum thickness of such diamond which is useful to monitor the erosion. Additionally we showed a new scheme of fusion reactor systems with injectors for anisotropic pellets and heating lasers under the probable use of W and/or SiC.

  10. Automatic Thickness and Volume Estimation of Sprayed Concrete on Anchored Retaining Walls from Terrestrial LIDAR Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez-Sánchez, J.; Puente, I.; GonzálezJorge, H.; Riveiro, B.; Arias, P.

    2016-06-01

    When ground conditions are weak, particularly in free formed tunnel linings or retaining walls, sprayed concrete can be applied on the exposed surfaces immediately after excavation for shotcreting rock outcrops. In these situations, shotcrete is normally applied conjointly with rock bolts and mesh, thereby supporting the loose material that causes many of the small ground falls. On the other hand, contractors want to determine the thickness and volume of sprayed concrete for both technical and economic reasons: to guarantee their structural strength but also, to not deliver excess material that they will not be paid for. In this paper, we first introduce a terrestrial LiDAR-based method for the automatic detection of rock bolts, as typically used in anchored retaining walls. These ground support elements are segmented based on their geometry and they will serve as control points for the co-registration of two successive scans, before and after shotcreting. Then we compare both point clouds to estimate the sprayed concrete thickness and the expending volume on the wall. This novel methodology is demonstrated on repeated scan data from a retaining wall in the city of Vigo (Spain), resulting in a rock bolts detection rate of 91%, that permits to obtain a detailed information of the thickness and calculate a total volume of 3597 litres of concrete. These results have verified the effectiveness of the developed approach by increasing productivity and improving previous empirical proposals for real time thickness estimation.

  11. The optimal density of cellular solids in axial tension.

    PubMed

    Mihai, L Angela; Alayyash, Khulud; Wyatt, Hayley

    2017-05-01

    For cellular bodies with uniform cell size, wall thickness, and shape, an important question is whether the same volume of material has the same effect when arranged as many small cells or as fewer large cells. To answer this question, for finite element models of periodic structures of Mooney-type material with different structural geometry and subject to large strain deformations, we identify a nonlinear elastic modulus as the ratio between the mean effective stress and the mean effective strain in the solid cell walls, and show that this modulus increases when the thickness of the walls increases, as well as when the number of cells increases while the volume of solid material remains fixed. Since, under the specified conditions, this nonlinear elastic modulus increases also as the corresponding mean stress increases, either the mean modulus or the mean stress can be employed as indicator when the optimum wall thickness or number of cells is sought.

  12. Magnesium diboride coated bulk niobium: a new approach to higher acceleration gradient

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Teng; Wolak, M. A.; Xi, X. X.; Tajima, T.; Civale, L.

    2016-10-01

    Bulk niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities are a leading accelerator technology. Their performance is limited by the cavity loss and maximum acceleration gradient, which are negatively affected by vortex penetration into the superconductor when the peak magnetic field at the cavity wall surface exceeds the vortex penetration field (Hvp). It has been proposed that coating the inner wall of an SRF cavity with superconducting thin films increases Hvp. In this work, we utilized Nb ellipsoid to simulate an inverse SRF cavity and investigate the effect of coating it with magnesium diboride layer on the vortex penetration field. A significant enhancement of Hvp was observed. At 2.8 K, Hvp increased from 2100 Oe for an uncoated Nb ellipsoid to 2700 Oe for a Nb ellipsoid coated with ~200 nm thick MgB2 thin film. This finding creates a new route towards achieving higher acceleration gradient in SRF cavity accelerator beyond the theoretical limit of bulk Nb.

  13. Magnesium diboride coated bulk niobium: a new approach to higher acceleration gradient.

    PubMed

    Tan, Teng; Wolak, M A; Xi, X X; Tajima, T; Civale, L

    2016-10-24

    Bulk niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities are a leading accelerator technology. Their performance is limited by the cavity loss and maximum acceleration gradient, which are negatively affected by vortex penetration into the superconductor when the peak magnetic field at the cavity wall surface exceeds the vortex penetration field (H vp ). It has been proposed that coating the inner wall of an SRF cavity with superconducting thin films increases H vp . In this work, we utilized Nb ellipsoid to simulate an inverse SRF cavity and investigate the effect of coating it with magnesium diboride layer on the vortex penetration field. A significant enhancement of H vp was observed. At 2.8 K, H vp increased from 2100 Oe for an uncoated Nb ellipsoid to 2700 Oe for a Nb ellipsoid coated with ~200 nm thick MgB 2 thin film. This finding creates a new route towards achieving higher acceleration gradient in SRF cavity accelerator beyond the theoretical limit of bulk Nb.

  14. Magnesium diboride coated bulk niobium: a new approach to higher acceleration gradient

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Civale, Leonardo; Tan, Teng; Wolak, M.; Xi, Xiaoxing; Tajima, Tsuyoshi

    Bulk niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities are a leading accelerator technology. Their performance is limited by the cavity loss and maximum acceleration gradient, which are negatively affected by vortex penetration into the superconductor when the peak magnetic field at the cavity wall surface exceeds the vortex penetration field (Hvp). It has been proposed that coating the inner wall of an SRF cavity with superconducting thin films increases Hvp. In this work, we utilized Nb ellipsoids to simulate an inverse SRF cavity and investigate the effect of coating it with magnesium diboride layer on the vortex penetration field. A significant enhancement of Hvp was observed. At 2.8 K, Hvp increased from 2100 Oe for an uncoated Nb ellipsoid to 2700 Oe for a Nb ellipsoid coated with 200 nm thick MgB2 thin film. This finding creates a new route towards achieving higher acceleration gradient in SRF cavity accelerator beyond the theoretical limit of bulk Nb.

  15. Magnesium diboride coated bulk niobium: a new approach to higher acceleration gradient

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Teng; Wolak, M. A.; Xi, X. X.; Tajima, T.; Civale, L.

    2016-01-01

    Bulk niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities are a leading accelerator technology. Their performance is limited by the cavity loss and maximum acceleration gradient, which are negatively affected by vortex penetration into the superconductor when the peak magnetic field at the cavity wall surface exceeds the vortex penetration field (Hvp). It has been proposed that coating the inner wall of an SRF cavity with superconducting thin films increases Hvp. In this work, we utilized Nb ellipsoid to simulate an inverse SRF cavity and investigate the effect of coating it with magnesium diboride layer on the vortex penetration field. A significant enhancement of Hvp was observed. At 2.8 K, Hvp increased from 2100 Oe for an uncoated Nb ellipsoid to 2700 Oe for a Nb ellipsoid coated with ~200 nm thick MgB2 thin film. This finding creates a new route towards achieving higher acceleration gradient in SRF cavity accelerator beyond the theoretical limit of bulk Nb. PMID:27775087

  16. Magnesium diboride coated bulk niobium: a new approach to higher acceleration gradient

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tan, Teng; Wolak, M. A.; Xi, X. X.

    2016-10-24

    Bulk niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities are a leading accelerator technology. Their performance is limited by the cavity loss and maximum acceleration gradient, which are negatively affected by vortex penetration into the superconductor when the peak magnetic field at the cavity wall surface exceeds the vortex penetration field (H vp). It has been proposed that coating the inner wall of an SRF cavity with superconducting thin films increases H vp. In this work, we utilized Nb ellipsoid to simulate an inverse SRF cavity and investigate the effect of coating it with magnesium diboride layer on the vortex penetration field. A significantmore » enhancement of H vp was observed. At 2.8 K, H vp increased from 2100 Oe for an uncoated Nb ellipsoid to 2700 Oe for a Nb ellipsoid coated with ~200 nm thick MgB 2 thin film. In conclusion, this finding creates a new route towards achieving higher acceleration gradient in SRF cavity accelerator beyond the theoretical limit of bulk Nb.« less

  17. Appraisal of different ultrasonography indices in patients with carotid artery atherosclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Rafati, Mehravar; Havaee, Elham; Moladoust, Hassan; Sehhati, Mohammadreza

    2017-01-01

    In this study a semi-automated image-processing based method was designed in which the parameters such as intima-media thickness (IMT), resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), dicrotic notch index (DNI), and mean wavelet entropy (MWE) were evaluated in B-mode and Doppler ultrasound in patients presenting with carotid artery atherosclerosis. In a cross-sectional design, 144 men were divided into four groups of control, mild, moderate and severe stenosis subjects. In all individuals, far wall IMT, RI, PI, DNI, and MWE of the left common carotid artery (CCA) were extracted using the proposed method. Our findings showed that the maximum far wall IMT, RI, PI, DNI in the CCA were significantly different in the patients with mild, moderate, and severe stenosis compared to control group (p-value < 0.05), however, there were no significant differences in MWE among the four groups (p-value > 0.05). The proposed method can help physicians to better identify patients at risk of cardiovascular diseases. PMID:28827988

  18. Measurement of three-dimensional normal vectors, principal curvatures, and wall thickness of the heart using cine-MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coghlan, Leslie; Singleton, H. R.; Dell'Italia, L. J.; Linderholm, C. E.; Pohost, G. M.

    1995-05-01

    We have developed a method for measuring the detailed in vivo three dimensional geometry of the left and right ventricles using cine-magnetic resonance imaging. From data in the form of digitized short axis outlines, the normal vectors, principal curvatures and directions, and wall thickness were computed. The method was evaluated on simulated ellipsoids and on human MRI data. Measurements of normal vectors and of wall thickness were very accurate in simulated data and appeared appropriate in patient data. On simulated data, measurements of the principal curvature k1 (corresponding approximately to the short axis direction of the left ventricle) and of principal directions were quite accurate, but measurements of the other principal curvature (k2) were less accurate. The reasons behind this are considered. We expect improvements in the accuracy with thinner slices and improved representation of the surface data. Gradient echo images were acquired from 8 dogs with a 1.5T system (Philips Gyroscan) at baseline and four months after closed chest experimentally produced mitral regurgitation (MR). The product (k1 + k2) X wall thickness averaged over all slices at end-diastole was significantly lower after surgery (n equals 8, p < 0.005). These geometry changes were consistent with the expected increase in wall stress after MR.

  19. Diffusion capacity and CT measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness - relation to arterial oxygen tension in COPD patients.

    PubMed

    Saure, Eirunn Waatevik; Bakke, Per Sigvald; Lind Eagan, Tomas Mikal; Aanerud, Marianne; Jensen, Robert Leroy; Grydeland, Thomas Blix; Johannessen, Ane; Nilsen, Roy Miodini; Thorsen, Einar; Hardie, Jon Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Decreased diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is associated with emphysema. DLCO is also related to decreased arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), but there are limited data on associations between PaO2 and computed tomography (CT) derived measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness. To examine whether CT measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness are associated with level of arterial oxygen tension beyond that provided by measurements of diffusion capacity and spirometry. The study sample consisted of 271 smoking or ex-smoking COPD patients from the Bergen COPD Cohort Study examined in 2007-2008. Emphysema was assessed as percent of low-attenuation areas<-950 Hounsfield units (%LAA), and airway wall thickness as standardised measure at an internal perimeter of 10 mm (AWT-Pi10). Multiple linear regression models were fitted with PaO2 as the outcome variable, and %LAA, AWT-Pi10, DLCO and carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (KCO) as main explanatory variables. The models were adjusted for sex, age, smoking status, and haemoglobin concentration, as well as forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Sixty two per cent of the subjects were men, mean (SD) age was 64 (7) years, mean (SD) FEV1 in percent predicted was 50 (15)%, and mean PaO2 (SD) was 9.3 (1.1) kPa. The adjusted regression coefficient (CI) for PaO2 was -0.32 (-0.04-(-0.019)) per 10% increase in %LAA (p<0.01). When diffusion capacity and FEV1 were added to the model, respectively, the association lost its statistical significance. No relationship between airway wall thickness and PaO2 was found. CT assessment of airway wall thickness is not associated with arterial oxygen tension in COPD patients. Emphysema score measured by chest CT, is related to decreased PaO2, but cannot replace measurements of diffusion capacity in the clinical evaluation of hypoxaemia.

  20. Contribution of CT quantified emphysema, air trapping and airway wall thickness on pulmonary function in male smokers with and without COPD.

    PubMed

    Mohamed Hoesein, Firdaus A A; de Jong, Pim A; Lammers, Jan-Willem J; Mali, Willem P Th M; Mets, Onno M; Schmidt, Michael; de Koning, Harry J; Aalst, Carlijn van der; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Ginneken, Bram van; van Rikxoort, Eva M; Zanen, Pieter

    2014-09-01

    Emphysema, airway wall thickening and air trapping are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All three can be quantified by computed tomography (CT) of the chest. The goal of the current study is to determine the relative contribution of CT derived parameters on spirometry, lung volume and lung diffusion testing. Emphysema, airway wall thickening and air trapping were quantified automatically on CT in 1,138 male smokers with and without COPD. Emphysema was quantified by the percentage of voxels below -950 Hounsfield Units (HU), airway wall thickness by the square root of wall area for a theoretical airway with 10 mm lumen perimeter (Pi10) and air trapping by the ratio of mean lung density at expiration and inspiration (E/I-ratio). Spirometry, residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC) and diffusion capacity (Kco) were obtained. Standardized regression coefficients (β) were used to analyze the relative contribution of CT changes to pulmonary function measures. The independent contribution of the three CT measures differed per lung function parameter. For the FEV1 airway wall thickness was the most contributing structural lung change (β = -0.46), while for the FEV1/FVC this was emphysema (β = -0.55). For the residual volume (RV) air trapping was most contributing (β = -0.35). Lung diffusion capacity was most influenced by emphysema (β = -0.42). In a cohort of smokers with and without COPD the effect of different CT changes varies per lung function measure and therefore emphysema, airway wall thickness and air trapping need to be taken in account.

  1. The impact of different multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the X-band microwave absorption of their epoxy nanocomposites.

    PubMed

    Che, Bien Dong; Nguyen, Bao Quoc; Nguyen, Le-Thu T; Nguyen, Ha Tran; Nguyen, Viet Quoc; Van Le, Thang; Nguyen, Nieu Huu

    2015-01-01

    Carbon nanotube (CNT) characteristics, besides the processing conditions, can change significantly the microwave absorption behavior of CNT/polymer composites. In this study, we investigated the influence of three commercial multi-walled CNT materials with various diameters and length-to-diameter aspect ratios on the X-band microwave absorption of epoxy nanocomposites with CNT contents from 0.125 to 2 wt%, prepared by two dispersion methods, i.e. in solution with surfactant-aiding and via ball-milling. The laser diffraction particle size and TEM analysis showed that both methods produced good dispersions at the microscopic level of CNTs. Both a high aspect ratio resulting in nanotube alignment trend and good infiltration of the matrix in the individual nanotubes, which was indicated by high Brookfield viscosities at low CNT contents of CNT/epoxy dispersions, are important factors to achieve composites with high microwave absorption characteristics. The multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) with the largest aspect ratio resulted in composites with the best X-band microwave absorption performance, which is considerably better than that of reported pristine CNT/polymer composites with similar or lower thicknesses and CNT loadings below 4 wt%. A high aspect ratio of CNTs resulting in microscopic alignment trend of nanotubes as well as a good level of micro-scale CNT dispersion resulting from good CNT-matrix interactions are crucial to obtain effective microwave absorption performance. This study demonstrated that effective radar absorbing MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposites having small matching thicknesses of 2-3 mm and very low filler contents of 0.25-0.5 wt%, with microwave energy absorption in the X-band region above 90% and maximum absorption peak values above 97%, could be obtained via simple processing methods, which is promising for mass production in industrial applications. Graphical AbstractComparison of the X-band microwave reflection loss of epoxy composites of various commercial multi-walled carbon nanotube materials.

  2. Gas turbine bucket wall thickness control

    DOEpatents

    Stathopoulos, Dimitrios; Xu, Liming; Lewis, Doyle C.

    2002-01-01

    A core for use in casting a turbine bucket including serpentine cooling passages is divided into two pieces including a leading edge core section and a trailing edge core section. Wall thicknesses at the leading edge and the trailing edge of the turbine bucket can be controlled independent of each other by separately positioning the leading edge core section and the trailing edge core section in the casting die. The controlled leading and trailing edge thicknesses can thus be optimized for efficient cooling, resulting in more efficient turbine operation.

  3. Chest wall mobility is related to respiratory muscle strength and lung volumes in healthy subjects.

    PubMed

    Lanza, Fernanda de Cordoba; de Camargo, Anderson Alves; Archija, Lilian Rocha Ferraz; Selman, Jessyca Pachi Rodrigues; Malaguti, Carla; Dal Corso, Simone

    2013-12-01

    Chest wall mobility is often measured in clinical practice, but the correlations between chest wall mobility and respiratory muscle strength and lung volumes are unknown. We investigate the associations between chest wall mobility, axillary and thoracic cirtometry values, respiratory muscle strength (maximum inspiratory pressure and maximum expiratory pressure), and lung volumes (expiratory reserve volume, FEV(1), inspiratory capacity, FEV(1)/FVC), and the determinants of chest mobility in healthy subjects. In 64 healthy subjects we measured inspiratory capacity, FVC, FEV(1), expiratory reserve volume, maximum inspiratory pressure, and maximum expiratory pressure, and chest wall mobility via axillary and thoracic cirtometry. We used linear regression to evaluate the influence of the measured variables on chest wall mobility. The subjects' mean ± SD values were: age 24 ± 3 years, axillary cirtometry 6.3 ± 2.0 cm, thoracic cirtometry 7.5 ± 2.3 cm; maximum inspiratory pressure 90.4 ± 10.6% of predicted, maximum expiratory pressure 92.8 ± 13.5% of predicted, inspiratory capacity 99.7 ± 8.6% of predicted, FVC 101.9 ± 10.6% of predicted, FEV(1) 98.2 ± 10.3% of predicted, expiratory reserve volume 90.9 ± 19.9% of predicted. There were significant correlations between axillary cirtometry and FVC (r = 0.32), FEV(1) (r = 0.30), maximum inspiratory pressure (r = 0.48), maximum expiratory pressure (r = 0.25), and inspiratory capacity (r = 0.24), and between thoracic cirtometry and FVC (r = 0.50), FEV(1) (r = 0.48), maximum inspiratory pressure (r = 0.46), maximum expiratory pressure (r = 0.37), inspiratory capacity (r = 0.39), and expiratory reserve volume (r = 0.47). In multiple regression analysis the variable that best explained the axillary cirtometry variation was maximum inspiratory pressure (R(2) 0.23), and for thoracic cirtometry it was FVC and maximum inspiratory pressure (R(2) 0.32). Chest mobility in healthy subjects is related to respiratory muscle strength and lung function; the higher the axillary cirtometry and thoracic cirtometry values, the greater the maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, and lung volumes in healthy subjects.

  4. Behavior of turbulent boundary layers on curved convex walls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmidbauer, Hans

    1936-01-01

    The system of linear differential equations which indicated the approach of separation and the so-called "boundary-layer thickness" by Gruschwitz is extended in this report to include the case where the friction layer is subject to centrifugal forces. Evaluation of the data yields a strong functional dependence of the momentum change and wall drag on the boundary-layer thickness radius of curvature ratio for the wall. It is further shown that the transition from laminar to turbulent flow occurs at somewhat higher Reynolds Numbers at the convex wall than at the flat plate, due to the stabilizing effect of the centrifugal forces.

  5. Sarcocystis sinensis is the most prevalent thick-walled Sarcocystis species in beef on sale for consumers in Germany.

    PubMed

    Moré, G; Pantchev, A; Skuballa, J; Langenmayer, M C; Maksimov, P; Conraths, F J; Venturini, M C; Schares, G

    2014-06-01

    Bovines are intermediate hosts of Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hirsuta, and Sarcocystis hominis, which use canids, felids, or primates as definitive hosts, respectively. Cattle represent also intermediate hosts of Sarcocystis sinensis, but the definitive hosts of this parasite are not yet known. Sarcocystosis in cattle is frequently asymptomatic. The infection is characterized by the presence of thin-walled (S. cruzi) or thick-walled muscle cysts or sarcocysts (S. hominis, S. sinensis, and S. hirsuta). Recent reports suggest high prevalence of the zoonotic S. hominis in beef in Europe. We therefore aimed at differentiating Sarcocystis spp. in beef offered to consumers in Germany using molecular and microscopical methods, focusing on those species producing thick-walled sarcocysts. A total of 257 beef samples were obtained from different butcheries and supermarkets in Germany and processed by conventional and multiplex real-time PCR. In addition, 130 of these samples were processed by light microscopy and in 24.6% thick-walled cysts were detected. Transmission electron microscopical analysis of six of these samples revealed an ultrastructural cyst wall pattern compatible with S. sinensis in five samples and with S. hominis in one sample. PCR-amplified 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fragments of 28 individual thick-walled cysts were sequenced, and sequence identities of ≥98% with S. sinensis (n = 22), S. hominis (n = 5) and S. hirsuta (n = 1) were observed. Moreover, nine Sarcocystis sp. 18S rDNA full length gene sequences were obtained, five of S. sinensis, three of S. hominis, and one of S. hirsuta. Out of all samples (n = 257), 174 (67.7%) tested positive by conventional PCR and 179 (69.6%) by multiplex real-time PCR for Sarcocystis spp. Regarding individual species, 134 (52%), 95 (37%), 17 (6.6%), and 16 (6.2%) were positive for S. cruzi, S. sinensis, S. hirsuta, and S. hominis, respectively. In conclusion, S. sinensis is the most prevalent thick-walled Sarcocystis species in beef offered for consumption in Germany. Further studies are needed to identify the final host of S. sinensis as well as the potential role of this protozoan as a differential diagnosis to the zoonotic species S. hominis.

  6. Analysis of thermoelastic characteristics in a thick walled FGM cylinder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tanvir, A. N. M.; Islam, Md. Didarul; Ahmed, Faisal

    2017-12-01

    This study is concerned with the behavior of stress and strain in a thick walled functionally graded material (FGM) cylinder under internal pressure. The incompatible eigenstrain and equivalent eigenstrain developed in the cylinder, are taken into account. As a demonstration, a TiC/Al2O3 FGM cylinder is considered and different components of stress and strain are presented in order to study the effects of internal pressure, temperature difference (between room and sintering temperature), cylinder wall thickness and material distribution. The numerical result presented here shows that the thermoelastic characteristic like stress and strain of an FGM cylinder is significantly influenced by some of the above-mentioned parameters and can be controlled by properly controlling these parameters.

  7. Simulation of the development and interaction of instabilities in a relativistic electron beam under variation of the beam wall thickness

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Badarin, A. A.; Kurkin, S. A.; Koronovskii, A. A.

    The development and interaction of Bursian and diocotron instabilities in an annular relativistic electron beam propagating in a cylindrical drift chamber are investigated analytically and numerically as functions of the beam wall thickness and the magnitude of the external uniform magnetic field. It is found that the interaction of instabilities results in the formation of a virtual cathode with a complicated rotating helical structure and several reflection regions (electron bunches) in the azimuthal direction. It is shown that the number of electron bunches in the azimuthal direction increases with decreasing beam wall thickness and depends in a complicated manner onmore » the magnitude of the external magnetic field.« less

  8. A tale of two neglected systems-structure and function of the thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes in monocotyledonous leaves.

    PubMed

    Botha, C E J

    2013-01-01

    There is a large body of information relating to the ontogeny, development and the vasculature of eudicotyledonous leaves. However, there is less information available concerning the vascular anatomy of monocotyledonous leaves. This is surprising, given that there are two uniquely different phloem systems present in large groups such as grasses and sedges. Monocotyledonous leaves contain marginal, large, intermediate, and small longitudinal veins that are interconnected by numerous transverse veins. The longitudinal veins contain two metaphloem sieve tube types, which, based upon their ontogeny and position within the phloem, are termed early (thin-walled) and late (thick-walled) sieve tubes. Early metaphloem comprises sieve tubes, companion cells and vascular parenchyma (VP) cells, whilst the late metaphloem, contains thick-walled sieve tubes (TSTs) that lack companion cells. TSTs are generally adjacent to, or no more than one cell removed from the metaxylem. Unlike thin-walled sieve tube (ST) -companion cell complexes, TSTs are connected to parenchyma by pore-plasmodesma units and are generally symplasmically isolated from the STs. This paper addresses key structural and functional differences between thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes and explores the unique advantages of alternate transport strategies that this 5-7 million years old dual system may offer. It would seem that these two systems may enhance, add to, or play a significant role in increasing the efficiency of solute retrieval as well as of assimilate transfer.

  9. A tale of two neglected systems—structure and function of the thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes in monocotyledonous leaves

    PubMed Central

    Botha, C. E. J.

    2013-01-01

    There is a large body of information relating to the ontogeny, development and the vasculature of eudicotyledonous leaves. However, there is less information available concerning the vascular anatomy of monocotyledonous leaves. This is surprising, given that there are two uniquely different phloem systems present in large groups such as grasses and sedges. Monocotyledonous leaves contain marginal, large, intermediate, and small longitudinal veins that are interconnected by numerous transverse veins. The longitudinal veins contain two metaphloem sieve tube types, which, based upon their ontogeny and position within the phloem, are termed early (thin-walled) and late (thick-walled) sieve tubes. Early metaphloem comprises sieve tubes, companion cells and vascular parenchyma (VP) cells, whilst the late metaphloem, contains thick-walled sieve tubes (TSTs) that lack companion cells. TSTs are generally adjacent to, or no more than one cell removed from the metaxylem. Unlike thin-walled sieve tube (ST) -companion cell complexes, TSTs are connected to parenchyma by pore-plasmodesma units and are generally symplasmically isolated from the STs. This paper addresses key structural and functional differences between thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes and explores the unique advantages of alternate transport strategies that this 5–7 million years old dual system may offer. It would seem that these two systems may enhance, add to, or play a significant role in increasing the efficiency of solute retrieval as well as of assimilate transfer. PMID:23964280

  10. Reference Values for Cardiac and Aortic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Healthy, Young Caucasian Adults.

    PubMed

    Eikendal, Anouk L M; Bots, Michiel L; Haaring, Cees; Saam, Tobias; van der Geest, Rob J; Westenberg, Jos J M; den Ruijter, Hester M; Hoefer, Imo E; Leiner, Tim

    2016-01-01

    Reference values for morphological and functional parameters of the cardiovascular system in early life are relevant since they may help to identify young adults who fall outside the physiological range of arterial and cardiac ageing. This study provides age and sex specific reference values for aortic wall characteristics, cardiac function parameters and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in a population-based sample of healthy, young adults using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In 131 randomly selected healthy, young adults aged between 25 and 35 years (mean age 31.8 years, 63 men) of the general-population based Atherosclerosis-Monitoring-and-Biomarker-measurements-In-The-YOuNg (AMBITYON) study, descending thoracic aortic dimensions and wall thickness, thoracic aortic PWV and cardiac function parameters were measured using a 3.0T MR-system. Age and sex specific reference values were generated using dedicated software. Differences in reference values between two age groups (25-30 and 30-35 years) and both sexes were tested. Aortic diameters and areas were higher in the older age group (all p<0.007). Moreover, aortic dimensions, left ventricular mass, left and right ventricular volumes and cardiac output were lower in women than in men (all p<0.001). For mean and maximum aortic wall thickness, left and right ejection fraction and aortic PWV we did not observe a significant age or sex effect. This study provides age and sex specific reference values for cardiovascular MR parameters in healthy, young Caucasian adults. These may aid in MR guided pre-clinical identification of young adults who fall outside the physiological range of arterial and cardiac ageing.

  11. SU-E-T-267: Construction and Evaluation of a Neutron Wall to Shield a 15 MV Linac in a Low-Energy Vault.

    PubMed

    Speiser, M; Hager, F; Foster, R; Solberg, T

    2012-06-01

    To design and quantify the shielding efficacy of an inner Borated Polyethylene (BPE)wall for a 15 MV linac in a low energy vault. A Varian TrueBeam linac with a maximum photon energy of 15 MV was installed in asmaller, preexisting vault. This vault originally housed a low-energy machine and did not havesufficient maze length recommended for neutron attenuation. Effective dose rate calculationswere performed using the Modified Kersey's Method as detailed in NCRP Report No. 151 andfound to be unacceptably high. An initial survey following the machine installation confirmedthese calculations. Rather than restrict the linac beam energy to 10 MV, BPE was investigatedas a neutron moderating addition. An inner wall and door were planned and constructed using4'×8'×1″ thick 5% BPE sheets. The resulting door and wall had 2″ of BPE; conduits and ductwork were also redesigned and shielded. A survey was conducted following construction of thewall. The vault modification reduced the expected effective dose at the vault door from 36.23to 0.010 mSv/week. As specific guidelines for vault modification are lacking, this project quantitativelydemonstrates the potential use of BPE for vault modification. Such modifications may provide alow-cost shielding solution to allow for the use of high energy modes in smaller treatment vaults. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  12. Effect of Aluminium Confinement on ANFO Detonation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Short, Mark; Jackson, Scott; Kiyanda, Charles; Shinas, Mike; Hare, Steve; Briggs, Matt

    2013-06-01

    Detonations in confined non-ideal high explosives often have velocities below the confiner sound speed. The effect on detonation propagation of the resulting subsonic flow in the confiner (such as confiner stress waves traveling ahead of the main detonation front or upstream wall deflection into the HE) has yet to be fully understood. Previous work by Sharpe and Bdzil (J. Eng. Math, 2006) has shown that for subsonic confiner flow, there is no limiting thickness for which the detonation dynamics are uninfluenced by further increases in wall thickness. The critical parameters influencing detonation behavior are the wall thickness relative to the HE reaction zone size, and the difference in the detonation velocity and confiner sound speed. Additional possible outcomes of subsonic flow are that for increasing thickness, the confiner is increasingly deflected into the HE upstream of the detonation, and that for sufficiently thick confiners, the detonation speed could be driven up to the sound speed in the confiner. We report here on a further series of experiments in which a mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (ANFO) is detonated in aluminum confiners with varying HE charge diameter and confiner thickness, and compare the results with the outcomes suggested by Sharpe and Bdzil.

  13. Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Monitoring at High Temperatures (>500 °C)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cegla, F. B.; Allin, J.; Davies, J. O.; Collins, P.; Cawley, P.

    2011-06-01

    Corrosion and erosion shorten the life of components that are used in the petrochemical industry. In order to mitigate the safety and financial risks posed by the degradation mechanisms, plant operators monitor wall thicknesses at regular inspection intervals. In high temperature locations inspections have to be carried out at plant shut downs because conventional ultrasonic sensors cannot withstand the high operating temperatures. The authors have developed a waveguide based high temperature thickness gauge for monitoring of wall thicknesses in high temperature areas. The waveguide allows the use of conventional transduction systems (max temp. 60 °C) at one end and guides ultrasonic waves into the high temperature region where the inspection is to be carried out. Slender stainless steel waveguides allow a temperature drop of ˜500-600 °C per 200 mm length to be sustained simply by natural convection cooling. This paper describes the technical challenges that had to be overcome (dispersion and source/receiver characteristics) in order to implement this "acoustic cable". A range of experimental results of thickness measurements on components of different thickness, and furnace tests at different temperatures are presented. An accelerated corrosion test that demonstrates the effectiveness of the monitoring for corrosion is also presented.

  14. Huge domain-wall speed variation with respect to ferromagnetic layer thickness in ferromagnetic Pt/Co/TiO2/Pt films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Dae-Yun; Park, Min-Ho; Park, Yong-Keun; Yu, Ji-Sung; Kim, Joo-Sung; Kim, Duck-Ho; Min, Byoung-Chul; Choe, Sug-Bong

    2018-02-01

    In this study, we investigate the influence of the ferromagnetic layer thickness on the magnetization process. A series of ultrathin Pt/Co/TiO2/Pt films exhibits domain-wall (DW) speed variation of over 100,000 times even under the same magnetic field, depending on the ferromagnetic layer thickness. From the creep-scaling analysis, such significant variation is found to be mainly attributable to the thickness-dependence of the creep-scaling constant in accordance with the creep-scaling theory of the linear proportionality between the creep-scaling constant and the ferromagnetic layer thickness. Therefore, a thinner film shows a faster DW speed. The DW roughness also exhibits sensitive dependence on the ferromagnetic layer thickness: a thinner film shows smoother DW. The present observation provided a guide for an optimal design rule of the ferromagnetic layer thickness for better performance of DW-based devices.

  15. Changes in optical coherence tomography measurements after orbital wall decompression in dysthyroid optic neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Park, Kyung-Ah; Kim, Yoon-Duck; Woo, Kyung In

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of our study was to assess changes in peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness after orbital wall decompression in eyes with dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). We analyzed peripapillary optical coherence tomography (OCT) images (Cirrus HD-OCT) from controls and patients with DON before and 1 and 6 months after orbital wall decompression. There was no significant difference in mean preoperative peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness between eyes with DON and controls. The superior and inferior peripapillary RNFL thickness decreased significantly 1 month after decompression surgery compared to preoperative values (p = 0.043 and p = 0.022, respectively). The global average, superior, temporal, and inferior peripapillary RNFL thickness decreased significantly 6 months after decompression surgery compared to preoperative values (p = 0.015, p = 0.028, p = 0.009, and p = 0.006, respectively). Patients with greater preoperative inferior peripapillary RNFL thickness tended to have better postoperative visual acuity at the last visit (p = 0.024, OR = 0.926). Our data revealed a significant decrease in peripapillary RNFL thickness postoperatively after orbital decompression surgery in patients with DON. We also found that greater preoperative inferior peripapillary RNFL thickness was associated with better visual outcomes. We suggest that RNFL thickness can be used as a prognostic factor for DON before decompression surgery.

  16. Corrosion monitoring using high-frequency guided waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fromme, P.

    2016-04-01

    Corrosion can develop due to adverse environmental conditions during the life cycle of a range of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the reduction of the strength and thus degradation of the structural integrity. The monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic wedge transducers with single sided access to the structure, guided wave modes were selectively generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. The wave propagation and interference of the different guided wave modes depends on the thickness of the structure. Laboratory experiments were conducted for wall thickness reduction due to milling of the steel structure. From the measured signal changes due to the wave mode interference the reduced wall thickness was monitored. Good agreement with theoretical predictions was achieved. The high frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

  17. Corrosion monitoring using high-frequency guided ultrasonic waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fromme, Paul

    2014-02-01

    Corrosion develops due to adverse environmental conditions during the life cycle of a range of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Both pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the degradation of the structural integrity. The nondestructive detection and monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic transducers with single sided access to the structure, guided wave modes were generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. The wave propagation and interference of the different guided wave modes depends on the thickness of the structure. Laboratory experiments were conducted and the wall thickness reduced by consecutive milling of the steel structure. Further measurements were conducted using accelerated corrosion in a salt water bath and the damage severity monitored. From the measured signal change due to the wave mode interference the wall thickness reduction was monitored. The high frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

  18. Boiler Tube Corrosion Characterization with a Scanning Thermal Line

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cramer, K. Elliott; Jacobstein, Ronald; Reilly, Thomas

    2001-01-01

    Wall thinning due to corrosion in utility boiler water wall tubing is a significant operational concern for boiler operators. Historically, conventional ultrasonics has been used for inspection of these tubes. Unfortunately, ultrasonic inspection is very manpower intense and slow. Therefore, thickness measurements are typically taken over a relatively small percentage of the total boiler wall and statistical analysis is used to determine the overall condition of the boiler tubing. Other inspection techniques, such as electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT), have recently been evaluated, however they provide only a qualitative evaluation - identifying areas or spots where corrosion has significantly reduced the wall thickness. NASA Langley Research Center, in cooperation with ThermTech Services, has developed a thermal NDE technique designed to quantitatively measure the wall thickness and thus determine the amount of material thinning present in steel boiler tubing. The technique involves the movement of a thermal line source across the outer surface of the tubing followed by an infrared imager at a fixed distance behind the line source. Quantitative images of the material loss due to corrosion are reconstructed from measurements of the induced surface temperature variations. This paper will present a discussion of the development of the thermal imaging system as well as the techniques used to reconstruct images of flaws. The application of the thermal line source coupled with the analysis technique represents a significant improvement in the inspection speed and accuracy for large structures such as boiler water walls. A theoretical basis for the technique will be presented to establish the quantitative nature of the technique. Further, a dynamic calibration system will be presented for the technique that allows the extraction of thickness information from the temperature data. Additionally, the results of the application of this technology to actual water wall tubing samples and in-situ inspections will be presented.

  19. Investigation of the components of the NAL high Reynolds number two-dimensional wind tunnel. Part 4: Design, construction and performance of the exhaust silencer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sakakibara, S.; Miwa, H.; Kayaba, S.; Sato, M.

    1986-01-01

    Presented is a description of the design construction and performance of the exhaust silencer for the NAL high Reynolds number two-dimensional transonic blow down wind tunnel, which was completed in October 1979. The silencer is a two-storied construction made of reinforced concrete, 40 m. long, 10 m. wide and 19 m. high and entirely enclosed by thick concrete walls. The upstream part of the first story, particularly, is covered with double walls, the thickness of the two walls being 0.3 m. (inner wall) and 0.2 m. (outer wall), respectively. A noise reduction system using three kinds of parallel baffles and two kinds of lined bends is adopted for the wind tunnel exhaust noise.

  20. 8. BUILDING NO. 611. INTERIOR OF ARMOR PLATELINED TESTING CHAMBER. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    8. BUILDING NO. 611. INTERIOR OF ARMOR PLATE-LINED TESTING CHAMBER. 1/2' THICK ARMOR PLATING BOLTED TO WALLS, FLOOR AND CEILING. WALLS CONSTRUCTED OF 24' THICK REINFORCED CONCRETE. VENTS IN CEILING EXHAUST SMOKE FROM EXPLOSIONS. SMALLEST WHEELED VEHICLES HOLD DUDS. - Picatinny Arsenal, 600 Area, Test Areas District, State Route 15 near I-80, Dover, Morris County, NJ

  1. Magnet Fall inside a Conductive Pipe: Motion and the Role of the Pipe Wall Thickness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donoso, G.; Ladera, C. L.; Martin, P.

    2009-01-01

    Theoretical models and experimental results are presented for the retarded fall of a strong magnet inside a vertical conductive non-magnetic tube. Predictions and experimental results are in good agreement modelling the magnet as a simple magnetic dipole. The effect of varying the pipe wall thickness on the retarding magnetic drag is studied for…

  2. Frequency Analysis of Strain of Cylindrical Shell for Assessment of Viscosity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi

    2005-06-01

    For tissue characterization of atherosclerotic plaque, we have developed a method, namely, the phased tracking method, [H. Kanai et al.: IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 43 (1996) 791] to measure the regional strain (change in wall thickness) and elasticity of the arterial wall. In addition to the regional elasticity, we are attempting to measure the regional viscosity for a more precise tissue characterization. Previously, we showed that the viscosity can be obtained by measuring the frequency dependence of the elastic modulus using remote actuation [H. Hasegawa et al.: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 43 (2004) 3197]. However, in this method, we need to apply external actuation to the subject. To simplify the measurement, we instead to obtain the frequency dependence of the elastic modulus from the change in arterial wall thickness spontaneously caused by the heartbeat because this change in thickness consists of frequency components up to 20-30 Hz. In this paper, the frequency dependence of the elastic modulus of a silicone rubber tube was investigated by applying frequency analysis to the change in wall thickness caused by the change in internal pressure simulating the actual arterial blood pressure.

  3. Thickness and roughness measurements for air-dried longleaf pine bark

    Treesearch

    Thomas L. Eberhardt

    2015-01-01

    Bark thicknesses for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) were investigated using disks collected from trees harvested on a 70-year-old plantation. Maximum inner bark thickness was relatively constant along the tree bole whereas maximum outer bark thickness showed a definite decrease from the base of the tree to the top. The minimum whole bark thickness followed the...

  4. Study of low vibration 4 K pulse tube cryocoolers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Mingyao; Nakano, Kyosuke; Saito, Motokazu; Takayama, Hirokazu; Tsuchiya, Akihiro; Maruyama, Hiroki

    2012-06-01

    Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI) has been continuously improving the efficiency and reducing the vibration of a 4 K pulse tube cryocooler. One advantage of a pulse tube cryocooler over a GM cryocooler is low vibration. In order to reduce vibration, both the displacement and the acceleration have to be reduced. The vibration acceleration can be reduced by splitting the valve unit from the cold head. One simple way to reduce vibration displacement is to increase the wall thickness of the tubes on the cylinder. However, heat conduction loss increases while the wall thickness increases. To overcome this dilemma, a novel concept, a tube with non-uniform wall thickness, is proposed. Theoretical analysis of this concept, and the measured vibration results of an SHI lowvibration pulse tube cryocooler, will be introduced in this paper.

  5. Cardiac Phenotype of Prehypertrophic Fabry Disease.

    PubMed

    Nordin, Sabrina; Kozor, Rebecca; Baig, Shanat; Abdel-Gadir, Amna; Medina-Menacho, Katia; Rosmini, Stefania; Captur, Gabriella; Tchan, Michel; Geberhiwot, Tarekegn; Murphy, Elaine; Lachmann, Robin; Ramaswami, Uma; Edwards, Nicola C; Hughes, Derralynn; Steeds, Richard P; Moon, James C

    2018-06-01

    Fabry disease (FD) is a rare and treatable X-linked lysosomal storage disorder. Cardiac involvement determines outcomes; therefore, detecting early changes is important. Native T1 by cardiovascular magnetic resonance is low, reflecting sphingolipid storage. Early phenotype development is familiar in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but unexplored in FD. We explored the prehypertrophic cardiac phenotype of FD and the role of storage. A prospective, international multicenter observational study of 100 left ventricular hypertrophy-negative FD patients (mean age: 39±15 years; 19% male) and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (mean age: 40±14 years; 25% male) who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance, including native T1 and late gadolinium enhancement, and 12-lead ECG. In FD, 41% had a low native T1 using a single septal region of interest, but this increased to 59% using a second slice because early native T1 lowering was patchy. ECG abnormalities were present in 41% and twice as common with low native T1 (53% versus 24%; P =0.005). When native T1 was low, left ventricular maximum wall thickness, indexed mass, and ejection fraction were higher (maximum wall thickness 9±1.5 versus 8±1.4 mm, P <0.005; indexed left ventricular mass 63±10 versus 58±9 g/m 2 , P <0.05; and left ventricular ejection fraction 73±8% versus 69±7%, P <0.01). Late gadolinium enhancement was more likely when native T1 was low (27% versus 6%; P =0.01). FD had higher maximal apical fractal dimensions compared with healthy volunteers (1.27±0.06 versus 1.24±0.04; P <0.005) and longer anterior mitral valve leaflets (23±2 mm versus 21±3 mm; P <0.005). There is a detectable prehypertrophic phenotype in FD consisting of storage (low native T1), structural, functional, and ECG changes. © 2018 The Authors.

  6. Wall Boundary Layer Measurements for the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wieseman, Carol D.; Bennett, Robert M.

    2007-01-01

    Measurements of the boundary layer parameters in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics tunnel were conducted during extensive calibration activities following the facility conversion from a Freon-12 heavy-gas test medium to R-134a. Boundary-layer rakes were mounted on the wind-tunnel walls, ceiling, and floor. Measurements were made over the range of tunnel operation envelope in both heavy gas and air and without a model in the test section at three tunnel stations. Configuration variables included open and closed east sidewall wall slots, for air and R134a test media, reentry flap settings, and stagnation pressures over the full range of tunnel operation. The boundary layer thickness varied considerably for the six rakes. The thickness for the east wall was considerably larger that the other rakes and was also larger than previously reported. There generally was some reduction in thickness at supersonic Mach numbers, but the effect of stagnation pressure, and test medium were not extensive.

  7. Radiative entropy generation in a gray absorbing, emitting, and scattering planar medium at radiative equilibrium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadeghi, Pegah; Safavinejad, Ali

    2017-11-01

    Radiative entropy generation through a gray absorbing, emitting, and scattering planar medium at radiative equilibrium with diffuse-gray walls is investigated. The radiative transfer equation and radiative entropy generation equations are solved using discrete ordinates method. Components of the radiative entropy generation are considered for two different boundary conditions: two walls are at a prescribed temperature and mixed boundary conditions, which one wall is at a prescribed temperature and the other is at a prescribed heat flux. The effect of wall emissivities, optical thickness, single scattering albedo, and anisotropic-scattering factor on the entropy generation is attentively investigated. The results reveal that entropy generation in the system mainly arises from irreversible radiative transfer at wall with lower temperature. Total entropy generation rate for the system with prescribed temperature at walls remarkably increases as wall emissivity increases; conversely, for system with mixed boundary conditions, total entropy generation rate slightly decreases. Furthermore, as the optical thickness increases, total entropy generation rate remarkably decreases for the system with prescribed temperature at walls; nevertheless, for the system with mixed boundary conditions, total entropy generation rate increases. The variation of single scattering albedo does not considerably affect total entropy generation rate. This parametric analysis demonstrates that the optical thickness and wall emissivities have a significant effect on the entropy generation in the system at radiative equilibrium. Considering the parameters affecting radiative entropy generation significantly, provides an opportunity to optimally design or increase overall performance and efficiency by applying entropy minimization techniques for the systems at radiative equilibrium.

  8. Characterization of callase (β-1,3-D-glucanase) activity during microsporogenesis in the sterile anthers of Allium sativum L. and the fertile anthers of A. atropurpureum.

    PubMed

    Winiarczyk, Krystyna; Jaroszuk-Ściseł, Jolanta; Kupisz, Kamila

    2012-06-01

    We examined callase activity in anthers of sterile Allium sativum (garlic) and fertile Allium atropurpureum. In A. sativum, a species that produces sterile pollen and propagates only vegetatively, callase was extracted from the thick walls of A. sativum microspore tetrads exhibited maximum activity at pH 4.8, and the corresponding in vivo values ranged from 4.5 to 5.0. Once microspores were released, in vitro callase activity peaked at three distinct pH values, reflecting the presence of three callase isoforms. One isoform, which was previously identified in the tetrad stage, displayed maximum activity at pH 4.8, and the remaining two isoforms, which were novel, were most active at pH 6.0 and 7.3. The corresponding in vivo values ranged from pH 4.75 to 6.0. In contrast, in A. atropurpureum, a sexually propagating species, three callase isoforms, active at pH 4.8-5.2, 6.1, and 7.3, were identified in samples of microsporangia that had released their microspores. The corresponding in vivo value for this plant was 5.9. The callose wall persists around A. sativum meiotic cells, whereas only one callase isoform, with an optimum activity of pH 4.8, is active in the acidic environment of the microsporangium. However, this isoform is degraded when the pH rises to 6.0 and two other callase isoforms, maximally active at pH 6.0 and 7.3, appear. Thus, factors that alter the pH of the microsporangium may indirectly affect the male gametophyte development by modulating the activity of callase and thereby regulating the degradation of the callose wall.

  9. Gaseous templates in ant nests.

    PubMed

    Cox, M D; Blanchard, G B

    2000-05-21

    We apply a diffusion model to the atmosphere of ant nests. With particular reference to carbon dioxide (CO2), we explore analytically and numerically the spatial and temporal patterns of brood- or worker-produced gases in nests. The maximum concentration within a typical one-chamber ant nest with approximately 200 ants can reach 12.5 times atmospheric concentration, reaching 95% of equilibrium concentrations within 15 min. Maximum concentration increases with increasing number of ants in the nest (or production rate of the gas), distance between the centre of the nest ants and the nest entrance, entrance length, wall thickness, and with decreasing entrance width, wall permeability and diffusion coefficient. The nest can be divided into three qualitatively distinct regions according to the shape of the gradient: a plateau of high concentration in the back half of the nest; an intermediate region of increasingly steep gradient towards the entrance; and a steep linear gradient in the entrance tunnel. These regions are robust to changes in gas concentrations, but vary with changes in nest architecture. The pattern of diffusing gases contains information about position and orientation relative to gas sources and sinks, and about colony state, including colony size, activity state and aspects of nest architecture. We discuss how this diffusion pattern may act as a "dynamic template", providing local cues which trigger behavioural acts appropriate to colony needs, which in turn may feed back to changes in the gas template. In particular, wall building occurs along lines of similar concentration for a variety of nest geometries; there is surprising convergence between the period of cycles of synchronously active ants and the time taken for CO2 levels to equilibrate; and the qualitatively distinct regions of the "dynamic template" correspond to regions occupied by different groups of ants.

  10. Improved power and efficiency for tapered lasers with optimized photonic crystal structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xiaolong; Qu, Hongwei; Zhao, Shaoyu; Zhou, Xuyan; Lin, Yuzhe; Zheng, Wanhua

    2017-10-01

    High power and high beam quality laser sources are required in numerous applications such as nonlinear frequency conversion, optical pumping of solid-state and fiber lasers, material processing and others. Tapered lasers can provide a high output power while keeping a high beam quality. However, the conventional tapered lasers suffer from a large vertical beam divergence. We have demonstrated 2-mm long tapered lasers with photonic crystal structures. A high beam quality and a narrow vertical divergence are achieved. In this paper, we optimized the photonic crystal structure and fabricated a 4-mm long tapered laser to further increase the output power and the wall-plug efficiency. Compared with our precious wafer, the optimized structure has a lower doping level to reduce the internal loss. The period of the photonic crystal structure and the thickness of the upper cladding are also reduced. The device has a 1-mm long ridge-waveguide section and a 3-mm long tapered section. The taper angle is 4°. An output power of 7.3 W is achieved with a peak wall-plug efficiency of 46% in continuous-wave mode. The threshold current is around 500 mA and the slope efficiency is 0.93 W/A. In pulsed mode, the output power is 15.6 W and the maximum wall-plug efficiency is 48.1%. The far-field divergence with full width at half maximum is 6.3° for the lateral direction at 3 A. The vertical far-field beam divergence is around 11° at different injection levels. High beam qualities are demonstrated by beam quality factor M2 of 1.52 for the lateral direction and 1.54 for the vertical direction.

  11. Accuracy Evaluation in the Measurement of a Small Change in the Thickness of Arterial Walls and the Measurement of Elasticity of the Human Carotid Artery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi; Hoshimiya, Nozomu; Chubachi, Noriyoshi; Koiwa, Yoshiro

    1998-05-01

    For the diagnosis of the early stages of atherosclerosis, it isimportant to evaluate the local acoustic characteristics of thearterial wall. For this purpose, it is necessary to increase thespatial resolution in the axial direction to several millimeters,which corresponds to the size of the macular lesion on the surface ofthe wall. We have proposed a method for measuring small velocitysignals on the intima and adventitia of the arterial wall from theskin surface using pulsive ultrasonic waves. The small change inthickness of the arterial wall is obtained by integrating thedifference between the two velocity signals on the intima andadventitia. The elastic property of the arterial wall is noninvasivelyevaluated from the change in thickness and the arterial innerpressure. In this paper, we evaluate the accuracy of the proposedmethod for measuring the small displacement. Moreover, we applied thismethod to evaluate the elastic property of the arterial wall of 50patients and 8 healthy subjects.

  12. Stress-intensity factors for a thick-walled cylinder containing an annular imbedded or external or internal surface crack

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Erdol, R.; Erdogan, F.

    1976-01-01

    The elastostatic axisymmetric problem for a long thick-walled cylinder containing a ring-shaped internal or edge crack is considered. Using the standard transform technique the problem is formulated in terms of an integral equation which has a simple Cauchy kernel for the internal crack and a generalized Cauchy kernel for the edge crack as the dominant part. As examples the uniform axial load and the steady-state thermal stress problems have been solved and the related stress intensity factors have been calculated. Among other findings the results show that in the cylinder under uniform axial stress containing an internal crack the stress intensity factor at the inner tip is always greater than that at the outer tip for equal net ligament thicknesses and in the cylinder with an edge crack which is under a state of thermal stress the stress intensity factor is a decreasing function of the crack depth, tending to zero as the crack depth approaches the wall thickness.

  13. Measurement of thickness of film deposited on the plasma-facing wall in the QUEST tokamak by colorimetry.

    PubMed

    Wang, Z; Hanada, K; Yoshida, N; Shimoji, T; Miyamoto, M; Oya, Y; Zushi, H; Idei, H; Nakamura, K; Fujisawa, A; Nagashima, Y; Hasegawa, M; Kawasaki, S; Higashijima, A; Nakashima, H; Nagata, T; Kawaguchi, A; Fujiwara, T; Araki, K; Mitarai, O; Fukuyama, A; Takase, Y; Matsumoto, K

    2017-09-01

    After several experimental campaigns in the Kyushu University Experiment with Steady-state Spherical Tokamak (QUEST), the originally stainless steel plasma-facing wall (PFW) becomes completely covered with a deposited film composed of mixture materials, such as iron, chromium, carbon, and tungsten. In this work, an innovative colorimetry-based method was developed to measure the thickness of the deposited film on the actual QUEST wall. Because the optical constants of the deposited film on the PFW were position-dependent and the extinction coefficient k 1 was about 1.0-2.0, which made the probing light not penetrate through some thick deposited films, the colorimetry method developed can only provide a rough value range of thickness of the metal-containing film deposited on the actual PFW in QUEST. However, the use of colorimetry is of great benefit to large-area inspections and to radioactive materials in future fusion devices that will be strictly prohibited from being taken out of the limited area.

  14. Flow duct for nuclear reactors

    DOEpatents

    Straalsund, Jerry L.

    1978-01-01

    Improved liquid sodium flow ducts for nuclear reactors are described wherein the improvement comprises varying the wall thickness of each of the walls of a polygonal tubular duct structure so that each of the walls is of reduced cross-section along the longitudinal center line and of a greater cross-section along wall junctions with the other walls to form the polygonal tubular configuration.

  15. Relationship between Pipeline Wall Thickness (Gr. X60) and Water Depth towards Avoiding Failure during Installation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razak, K. Abdul; Othman, M. I. H.; Mat Yusuf, S.; Fuad, M. F. I. Ahmad; yahaya, Effah

    2018-05-01

    Oil and gas today being developed at different water depth characterized as shallow, deep and ultra-deep waters. Among the major components involved during the offshore installation is pipelines. Pipelines are a transportation method of material through a pipe. In oil and gas industry, pipeline come from a bunch of line pipe that welded together to become a long pipeline and can be divided into two which is gas pipeline and oil pipeline. In order to perform pipeline installation, we need pipe laying barge or pipe laying vessel. However, pipe laying vessel can be divided into two types: S-lay vessel and J-lay vessel. The function of pipe lay vessel is not only to perform pipeline installation. It also performed installation of umbilical or electrical cables. In the simple words, pipe lay vessel is performing the installation of subsea in all the connecting infrastructures. Besides that, the installation processes of pipelines require special focus to make the installation succeed. For instance, the heavy pipelines may exceed the lay vessel’s tension capacities in certain kind of water depth. Pipeline have their own characteristic and we can group it or differentiate it by certain parameters such as grade of material, type of material, size of diameter, size of wall thickness and the strength. For instances, wall thickness parameter studies indicate that if use the higher steel grade of the pipelines will have a significant contribution in pipeline wall thickness reduction. When running the process of pipe lay, water depth is the most critical thing that we need to monitor and concern about because of course we cannot control the water depth but we can control the characteristic of the pipe like apply line pipe that have wall thickness suitable with current water depth in order to avoid failure during the installation. This research will analyse whether the pipeline parameter meet the requirements limit and minimum yield stress. It will overlook to simulate pipe grade API 5L X60 which size from 8 to 20mm thickness with a water depth of 50 to 300m. Result shown that pipeline installation will fail from the wall thickness of 18mm onwards since it has been passed the critical yield percentage.

  16. Optimization study on structural analyses for the J-PARC mercury target vessel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guan, Wenhai; Wakai, Eiichi; Naoe, Takashi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Wakui, Takashi; Haga, Katsuhiro; Takada, Hiroshi; Futakawa, Masatoshi

    2018-06-01

    The spallation neutron source at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) mercury target vessel is used for various materials science studies, work is underway to achieve stable operation at 1 MW. This is very important for enhancing the structural integrity and durability of the target vessel, which is being developed for 1 MW operation. In the present study, to reduce thermal stress and relax stress concentrations more effectively in the existing target vessel in J-PARC, an optimization approach called the Taguchi method (TM) is applied to thermo-mechanical analysis. The ribs and their relative parameters, as well as the thickness of the mercury vessel and shrouds, were selected as important design parameters for this investigation. According to the analytical results of 18 model types designed using the TM, the optimal design was determined. It is characterized by discrete ribs and a thicker vessel wall than the current design. The maximum thermal stresses in the mercury vessel and the outer shroud were reduced by 14% and 15%, respectively. Furthermore, it was indicated that variations in rib width, left/right rib intervals, and shroud thickness could influence the maximum thermal stress performance. It is therefore concluded that the TM was useful for optimizing the structure of the target vessel and to reduce the thermal stress in a small number of calculation cases.

  17. Ultrasonic guided wave tomography for wall thickness mapping in pipes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Willey, Carson L.

    Corrosion and erosion damage pose fundamental challenges to operation of oil and gas infrastructure. In order to manage the life of critical assets, plant operators must implement inspection programs aimed at assessing the severity of wall thickness loss (WTL) in pipelines, vessels, and other structures. Maximum defect depth determines the residual life of these structures and therefore represents one of the key parameters for robust damage mitigation strategies. In this context, continuous monitoring with permanently installed sensors has attracted significant interest and currently is the subject of extensive research worldwide. Among the different monitoring approaches being considered, significant promise is offered by the combination of guided ultrasonic wave technology with the principles of model based inversion under the paradigm of what is now referred to as guided wave tomography (GWT). Guided waves are attractive because they propagate inside the wall of a structure over a large distance. This can yield significant advantages over conventional pulse-echo thickness gage sensors that provide insufficient area coverage -- typically limited to the sensor footprint. While significant progress has been made in the application of GWT to plate-like structures, extension of these methods to pipes poses a number of fundamental challenges that have prevented the development of sensitive GWT methods. This thesis focuses on these challenges to address the complex guided wave propagation in pipes and to account for parametric uncertainties that are known to affect model based inversion and which are unavoidable in real field applications. The main contribution of this work is the first demonstration of a sensitive GWT method for accurately mapping the depth of defects in pipes. This is achieved by introducing a novel forward model that can extract information related to damage from the complex waveforms measured by pairs of guided wave transducers mounted on the pipe. An inversion method that iteratively uses the forward model is then developed to form a map of wall thickness for the entire pipe section comprised between two ring arrays of ultrasonic transducers that encircle the pipe. It is shown that time independent parametric uncertainties relative to the pipe manufacturing tolerances, transducers position, and ultrasonic properties of the material of the pipe can be minimized through a differential approach that is aimed at determining the change in state of the pipe relative to a reference condition. On the other hand, time dependent parametric uncertainties, such as those caused by temperature variations, can be addressed by exploiting the spatial diversity of array measurements and the non-contact nature of electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs). The range of possible applications of GWT to pipes is investigated through theoretical and numerical studies aimed at developing an understanding of how the performance of GWT varies depending on damage morphology, pipe geometry, and array configuration.

  18. Fiber pigtailed thin wall capillary coupler for excitation of microsphere WGM resonator.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hanzheng; Lan, Xinwei; Huang, Jie; Yuan, Lei; Kim, Cheol-Woon; Xiao, Hai

    2013-07-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate a fiber pigtailed thin wall capillary coupler for excitation of Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) of microsphere resonators. The coupler is made by fusion-splicing an optical fiber with a capillary tube and consequently etching the capillary wall to a thickness of a few microns. Light is coupled through the peripheral contact between inserted microsphere and the etched capillary wall. The coupling efficiency as a function of the wall thickness was studied experimentally. WGM resonance with a Q-factor of 1.14 × 10(4) was observed using a borosilicate glass microsphere with a diameter of 71 μm. The coupler operates in the reflection mode and provides a robust mechanical support to the microsphere resonator. It is expected that the new coupler may find broad applications in sensors, optical filters and lasers.

  19. Method and apparatus to produce and maintain a thick, flowing, liquid lithium first wall for toroidal magnetic confinement DT fusion reactors

    DOEpatents

    Woolley, Robert D.

    2002-01-01

    A system for forming a thick flowing liquid metal, in this case lithium, layer on the inside wall of a toroid containing the plasma of a deuterium-tritium fusion reactor. The presence of the liquid metal layer or first wall serves to prevent neutron damage to the walls of the toroid. A poloidal current in the liquid metal layer is oriented so that it flows in the same direction as the current in a series of external magnets used to confine the plasma. This current alignment results in the liquid metal being forced against the wall of the toroid. After the liquid metal exits the toroid it is pumped to a heat extraction and power conversion device prior to being reentering the toroid.

  20. Three-Dimensional Effects in Multi-Element High Lift Computations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rumsey, Christopher L.; LeeReusch, Elizabeth M.; Watson, Ralph D.

    2003-01-01

    In an effort to discover the causes for disagreement between previous two-dimensional (2-D) computations and nominally 2-D experiment for flow over the three-element McDonnell Douglas 30P-30N airfoil configuration at high lift, a combined experimental/CFD investigation is described. The experiment explores several different side-wall boundary layer control venting patterns, documents venting mass flow rates, and looks at corner surface flow patterns. The experimental angle of attack at maximum lift is found to be sensitive to the side-wall venting pattern: a particular pattern increases the angle of attack at maximum lift by at least 2 deg. A significant amount of spanwise pressure variation is present at angles of attack near maximum lift. A CFD study using three-dimensional (3-D) structured-grid computations, which includes the modeling of side-wall venting, is employed to investigate 3-D effects on the flow. Side-wall suction strength is found to affect the angle at which maximum lift is predicted. Maximum lift in the CFD is shown to be limited by the growth of an off-body corner flow vortex and consequent increase in spanwise pressure variation and decrease in circulation. The 3-D computations with and without wall venting predict similar trends to experiment at low angles of attack, but either stall too early or else overpredict lift levels near maximum lift by as much as 5%. Unstructured-grid computations demonstrate that mounting brackets lower the lift levels near maximum lift conditions.

  1. Three-Dimensional Effects on Multi-Element High Lift Computations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rumsey, Christopher L.; Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.; Watson, Ralph D.

    2002-01-01

    In an effort to discover the causes for disagreement between previous 2-D computations and nominally 2-D experiment for flow over the 3-clement McDonnell Douglas 30P-30N airfoil configuration at high lift, a combined experimental/CFD investigation is described. The experiment explores several different side-wall boundary layer control venting patterns, document's venting mass flow rates, and looks at corner surface flow patterns. The experimental angle of attack at maximum lift is found to be sensitive to the side wall venting pattern: a particular pattern increases the angle of attack at maximum lift by at least 2 deg. A significant amount of spanwise pressure variation is present at angles of attack near maximum lift. A CFD study using 3-D structured-grid computations, which includes the modeling of side-wall venting, is employed to investigate 3-D effects of the flow. Side-wall suction strength is found to affect the angle at which maximum lift is predicted. Maximum lift in the CFD is shown to be limited by the growth of all off-body corner flow vortex and consequent increase in spanwise pressure variation and decrease in circulation. The 3-D computations with and without wall venting predict similar trends to experiment at low angles of attack, but either stall too earl or else overpredict lift levels near maximum lift by as much as 5%. Unstructured-grid computations demonstrate that mounting brackets lower die the levels near maximum lift conditions.

  2. Reconstruction with a patient-specific titanium implant after a wide anterior chest wall resection

    PubMed Central

    Turna, Akif; Kavakli, Kuthan; Sapmaz, Ersin; Arslan, Hakan; Caylak, Hasan; Gokce, Hasan Suat; Demirkaya, Ahmet

    2014-01-01

    The reconstruction of full-thickness chest wall defects is a challenging problem for thoracic surgeons, particularly after a wide resection of the chest wall that includes the sternum. The location and the size of the defect play a major role when selecting the method of reconstruction, while acceptable cosmetic and functional results remain the primary goal. Improvements in preoperative imaging techniques and reconstruction materials have an important role when planning and performing a wide chest wall resection with a low morbidity rate. In this report, we describe the reconstruction of a wide anterior chest wall defect with a patient-specific custom-made titanium implant. An infected mammary tumour recurrence in a 62-year old female, located at the anterior chest wall including the sternum, was resected, followed by a large custom-made titanium implant. Latissimus dorsi flap and split-thickness graft were also used for covering the implant successfully. A titanium custom-made chest wall implant could be a viable alternative for patients who had large chest wall tumours. PMID:24227881

  3. Computer design synthesis of a below knee-Syme prosthesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elangovan, P. T.; Ghista, D. N.; Alwar, R. S.

    1979-01-01

    A detailed design synthesis analysis of the BK Syme prosthesis is provided, to determine the socket's cutout orientation size and shape, cutout fillet shape, socket wall thickness distribution and the reinforced fiber distribution in the socket wall, for a minimally stressed structurally safe lightweight prosthesis. For analysis purposes, the most adverse socket loading is obtained at the push-off stage of gait; this loading is idealized as an axial in-plane loading on the bottom edge of the circular cylindrical socket shell whose top edge is considered fixed. Finite element stress analysis of the socket shell (with uniform and graded wall thickness) are performed for various orientations of the cutout and for various types of corner fillets. A lateral cutout with a streamline fillet is recommended. The wall material (i.e., thickness) distribution is determined so as to minimize the stresses, while ensuring that the wall material's stress limits are not exceeded. For such a maximally stressed lightweight socket shell, the panels in the neighborhood of the cutout are checked to ensure that they do not buckle under their acquired stresses. A fiber-reinforced laminated composite socket shell is also analyzed in order to recommend optimum variables in orientations and densities of reinforcing fibers.

  4. Effects of specimen preparation on the electromagnetic property measurements of solid materials with an automatic network analyzer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Long, E. R., Jr.

    1986-01-01

    Effects of specimen preparation on measured values of an acrylic's electomagnetic properties at X-band microwave frequencies, TE sub 1,0 mode, utilizing an automatic network analyzer have been studied. For 1 percent or less error, a gap between the specimen edge and the 0.901-in. wall of the specimen holder was the most significant parameter. The gap had to be less than 0.002 in. The thickness variation and alignment errors in the direction parallel to the 0.901-in. wall were equally second most significant and had to be less than 1 degree. Errors in the measurement f the thickness were third most significant. They had to be less than 3 percent. The following parameters caused errors of 1 percent or less: ratios of specimen-holder thicknesses of more than 15 percent, gaps between the specimen edge and the 0.401-in. wall less than 0.045 in., position errors less than 15 percent, surface roughness, hickness variation in the direction parallel to the 0.401-in. wall less than 35 percent, and specimen alignment in the direction parallel to the 0.401-in. wall mass than 5 degrees.

  5. Clinical efficiency of Piezo-ICSI using micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.625 μm.

    PubMed

    Hiraoka, Kenichiro; Kitamura, Seiji

    2015-12-01

    The purposes of the present study are to assess the clinical efficiency of Piezo-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to improve the Piezo-ICSI method for human oocytes. We examined three ICSI methods to determine their clinical efficiency by comparing the survival, fertilization, good-quality day-3 embryo, pregnancy, and live birth rates. The three ICSI methods tested were conventional ICSI (CI) (using beveled spiked micropipettes with a wall thickness of 1 μm), conventional Piezo-ICSI (CPI) (using flat-tipped micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.925 μm), and improved Piezo-ICSI (IPI) (using flat-tipped micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.625 μm). We collectively investigated 2020 mature oocytes retrieved from 437 patients between October 2010 and January 2014. The survival rates after CI, CPI, and IPI were 90, 95, and 99 %, respectively. The fertilization rates after CI, CPI, and IPI were 68, 75, and 89 %, respectively. The good-quality day-3 embryo rates after CI, CPI, and IPI were 37, 43, and 55 %, respectively. The pregnancy rates after the transfer of good-quality day-3 embryo of CI, CPI, and IPI were 19, 21, and 31 %, respectively. The live birth rates of CI, CPI, and IPI were 15, 16, and 25 %, respectively. Significantly higher survival, fertilization, good-quality day-3 embryo, pregnancy, and live birth rates were obtained using IPI. When comparing the IPI to the CI and CPI, the results revealed that the Piezo-ICSI using flat-tipped micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.625 μm significantly improves survival, fertilization, good-quality day-3 embryo, pregnancy, and live birth rates.

  6. Ultrasonographic characteristics of the abdominal esophagus and cardia in dogs.

    PubMed

    Gory, Guillaume; Rault, Delphine N; Gatel, Laure; Dally, Claire; Belli, Patrick; Couturier, Laurent; Cauvin, Eddy

    2014-01-01

    Differential diagnoses for regurgitation and vomiting in dogs include diseases of the gastroesophageal junction. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to describe ultrasonographic characteristics of the abdominal esophagus and gastric cardia in normal dogs and dogs with clinical disease involving this region. A total of 126 dogs with no clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease and six dogs with clinical diseases involving the gastroesophageal junction were included. For seven euthanized dogs, ultrasonographic features were also compared with gross pathology and histopathology. Cardial and abdominal esophageal wall thicknesses were measured ultrasonographically for all normal dogs and effects of weight, sex, age, and stomach filling were tested. Five layers could be identified in normal esophageal and cardial walls. The inner esophageal layer was echogenic, corresponding to the cornified mucosa and glandular portion of the submucosa. The cardia was characterized by a thick muscularis, and a transitional zone between echogenic esophageal and hypoechoic gastric mucosal layers. Mean (±SD) cardial wall thicknesses for normal dogs were 7.6 mm (±1.6), 9.7 mm (±1.8), 10.8 mm (±1.6), 13.3 mm (±2.5) for dogs in the <10 kg, 10-19.9 kg, 20-29.9 kg and ≥30 kg weight groups, respectively. Mean (±SD) esophageal wall thicknesses were: 4.1 mm (±0.6), 5.1 mm (±1.3), 5.6 mm (±1), and 6.4 mm (±1.1) for the same weight groups, respectively. Measurements of wall thickness were significantly correlated with dog weight group. Ultrasonography assisted diagnosis in all six clinically affected dogs. Findings supported the use of transabdominal ultrasonography as a diagnostic test for dogs with suspected gastroesophageal disease. © 2014 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

  7. Fabrication of single/multi-walled hybrid buckypaper composites and their enhancement of electromagnetic interference shielding performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Shaowei; Shao, Junyan; Ma, Keming; Wang, Xiaoqiang; Zhang, Lu; Meng, Qingshi

    2016-11-01

    Multi-walled carbon nanotubes and single-walled carbon nanotubes show great potential for the application as an electromagnetic interference shielding material. In this paper, the electromagnetic interference shielding the effectiveness of a composite surface coated single/multi-walled carbon nanotube hybrid buckypaper was measured, which showed an average shielding effectiveness of ~55 dB with a buckypaper thickness of 50 µm, and bukypaper density of 0.76 g cm-3, it is much higher than other carbon nanotube/resin materials when sample thickness is on the similar order. The structural, specific surface area and conductivity of the buckypapers were examined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area analyzer and four probes resistance tester, respectively.

  8. A thermoelastic transversely isotropic thick walled cylinder/disk application: An analytical solution and study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arnold, S. M.

    1989-01-01

    A continuum theory is utilized to represent the thermoelastic behavior of a thick walled composite cylinder that can be idealized as transversely isotropic. A multiaxial statement of the constitutive theory employed is presented, as well as the out of the plane of isotropy, plane stress, and plane strain reductions. The derived analytical solution presented is valid for a cylindrical tube or thin disk with a concentric hole, subjected to internal and/or external pressure and a general radial temperature distribution. A specific problem examined is that of a thick walled cylinder subjected to an internal and external pressure loading and a linear radial temperature distribution. The results are expressed in nondimensional form and the effects on the response behavior are examined for various material properties, fiber orientation and types of loadings.

  9. Mode-locked fiber laser using SU8 resist incorporating carbon nanotubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hernandez-Romano, Ivan; Mandridis, Dimitrios; May-Arrioja, Daniel A.; Sanchez-Mondragon, Jose J.; Delfyett, Peter J.

    2011-06-01

    We report the fabrication of a saturable absorber made of a novel polymer SU8 doped with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs). A passive mode-locked ring cavity fiber laser was built with a 100 μm thick SU8/SWCNT film inserted between two FC/APC connectors. Self-starting passively mode-locked lasing operation was observed at 1572.04 nm, with a FWHM of 3.26 nm. The autocorrelation trace was 1.536 ps corresponding to a pulse-width of 871 fs. The time-bandwidth product was 0.344, which is close enough to transform-limited sech squared pulses. The repetition rate was 21.27 MHz, and a maximum average output power of 1 mW was also measured.

  10. 7. VIEW OF INTERIOR OF BUILDING 220 FIRST FLOOR, DENTAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    7. VIEW OF INTERIOR OF BUILDING 220 FIRST FLOOR, DENTAL FACILITY AREA (ORIGINALLY THE ARSENAL ROOM). THE ORIGINAL DOOR, SHOWN ON THE LEFT OF PHOTO, IS CONSTRUCTED OF 2' THICK HARDWOOD SANDWICHED BY 1/4' THICK STEEL PLATES WHICH ARE BOLTED TOGETHER. THE DOOR SHOWN ON THE RIGHT OF PHOTO, WAS ADDED DURING THE RENOVATION INTO A DENTAL FACILITY. THE TEXTURED WALLS DISPLAY THE IMPRESSION OF THE WOOD FORMS (5' WIDE PLANKS) USED TO CAST THE 12' THICK CONCRETE WALLS. - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Brig, Neville Way near Ninth Street at Marine Barracks, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

  11. High vancomycin MICs within the susceptible range in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia isolates are associated with increased cell wall thickness and reduced intracellular killing by human phagocytes.

    PubMed

    Falcón, Rocío; Martínez, Alba; Albert, Eliseo; Madrid, Silvia; Oltra, Rosa; Giménez, Estela; Soriano, Mario; Vinuesa, Víctor; Gozalbo, Daniel; Gil, María Luisa; Navarro, David

    2016-05-01

    Vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) at the upper end of the susceptible range for Staphylococcus aureus have been associated with poor clinical outcomes of bloodstream infections. We tested the hypothesis that high vancomycin MICs in S. aureus bacteraemia isolates are associated with increased cell wall thickness and suboptimal bacterial internalisation or lysis by human phagocytes. In total, 95 isolates were evaluated. Original vancomycin MICs were determined by Etest. The susceptibility of S. aureus isolates to killing by phagocytes was assessed in a human whole blood assay. Internalisation of bacterial cells by phagocytes was investigated by flow cytometry. Cell wall thickness was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Genotypic analysis of S. aureus isolates was performed using a DNA microarray system. Vancomycin MICs were significantly higher (P=0.006) in isolates that were killed suboptimally (killing index <60%) compared with those killed efficiently (killing index >70%) and tended to correlate inversely (P=0.08) with the killing indices. Isolates in both killing groups were internalised by human neutrophils and monocytes with comparable efficiency. The cell wall was significantly thicker (P=0.03) in isolates in the low killing group. No genotypic differences were found between the isolates in both killing groups. In summary, high vancomycin MICs in S. aureus bacteraemia isolates were associated with increased cell wall thickness and reduced intracellular killing by phagocytes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  12. Large-Eddy Simulation of the Flat-plate Turbulent Boundary Layer at High Reynolds numbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inoue, Michio

    The near-wall, subgrid-scale (SGS) model [Chung and Pullin, "Large-eddy simulation and wall-modeling of turbulent channel flow'', J. Fluid Mech. 631, 281--309 (2009)] is used to perform large-eddy simulations (LES) of the incompressible developing, smooth-wall, flat-plate turbulent boundary layer. In this model, the stretched-vortex, SGS closure is utilized in conjunction with a tailored, near-wall model designed to incorporate anisotropic vorticity scales in the presence of the wall. The composite SGS-wall model is presently incorporated into a computer code suitable for the LES of developing flat-plate boundary layers. This is then used to study several aspects of zero- and adverse-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers. First, LES of the zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer are performed at Reynolds numbers Retheta based on the free-stream velocity and the momentum thickness in the range Retheta = 103-1012. Results include the inverse skin friction coefficient, 2/Cf , velocity profiles, the shape factor H, the Karman "constant", and the Coles wake factor as functions of Re theta. Comparisons with some direct numerical simulation (DNS) and experiment are made, including turbulent intensity data from atmospheric-layer measurements at Retheta = O (106). At extremely large Retheta , the empirical Coles-Fernholz relation for skin-friction coefficient provides a reasonable representation of the LES predictions. While the present LES methodology cannot of itself probe the structure of the near-wall region, the present results show turbulence intensities that scale on the wall-friction velocity and on the Clauser length scale over almost all of the outer boundary layer. It is argued that the LES is suggestive of the asymptotic, infinite Reynolds-number limit for the smooth-wall turbulent boundary layer and different ways in which this limit can be approached are discussed. The maximum Retheta of the present simulations appears to be limited by machine precision and it is speculated, but not demonstrated, that even larger Retheta could be achieved with quad- or higher-precision arithmetic. Second, the time series velocity signals obtained from LES within the logarithmic region of the zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer are used in combination with an empirical, predictive inner--outer wall model [Marusic et al., "Predictive model for wall-bounded turbulent flow'', Science 329, 193 (2010)] to calculate the statistics of the fluctuating streamwise velocity in the inner region of the zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer. Results, including spectra and moments up to fourth order, are compared with equivalent predictions using experimental time series, as well as with direct experimental measurements at Reynolds numbers Retau based on the friction velocity and the boundary layer thickness, Retau = 7,300, 13,600 and 19,000. LES combined with the wall model are then used to extend the inner-layer predictions to Reynolds numbers Retau = 62,000, 100,000 and 200,000 that lie within a gap in log(Retau) space between laboratory measurements and surface-layer, atmospheric experiments. The present results support a log-like increase in the near-wall peak of the streamwise turbulence intensities with Retau and also provide a means of extending LES results at large Reynolds numbers to the near-wall region of wall-bounded turbulent flows. Finally, we apply the wall model to LES of a turbulent boundary layer subject to an adverse pressure gradient. Computed statistics are found to be consistent with recent experiments and some Reynolds number similarity is observed over a range of two orders of magnitude.

  13. Numerical Determination of Natural Frequencies and Modes of the Vibrations of a Thick-Walled Cylindrical Shell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grigorenko, A. Ya.; Borisenko, M. Yu.; Boichuk, E. V.; Prigoda, A. P.

    2018-01-01

    The dynamic characteristics of a thick-walled cylindrical shell are determined numerically using the finite-element method implemented with licensed FEMAR software. The natural frequencies and modes are compared with those obtained earlier experimentally by the method of stroboscopic holographic interferometry. Frequency coefficients demonstrating how the natural frequency depends on the physical and mechanical parameters of the material are determined.

  14. Impact of Age and Aerobic Exercise Training on Conduit Artery Wall Thickness: Role of the Shear Pattern.

    PubMed

    Tanahashi, Koichiro; Kosaki, Keisei; Sawano, Yuriko; Yoshikawa, Toru; Tagawa, Kaname; Kumagai, Hiroshi; Akazawa, Nobuhiko; Maeda, Seiji

    2017-01-01

    Hemodynamic shear stress is the frictional force of blood on the arterial wall. The shear pattern in the conduit artery affects the endothelium and may participate in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. We investigated the role of the shear pattern in age- and aerobic exercise-induced changes in conduit artery wall thickness via cross-sectional and interventional studies. In a cross-sectional study, we found that brachial shear rate patterns and brachial artery intima-media thickness (IMT) correlated with age. Additionally, brachial artery shear rate patterns were associated with brachial artery IMT in 102 middle-aged and older individuals. In an interventional study, 39 middle-aged and older subjects were divided into 2 groups: control and exercise. The exercise group completed 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training. Aerobic exercise training significantly increased the antegrade shear rate and decreased the retrograde shear rate and brachial artery IMT. Moreover, changes in the brachial artery antegrade shear rate and the retrograde shear rate correlated with the change in brachial artery IMT. The results of the present study indicate that changes in brachial artery shear rate patterns may contribute to age- and aerobic exercise training-induced changes in brachial artery wall thickness. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  15. Coded excitation speeds up the detection of the fundamental flexural guided wave in coated tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Xiaojun; Moilanen, Petro; Zhao, Zuomin; Ta, Dean; Pirhonen, Jalmari; Salmi, Ari; Hæeggström, Edward; Myllylä, Risto; Timonen, Jussi; Wang, Weiqi

    2016-09-01

    The fundamental flexural guided wave (FFGW) permits ultrasonic assessment of the wall thickness of solid waveguides, such as tubes or, e.g., long cortical bones. Recently, an optical non-contact method was proposed for ultrasound excitation and detection with the aim of facilitating the FFGW reception by suppressing the interfering modes from the soft coating. This technique suffers from low SNR and requires iterative physical scanning across the source-receiver distance for 2D-FFT analysis. This means that SNR improvement achieved by temporal averaging becomes time-consuming (several minutes) which reduces the applicability of the technique, especially in time-critical applications such as clinical quantitative ultrasound. To achieve sufficient SNR faster, an ultrasonic excitation by a base-sequence-modulated Golay code (BSGC, 64-bit code pair) on coated tube samples (1-5 mm wall thickness and 5 mm soft coating layer) was used. This approach improved SNR by 21 dB and speeded up the measurement by a factor of 100 compared to using a classical pulse excitation with temporal averaging. The measurement now took seconds instead of minutes, while the ability to determine the wall thickness of the phantoms was maintained. The technique thus allows rapid noncontacting assessment of the wall thickness in coated solid tubes, such as the human bone.

  16. Intestinal Mechanomorphological Remodeling Induced by Long-Term Low-Fiber Diet in Rabbits.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yue; Zhao, Jingbo; Liao, Donghua; Wang, Guixue; Gregersen, Hans

    2017-12-01

    Short-term feeding with low-fiber diet remodels the mechanomorphological properties in the rabbit small intestine. The aims were to study the effect of feeding low-fiber diet for 5 months on mechanomorphological properties including the collagen fraction in the rabbit intestines. Fifteen rabbits were divided into an Intervention group (IG, n = 10) fed a low-fiber diet and a Control group (CG, n = 5) fed a normal diet for 5 months. Five months later, four 10-cm-long segments obtained from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and large intestine were used for histological and mechanical analysis, respectively. The wall thickness, wall area, mucosa and muscle layer thickness decreased whereas the submucosa layer thickness increased in the IG (p < 0.05). The collagen fraction decreased in all layers and segments in the IG (p < 0.05). The opening angle increased in the large intestine and decreased in the ileum in the IG (p < 0.05). The intestinal stress-strain curves for IG shifted to the right, indicating softening. The creep did not change in the four segments. The wall stiffness was associated with wall thickness and collagen fraction in the submucosa layer. Long-term low-fiber diet in rabbits induced histomorphometric and biomechanical remodelling of the intestines.

  17. Ultrasonographic evaluation of myometrial thickness and prediction of a successful external cephalic version.

    PubMed

    Buhimschi, Catalin S; Buhimschi, Irina A; Wehrum, Mark J; Molaskey-Jones, Sherry; Sfakianaki, Anna K; Pettker, Christian M; Thung, Stephen; Campbell, Katherine H; Dulay, Antonette T; Funai, Edmund F; Bahtiyar, Mert O

    2011-10-01

    To test the hypothesis that myometrial thickness predicts the success of external cephalic version. Abdominal ultrasonographic scans were performed in 114 consecutive pregnant women with breech singletons before an external cephalic version maneuver. Myometrial thickness was measured by a standardized protocol at three sites: the lower segment, midanterior wall, and the fundal uterine wall. Independent variables analyzed in conjunction with myometrial thickness were: maternal age, parity, body mass index, abdominal wall thickness, estimated fetal weight, amniotic fluid index, placental thickness and location, fetal spine position, breech type, and delivery outcomes such as final mode of delivery and birth weight. Successful version was associated with a thicker ultrasonographic fundal myometrium (unsuccessful: 6.7 [5.5-8.4] compared with successful: 7.4 [6.6-9.7] mm, P=.037). Multivariate regression analysis showed that increased fundal myometrial thickness, high amniotic fluid index, and nonfrank breech presentation were the strongest independent predictors of external cephalic version success (P<.001). A fundal myometrial thickness greater than 6.75 mm and an amniotic fluid index greater than 12 cm were each associated with successful external cephalic versions (fundal myometrial thickness: odds ratio [OR] 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-5.2, P=.029; amniotic fluid index: OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-6.0, P=.008). Combining the two variables resulted in an absolute risk reduction for a failed version of 27.6% (95% CI 7.1-48.1) and a number needed to treat of four (95% CI 2.1-14.2). Fundal myometrial thickness and amniotic fluid index contribute to success of external cephalic version and their evaluation can be easily incorporated in algorithms before the procedure. III.

  18. Study on the Fire Damage Characteristics of the New Qidaoliang Highway Tunnel: Field Investigation with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Back Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Lai, Hongpeng; Wang, Shuyong; Xie, Yongli

    2016-01-01

    In the New Qidaoliang Tunnel (China), a rear-end collision of two tanker trunks caused a fire. To understand the damage characteristics of the tunnel lining structure, in situ investigation was performed. The results show that the fire in the tunnel induced spallation of tunnel lining concrete covering 856 m3; the length of road surface damage reached 650 m; the sectional area had a maximum 4% increase, and the mechanical and electrical facilities were severely damaged. The maximum area loss happened at the fire spot with maximum observed concrete spallation up to a thickness of 35.4 cm. The strength of vault and side wall concrete near the fire source was significantly reduced. The loss of concrete strength of the side wall near the inner surface of tunnel was larger than that near the surrounding rock. In order to perform back analysis of the effect of thermal load on lining structure, simplified numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was also performed, repeating the fire scenario. The simulated results showed that from the fire breaking out to the point of becoming steady, the tunnel experienced processes of small-scale warming, swirl around fire, backflow, and longitudinal turbulent flow. The influence range of the tunnel internal temperature on the longitudinal downstream was far greater than on the upstream, while the high temperature upstream and downstream of the transverse fire source mainly centered on the vault or the higher vault waist. The temperature of each part of the tunnel near the fire source had no obvious stratification phenomenon. The temperature of the vault lining upstream and downstream near the fire source was the highest. The numerical simulation is found to be in good agreement with the field observations. PMID:27754455

  19. Study on the Fire Damage Characteristics of the New Qidaoliang Highway Tunnel: Field Investigation with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Back Analysis.

    PubMed

    Lai, Hongpeng; Wang, Shuyong; Xie, Yongli

    2016-10-15

    In the New Qidaoliang Tunnel (China), a rear-end collision of two tanker trunks caused a fire. To understand the damage characteristics of the tunnel lining structure, in situ investigation was performed. The results show that the fire in the tunnel induced spallation of tunnel lining concrete covering 856 m³; the length of road surface damage reached 650 m; the sectional area had a maximum 4% increase, and the mechanical and electrical facilities were severely damaged. The maximum area loss happened at the fire spot with maximum observed concrete spallation up to a thickness of 35.4 cm. The strength of vault and side wall concrete near the fire source was significantly reduced. The loss of concrete strength of the side wall near the inner surface of tunnel was larger than that near the surrounding rock. In order to perform back analysis of the effect of thermal load on lining structure, simplified numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was also performed, repeating the fire scenario. The simulated results showed that from the fire breaking out to the point of becoming steady, the tunnel experienced processes of small-scale warming, swirl around fire, backflow, and longitudinal turbulent flow. The influence range of the tunnel internal temperature on the longitudinal downstream was far greater than on the upstream, while the high temperature upstream and downstream of the transverse fire source mainly centered on the vault or the higher vault waist. The temperature of each part of the tunnel near the fire source had no obvious stratification phenomenon. The temperature of the vault lining upstream and downstream near the fire source was the highest. The numerical simulation is found to be in good agreement with the field observations.

  20. Longitudinal changes in airway remodeling and air trapping in severe asthma

    PubMed Central

    Witt, Chad A.; Sheshadri, Ajay; Carlstrom, Luke; Tarsi, Jaime; Kozlowski, James; Wilson, Brad; Gierada, David; Hoffman, Eric; Fain, Sean; Cook-Granroth, Janice; Sajol, Geneline; Sierra, Oscar; Giri, Tusar; O'Neil, Michael; Zheng, Jie; Schechtman, Kenneth B.; Bacharier, Leonard B.; Jarjour, Nizar; Busse, William; Castro, Mario

    2014-01-01

    Rationale and Objectives Previous cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that airway wall thickness and air trapping are greater in subjects with severe asthma than in those with mild-to-moderate asthma. However, a better understanding of how airway remodeling and lung density change over time is needed. This study aims to evaluate predictors of airway wall remodeling and change in lung function and lung density over time in severe asthma. Materials and Methods Phenotypic characterization and quantitative multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) of the chest was performed at baseline and ∼2.6 years later in 38 participants with asthma (severe n=24, mild-moderate n=14) and 9 normal controls from the Severe Asthma Research Program. Results Subjects with severe asthma had a significant decline in post-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted over time (p = <0.001). Airway wall thickness measured by MDCT was increased at multiple airway generations in severe asthma compared to mild-to-moderate asthma (wall area percent (WA%): p <0.05) and normals (p <0.05) at baseline and year 2. Over time, there was an increase in WA% and wall thickness (WT%) in all subjects (p = 0.030 and 0.009 respectively) with no change in emphysema-like lung or air trapping. Baseline pre-bronchodilator FEV1% inversely correlated with WA% and WT% (both p = <0.05). In a multivariable regression model, baseline WA%, race and healthcare utilization were predictors of subsequent airway remodeling. Conclusions Severe asthma subjects have a greater decline in lung function over time than normal subjects or those with mild-to-moderate asthma. MDCT provides a noninvasive measure of airway wall thickness that may predict subsequent airway remodeling. PMID:25018070

  1. Relation of Cholesterol and Lipoprotein Parameters with Carotid Artery Plaque Characteristics: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Carotid MRI Study

    PubMed Central

    Virani, Salim S.; Catellier, Diane J.; Pompeii, Lisa A.; Nambi, Vijay; Hoogeveen, Ron C.; Wasserman, Bruce A.; Coresh, Josef; Mosley, Thomas H.; Otvos, James D.; Sharrett, A. Richey; Boerwinkle, Eric; Ballantyne, Christie M.

    2011-01-01

    Objective There is a paucity of data regarding relations of apolipoproteins (apolipoprotein B [ApoB] and apolipoprotein A-1 [Apo A-1]), lipoprotein particle measures (low-density lipoprotein particle concentration [LDLp] and high-density lipoprotein particle concentration [HDLp]), and lipoprotein cholesterol measures (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [non– HDL-C], and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]) with atherosclerotic plaque burden, plaque eccentricity, and lipid-rich core presence as a marker of high-risk plaques. Methods Carotid artery magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 1,670 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants. Vessel wall and lipid cores were measured; normalized wall index (NWI), standard deviation (SD) of wall thickness (measure of plaque eccentricity) were calculated; and lipid cores were detected in vessels with ≥1.5 mm thickness. Fasting concentrations of cholesterol, ApoB and Apo A-1, and LDLp and HDLp were measured. Results Measures of plaque burden (carotid wall volume, wall thickness, and NWI) were positively associated with atherogenic cholesterol and lipoproteins (p<0.05 for total cholesterol, LDL-C, non–HDL-C, ApoB, and LDLp), but not with HDL-C, Apo A-1, or HDLp. SD of wall thickness was associated with total cholesterol (p 0.01) and non-HDL-C (p 0.02). Although measures of atherogenic or anti-atherogenic cholesterol or lipoprotein were not individually associated with detection of a lipid-rich core, their ratios (total cholesterol/HDL-C, non–HDL-C/ HDL-C, and LDLp/HDLp) were associated with lipid-rich core presence (p≤0.05). Conclusion Extent of carotid atherosclerosis is associated with atherogenic cholesterol and lipoproteins. Atherogenic/anti-atherogenic cholesterol or particle ratios were associated with presence of a detectable lipid-rich core. PMID:21868017

  2. Relation of cholesterol and lipoprotein parameters with carotid artery plaque characteristics: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) carotid MRI study.

    PubMed

    Virani, Salim S; Catellier, Diane J; Pompeii, Lisa A; Nambi, Vijay; Hoogeveen, Ron C; Wasserman, Bruce A; Coresh, Josef; Mosley, Thomas H; Otvos, James D; Sharrett, A Richey; Boerwinkle, Eric; Ballantyne, Christie M

    2011-12-01

    There is a paucity of data regarding relations of apolipoproteins (apolipoprotein B [ApoB] and apolipoprotein A-1 [Apo A-1]), lipoprotein particle measures (low-density lipoprotein particle concentration [LDLp] and high-density lipoprotein particle concentration [HDLp]), and lipoprotein cholesterol measures (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [non-HDL-C], and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]) with atherosclerotic plaque burden, plaque eccentricity, and lipid-rich core presence as a marker of high-risk plaques. Carotid artery magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 1670 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants. Vessel wall and lipid cores were measured; normalized wall index (NWI), standard deviation (SD) of wall thickness (measure of plaque eccentricity) were calculated; and lipid cores were detected in vessels with ≥ 1.5mm thickness. Fasting concentrations of cholesterol, ApoB and Apo A-1, and LDLp and HDLp were measured. Measures of plaque burden (carotid wall volume, wall thickness, and NWI) were positively associated with atherogenic cholesterol and lipoproteins (p < 0.05 for total cholesterol, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, ApoB, and LDLp), but not with HDL-C, Apo A-1, or HDLp. SD of wall thickness was associated with total cholesterol (p 0.01) and non-HDL-C (p 0.02). Although measures of atherogenic or anti-atherogenic cholesterol or lipoprotein were not individually associated with detection of a lipid-rich core, their ratios (total cholesterol/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C, and LDLp/HDLp) were associated with lipid-rich core presence (p ≤ 0.05). Extent of carotid atherosclerosis is associated with atherogenic cholesterol and lipoproteins. Atherogenic/anti-atherogenic cholesterol or particle ratios were associated with presence of a detectable lipid-rich core. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  3. Airway wall thickness of allergic asthma caused by weed pollen or house dust mite assessed by computed tomography.

    PubMed

    Liu, Liping; Li, Guangrun; Sun, Yuemei; Li, Jian; Tang, Ningbo; Dong, Liang

    2015-03-01

    Little was known about Airway wall thickness of asthma patients with different allergen allergy. So we explored the possible difference of Airway wall thickness of asthma patients mono-sensitized to weed pollen or HDM using high-resolution computed tomography. 85 severe asthma patients were divided into weed pollen group and HDM group according to relevant allergen. 20 healthy donors served as controls. Airway wall area, percentage wall area and luminal area at the trunk of the apical bronchus of the right upper lobe were quantified using HRCT and compared. The values of pulmonary function were assessed as well. There were differences between HDM group and weed pollen group in WA/BSA,WA% and FEF25-75% pred, and no significant difference in FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC and LA/BSA. In weed pollen group, WA/BSA was observed to correlate with the duration of rhinitis, whereas in HDM group, WA/BSA and LA/BSA was observed to correlate with the duration of asthma. In weed pollen group, FEV1/FVC showed a weak but significant negative correlation with WA%, but in HDM group FEV1/FVC showed a significant positive correlation with WA% and a statistical negative correlation with LA/BSA. FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75% pred were higher and WA/BSA and LA/BSA were lower in healthy control group than asthma group. FEV1%pred and WA% was no significant difference between asthma patients and healthy subjects. There are differences between HDM mono-sensitized subjects and weed pollen mono-sensitized subjects, not only in airway wall thickness, but also small airway obstruction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Estimation of Heat Transfer Coefficient in Squeeze Casting of Magnesium Alloy AM60 by Experimental Polynomial Extrapolation Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Zhizhong; Niu, Xiaoping; Hu, Henry

    In this work, a different wall-thickness 5-step (with thicknesses as 3, 5, 8, 12, 20 mm) casting mold was designed, and squeeze casting of magnesium alloy AM60 was performed in a hydraulic press. The casting-die interfacial heat transfer coefficients (IHTC) in 5-step casting were determined based on experimental thermal histories data throughout the die and inside the casting which were recorded by fine type-K thermocouples. With measured temperatures, heat flux and IHTC were evaluated using the polynomial curve fitting method. The results show that the wall thickness affects IHTC peak values significantly. The IHTC value for the thick step is higher than that for the thin steps.

  5. Compound Walls For Vacuum Chambers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frazer, Robert E.

    1988-01-01

    Proposed compound-wall configuration enables construction of large high-vacuum chambers without having to use thick layers of expensive material to obtain necessary strength. Walls enclose chambers more than 1 m in diameter and several kilometers long. Compound wall made of strong outer layer of structural-steel culvert pipe welded to thin layer of high-quality, low-outgassing stainless steel.

  6. On thick domain walls in general relativity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goetz, Guenter; Noetzold, Dirk

    1989-01-01

    Planar scalar field configurations in general relativity differ considerably from those in flat space. It is shown that static domain walls of finite thickness in curved space-time do not possess a reflection symmetry. At infinity, the space-time tends to the Taub vacuum on one side of the wall and to the Minkowski vacuum (Rindler space-time) on the other. Massive test particles are always accelerated towards the Minkowski side, i.e., domain walls are attractive on the Taub side, but repulsive on the Minkowski side (Taub-vacuum cleaner). It is also proved that the pressure in all directions is always negative. Finally, a brief comment is made concerning the possibility of infinite, i.e., bigger than horizon size, domain walls in our universe. All of the results are independent of the form of the potential V(phi) greater than or equal to 0 of the scalar field phi.

  7. Size Control of Porous Silicon-Based Nanoparticles via Pore-Wall Thinning.

    PubMed

    Secret, Emilie; Leonard, Camille; Kelly, Stefan J; Uhl, Amanda; Cozzan, Clayton; Andrew, Jennifer S

    2016-02-02

    Photoluminescent silicon nanocrystals are very attractive for biomedical and electronic applications. Here a new process is presented to synthesize photoluminescent silicon nanocrystals with diameters smaller than 6 nm from a porous silicon template. These nanoparticles are formed using a pore-wall thinning approach, where the as-etched porous silicon layer is partially oxidized to silica, which is dissolved by a hydrofluoric acid solution, decreasing the pore-wall thickness. This decrease in pore-wall thickness leads to a corresponding decrease in the size of the nanocrystals that make up the pore walls, resulting in the formation of smaller nanoparticles during sonication of the porous silicon. Particle diameters were measured using dynamic light scattering, and these values were compared with the nanocrystallite size within the pore wall as determined from X-ray diffraction. Additionally, an increase in the quantum confinement effect is observed for these particles through an increase in the photoluminescence intensity of the nanoparticles compared with the as-etched nanoparticles, without the need for a further activation step by oxidation after synthesis.

  8. The nonlinear bending response of thin-walled laminated composite cylinders

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fuchs, Hannes P.; Hyer, Michael W.

    1992-01-01

    The geometrically nonlinear Donnell shell theory is applied to the problem of stable bending of thin-walled circular cylinders. Responses are computed for cylinders with a radius-to-thickness ratio of 50 and length-to-radius ratios of 1 and 5. Four laminated composite cylinders and an aluminum cylinder are considered. Critical moment estimates are presented for short cylinders for which compression-type buckling behavior is important, and for very long cylinders for which the cross-section flattening, i.e., Brazier effect, is important. A finite element analysis is used to estimate the critical end rotation in addition to establishing the range of validity of the prebuckling analysis. The radial displacement response shows that the character of the boundary layer is significantly influenced by the geometric nonlinearities. Application of a first ply failure analysis using the maximum stress criterion suggests that in nearly all instances material failure occurs before buckling. Failure of the composite cylinders can be attributed to fiber breakage. Striking similarities are seen between the prebuckling displacements of the bending problem and axial compression problem for short cylinders.

  9. Ultrasonic multi-skip tomography for pipe inspection

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Volker, Arno; Zon, Tim van

    The inspection of wall loss corrosion is difficult at pipe supports due to limited accessibility. The recently developed ultrasonic Multi-Skip screening technique is suitable for this problem. The method employs ultrasonic transducers in a pitch-catch geometry positioned on opposite sides of the pipe support. Shear waves are transmitted in the axial direction within the pipe wall, reflecting multiple times between the inner and outer surfaces before reaching the receivers. Along this path, the signals accumulate information on the integral wall thickness (e.g., via variations in travel time). The method is very sensitive in detecting the presence of wall loss, butmore » it is difficult to quantify both the extent and depth of the loss. Multi-skip tomography has been developed to reconstruct the wall thickness profile along the axial direction of the pipe. The method uses model-based full wave field inversion; this consists of a forward model for predicting the measured wave field and an iterative process that compares the predicted and measured wave fields and minimizes the differences with respect to the model parameters (i.e., the wall thickness profile). Experimental results are very encouraging. Various defects (slot and flat bottom hole) are reconstructed using the tomographic inversion. The general shape and width are well recovered. The current sizing accuracy is in the order of 1 mm.« less

  10. Riser Difference Uncertainty Methodology Based on Tank AY-101 Wall Thickness Measurements with Application to Tank AN-107

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Weier, Dennis R.; Anderson, Kevin K.; Berman, Herbert S.

    2005-03-10

    The DST Integrity Plan (RPP-7574, 2003, Double-Shell Tank Integrity Program Plan, Rev. 1A, CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., Richland, Washington.) requires the ultrasonic wall thickness measurement of two vertical scans of the tank primary wall while using a single riser location. The resulting measurements are then used in extreme value methodology to predict the minimum wall thickness expected for the entire tank. The representativeness of using a single riser in this manner to draw conclusions about the entire circumference of a tank has been questioned. The only data available with which to address the representativeness question comes from Tank AY-101more » since only for that tank have multiple risers been used for such inspection. The purpose of this report is to (1) further characterize AY-101 riser differences (relative to prior work); (2) propose a methodology for incorporating a ''riser difference'' uncertainty for subsequent tanks for which only a single riser is used, and (3) specifically apply the methodology to measurements made from a single riser in Tank AN-107.« less

  11. Effect of Yeast Cell Morphology, Cell Wall Physical Structure and Chemical Composition on Patulin Adsorption

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Ying; Wang, Jianguo; Liu, Bin; Wang, Zhouli; Yuan, Yahong; Yue, Tianli

    2015-01-01

    The capability of yeast to adsorb patulin in fruit juice can aid in substantially reducing the patulin toxic effect on human health. This study aimed to investigate the capability of yeast cell morphology and cell wall internal structure and composition to adsorb patulin. To compare different yeast cell morphologies, cell wall internal structure and composition, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and ion chromatography were used. The results indicated that patulin adsorption capability of yeast was influenced by cell surface areas, volume, and cell wall thickness, as well as 1,3-β-glucan content. Among these factors, cell wall thickness and 1,3-β-glucan content serve significant functions. The investigation revealed that patulin adsorption capability was mainly affected by the three-dimensional network structure of the cell wall composed of 1,3-β-glucan. Finally, patulin adsorption in commercial kiwi fruit juice was investigated, and the results indicated that yeast cells could adsorb patulin from commercial kiwi fruit juice efficiently. This study can potentially simulate in vitro cell walls to enhance patulin adsorption capability and successfully apply to fruit juice industry. PMID:26295574

  12. Effect of Yeast Cell Morphology, Cell Wall Physical Structure and Chemical Composition on Patulin Adsorption.

    PubMed

    Luo, Ying; Wang, Jianguo; Liu, Bin; Wang, Zhouli; Yuan, Yahong; Yue, Tianli

    2015-01-01

    The capability of yeast to adsorb patulin in fruit juice can aid in substantially reducing the patulin toxic effect on human health. This study aimed to investigate the capability of yeast cell morphology and cell wall internal structure and composition to adsorb patulin. To compare different yeast cell morphologies, cell wall internal structure and composition, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and ion chromatography were used. The results indicated that patulin adsorption capability of yeast was influenced by cell surface areas, volume, and cell wall thickness, as well as 1,3-β-glucan content. Among these factors, cell wall thickness and 1,3-β-glucan content serve significant functions. The investigation revealed that patulin adsorption capability was mainly affected by the three-dimensional network structure of the cell wall composed of 1,3-β-glucan. Finally, patulin adsorption in commercial kiwi fruit juice was investigated, and the results indicated that yeast cells could adsorb patulin from commercial kiwi fruit juice efficiently. This study can potentially simulate in vitro cell walls to enhance patulin adsorption capability and successfully apply to fruit juice industry.

  13. An experimental study of the wall-pressure fluctuations beneath low Reynolds number turbulent boundary layers.

    PubMed

    Van Blitterswyk, Jared; Rocha, Joana

    2017-02-01

    A more complete understanding of the physical relationships, between wall-pressure and turbulence, is required for modeling flow-induced noise and developing noise reduction strategies. In this study, the wall-pressure fluctuations, induced by low Reynolds number turbulent boundary layers, are experimentally studied using a high-resolution microphone array. Statistical characteristics obtained using traditional cross-correlation and cross-spectra analyses are complimented with wall-pressure-velocity cross-spectra and wavelet cross-correlations. Wall-pressure-velocity correlations revealed that turbulent activity in the buffer layer contributes at least 40% of the energy to the wall-pressure spectrum at all measured frequencies. As Reynolds number increases, the low-frequency energy shifts from the buffer layer to the logarithmic layer, as expected for regions of uniform streamwise momentum formed by hairpin packets. Conditional cross-spectra suggests that the majority of broadband wall-pressure energy is concentrated within the packets, with the pressure signatures of individual hairpin vortices estimated to decay on average within traveling ten displacement thicknesses, and the packet signature is retained for up to seven boundary layer thicknesses on average.

  14. Marine Surface Condenser Design Using Vertical Tubes Which Are Enhanced.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-06-01

    hydraulic diameter. 2. Tube Wall. Heat transfer resistance through the tube wall is dependent upon tube material , wall thickness, and a scaling...B. Heat Transfer Coefficient for a Tube Wall For materials such as pure copper which have extremely high values for thermal conductivity, the...mandate the use of materials with relatively low thermal con- ductivities. The thermal resistance of the tube wall is the reciprocal of the heat

  15. Automatic lumen and outer wall segmentation of the carotid artery using deformable three-dimensional models in MR angiography and vessel wall images.

    PubMed

    van 't Klooster, Ronald; de Koning, Patrick J H; Dehnavi, Reza Alizadeh; Tamsma, Jouke T; de Roos, Albert; Reiber, Johan H C; van der Geest, Rob J

    2012-01-01

    To develop and validate an automated segmentation technique for the detection of the lumen and outer wall boundaries in MR vessel wall studies of the common carotid artery. A new segmentation method was developed using a three-dimensional (3D) deformable vessel model requiring only one single user interaction by combining 3D MR angiography (MRA) and 2D vessel wall images. This vessel model is a 3D cylindrical Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) surface which can be deformed to fit the underlying image data. Image data of 45 subjects was used to validate the method by comparing manual and automatic segmentations. Vessel wall thickness and volume measurements obtained by both methods were compared. Substantial agreement was observed between manual and automatic segmentation; over 85% of the vessel wall contours were segmented successfully. The interclass correlation was 0.690 for the vessel wall thickness and 0.793 for the vessel wall volume. Compared with manual image analysis, the automated method demonstrated improved interobserver agreement and inter-scan reproducibility. Additionally, the proposed automated image analysis approach was substantially faster. This new automated method can reduce analysis time and enhance reproducibility of the quantification of vessel wall dimensions in clinical studies. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Propagation behavior of the stress wave in a hollow Hopkinson transmission bar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, G.; Shen, X.; Guo, C.; Vecchio, K. S.; Jiang, F.

    2018-03-01

    In order to investigate the stress wave propagation behavior through a hollow elastic bar that is used in a Hopkinson-bar-loaded fracture testing system, three-point bending fracture experiments were performed in such a system. The effects of sample span and diameter and wall thickness of the hollow elastic bar on the stress wave propagation behavior were studied numerically using the software of ANSYS/LS-DYNA. The experimental results demonstrated that the incident, reflected, and transmitted pulses calculated by the finite element method are coincident with those obtained from the Hopkinson-bar-loaded fracture tests. Compared to the solid transmission bar, the amplitude of the transmitted pulse is relatively larger in the hollow transmission bar under the same loading conditions and decreases with increasing wall thickness. On the other hand, when the inside diameter is fixed, the effect of the wall thickness on the stress wave characteristics is more obvious.

  17. High power water load for microwave and millimeter-wave radio frequency sources

    DOEpatents

    Ives, R. Lawrence; Mizuhara, Yosuke M.; Schumacher, Richard V.; Pendleton, Rand P.

    1999-01-01

    A high power water load for microwave and millimeter wave radio frequency sources has a front wall including an input port for the application of RF power, a cylindrical dissipation cavity lined with a dissipating material having a thickness which varies with depth, and a rear wall including a rotating reflector for the reflection of wave energy inside the cylindrical cavity. The dissipation cavity includes a water jacket for removal of heat generated by the absorptive material coating the dissipation cavity, and this absorptive material has a thickness which is greater near the front wall than near the rear wall. Waves entering the cavity reflect from the rotating reflector, impinging and reflecting multiple times on the absorptive coating of the dissipation cavity, dissipating equal amounts of power on each internal reflection.

  18. Differential assembly of alpha- and gamma-filagenins into thick filaments in Caenorhabditis elegans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, F.; Ortiz, I.; Hutagalung, A.; Bauer, C. C.; Cook, R. G.; Epstein, H. F.

    2000-01-01

    Muscle thick filaments are highly organized supramolecular assemblies of myosin and associated proteins with lengths, diameters and flexural rigidities characteristic of their source. The cores of body wall muscle thick filaments of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are tubular structures of paramyosin sub-filaments coupled by filagenins and have been proposed to serve as templates for the assembly of native thick filaments. We have characterized alpha- and gamma-filagenins, two novel proteins of the cores with calculated molecular masses of 30,043 and 19,601 and isoelectric points of 10.52 and 11.49, respectively. Western blot and immunoelectron microscopy using affinity-purified antibodies confirmed that the two proteins are core components. Immunoelectron microscopy of the cores revealed that they assemble with different periodicities. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that alpha-filagenin is localized in the medial regions of the A-bands of body wall muscle cells whereas gamma-filagenin is localized in the flanking regions, and that alpha-filagenin is expressed in 1.5-twofold embryos while gamma-filagenin becomes detectable only in late vermiform embryos. The expression of both proteins continues throughout later stages of development. C. elegans body wall muscle thick filaments of these developmental stages have distinct lengths. Our results suggest that the differential assembly of alpha- and gamma-filagenins into thick filaments of distinct lengths may be developmentally regulated.

  19. Correlation between capillary oxygen saturation and small intestinal wall thickness in the equine colic patient

    PubMed Central

    Mirle, Elisabeth; Wogatzki, Anna; Kunzmann, Robert; Schoenfelder, Axel M; Litzke, Lutz F

    2017-01-01

    The surgical evaluation of haemorrhagic infarcted intestine and the decision for or against bowel resection require a lot of experience and are subjective. The aim of this prospective, clinical study was to examine the correlation between oxygen saturation and small intestinal wall (IW) thickness, using two objective methods. In 22 colicky horses, the blood flow, oxygen saturation and relative amount of haemoglobin were measured intraoperatively via laser Doppler and white light spectroscopy (O2C, oxygen to see, LEA Medizintechnik) at six measuring points (MPs) in small and large intestines. Furthermore, the IW thickness was measured ultrasonographically. Nine of 22 horses had an increased small IW thickness greater than 4 mm (Freeman 2002, Scharner and others 2002, le Jeune and Whitcomb 2014) at measuring point 1 (MP1) (strangulated segment), four horses had a thickened bowel wall at measuring point 3 (MP3) (poststenotic) and one at measuring point 2 (MP2). The oxygen saturation was 0 at MP1 in six horses, at MP3 in two horses and at MP2 (prestenotic) in one. Oxygen saturation and small IW thickness were independent of each other at MP1 and MP2. At MP3, the two parameters were negatively correlated. In summary, it is not possible to draw conclusions about oxygen saturation based on IW thickness. PMID:28761667

  20. Correlation between capillary oxygen saturation and small intestinal wall thickness in the equine colic patient.

    PubMed

    Mirle, Elisabeth; Wogatzki, Anna; Kunzmann, Robert; Schoenfelder, Axel M; Litzke, Lutz F

    2017-01-01

    The surgical evaluation of haemorrhagic infarcted intestine and the decision for or against bowel resection require a lot of experience and are subjective. The aim of this prospective, clinical study was to examine the correlation between oxygen saturation and small intestinal wall (IW) thickness, using two objective methods. In 22 colicky horses, the blood flow, oxygen saturation and relative amount of haemoglobin were measured intraoperatively via laser Doppler and white light spectroscopy (O2C, oxygen to see, LEA Medizintechnik) at six measuring points (MPs) in small and large intestines. Furthermore, the IW thickness was measured ultrasonographically. Nine of 22 horses had an increased small IW thickness greater than 4 mm (Freeman 2002, Scharner and others 2002, le Jeune and Whitcomb 2014) at measuring point 1 (MP1) (strangulated segment), four horses had a thickened bowel wall at measuring point 3 (MP3) (poststenotic) and one at measuring point 2 (MP2). The oxygen saturation was 0 at MP1 in six horses, at MP3 in two horses and at MP2 (prestenotic) in one. Oxygen saturation and small IW thickness were independent of each other at MP1 and MP2. At MP3, the two parameters were negatively correlated. In summary, it is not possible to draw conclusions about oxygen saturation based on IW thickness.

  1. 3D cardiac wall thickening assessment for acute myocardial infarction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khalid, A.; Chan, B. T.; Lim, E.; Liew, Y. M.

    2017-06-01

    Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most severe form of coronary artery disease leading to localized myocardial injury and therefore irregularities in the cardiac wall contractility. Studies have found very limited differences in global indices (such as ejection fraction, myocardial mass and volume) between healthy subjects and AMI patients, and therefore suggested regional assessment. Regional index, specifically cardiac wall thickness (WT) and thickening is closely related to cardiac function and could reveal regional abnormality due to AMI. In this study, we developed a 3D wall thickening assessment method to identify regional wall contractility dysfunction due to localized myocardial injury from infarction. Wall thickness and thickening were assessed from 3D personalized cardiac models reconstructed from cine MRI images by fitting inscribed sphere between endocardial and epicardial wall. The thickening analysis was performed in 5 patients and 3 healthy subjects and the results were compared against the gold standard 2D late-gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) images for infarct localization. The notable finding of this study is the highly accurate estimation and visual representation of the infarct size and location in 3D. This study provides clinicians with an intuitive way to visually and qualitatively assess regional cardiac wall dysfunction due to infarction in AMI patients.

  2. Inflated Sporopollenin Exine Capsules Obtained from Thin-Walled Pollen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Jae Hyeon; Seo, Jeongeun; Jackman, Joshua A.; Cho, Nam-Joon

    2016-06-01

    Sporopollenin is a physically robust and chemically resilient biopolymer that comprises the outermost layer of pollen walls and is the first line of defense against harsh environmental conditions. The unique physicochemical properties of sporopollenin increasingly motivate the extraction of sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs) from pollen walls as a renewable source of organic microcapsules for encapsulation applications. Despite the wide range of different pollen species with varying sizes and wall thicknesses, faithful extraction of pollen-mimetic SECs has been limited to thick-walled pollen capsules with rigid mechanical properties. There is an unmet need to develop methods for producing SECs from thin-walled pollen capsules which constitute a large fraction of all pollen species and have attractive materials properties such as greater aerosol dispersion. Herein, we report the first successful extraction of inflated SEC microcapsules from a thin-walled pollen species (Zea mays), thereby overcoming traditional challenges with mechanical stability and loss of microstructure. Morphological and compositional characterization of the SECs obtained by the newly developed extraction protocol confirms successful protein removal along with preservation of nanoscale architectural features. Looking forward, there is excellent potential to apply similar strategies across a wide range of unexplored thin-walled pollen species.

  3. Inflated Sporopollenin Exine Capsules Obtained from Thin-Walled Pollen

    PubMed Central

    Park, Jae Hyeon; Seo, Jeongeun; Jackman, Joshua A.; Cho, Nam-Joon

    2016-01-01

    Sporopollenin is a physically robust and chemically resilient biopolymer that comprises the outermost layer of pollen walls and is the first line of defense against harsh environmental conditions. The unique physicochemical properties of sporopollenin increasingly motivate the extraction of sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs) from pollen walls as a renewable source of organic microcapsules for encapsulation applications. Despite the wide range of different pollen species with varying sizes and wall thicknesses, faithful extraction of pollen-mimetic SECs has been limited to thick-walled pollen capsules with rigid mechanical properties. There is an unmet need to develop methods for producing SECs from thin-walled pollen capsules which constitute a large fraction of all pollen species and have attractive materials properties such as greater aerosol dispersion. Herein, we report the first successful extraction of inflated SEC microcapsules from a thin-walled pollen species (Zea mays), thereby overcoming traditional challenges with mechanical stability and loss of microstructure. Morphological and compositional characterization of the SECs obtained by the newly developed extraction protocol confirms successful protein removal along with preservation of nanoscale architectural features. Looking forward, there is excellent potential to apply similar strategies across a wide range of unexplored thin-walled pollen species. PMID:27302853

  4. Fast mean and variance computation of the diffuse sound transmission through finite-sized thick and layered wall and floor systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Decraene, Carolina; Dijckmans, Arne; Reynders, Edwin P. B.

    2018-05-01

    A method is developed for computing the mean and variance of the diffuse field sound transmission loss of finite-sized layered wall and floor systems that consist of solid, fluid and/or poroelastic layers. This is achieved by coupling a transfer matrix model of the wall or floor to statistical energy analysis subsystem models of the adjacent room volumes. The modal behavior of the wall is approximately accounted for by projecting the wall displacement onto a set of sinusoidal lateral basis functions. This hybrid modal transfer matrix-statistical energy analysis method is validated on multiple wall systems: a thin steel plate, a polymethyl methacrylate panel, a thick brick wall, a sandwich panel, a double-leaf wall with poro-elastic material in the cavity, and a double glazing. The predictions are compared with experimental data and with results obtained using alternative prediction methods such as the transfer matrix method with spatial windowing, the hybrid wave based-transfer matrix method, and the hybrid finite element-statistical energy analysis method. These comparisons confirm the prediction accuracy of the proposed method and the computational efficiency against the conventional hybrid finite element-statistical energy analysis method.

  5. Influence of slosh baffles on thermodynamic performance in liquid hydrogen tank.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhan; Li, Cui

    2018-03-15

    A calibrated CFD model is built to investigate the influence of slosh baffles on the pressurization performance in liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) tank. The calibrated CFD model is proven to have great predictive ability by compared against the flight experimental results. The pressure increase, thermal stratification and wall heat transfer coefficient of LH 2 tank have been detailedly studied. The results indicate that slosh baffles have a great influence on tank pressure increase, fluid temperature distribution and wall heat transfer. Owning to the existence of baffles, the stratification thickness increases gradually with the distance from tank axis to tank wall. While for the tank without baffles, the stratification thickness decreases firstly and then increases with the increase of the distance from the axis. The "M" type stratified thickness distribution presents in tank without baffles. One modified heat transfer coefficient correlation has been proposed with the change of fluid temperature considered by multiplying a temperature correction factor. It has been proven that the average relative prediction errors of heat transfer coefficient reduced from 19.08% to 4.98% for the wet tank wall of the tank, from 8.93% to 4.27% for the dry tank wall, respectively, calculated by the modified correlation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. In-Line Ultrasonic Monitoring for Sediments Stuck on Inner Wall of a Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    This research verified the applicability and effectiveness of the ultrasonic monitoring of sediments stuck on the inner wall of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. For identifying the transmittance of acoustic energy and the speed of sound in the PVC material, the pulse-echo ultrasonic testing was conducted for PVC sheets of different thicknesses. To simulate the solidified sediment, the hot melt adhesive (HMA) was covered on the inner wall of the PVC pipe in different heights. From the experiment, the speeds of sound in the PVC and the HMA materials were obtained as about 2258 and 2000 m/s, respectively. The thickness of the materials was calculated through the signal processing such as taking the absolute value and low pass filtering, the echo detection, and the measurement of the time of flight. The errors between actual and measured thicknesses of PVC sheets were below 5%. In the case of the substance stuck on the inner wall, the errors were below 2.5%. Since the pulse-echo ultrasonic inspection is available on the outer surface and its measurement accuracy was over 95%, it can be an efficient and effective in-service structural health monitoring for the sediment on the wall of PVC pipes. PMID:25243223

  7. Uniform, dense arrays of vertically aligned, large-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Han, Zhao Jun; Ostrikov, Kostya

    2012-04-04

    Precisely controlled reactive chemical vapor synthesis of highly uniform, dense arrays of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using tailored trilayered Fe/Al(2)O(3)/SiO(2) catalyst is demonstrated. More than 90% population of thick nanotubes (>3 nm in diameter) can be produced by tailoring the thickness and microstructure of the secondary catalyst supporting SiO(2) layer, which is commonly overlooked. The proposed model based on the atomic force microanalysis suggests that this tailoring leads to uniform and dense arrays of relatively large Fe catalyst nanoparticles on which the thick SWCNTs nucleate, while small nanotubes and amorphous carbon are effectively etched away. Our results resolve a persistent issue of selective (while avoiding multiwalled nanotubes and other carbon nanostructures) synthesis of thick vertically aligned SWCNTs whose easily switchable thickness-dependent electronic properties enable advanced applications in nanoelectronic, energy, drug delivery, and membrane technologies.

  8. Flexible metallic ultrasonic transducers for structural health monitoring of pipes at high temperatures.

    PubMed

    Shih, Jeanne-Louise; Kobayashi, Makiko; Jen, Cheng-Kuei

    2010-09-01

    Piezoelectric films have been deposited by a sol-gel spray technique onto 75-μm-thick titanium and stainless steel (SS) membranes and have been fabricated into flexible ultrasonic transducers (FUTs). FUTs using titanium membranes were glued and those using SS membranes brazed onto steel pipes, procedures that serve as on-site installation techniques for the purpose of offering continuous thickness monitoring capabilities at up to 490 °C. At 150 °C, the thickness measurement accuracy of a pipe with an outer diameter of 26.6 mm and a wall thickness of 2.5 mm was estimated to be 26 μm and the center frequency of the FUT was 10.8 MHz. It is demonstrated that the frequency bandwidth of the FUTs and SNR of signals using glue or brazing materials as high-temperature couplant for FUTs are sufficient to inspect the steel pipes even with a 2.5 mm wall thickness.

  9. THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING OF THE DYNAMICS OF THERAPEUTIC ULTRASOUND CONTRAST AGENTS

    PubMed Central

    Hsiao, Chao-Tsung; Lu, Xiaozhen; Chahine, Georges

    2010-01-01

    A 3-D thick-shell contrast agent dynamics model was developed by coupling a finite volume Navier-Stokes solver and a potential boundary element method flow solver to simulate the dynamics of thick-shelled contrast agents subjected to pressure waves. The 3-D model was validated using a spherical thick-shell model validated by experimental observations. We then used this model to study shell break-up during nonspherical deformations resulting from multiple contrast agent interaction or the presence of a nearby solid wall. Our simulations indicate that the thick viscous shell resists the contrast agent from forming a re-entrant jet, as normally observed for an air bubble oscillating near a solid wall. Instead, the shell thickness varies significantly from location to location during the dynamics, and this could lead to shell break-up caused by local shell thinning and stretching. PMID:20950929

  10. Data Report. Volume I. Velocity and Temperature Profile Data for Zero Pressure Gradient, Fully Turbulent Boundary Layers.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-01-01

    Werle I DAft’Janu’_Lt 8 5 NO. OF PAGES 326 COPY NO. ____ 3AIR T𔃺r12 Or tC OF CIDWIMZ RUR (47SC) NO nifE OF TPRANSMTTL TO DDC T17J2 ! nch:ical report...integral properties are determined B W) displacement thickness y dy o Pe Ue (ii) momentum thickness f( dy 0 PC Ue (iii) energy-dissipation thickness a~ 0...NO. I BOUNDARY LAYER PROPERTIES STANDARD LINEAR SUBLAYER INTERPOLATION FUNCTION FROM TO WALL WALL TO Y*=35 FREE STREAM VELOCITY = 98,579 98.579 FREE

  11. Design, Development and Testing of Inconel Alloy IN718 Spherical Gas Bottle for Oxygen Storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chenna Krishna, S.; Agilan, M.; Sudarshan Rao, G.; Singh, Satish Kumar; Narayana Murty, S. V. S.; Venkata Narayana, Ganji; Beena, A. P.; Rajesh, L.; Jha, Abhay K.; Pant, Bhanu

    2017-11-01

    This paper describes the details of design, manufacture and testing of 200 mm diameter spherical gas bottle of Inconel 718 (IN718) with nominal wall thickness of 2.3 mm. Gas bottle was designed for the specified internal pressure loading with a thickness of 2.9 mm at the circumferential weld which was brought down to 2.3 mm at the membrane locations. Hemispherical forgings produced through closed-die hammer forging were machined and electron beam welded to produce a spherical gas bottle. Duly welded gas bottle was subjected to standard aging treatment to achieve the required tensile strength. Aged gas bottle was inspected for dimensions and other stringent quality requirements using various nondestructive testing techniques. After inspection, gas bottle was subjected to pressure test for maximum expected operating pressure and proof pressure of 25 and 37.5 MPa, respectively. Strain gauges were bonded at different locations on the gas bottle to monitor the strains during the pressure test and correlated with the predicted values. The predicted strain matched well with the experimental strain confirming the design and structural integrity.

  12. Static magnetism and thermal switching in randomly oriented L10 FePt thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lisfi, A.; Pokharel, S.; Alqarni, A.; Akioya, O.; Morgan, W.; Wuttig, M.

    2018-05-01

    Static magnetism and thermally activated magnetic relaxation were investigated in granular FePt films (20 nm-200 nm thick) with random magnetic anisotropy through hysteresis loop, torque curve and magnetization time dependence measurements. While the magnetism of thicker film (200 nm thick) is dominated by a single switching of the ordered L10 phase, thinner film (20 nm) displays a double switching, which is indicative of the presence of the disordered cubic phase. The pronounced behavior of double switching in thinner film suggests that the film grain boundary is composed of soft cubic magnetic phase. The magnetic relaxation study reveals that magnetic viscosity S of the films is strongly dependent on the external applied field and exhibits a maximum value (12 kAm) around the switching field and a vanishing behavior at low (1 kOe) and large (12 kOe) fields. The activation volume of the thermal switching was found to be much smaller than the physical volume of the granular structure due to the incoherent rotation mode of the magnetization reversal mechanism, which is established to be domain wall nucleation.

  13. Complementary velocity and heat transfer measurements in a rotating turbine cooling passage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bons, Jeffrey Peter

    An experimental investigation was conducted on the internal flowfield of a simulated turbine blade cooling passage. The passage is of a square cross-section and was manufactured from quartz for optical accessibility. Velocity measurements were taken using Particle Image Velocimetry for both heated and non-heated cases. Thin film resistive heaters on the four passage walls allow heat to be added to the coolant flow without obstructing laser access. Under the same conditions, an infrared detector with associated optics collected wall temperature data for use in calculating local Nusselt number. The test section was operated with radial outward flow and at values of Reynolds number, Rotation number, and density ratio typical of applications. Velocity data for the non-heated case document the evolution of the Coriolis-induced double vortex. The vortex has the effect of increasing the leading side boundary layer thickness while decreasing the trailing side boundary layer thickness. Also, the streamwise component of the Coriolis acceleration creates a thinned side wall boundary layer. These data reveal an unsteady, turbulent flowfield in the cooling passage. Velocity data for the heated case show a strongly distorted streamwise profile indicative of a buoyancy effect on the leading side. The Coriolis vortex is the mechanism for the accumulation of stagnant flow on the leading side of the passage. Heat transfer data show a maximum factor of two difference in the Nusselt number from trailing side to leading side. An estimate of this heat transfer disparity based on the measured boundary layer edge velocity yields approximately the same factor of two. A momentum integral model was developed for data interpretation which accounts for Coriolis and buoyancy effects. Calculated streamwise profiles and secondary flows match the experimental data well. The model, the velocity data, and the heat transfer data combine to suggest the presence of separated flow on the leading wall starting at about five passage widths for the conditions studied. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)

  14. Right ventricular mechanics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using feature tracking

    PubMed Central

    Badran, Hala Mahfouz; Soliman, Mahmood; Hassan, Hesham; Abdelfatah, Raed; Saadan, Haythem; Yacoub, Magdi

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: Right ventricular (RV) mechanics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are poorly understood. We investigate global and regional deformation of the RV in HCM and its relationship to LV phenotype, using 2D strain vector velocity imaging (VVI). Methods: 100 HCM patients (42% females, 41 ± 19 years) and 30 control patients were studied using VVI. Longitudinal peak systolic strain (ϵsys), strain rate (SR), time to peak (ϵ) (TTP), displacement of RV free wall (RVFW) and septal wall were analyzed. Similar parameters were quantified in LV septal, lateral, anterior and inferior segments. Intra-V-delay was defined as SD of TTP. Inter-V-delay was estimated from TTP difference between the most delayed LV segment & RVFW. Results: ϵsys and SR of both RV & LV, showed loss of base to apex gradient and significant decline in HCM (p < 0.001). Deformation variables estimated from RVFW were strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). Both were directly related to LV ϵsys, SRsys, SRe, ejection fraction (EF)%, RVFW displacement (P < 0.001) and inversely related to age, positive family history (p < 0.004, 0.005), RV wall thickness, maximum wall thickness (MWT), intra-V-delay, LA volume (P < 0.0001), LVOT gradient (p < 0.02, 0.005) respectively. ROC curves were constructed to explore the cut-off point that discriminates RV dysfunction. Global and RVFW ϵsys: − 19.5% shows 77, 70% sensitivity & 97% specificity, SRsys: − 1.3s− 1 shows 82, 70% sensitivity & 30% specificity. Multivariate analyses revealed that RVFW displacement (β = − 0.9, p < 0.0001) and global LV SRsys (β = 5.9, p < 0.0001) are independent predictors of global RV deformation. Conclusions: Impairment of RV deformation is evident in HCM using feature tracking. It is independently influenced by LV mechanics and correlated to the severity of LV phenotype. RVFW deformation analysis and global RV assessment are comparable. PMID:24689019

  15. Effect of wall roughness on liquid oscillations damping in rectangular tanks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bugg, F. M.

    1970-01-01

    Tests were conducted in two rectangular glass tanks using silicon carbide grit bonded to walls to determine effect of wall roughness for damping liquid oscillations. Tests included effects of roughness height, roughness location, roughness at various values, amplitude decay, Reynolds number, and boundary layer thickness.

  16. The sequential changes in myocardial thickness and thickening which occur during acute transmural infarction, infarct reperfusion and the resultant expression of reperfusion injury.

    PubMed

    Turschner, Oliver; D'hooge, Jan; Dommke, Christoph; Claus, Piet; Verbeken, Erik; De Scheerder, Ivan; Bijnens, Bart; Sutherland, George R

    2004-05-01

    Successful primary PTCA (with TIMI 3 reflow) in patients with acute transmural infarction has been observed to result in an immediate abnormal increase in wall thickness associated with persisting abnormal post-systolic thickening. To understand the sequential changes in regional deformation during: (i) the development of acute transmural infarction, (ii) upon TIMI grade 3 infarct reperfusion and (iii) during the subsequent expression of reperfusion injury the following correlative experimental study was performed in a pure animal model in which there was no distal dispersion of thrombotic material causing either no reflow or secondary microvascular obstruction. In 10 closed-chest pigs, a 90 min PTCA circumflex occlusion was used to induce a transmural infarction. This was followed by 60 min of TIMI 3 infarct reperfusion. M-mode ultrasound data from the "at risk" posterior wall infarct segment and from a control remote non-ischemic septal segment were acquired at standardized time intervals. Changes in regional deformation (end-diastolic (EDWT), end-systolic (ESWT) and post-systolic (PSWT) wall thickness, end-systolic strain (epsilonES) and post-systolic strain (epsilonps)) were measured. In this pure animal model of acute transmural infarction/infarct reperfusion (with no pre-existing intra-luminal thrombus), the induced changes in wall thickness and thickening were complex. During prolonged occlusion, after an initial acute fall in ESWT, there was no further change in systolic deformation to indicate the progression of ischaemia to infarction. Both transmurally infarcted and reperfused-infarcted myocardium retained post-systolic thickening indicating that this parameter, taken in isolation, is not a consistent marker of segmental viability and, in this regard, should be interpreted only in combination with other indices of segmental function. The most striking abnormality induced by reperfusion was an immediate increase in EDWT which then increased logarithmically over a 60 min period as reperfusion injury was further expressed. PS did not change significantly during reperfusion. Histology confirmed the wall thickness changes on reperfusion to be due to massive extra-cellular oedema. The identification of an acute increase in regional wall thickness in a reperfused infarct zone by cardiac ultrasound following primary PTCA might be used in patients to both identify successful infarct reperfusion and to monitor the presence, extent and resolution of the oedema associated with reperfusion injury.

  17. Experimental study on the heat transfer characteristics of a nuclear reactor containment wall cooled by gravitationally falling water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pasek, Ari D.; Umar, Efrison; Suwono, Aryadi; Manalu, Reinhard E. E.

    2012-06-01

    Gravitationally falling water cooling is one of mechanism utilized by a modern nuclear Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) for its Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS). Since the cooling is closely related to the safety, water film cooling characteristics of the PCCS should be studied. This paper deals with the experimental study of laminar water film cooling on the containment model wall. The influences of water mass flow rate and wall heat rate on the heat transfer characteristic were studied. This research was started with design and assembly of a containment model equipped with the water cooling system, and calibration of all measurement devices. The containment model is a scaled down model of AP 1000 reactor. Below the containment steam is generated using electrical heaters. The steam heated the containment wall, and then the temperatures of the wall in several positions were measure transiently using thermocouples and data acquisition. The containment was then cooled by falling water sprayed from the top of the containment. The experiments were done for various wall heat rate and cooling water flow rate. The objective of the research is to find the temperature profile along the wall before and after the water cooling applied, prediction of the water film characteristic such as means velocity, thickness and their influence to the heat transfer coefficient. The result of the experiments shows that the wall temperatures significantly drop after being sprayed with water. The thickness of water film increases with increasing water flow rate and remained constant with increasing wall heat rate. The heat transfer coefficient decreases as film mass flow rate increase due to the increases of the film thickness which causes the increasing of the thermal resistance. The heat transfer coefficient increases slightly as the wall heat rate increases. The experimental results were then compared with previous theoretical studied.

  18. Electricity and catholyte production from ceramic MFCs treating urine.

    PubMed

    Merino Jimenez, Irene; Greenman, John; Ieropoulos, Ioannis

    2017-01-19

    The use of ceramics as low cost membrane materials for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) has gained increasing interest, due to improved performance levels in terms of power and catholyte production. The catholyte production in ceramic MFCs can be attributed to a combination of water or hydrogen peroxide formation from the oxygen reduction reaction in the cathode, water diffusion and electroosmotic drag through the ion exchange membrane. This study aims to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of ceramic wall/membrane thickness, in terms of power, as well as catholyte production from MFCs using urine as a feedstock. Cylindrical MFCs were assembled with fine fire clay of different thicknesses (2.5, 5 and 10 mm) as structural and membrane materials. The power generated increased when the membrane thickness decreased, reaching 2.1 ± 0.19 mW per single MFC (2.5 mm), which was 50% higher than that from the MFCs with the thickest membrane (10 mm). The amount of catholyte collected also decreased with the wall thickness, whereas the pH increased. Evidence shows that the catholyte composition varies with the wall thickness of the ceramic membrane. The possibility of producing different quality of catholyte from urine opens a new field of study in water reuse and resource recovery for practical implementation.

  19. Ellipsometric measurement of liquid film thickness

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chang, Ki Joon; Frazier, D. O.

    1989-01-01

    The immediate objective of this research is to measure liquid film thickness from the two equilibrium phases of a monotectic system in order to estimate the film pressure of each phase. Thus liquid film thicknesses on the inside walls of the prism cell above the liquid level have been measured elliposmetrically for the monotectic system of succinonitrile and water. The thickness varies with temperature and composition of each plane. The preliminary results from both layers at 60 deg angle of incidence show nearly uniform thickness from about 21 to 23 C. The thickness increases with temperature but near 30 C the film appears foggy and scatters the laser beam. As the temperature of the cell is raised beyond room temperature it becomes increasingly difficult to equalize the temperature inside and outside the cell. The fogging may also be an indication that solution, not pure water, is adsorbed onto the substrate. Nevertheless, preliminary results suggest that ellipsometric measurement is feasible and necessary to measure more accurately and rapidly the film thickness and to improve thermal control of the prism walls.

  20. Effect of Angiotensin II Type I Receptor Blockade with Valsartan on Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis: A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Valsartan and Placebo (EFFERVESCENT).

    PubMed

    Ramadan, Ronnie; Dhawan, Saurabh S; Binongo, José Nilo G; Alkhoder, Ayman; Jones, Dean P; Oshinski, John N; Quyyumi, Arshed A

    2016-04-01

    Progression of atherosclerosis is associated with a greater risk for adverse outcomes. Angiotensin II plays a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate the effects of angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockade with Valsartan on carotid wall atherosclerosis, with the hypothesis that Valsartan will reduce progression of atherosclerosis. Subjects (n = 120) with carotid intima-media thickness >0.65 mm by ultrasound were randomized (2:1) in a double-blind manner to receive either Valsartan or placebo for 2 years. Bilateral T2-weighted black-blood carotid magnetic resonance imaging was performed at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Changes in the carotid bulb vessel wall area and wall thickness were primary endpoints. Secondary endpoints included changes in carotid plaque thickness, plasma levels of aminothiols, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and endothelium-dependent and -independent vascular function. Over 2 years, the carotid bulb vessel wall area decreased with Valsartan (-6.7, 95% CI [-11.6, -1.9] mm(2)) but not with placebo (3.4, 95% CI [-2.8, 9.6] mm(2)), P = .01 between groups. Similarly, mean wall thickness decreased with Valsartan (-0.18, 95% CI [-0.30, -0.06] mm), but not with placebo (0.08, 95% CI [-0.07, 0.23] mm), P = .009 between groups. Furthermore, plaque thickness decreased with Valsartan (-0.35, 95% CI [-0.63, -0.08] mm) but was unchanged with placebo (+0.28, 95% CI [-0.11, 0.69] mm), P = .01 between groups. These findings were unaffected by statin therapy or changes in blood pressure. Notably, there were significant improvements in the aminothiol cysteineglutathione disulfide, and trends to improvements in fibrinogen levels and endothelium-independent vascular function. In subjects with carotid wall thickening, angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockade was associated with regression in carotid atherosclerosis. Whether these effects translate into improved outcomes in subjects with subclinical atherosclerosis warrants investigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Xylogenesis: Coniferous Trees of Temperate Forests Are Listening to the Climate Tale during the Growing Season But Only Remember the Last Words!1

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The complex inner mechanisms that create typical conifer tree-ring structure (i.e. the transition from large, thin-walled earlywood cells to narrow, thick-walled latewood cells) were recently unraveled. However, what physiological or environmental factors drive xylogenesis key processes remain unclear. Here, we aim to quantify the influence of seasonal variations in climatic factors on the spectacular changes in the kinetics of wood cell differentiation and in the resulting tree-ring structure. Wood formation was monitored in three sites over 3 years for three coniferous species (Norway spruce [Picea abies], Scots pine [Pinus sylvestris], and silver fir [Abies alba]). Cell differentiation rates and durations were calculated and related to tracheid final dimensions and corresponding climatic conditions. On the one hand, we found that the kinetics of cell enlargement and the final size of the tracheids were not explained by the seasonal changes in climatic factors. On the other hand, decreasing temperatures strongly constrained cell wall deposition rates during latewood formation. However, the influence of temperature was permanently written into tree-ring structure only for the very last latewood cells, when the collapse of the rate of wall deposition was no longer counterbalanced by the increase of its duration. Our results show that the formation of the typical conifer tree-ring structure, in normal climatic conditions, is only marginally driven by climate, suggesting strong developmental control of xylogenesis. The late breakage of the compensatory mechanism at work in the wall deposition process appears as a clue to understand the capacity of the maximum latewood density to record past temperature conditions. PMID:27208048

  2. Xylogenesis: Coniferous Trees of Temperate Forests Are Listening to the Climate Tale during the Growing Season But Only Remember the Last Words!

    PubMed

    Cuny, Henri E; Rathgeber, Cyrille B K

    2016-05-01

    The complex inner mechanisms that create typical conifer tree-ring structure (i.e. the transition from large, thin-walled earlywood cells to narrow, thick-walled latewood cells) were recently unraveled. However, what physiological or environmental factors drive xylogenesis key processes remain unclear. Here, we aim to quantify the influence of seasonal variations in climatic factors on the spectacular changes in the kinetics of wood cell differentiation and in the resulting tree-ring structure. Wood formation was monitored in three sites over 3 years for three coniferous species (Norway spruce [Picea abies], Scots pine [Pinus sylvestris], and silver fir [Abies alba]). Cell differentiation rates and durations were calculated and related to tracheid final dimensions and corresponding climatic conditions. On the one hand, we found that the kinetics of cell enlargement and the final size of the tracheids were not explained by the seasonal changes in climatic factors. On the other hand, decreasing temperatures strongly constrained cell wall deposition rates during latewood formation. However, the influence of temperature was permanently written into tree-ring structure only for the very last latewood cells, when the collapse of the rate of wall deposition was no longer counterbalanced by the increase of its duration. Our results show that the formation of the typical conifer tree-ring structure, in normal climatic conditions, is only marginally driven by climate, suggesting strong developmental control of xylogenesis. The late breakage of the compensatory mechanism at work in the wall deposition process appears as a clue to understand the capacity of the maximum latewood density to record past temperature conditions. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  3. Modeling magma flow and cooling in dikes: Implications for emplacement of Columbia River flood basalts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petcovic, Heather L.; Dufek, Josef D.

    2005-10-01

    The Columbia River flood basalts include some of the world's largest individual lava flows, most of which were fed by the Chief Joseph dike swarm. The majority of dikes are chilled against their wall rock; however, rare dikes caused their wall rock to undergo partial melting. These partial melt zones record the thermal history of magma flow and cooling in the dike and, consequently, the emplacement history of the flow it fed. Here, we examine two-dimensional thermal models of basalt injection, flow, and cooling in a 10-m-thick dike constrained by the field example of the Maxwell Lake dike, a likely feeder to the large-volume Wapshilla Ridge unit of the Grande Ronde Basalt. Two types of models were developed: static conduction simulations and advective transport simulations. Static conduction simulation results confirm that instantaneous injection and stagnation of a single dike did not produce wall rock melt. Repeated injection generated wall rock melt zones comparable to those observed, yet the regular texture across the dike and its wall rock is inconsistent with repeated brittle injection. Instead, advective flow in the dike for 3-4 years best reproduced the field example. Using this result, we estimate that maximum eruption rates for Wapshilla Ridge flows ranged from 3 to 5 km3 d-1. Local eruption rates were likely lower (minimum 0.1-0.8 km3 d-1), as advective modeling results suggest that other fissure segments as yet unidentified fed the same flow. Consequently, the Maxwell Lake dike probably represents an upper crustal (˜2 km) exposure of a long-lived point source within the Columbia River flood basalts.

  4. Microsurgical Chest Wall Reconstruction After Oncologic Resections

    PubMed Central

    Sauerbier, Michael; Dittler, S.; Kreutzer, C.

    2011-01-01

    Defect reconstruction after radical oncologic resection of malignant chest wall tumors requires adequate soft tissue reconstruction with function, stability, integrity, and an aesthetically acceptable result of the chest wall. The purpose of this article is to describe possible reconstructive microsurgical pathways after full-thickness oncologic resections of the chest wall. Several reliable free flaps are described, and morbidity and mortality rates of patients are discussed. PMID:22294944

  5. 49 CFR 179.103-1 - Type.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... section shall have walls of such thickness and be so reinforced that the stresses in the walls caused by a given internal pressure are no greater than the circumferential stresses which would exist under the...

  6. 49 CFR 179.103-1 - Type.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... section shall have walls of such thickness and be so reinforced that the stresses in the walls caused by a given internal pressure are no greater than the circumferential stresses which would exist under the...

  7. 49 CFR 179.103-1 - Type.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... cross section shall have walls of such thickness and be so reinforced that the stresses in the walls caused by a given internal pressure are no greater than the circumferential stresses which would exist...

  8. SU-F-T-28: Evaluation of BEBIG HDR Co-60 After-Loading System for Skin Cancer Treatment Using Conical Surface Applicator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Safigholi, H; Soliman, A; Song, W Y

    Purpose: To evaluate the possibility of utilizing the BEBIG HDR 60Co remote after-loading system for malignant skin surface treatment using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation technique. Methods: First TG-43 parameters of BEBIG-Co-60 and Nucletron Ir-192-mHDR-V2 brachytherapy sources were simulated using MCNP6 code to benchmark the sources against the literature. Second a conical tungsten-alloy with 3-cm diameter of Planning-Target-Volume (PTV) at surface for use with a single stepping HDR source is designed. The HDR source is modeled parallel to treatment plane at the center of the conical applicator with a source surface distance (SSD) of 1.5-cm and a removable plastic end-cap withmore » a 1-mm thickness. Third, MC calculated dose distributions from HDR Co-60 for conical surface applicator were compared with the simulated data using HDR Ir-192 source. The initial calculations were made with the same conical surface applicator (standard-applicator) dimensions as the ones used with the Ir-192 system. Fourth, the applicator wall-thickness for the Co-60 system was increased (doubled) to diminish leakage dose to levels received when using the Ir-192 system. With this geometry, percentage depth dose (PDD), and relative 2D-dose profiles in transverse/coronal planes were normalized at 3-mm prescription-depth evaluated along the central axis. Results: PDD for Ir-192 and Co-60 were similar with standard and thick-walled applicator. 2D-relative dose distribution of Co-60, inside the standard-conical-applicator, generated higher penumbra (7.6%). For thick-walled applicator, it created smaller penumbra (<4%) compared to Ir-192 source in the standard-conicalapplicator. Dose leakage outside of thick-walled applicator with Co-60 source was approximately equal (≤3%) with standard applicator using Ir-192 source. Conclusion: Skin cancer treatment with equal quality can be performed with Co-60 source and thick-walled conical applicators instead of Ir-192 with standard applicators. These conical surface applicator must be used with a protective plastic end-cap to eliminate electron contamination and over-dosage of the skin.« less

  9. Research on the effect of wall corrosion and rim seal on the withdrawal loss for a floating roof tank.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yongqiang; Liu, Minmin; Liu, Fang; Zhao, Chaocheng; Zhao, Dongfeng; Han, Fenglei; Liu, Chunshuang

    2018-04-25

    Storage tanks are important parts of volatile organic compound (VOC) fugitive emission sources of the petrochemical industry; the floating roof tank is the main oil storage facility at present. Based on the mechanism of withdrawal loss and the type of rim seal, octane and gasoline were taken as the research objects. A model instrument for simulating the oil loading process by the 316 stainless steel and A3 carbon steel as the test piece was designed, and the film thickness was measured by wet film thickness gauge to investigate the influence of the corrosion of the tank wall and rim seal on the withdrawal loss for floating roof tanks. It was found that withdrawal loss was directly proportional to the shell factor, and the oil thickness of the octane and gasoline increased with the strength of the wall corrosion with the same wall material and rim seal. Compared with the untreated test piece, the oil film thickness of the octane/gasoline was increased by 7.04~8.57 μm/13.14~21.93 μm and 5.59~11.49 μm/11.61~25.48 μm under the corrosion of hydrochloric acid for 32 and 75 h, respectively. The oil film thickness of octane and gasoline decreased with the increasing of the rim seal, and the oil film thickness of the octane decreased by 11.97~28.90% and 37.32~73.83% under the resilient-filled seal and the double seal, respectively. The gasoline dropped by 11.97~31.18% and 45.98~75.34% under the resilient-filled seal and the double seal, respectively. In addition, the tank surface roughness reduced the compression of the rim seal on the tank wall, and the effect of scraping decreased. The API withdrawal loss formula for a floating roof tank was recommended to take into account the effect of the rim seal to improve the accuracy of the loss evaluation. Finally, some measures of reducing the withdrawal loss were proposed.

  10. Three-dimensional analysis of alveolar wall destruction in the early stage of pulmonary emphysema.

    PubMed

    Kobayashi, Yukihiro; Uehara, Takeshi; Kawasaki, Kenji; Sugano, Mitsutoshi; Matsumoto, Takehisa; Matsumoto, Gou; Honda, Takayuki

    2015-03-01

    The morphological mechanism of alveolar wall destruction during pulmonary emphysema has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to elucidate this process three-dimensionally. Lung specimens from five patients with pulmonary emphysema were used, and five controls with normal alveolar structure were also examined. Sections 150 μm thick were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, elastica, and silver impregnation, and immunostained with selected antibodies. We examined these sections three-dimensionally using a laser confocal microscope and a light microscope. There were only a few Kohn's pores and no fenestrae in the normal alveoli from the controls. In the lungs of the emphysema patients a small rupture appeared in the extremely thin alveolar wall among the alveolar capillaries. This rupture enlarged to form a circle surrounded by the capillaries, which was called an alveolar fenestra. Two neighboring fenestrae fused by breakdown of the collapsed or cord-like capillary between them to form a large fenestra. The large fenestrae fused repeatedly to become larger, and these were bordered by thick elastic fibers constructing an alveolar framework. Alveolar wall destruction during emphysema could start from small ruptures of the alveolar wall that become fenestrae surrounded by capillaries, which fuse repeatedly to become larger fenestrae rimmed with elastic fibers. The alveolar capillary network could initially prevent enlargement of the fenestrae, and the thick elastic fibers constituting the alveolar framework could secondarily prevent destruction of the alveolar wall structure. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Formation of atomically smooth epitaxial metal films on a chemically reactive interface: Mg on Si(111)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Özer, Mustafa M.; Weitering, Hanno H.

    2013-07-01

    Deposition of Mg on Si(111)7 × 7 produces an epitaxial magnesium silicide layer. Under identical annealing conditions, the thickness of this Mg2Si(111) layer increases with deposition amount, reaching a maximum of 4 monolayer (ML) and decreasing to ˜3 ML at higher Mg coverage. Excess Mg coalesces into atomically flat, crystalline Mg(0001) films. This surprising growth mode can be attributed to the accidental commensurability of the Mg(0001), Si(111), and Mg2Si(111) interlayer spacing and the concurrent minimization of in-plane Si mass transfer and domain-wall energies. The commensurability of the interlayer spacing defines a highly unique solid-phase epitaxial growth process capable of producing trilayer structures with atomically abrupt interfaces and atomically smooth surface morphologies.

  12. Welding Thermal Simulation and Corrosion Study of X-70 Deep Sea Pipeline Steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Weipeng; Li, Zhuoran; Gao, Jixiang; Peng, Zhengwu

    2017-12-01

    Gleeble thermomechanical processing machine was used to simulate coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) of API X-70 thick wall pipeline steel used in deep sea. Microstructures and corresponding corrosion behavior of the simulated CGHAZs using different cooling rate were investigated and compared to the as-received material by scanning electron microscope and electrochemical experiments carried out in 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution. Results of this study show that the as-received samples exhibited a little bit higher corrosion resistance than the simulated CGHAZs. Among 3 sets of simulation experiments, the maximum corrosion tendency was exhibited at the t8/5 = 20 s with the most martensite-austensite (M-A) microstructure and highest corrosion potential was shown at the t8/5 = 60 s.

  13. Right dorsal colon ultrasonography in normal adult ponies and miniature horses.

    PubMed

    Siwinska, Natalia; Zak, Agnieszka; Baron, Monika; Cylna, Marta; Borowicz, Hieronim

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the normal location, wall thickness and motility of the right dorsal colon in adult ponies and miniature horses. The abdominal ultrasonography examination was performed in a study group consisting of 23 ponies and miniature horses and in a control group comprising ten Thoroughbred horses. The procedure was performed in unsedated standing animals. The location and the thickness of the right dorsal colonic wall was examined on the right side of the abdomen between the 10th and the 14th intercostal space. The contractility was recorded in the 12th intercostal space. A comparative analysis between the study group and control group was carried out using the Student's t-test. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient was used to calculate the correlation between the thickness of the colonic wall as well as the number of peristaltic movements and age, wither height and body mass of the animals. The right dorsal colon was identified in all the horses in the 12th intercostal space. In all the intercostal spaces the mean ± standard deviation (SD) wall thickness of the right dorsal colon was 0.27 ± 0.03 cm in the horses from the study group and 0.37 ± 0.03 cm in the control horses. The mean number of peristaltic contractions was 4.05 ± 1.07 per minute in the animals from the study group and 1.7 ± 0.46 contractions per minute in the control group. The values of the ultrasonographic wall thickness and peristaltic motility in small breed horses in the present study were different from the values obtained for large breed horses. The study also found that the right dorsal colon in small breed horses is physiologically located in the 12th intercostal space. This suggests that different reference values should be used in small horse breeds when performing an ultrasound examination.

  14. Right dorsal colon ultrasonography in normal adult ponies and miniature horses

    PubMed Central

    Zak, Agnieszka; Baron, Monika; Cylna, Marta; Borowicz, Hieronim

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the normal location, wall thickness and motility of the right dorsal colon in adult ponies and miniature horses. The abdominal ultrasonography examination was performed in a study group consisting of 23 ponies and miniature horses and in a control group comprising ten Thoroughbred horses. The procedure was performed in unsedated standing animals. The location and the thickness of the right dorsal colonic wall was examined on the right side of the abdomen between the 10th and the 14th intercostal space. The contractility was recorded in the 12th intercostal space. A comparative analysis between the study group and control group was carried out using the Student’s t-test. Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient was used to calculate the correlation between the thickness of the colonic wall as well as the number of peristaltic movements and age, wither height and body mass of the animals. The right dorsal colon was identified in all the horses in the 12th intercostal space. In all the intercostal spaces the mean ± standard deviation (SD) wall thickness of the right dorsal colon was 0.27 ± 0.03 cm in the horses from the study group and 0.37 ± 0.03 cm in the control horses. The mean number of peristaltic contractions was 4.05 ± 1.07 per minute in the animals from the study group and 1.7 ± 0.46 contractions per minute in the control group. The values of the ultrasonographic wall thickness and peristaltic motility in small breed horses in the present study were different from the values obtained for large breed horses. The study also found that the right dorsal colon in small breed horses is physiologically located in the 12th intercostal space. This suggests that different reference values should be used in small horse breeds when performing an ultrasound examination. PMID:29065146

  15. Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Pressed Straw Concrete Brick

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sumarni, S.; Wijanarko, W.

    2018-03-01

    Rice straws have been widely used as wall filler material in China, Australia, and United States, by spinning them into hays with an approximate dimension of 40 cm of height, 40cm of thickness and 60 cm of width, using a machine. Then, the hays are placed into a wall frame until they fill it completely. After that, the wall frame is covered with wire mesh and plastered. In this research, rice straws are to be used as concrete brick fillers, by pressing the straws into hays and then putting them into the concrete brick mold along with mortar. The objective of this research is to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete brick, namely: compressive strength, specific gravity, and water absorption power. This research used experimental research method. It was conducted by using concrete bricks which had 400 cm of width, 200 cm of height, and 100 cm of thickness, made from rice straws, cement, sand, and water as the test sample. The straws were each made different by their volume. The mortars used in this research were made from cement, sand, and water, with the ratio of 1:7:0.5. The concrete bricks were made by pressing straws mixed with glue into hays, and then cut by determined variations of volume. The variations of hays volume were 0 m3, 0.000625 m3, 0.00075 m3, 0.000875 m3, 0.00125 m3, 0.0015 m3, 0.00175 m3, 0.001875 m3, 0.00225 m3, and 0.002625 m3. There were 3 samples for each volumes of hays. The result shows that the straw concrete bricks reached the maximum compressive strength of 1.92 MPa, specific gravity of 1,702 kg/m3, and water absorption level of 3.9 %. Based on the provided measurements of products in the Standar Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian product standardization), the concrete bricks produced attained the prescribed standard quality.

  16. Simulation of water-table aquifers using specified saturated thickness

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sheets, Rodney A.; Hill, Mary C.; Haitjema, Henk M.; Provost, Alden M.; Masterson, John P.

    2014-01-01

    Simulating groundwater flow in a water-table (unconfined) aquifer can be difficult because the saturated thickness available for flow depends on model-calculated hydraulic heads. It is often possible to realize substantial time savings and still obtain accurate head and flow solutions by specifying an approximate saturated thickness a priori, thus linearizing this aspect of the model. This specified-thickness approximation often relies on the use of the “confined” option in numerical models, which has led to confusion and criticism of the method. This article reviews the theoretical basis for the specified-thickness approximation, derives an error analysis for relatively ideal problems, and illustrates the utility of the approximation with a complex test problem. In the transient version of our complex test problem, the specified-thickness approximation produced maximum errors in computed drawdown of about 4% of initial aquifer saturated thickness even when maximum drawdowns were nearly 20% of initial saturated thickness. In the final steady-state version, the approximation produced maximum errors in computed drawdown of about 20% of initial aquifer saturated thickness (mean errors of about 5%) when maximum drawdowns were about 35% of initial saturated thickness. In early phases of model development, such as during initial model calibration efforts, the specified-thickness approximation can be a very effective tool to facilitate convergence. The reduced execution time and increased stability obtained through the approximation can be especially useful when many model runs are required, such as during inverse model calibration, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, multimodel analysis, and development of optimal resource management scenarios.

  17. Regulation of Neurospora crassa cell wall remodeling via the cot-1 pathway is mediated by gul-1.

    PubMed

    Herold, Inbal; Yarden, Oded

    2017-02-01

    Impairment of the Neurospora crassa Nuclear DBF2-related kinase-encoding gene cot-1 results in pleiotropic effects, including abnormally thick hyphal cell walls and septa. An increase in the transcript abundance of genes encoding chitin and glucan synthases and the chitinase gh18-5, but not the cell wall integrity pathway transcription factor rlm-1, accompany the phenotypic changes observed. Deletion of chs-5 or chs-7 in a cot-1 background results in a reduction of hyperbranching frequency characteristic of the cot-1 parent. gul-1 (a homologue of the yeast SSD1 gene) encodes a translational regulator and has been shown to partially suppress cot-1. We demonstrate that the high expression levels of the cell wall remodeling genes analyzed is curbed, and reaches near wild type levels, when gul-1 is inactivated. This is accompanied by morphological changes that include reduced cell wall thickness and restoration of normal chitin levels. We conclude that gul-1 is a mediator of cell wall remodeling within the cot-1 pathway.

  18. Wood formation from the base to the crown in Pinus radiata: gradients of tracheid wall thickness, wood density, radial growth rate and gene expression

    Treesearch

    Sheree Cato; Lisa McMillan; Lloyd Donaldson; Thomas Richardson; Craig Echt; Richard Gardner

    2006-01-01

    Wood formation was investigated at five heights along the bole for two unrelated trees of Pinus radiataBoth trees showed clear gradients in wood properties from the base to the crown. Cambial cells at the base of the tree were dividing 3.3-fold slower than those at the crown, while the average thickness of cell walls in wood was highest at the base....

  19. Formation of Rhamnogalacturonan II-Borate Dimer in Pectin Determines Cell Wall Thickness of Pumpkin Tissue1

    PubMed Central

    Ishii, Tadashi; Matsunaga, Toshiro; Hayashi, Noriko

    2001-01-01

    Boron (B) deficiency results in inhibition of pumpkin (Cucurbia moschata Duchesne) growth that is accompanied by swelling of the cell walls. Monomeric rhamnogalacturonan II (mRG-II) accounted for 80% to 90% of the total RG-II in B-deficient walls, whereas the borate ester cross-linked RG-II dimer (dRG-II-B) accounted for more than 80% of the RG-II in control plants. The results of glycosyl residue and glycosyl linkage composition analyses of the RG-II from control and B-deficient plants were similar. Thus, B deficiency does not alter the primary structure of RG-II. The addition of 10B-enriched boric acid to B-deficient plants resulted within 5 h in the conversion of mRG-II to dRG-II-10B. The wall thickness of the 10B-treated plants and control plants was similar. The formation and possible functions of a borate ester cross-linked RG-II in the cell walls are discussed. PMID:11500567

  20. Association Between Pseudotumor Formation and Patient Factors in Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty Population.

    PubMed

    Kleeman, Lindsay T; Goltz, Daniel; Seyler, Thorsten M; Mammarappallil, Joseph G; Attarian, David E; Wellman, Samuel S; Bolognesi, Michael P

    2018-07-01

    Pseudotumor formation from metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implants is associated with implant revision. The relationship between pseudotumor type and patient outcomes is unknown. We retrospectively reviewed patients with a MoM total hip arthroplasty and metal artifact reduction sequence magnetic resonance imaging. Pseudotumors were graded using a validated classification system by a fellowship-trained radiologist. Patient demographics, metal ion levels, and implant survival were analyzed. Pseudotumors were present in 49 hips (53%). Thirty-two (65%) pseudotumors were cystic thin walled, 8 (16%) were cystic thick walled, and 9 (18%) were solid masses. Patients with pseudotumors had high offset stems (P = .030) but not higher metal ion levels. Patients with thick-walled cystic or solid masses were more likely to be symptomatic (P = .025) and were at increased risk for revision (P = .004) compared to patients with cystic lesions. Pseudotumor formation is present in 53% of patients with a MoM total hip arthroplasty, of which 40% were asymptomatic. Patients with thick-walled cystic and solid lesions were more likely to be symptomatic and undergo revision. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. New possibilities for tuning ultrathin cobalt film magnetic properties by a noble metal overlayer.

    PubMed

    Kisielewski, M; Maziewski, A; Tekielak, M; Wawro, A; Baczewski, L T

    2002-08-19

    Complementary multiscale magneto-optical studies based on the polar Kerr effect are carried out on an ultrathin cobalt wedge covered with a silver wedge and subsequently with the Au thick layer. A few monolayers of Ag are found to have a substantial effect on magnetic anisotropy, the coercivity field, and Kerr rotation. The silver overlayer thickness-driven magnetic reorientation from easy axis to easy plane generates a new type of 90 degrees magnetic wall for cobalt thicknesses between 1.3 and 1.8 nm. The tuning of the wall width in a wide range is possible. Tailoring of the overlayer structure can be used for ultrathin film magnetic patterning.

  2. [Oocyst structure and problem of coccidian taxonomy].

    PubMed

    Beĭer, T B; Svezhova, N V; Sidorenko, N V

    2001-01-01

    A comparative ultrastructural study was made of both thin- and thick-walled oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum. According to the authors' findings, all the oocysts in C. parvum should be considered as thin-walled, since their walls have been composed of a single membrane or of two, closely apposed membranes without any additional substance in between. Despite the presence of two types of wall-forming bodies (WFB) in the maturing macrogamete or zygote, there is no evidence of their involvement in oocyst wall formation. In this concern, the function and destiny of WFB in C. parvum oocysts still remain obscure. Similar structure of the oocysts wall was reported elsewhere for thin-walled oocysts of fish coccidia of the genera Goussia and Eimeria. In C. parvum, the "thick-walled" oocysts differ from oocysts with thin walls in the availability in the former of a single sporocyst. The sporocyst wall consists of two unequal layers: a thin outer layer and a thicker inner one, in which a characteristic suture line is occasionally seen. By this feature the thick-walled oocysts of C. parvum bear similarities with oocysts of the cyst-forming coccidia (Cystoisospora, Toxoplasma, Sarcocystis) and of the genus Goussia: in all these the valves making up the sporocyst wall are joint just along the suture line. The literary and the authors' own data make it possible to suppose that the suture detected in C. parvum oocysts is located in the sporocyst wall, joining its valves, rather than in the oocyst wall proper, known to be composed of one or two, closely apposed unit membranes. Again, the availability of a suture (or sutures) in the sporocyst hardly provides enough reason to relate C. parvum with either cyst-forming, or fish coccidia, since this structure itself may be of a convergency character, rather than of systematic value. This may be substantiated, at least in part, by the authors' previous findings (Beyer, Sidorenko, 1984) of a similar structure, originally referred to as a "slit channel", in the intraerythrocytic capsule around gamont stage of haemogregarines--the adeleid coccidia of the genus Karyolysus. The suture-like structure could have originated in the evolution independently in different groups of parasitic protozoa to serve eventually as a suitable mechanism for immediate separation of elements involved in protective formation harbouring different developmental stages, including, for example, sporozoites in the eimeriid coccidia, or gamonts in the adeleid coccidia.

  3. Step-by-step design of a single phase 3.3 kV/200 a resistive type superconducting fault current limiter (R-SFCL) and cryostat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kar, Soumen; Rao, V. V.

    2018-07-01

    In our first attempt to design a single phase R-SFCL in India, we have chosen the typical rating of a medium voltage level (3.3 kVrms, 200 Arms, 1Φ) R-SFCL. The step-by-step design procedure for the R-SFCL involves conductor selection, time dependent electro-thermal simulations and recovery time optimization after fault removal. In the numerical analysis, effective fault limitation for a fault current of 5 kA for the medium voltage level R-SFCL are simulated. Maximum normal state resistance and maximum temperature rise in the SFCL coil during current limitation are estimated using one-dimensional energy balance equation. Further, a cryogenic system is conceptually designed for aforesaid MV level R-SFCL by considering inner and outer vessel materials, wall-thickness and thermal insulation which can be used for R-SFCL system. Finally, the total thermal load is calculated for the designed R-SFCL cryostat to select a suitable cryo-refrigerator for LN2 re-condensation.

  4. Triptorelin and cetrorelix induce immune responses and affect uterine development and expressions of genes and proteins of ESR1, LHR, and FSHR of mice.

    PubMed

    Wei, Suocheng; Guo, Huiling; Gong, Zhuandi; Zhang, Fengwei; Ma, Zhongren

    2016-06-01

    GnRH immunity can reduce the expression of pituitary GnRH levels, and cause the changes in reproductive behaviors. It is unclear whether triptorelin (TRI) and cetrorelix (CET) immunity influences uterine development and expression of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), and estradiol receptor 1 (ERS1) in the uterus. The study investigated the effects of active immunity of GnRH agonist and antagonist on uterine development, microstructures, expression of hormone receptors mRNAs, and proteins in uteri. One hundred and five mice were assigned into CET, TRI, and control groups (CG). Mice in CET-1, CET-2, and CET-3 (n = 15) were subcutaneously injected with 10, 20, and 40 μg CET antigens for seven days, respectively. Mice in TRI-1, TRI-2, and TRI-3 were injected with 10, 20, and 40 μg TRI antigens for seven days, respectively. The qPCR and Western blot were implemented to determine expressions of ESR1, LHR and FSHR mRNAs, and proteins. Compared with CG, the uterine weights of CET-1, CET-2, and CET-3 increased by 42.86, 62.86, and 10.00% on day 35 (p < 0.05), respectively. Uterine weights of TRI-2, TRI-3 reduced by 28.57% and 11.43% (p < 0.05), respectively. The uterine cavity in CET-1, CET-2, and CET-3 increased; the uterine wall became thick. The cytoplasm of endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) increased slightly. In TRI group, the uterine wall thinned. Uterine cavity became narrow slightly in TRI-1. Numbers of uterine glands reduced. The endometrium epithelial thickness (EET) in CET-1 and CET-2 increased by 68.21% and 79.46% (p < 0.05), respectively. EET in TRI-1 was decreased by 13.69%. Uterine wall thicknesses (UWT) in CET-1 and CET-2 were higher than CG, with the increment of 28.59% and 30.72%. UWT of TRI-1, TRI-2, and TRI-3 reduced by 29.35, 15.36, and 14.41%, respectively. Expressions of ESR1, FSHR, and LHR mRNAs in CET and TRI mice increased. ESR1 and FSHR protein levels increased in all experimental mice (p < 0.05), with a maximum of TRI-3. LHR protein levels of the CET decreased. LHR protein levels of TRI group increased, with a maximum of TRI-3 (p < 0.05). ESR1 protein level had significant negative correlations to mRNA expressions of ESR1, LHR, and FSHR. CET immunity promoted the uterine development, improved EET and UWT, and also promoted the expressions of ESR1 and FSHR protein levels. It lessened the LHR protein levels. TRI immunity blocked EET and UWT, inhibited uterine growth and development. The efficacy of CET immunity was more obvious than TRI.

  5. Design Optimization of Hybrid FRP/RC Bridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papapetrou, Vasileios S.; Tamijani, Ali Y.; Brown, Jeff; Kim, Daewon

    2018-04-01

    The hybrid bridge consists of a Reinforced Concrete (RC) slab supported by U-shaped Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) girders. Previous studies on similar hybrid bridges constructed in the United States and Europe seem to substantiate these hybrid designs for lightweight, high strength, and durable highway bridge construction. In the current study, computational and optimization analyses were carried out to investigate six composite material systems consisting of E-glass and carbon fibers. Optimization constraints are determined by stress, deflection and manufacturing requirements. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and optimization software were utilized, and a framework was developed to run the complete analyses in an automated fashion. Prior to that, FEA validation of previous studies on similar U-shaped FRP girders that were constructed in Poland and Texas is presented. A finer optimization analysis is performed for the case of the Texas hybrid bridge. The optimization outcome of the hybrid FRP/RC bridge shows the appropriate composite material selection and cross-section geometry that satisfies all the applicable Limit States (LS) and, at the same time, results in the lightest design. Critical limit states show that shear stress criteria determine the optimum design for bridge spans less than 15.24 m and deflection criteria controls for longer spans. Increased side wall thickness can reduce maximum observed shear stresses, but leads to a high weight penalty. A taller cross-section and a thicker girder base can efficiently lower the observed deflections and normal stresses. Finally, substantial weight savings can be achieved by the optimization framework if base and side-wall thickness are treated as independent variables.

  6. The structural significance of HAZ sigma phase formation in welded 25%Cr super duplex pipework

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wiesner, C.S.; Garwood, S.J.; Bowden, P.L.

    1993-12-31

    The welding of 25%Cr duplex stainless steel can lead to the formation of sigma phase in both weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ) regions. It has generally been accepted that this can be avoided by the adoption of appropriate welding procedure controls, generally aimed at reducing heat input and promoting rapid cooling rates. However, experience during pipe spool fabrication for the Marathon East Brae Project has shown that it is extremely difficult to satisfy a welding specification requiring sigma free HAZs. This has proved a particular problem with thin wall pipe welds made in the 2G/5G or 6G fixedmore » positions, where the joint geometry reduces heat flow away from the weld and welding conditions tend to result in the use of higher heat inputs. This paper examines the effect of sigma phase on the fracture toughness of 25%Cr super duplex steel (UNS S32760). It is shown that the CTOD toughness at {minus}20 C decreases as soon as any sigma phase is present and continues to decrease with increasing sigma levels. The toughness of the sigmatized specimens produced by heat treatment was shown to be conservative compared to the toughness measured in the HAZ of 14.2mm and 7.1mm thick pipe weldments, made with welding parameters chosen to enhance HAZ sigma phase formation. Based on the CTOD versus percent sigma level relationship derived from the laboratory specimens, fracture assessment calculations of tolerable flaw sizes were performed. These demonstrated that under the severest design conditions, assuming the maximum flaw sizes which could remain undetected in the pipework, sigma levels up to 2.5% can be tolerated safely. The conservatism of the fracture assessments for predicting the performance of weldments was demonstrated by full scale tensile testing of 2 inch nominal bore x 2.77 mm wall thickness pipe butt welds containing through-thickness circumferential fatigue cracks located in the sigmatized HAZ.« less

  7. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations in the COPDGene Study: Associated Radiologic Phenotypes

    PubMed Central

    Kazerooni, Ella A.; Lynch, David A.; Liu, Lyrica X.; Murray, Susan; Curtis, Jeffrey L.; Criner, Gerard J.; Kim, Victor; Bowler, Russell P.; Hanania, Nicola A.; Anzueto, Antonio R.; Make, Barry J.; Hokanson, John E.; Crapo, James D.; Silverman, Edwin K.; Martinez, Fernando J.; Washko, George R.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To test the hypothesis—given the increasing emphasis on quantitative computed tomographic (CT) phenotypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—that a relationship exists between COPD exacerbation frequency and quantitative CT measures of emphysema and airway disease. Materials and Methods: This research protocol was approved by the institutional review board of each participating institution, and all participants provided written informed consent. One thousand two subjects who were enrolled in the COPDGene Study and met the GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) criteria for COPD with quantitative CT analysis were included. Total lung emphysema percentage was measured by using the attenuation mask technique with a −950-HU threshold. An automated program measured the mean wall thickness and mean wall area percentage in six segmental bronchi. The frequency of COPD exacerbation in the prior year was determined by using a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed to examine the relationship of exacerbation frequency with lung function and quantitative CT measurements. Results: In a multivariate analysis adjusted for lung function, bronchial wall thickness and total lung emphysema percentage were associated with COPD exacerbation frequency. Each 1-mm increase in bronchial wall thickness was associated with a 1.84-fold increase in annual exacerbation rate (P = .004). For patients with 35% or greater total emphysema, each 5% increase in emphysema was associated with a 1.18-fold increase in this rate (P = .047). Conclusion: Greater lung emphysema and airway wall thickness were associated with COPD exacerbations, independent of the severity of airflow obstruction. Quantitative CT can help identify subgroups of patients with COPD who experience exacerbations for targeted research and therapy development for individual phenotypes. © RSNA, 2011 Supplemental material: http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11110173/-/DC1 PMID:21788524

  8. Monitoring of corrosion damage using high-frequency guided ultrasonic waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chew, D.; Fromme, P.

    2014-03-01

    Due to adverse environmental conditions corrosion can develop during the life cycle of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Both pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the degradation of the integrity and load bearing capacity of the structure. Structural health monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can in principle be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic transducers with single sided access to the structure, high frequency guided wave modes were generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. Wall thickness reduction was induced using accelerated corrosion in a salt water bath. The corrosion damage was monitored based on the effect on the wave propagation and interference of the different modes. The change in the wave interference was quantified based on an analysis in the frequency domain (Fourier transform) and was found to match well with theoretical predictions for the wall thickness loss. High frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

  9. Monitoring of corrosion damage using high-frequency guided ultrasonic waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chew, D.; Fromme, P.

    2015-03-01

    Due to adverse environmental conditions corrosion can develop during the life cycle of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Both pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the degradation of the integrity and load bearing capacity of the structure. Structural health monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can in principle be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic transducers with single sided access to the structure, high frequency guided wave modes were generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. Wall thickness reduction was induced using accelerated corrosion in a salt water bath. The corrosion damage was monitored based on the effect on the wave propagation and interference of the different modes. The change in the wave interference was quantified based on an analysis in the frequency domain (Fourier transform) and was found to match well with theoretical predictions for the wall thickness loss. High frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

  10. Factors affecting measurement of optic parameters by time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy in breast cancer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshizawa, Nobuko; Ueda, Yukio; Mimura, Tetsuya; Ohmae, Etsuko; Yoshimoto, Kenji; Wada, Hiroko; Ogura, Hiroyuki; Sakahara, Harumi

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the thickness and depth of tumors on hemoglobin measurements in breast cancer by optical spectroscopy and to demonstrate tissue oxygen saturation (SO2) and reduced scattering coefficient (μs‧) in breast tissue and breast cancer in relation to the skin-to-chest wall distance. We examined 53 tumors from 44 patients. Total hemoglobin concentration (tHb), SO2, and μs‧ were measured by time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS). The skin-to-chest wall distance and the size and depth of tumors were measured by ultrasonography. There was a positive correlation between tHb and tumor thickness, and a negative correlation between tHb and tumor depth. SO2 in breast tissue decreased when the skin-to-chest wall distance decreased, and SO2 in tumors tended to be lower than in breast tissue. In breast tissue, there was a negative correlation between μs‧ and the skin-to-chest wall distance, and μs‧ in tumors was higher than in breast tissue. Measurement of tHb in breast cancer by TRS was influenced by tumor thickness and depth. Although SO2 seemed lower and μs‧ was higher in breast cancer than in breast tissue, the skin-to-chest wall distance may have affected the measurements.

  11. Determination of the Kwall correction factor for a cylindrical ionization chamber to measure air-kerma in 60Co gamma beams.

    PubMed

    Laitano, R F; Toni, M P; Pimpinella, M; Bovi, M

    2002-07-21

    The factor Kwall to correct for photon attenuation and scatter in the wall of ionization chambers for 60Co air-kerma measurement has been traditionally determined by a procedure based on a linear extrapolation of the chamber current to zero wall thickness. Monte Carlo calculations by Rogers and Bielajew (1990 Phys. Med. Biol. 35 1065-78) provided evidence, mostly for chambers of cylindrical and spherical geometry, of appreciable deviations between the calculated values of Kwall and those obtained by the traditional extrapolation procedure. In the present work an experimental method other than the traditional extrapolation procedure was used to determine the Kwall factor. In this method the dependence of the ionization current in a cylindrical chamber was analysed as a function of an effective wall thickness in place of the physical (radial) wall thickness traditionally considered in this type of measurement. To this end the chamber wall was ideally divided into distinct regions and for each region an effective thickness to which the chamber current correlates was determined. A Monte Carlo calculation of attenuation and scatter effects in the different regions of the chamber wall was also made to compare calculation to measurement results. The Kwall values experimentally determined in this work agree within 0.2% with the Monte Carlo calculation. The agreement between these independent methods and the appreciable deviation (up to about 1%) between the results of both these methods and those obtained by the traditional extrapolation procedure support the conclusion that the two independent methods providing comparable results are correct and the traditional extrapolation procedure is likely to be wrong. The numerical results of the present study refer to a cylindrical cavity chamber like that adopted as the Italian national air-kerma standard at INMRI-ENEA (Italy). The method used in this study applies, however, to any other chamber of the same type.

  12. Impact of beta thalassemia on maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages: A case control study.

    PubMed

    Ragab, Ahmed; Ragab, Seham Mohammed; Shawki, Mohammed

    2015-12-01

    Skeletal changes among beta (β) thalassemia children are well documented, but without available data regarding sino-nasal passages alterations. The authors investigated the maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages changes in β-thalassemia children and correlated such changes with the amount of transfused red cells and the erythroid marrow activity. Clinical analyses including otorhinolaryngical examination (ORL) were obtained in twenty β-thalassemia children and 20 matched healthy controls. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (BMD ls) were assayed. The two groups were analyzed for the CT image parameters: bone thickness, anterior and posterior choanae diameters, extramedullary hematopoiesis and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) RESULTS: Nasal congestion/obstruction was identified in 14 (70%) children. Eight patients (40%) had criteria of chronic rhinosinusitis. In comparison with the normal controls, the increase in the roof, floor, medial, anterior, lateral and posterior maxillary bony walls thickness was significantly higher (1.26, 2.46, 2.6, 2.9, 3.23 and 5.34-folds, respectively). The mean posterior choanae horizontal, vertical diameters and their surface area were significantly reduced in the patients compared to the controls. The mean anterior maxillary wall bone thickness directly correlated with sTfR (P=0.047) while that of the posterior wall correlated inversely with Hb level (P=0.013). The mean vertical posterior choanae diameter had positive correlation with the amount of transfused red cells (P=0.001) and negative correlation with sTfR (P=0.001). The Hounsfield unit of maxillary sinus wall had direct relation with BMDls (P=0.003) CONCLUSIONS: Thalassemia children are at risk of different folds increase of maxillary sinuses walls thicknesses utmost at posterior and lateral walls. Other sino-nasal morbidities include diminished posterior choanal diameter, nasal obstruction and CRS. Certain morbidities had relations to the erythroid marrow activity and the transfusion adequacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. [In vitro comparison of root canal preparation with step-back technique and GT rotary file--a nickel-titanium engine driven rotary instrument system].

    PubMed

    Krajczár, Károly; Tóth, Vilmos; Nyárády, Zoltán; Szabó, Gyula

    2005-06-01

    The aim of the authors' study was to compare the remaining root canal wall thickness and the preparation time of root canals, prepared either with step-back technique, or with GT Rotary File, an engine driven nickel-titanium rotary instrument system. Twenty extracted molars were decoronated. Teeth were divided in two groups. In Group 1 root canals were prepared with step-back technique. In Group 2 GT Rotary File System was utilized. Preoperative vestibulo-oral X-ray pictures were taken from all teeth with radiovisiograph (RVG). The final preparations at the mesiobuccal canals (MB) were performed with size #30 and palatinal/distal canals with size #40 instruments. Postoperative RVG pictures were taken ensuring the preoperative positioning. The working time was measured in seconds during each preparation. The authors also assessed the remaining root canal wall thickness at 3, 6 and 9 mm from the radiological apex, comparing the width of the canal walls of the vestibulo-oral projections on pre- and postoperative RVG pictures both mesially and buccally. The ratios of the residual and preoperative root canal wall thickness were calculated and compared. The largest difference was found at the MB canals of the coronal and middle third level of the root, measured on the distal canal wall. The ratio of the remaining dentin wall thickness at the coronal and the middle level in the case of step-back preparation was 0.605 and 0.754, and 0.824 and 0.895 in the cases of GT files respectively. The preparation time needed for GT Rotary File System was altogether 68.7% (MB) and 52.5% (D/P canals) of corresponding step-back preparation times. The use of GT Rotary File with comparison of standard step-back method resulted in a shortened preparation time and excessive damage of the coronal part of the root canal could be avoided.

  14. DNS and modeling of the interaction between turbulent premixed flames and walls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poinsot, T. J.; Haworth, D. C.

    1992-01-01

    The interaction between turbulent premixed flames and walls is studied using a two-dimensional full Navier-Stokes solver with simple chemistry. The effects of wall distance on the local and global flame structure are investigated. Quenching distances and maximum wall heat fluxes during quenching are computed in laminar cases and are found to be comparable to experimental and analytical results. For turbulent cases, it is shown that quenching distances and maximum heat fluxes remain of the same order as for laminar flames. Based on simulation results, a 'law-of-the-wall' model is derived to describe the interaction between a turbulent premixed flame and a wall. This model is constructed to provide reasonable behavior of flame surface density near a wall under the assumption that flame-wall interaction takes place at scales smaller than the computational mesh. It can be implemented in conjunction with any of several recent flamelet models based on a modeled surface density equation, with no additional constraints on mesh size or time step.

  15. An Osmotic Model of the Growing Pollen Tube

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Adrian E.; Shachar-Hill, Bruria; Skepper, Jeremy N.; Powell, Janet; Shachar-Hill, Yair

    2012-01-01

    Pollen tube growth is central to the sexual reproduction of plants and is a longstanding model for cellular tip growth. For rapid tip growth, cell wall deposition and hardening must balance the rate of osmotic water uptake, and this involves the control of turgor pressure. Pressure contributes directly to both the driving force for water entry and tip expansion causing thinning of wall material. Understanding tip growth requires an analysis of the coordination of these processes and their regulation. Here we develop a quantitative physiological model which includes water entry by osmosis, the incorporation of cell wall material and the spreading of that material as a film at the tip. Parameters of the model have been determined from the literature and from measurements, by light, confocal and electron microscopy, together with results from experiments made on dye entry and plasmolysis in Lilium longiflorum. The model yields values of variables such as osmotic and turgor pressure, growth rates and wall thickness. The model and its predictive capacity were tested by comparing programmed simulations with experimental observations following perturbations of the growth medium. The model explains the role of turgor pressure and its observed constancy during oscillations; the stability of wall thickness under different conditions, without which the cell would burst; and some surprising properties such as the need for restricting osmotic permeability to a constant area near the tip, which was experimentally confirmed. To achieve both constancy of pressure and wall thickness under the range of conditions observed in steady-state growth the model reveals the need for a sensor that detects the driving potential for water entry and controls the deposition rate of wall material at the tip. PMID:22615784

  16. Optimum Material Composition for Minimizing the Stress Intensity Factor of Edge Crack in Thick-Walled FGM Circular Pipes Under Thermomechanical Loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekine, Hideki; Yoshida, Kimiaki

    This paper deals with the optimization problem of material composition for minimizing the stress intensity factor of radial edge crack in thick-walled functionally graded material (FGM) circular pipes under steady-state thermomechanical loading. Homogenizing the FGM circular pipes by simulating the inhomogeneity of thermal conductivity by a distribution of equivalent eigentemperature gradient and the inhomogeneity of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio by a distribution of equivalent eigenstrain, we present an approximation method to obtain the stress intensity factor of radial edge crack in the FGM circular pipes. The optimum material composition for minimizing the stress intensity factor of radial edge crack is determined using a nonlinear mathematical programming method. Numerical results obtained for a thick-walled TiC/Al2O3 FGM circular pipe reveal that it is possible to decrease remarkably the stress intensity factor of radial edge crack by setting the optimum material composition profile.

  17. Collapse Pressure Analysis of Transversely Isotropic Thick-Walled Cylinder Using Lebesgue Strain Measure and Transition Theory

    PubMed Central

    Aggarwal, A. K.; Sharma, Richa; Sharma, Sanjeev

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to provide guidance for the design of the thick-walled cylinder made up of transversely isotropic material so that collapse of cylinder due to influence of internal and external pressure can be avoided. The concept of transition theory based on Lebesgue strain measure has been used to simplify the constitutive equations. Results have been analyzed theoretically and discussed numerically. From this analysis, it has been concluded that, under the influence of internal and external pressure, circular cylinder made up of transversely isotropic material (beryl) is on the safer side of the design as compared to the cylinders made up of isotropic material (steel). This is because of the reason that percentage increase in effective pressure required for initial yielding to become fully plastic is high for beryl as compared to steel which leads to the idea of “stress saving” that reduces the possibility of collapse of thick-walled cylinder due to internal and external pressure. PMID:24523632

  18. Numerical model of thermo-mechanical coupling for the tensile failure process of brittle materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Yu; Wang, Zhe; Ren, Fengyu; Wang, Daguo

    2017-10-01

    A numerical model of thermal cracking with a thermo-mechanical coupling effect was established. The theory of tensile failure and heat conduction is used to study the tensile failure process of brittle materials, such as rock and concrete under high temperature environment. The validity of the model is verified by thick-wall cylinders with analytical solutions. The failure modes of brittle materials under thermal stresses caused by temperature gradient and different thermal expansion coefficient were studied by using a thick-wall cylinder model and an embedded particle model, respectively. In the thick-wall cylinder model, different forms of cracks induced by temperature gradient were obtained under different temperature boundary conditions. In the embedded particle model, radial cracks were produced in the medium part with lower tensile strength when temperature increased because of the different thermal expansion coefficient. Model results are in good agreement with the experimental results, thereby providing a new finite element method for analyzing the thermal damage process and mechanism of brittle materials.

  19. Scour around vertical wall abutment in cohesionless sediment bed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, M.; Sharma, P. K.; Ahmad, Z.

    2017-12-01

    At the time of floods, failure of bridges is the biggest disaster and mainly sub-structure (bridge abutments and piers) are responsible for this failure of bridges. It is very risky if these sub structures are not constructed after proper designing and analysis. Scour is a natural phenomenon in rivers or streams caused by the erosive action of the flowing water on the bed and banks. The abutment undermines due to river-bed erosion and scouring, which generally recognized as the main cause of abutment failure. Most of the previous studies conducted on scour around abutment have concerned with the prediction of the maximum scour depth (Lim, 1994; Melvill, 1992, 1997 and Dey and Barbhuiya, 2005). Dey and Barbhuiya (2005) proposed a relationship for computing maximum scour depth near an abutment, based on laboratory experiments, for computing maximum scour depth around vertical wall abutment, which was confined to their experimental data only. However, this relationship needs to be also verified by the other researchers data in order to support the reliability to the relationship and its wider applicability. In this study, controlled experimentations have been carried out on the scour near a vertical wall abutment. The collected data in this study along with data of the previous investigators have been carried out on the scour near vertical wall abutment. The collected data in this study along with data of the previous have been used to check the validity of the existing equation (Lim, 1994; Melvill, 1992, 1997 and Dey and Barbhuiya, 2005) of maximum scour depth around the vertical wall abutment. A new relationship is proposed to estimate the maximum scour depth around vertical wall abutment, it gives better results all relationships.

  20. Technique for joining metal tubing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wright, H. W.

    1976-01-01

    Uniform wall thickness and uninterrupted heat transfer is achieved by using shaped metal insert as wall material for joint. Insert acts as support during brazing, after which excess material is ground away to bring joint to original tubing size.

  1. Effects of weld defects at root on rotating bending fatigue strength of small diameter socket welded pipe joints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Higuchi, Makoto; Nakagawa, Akira; Chujo, Noriyuki

    1996-12-01

    Rotating bending fatigue tests were conducted on socket welded joints of a nominal diameter 20 mm, and effects of root defect and other various factors, including post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), pipe wall thickness, and socket wall thickness, were investigated. The socket joints exhibited, in the rotating bending fatigue mode, fatigue strengths that were markedly lower than the same 20 mm diameter joints in four-point bending fatigue. Also, where the latter specimens failed always at the toe, root-failures occurred in rotating bending fatigue. When PWHT`d, however, the fatigue strength showed a remarkable improvement, while the failure site reverted to toe. Thickermore » pipe walls and socket walls gave rise to higher fatigue strength. A formula relating the size of root defects to the fatigue strength reduction has been proposed.« less

  2. Component with inspection-facilitating features

    DOEpatents

    Marra, John J; Zombo, Paul J

    2014-02-11

    A turbine airfoil can be formed with features to facilitate measurement of its wall thickness. An outer wall of the airfoil can include an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface of the airfoil can have an outer inspection target surface, and the inner surface of the airfoil can have an inner inspection target surface. The inner and outer target surfaces can define substantially flat regions in surfaces that are otherwise highly contoured. The inner and outer inspection target surfaces can be substantially aligned with each other. The inner and outer target surfaces can be substantially parallel to each other. As a result of these arrangements, a highly accurate measurement of wall thickness can be obtained. In one embodiment, the outer inspection target surface can be defined by an innermost surface of a groove formed in the outer surface of the outer wall of the airfoil.

  3. Dynamic film thickness between bubbles and wall in a narrow channel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, Daisuke; Damsohn, Manuel; Prasser, Horst-Michael; Aritomi, Masanori

    2011-09-01

    The present paper describes a novel technique to characterize the behavior of the liquid film between gas bubbles and the wall in a narrow channel. The method is based on the electrical conductance. Two liquid film sensors are installed on both opposite walls in a narrow rectangular channel. The liquid film thickness underneath the gas bubbles is recorded by the first sensor, while the void fraction information is obtained by measuring the conductance between the pair of opposite sensors. Both measurements are taken on a large two-dimensional domain and with a high speed. This makes it possible to obtain the two-dimensional distribution of the dynamic liquid film between the bubbles and the wall. In this study, this method was applied to an air-water flow ranging from bubbly to churn regimes in the narrow channel with a gap width of 1.5 mm.

  4. Eddy Current Minimizing Flow Plug for Use in Flow Conditioning and Flow Metering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    England, John Dwight (Inventor); Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    An eddy-current-minimizing flow plug has an outer radial wall with open flow channels formed between the plug's inlet and outlet. The plug has a central region coupled to the inner surface of the outer radial wall. Each open flow channel includes (i) a first portion originating at the inlet and converging to a location in the plug where convergence is contributed to by changes in thickness of the outer radial wall and divergence of the central region, and (ii) a second portion originating in the plug and diverging to the outlet where divergence is contributed to by changes in thickness of the outer radial wall and convergence of the central region. For at least a portion of the open flow channels, a central axis passing through the first and second portions is non-parallel with respect to the given direction of the flow.

  5. Inverse Transient Analysis for Classification of Wall Thickness Variations in Pipelines

    PubMed Central

    Tuck, Jeffrey; Lee, Pedro

    2013-01-01

    Analysis of transient fluid pressure signals has been investigated as an alternative method of fault detection in pipeline systems and has shown promise in both laboratory and field trials. The advantage of the method is that it can potentially provide a fast and cost effective means of locating faults such as leaks, blockages and pipeline wall degradation within a pipeline while the system remains fully operational. The only requirement is that high speed pressure sensors are placed in contact with the fluid. Further development of the method requires detailed numerical models and enhanced understanding of transient flow within a pipeline where variations in pipeline condition and geometry occur. One such variation commonly encountered is the degradation or thinning of pipe walls, which can increase the susceptible of a pipeline to leak development. This paper aims to improve transient-based fault detection methods by investigating how changes in pipe wall thickness will affect the transient behaviour of a system; this is done through the analysis of laboratory experiments. The laboratory experiments are carried out on a stainless steel pipeline of constant outside diameter, into which a pipe section of variable wall thickness is inserted. In order to detect the location and severity of these changes in wall conditions within the laboratory system an inverse transient analysis procedure is employed which considers independent variations in wavespeed and diameter. Inverse transient analyses are carried out using a genetic algorithm optimisation routine to match the response from a one-dimensional method of characteristics transient model to the experimental time domain pressure responses. The accuracy of the detection technique is evaluated and benefits associated with various simplifying assumptions and simulation run times are investigated. It is found that for the case investigated, changes in the wavespeed and nominal diameter of the pipeline are both important to the accuracy of the inverse analysis procedure and can be used to differentiate the observed transient behaviour caused by changes in wall thickness from that caused by other known faults such as leaks. Further application of the method to real pipelines is discussed.

  6. Hygrothermal Anaylsis of Wood-Frame Wall Assemblies in a Mixed-Humid Climate

    Treesearch

    Samuel V. Glass

    2013-01-01

    This study uses a one-dimensional hygrothermal model to investigate the moisture performance of 10 residential wood-frame wall assemblies in a representative mixed-humid climate location of Baltimore, Maryland (climate zone 4A). All the assemblies include oriented strandboard (OSB) sheathing and vinyl siding. The walls differ in stud cavity thickness, level of cavity...

  7. Gender differences of airway dimensions in anatomically matched sites on CT in smokers.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yu-Il; Schroeder, Joyce; Lynch, David; Newell, John; Make, Barry; Friedlander, Adam; Estépar, Raúl San José; Hanania, Nicola A; Washko, George; Murphy, James R; Wilson, Carla; Hokanson, John E; Zach, Jordan; Butterfield, Kiel; Bowler, Russell P; Copdgene Investigators

    2011-08-01

    There are limited data on, and controversies regarding gender differences in the airway dimensions of smokers. Multi-detector CT (MDCT) images were analyzed to examine whether gender could explain differences in airway dimensions of anatomically matched airways in smokers. We used VIDA imaging software to analyze MDCT scans from 2047 smokers (M:F, 1021:1026) from the COPDGene® cohort. The airway dimensions were analyzed from segmental to subsubsegmental bronchi. We compared the differences of luminal area, inner diameter, wall thickness, wall area percentage (WA%) for each airway between men and women, and multiple linear regression including covariates (age, gender, body sizes, and other relevant confounding factors) was used to determine the predictors of each airway dimensions. Lumen area, internal diameter and wall thickness were smaller for women than men in all measured airway (18.4 vs 22.5 mm(2) for segmental bronchial lumen area, 10.4 vs 12.5 mm(2) for subsegmental bronchi, 6.5 vs 7.7 mm(2) for subsubsegmental bronchi, respectively p < 0.001). However, women had greater WA% in subsegmental and subsubsegmental bronchi. In multivariate regression, gender remained one of the most significant predictors of WA%, lumen area, inner diameter and wall thickness. Women smokers have higher WA%, but lower luminal area, internal diameter and airway thickness in anatomically matched airways as measured by CT scan than do male smokers. This difference may explain, in part, gender differences in the prevalence of COPD and airflow limitation.

  8. Genetic diversity of root anatomy in wild and cultivated Manihot species.

    PubMed

    Bomfim, N N; Graciano-Ribeiro, D; Nassar, N M A

    2011-04-05

    An anatomical study of roots was conducted on two wild Manihot species, namely M. glaziovii and M. fortalezensis, and two cassava varieties, M. esculenta Crantz variety UnB 201 and M. esculenta variety UnB 122, to identify taxonomic differences in primary growth. Anatomical characters of cassava roots have been rarely investigated. Their study may help cassava breeders to identify varieties with economically important characters, such as tolerance to drought. We investigated tap and lateral adventitious roots of two specimens of each clone or species. Free-hand cross-sections of roots were drawn; these had been clarified with 20% sodium hypochlorite solution, stained with 1% safranin-alcian blue ethanolic solution, dehydrated in ethanol series and butyl acetate and mounted in synthetic resin. Anatomical differences among Manihot species and varieties were found in the epidermal and exodermal cell shape and wall thickness, content of cortical parenchyma, and number of xylem poles. Wall thickness of the epidermis and exodermis of tap root were similar in all species, while in the lateral root there were differences in cell shape and wall thickness. Epidermal cells with thick walls were found in the tap root of all species and in lateral roots of cassava varieties. This character is apparently associated with tolerance to drought and disease. The variation in the number of xylem poles of cassava varieties was larger (4-8) than in wild species (4-6), and appears to support the hybrid origin of cassava.

  9. Myocardial effective transverse relaxation time T2* Correlates with left ventricular wall thickness: A 7.0 T MRI study.

    PubMed

    Huelnhagen, Till; Hezel, Fabian; Serradas Duarte, Teresa; Pohlmann, Andreas; Oezerdem, Celal; Flemming, Bert; Seeliger, Erdmann; Prothmann, Marcel; Schulz-Menger, Jeanette; Niendorf, Thoralf

    2017-06-01

    Myocardial effective relaxation time T2* is commonly regarded as a surrogate for myocardial tissue oxygenation. However, it is legitimate to assume that there are multiple factors that influence T2*. To this end, this study investigates the relationship between T2* and cardiac macromorphology given by left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and left ventricular radius, and provides interpretation of the results in the physiological context. High spatio-temporally resolved myocardial CINE T2* mapping was performed in 10 healthy volunteers using a 7.0 Tesla (T) full-body MRI system. Ventricular septal wall thickness, left ventricular inner radius, and T2* were analyzed. Macroscopic magnetic field changes were elucidated using cardiac phase-resolved magnetic field maps. Ventricular septal T2* changes periodically over the cardiac cycle, increasing in systole and decreasing in diastole. Ventricular septal wall thickness and T2* showed a significant positive correlation, whereas the inner LV radius and T2* were negatively correlated. The effect of macroscopic magnetic field gradients on T2* can be considered minor in the ventricular septum. Our findings suggest that myocardial T2* is related to tissue blood volume fraction. Temporally resolved T2* mapping could be beneficial for myocardial tissue characterization and for understanding cardiac (patho)physiology in vivo. Magn Reson Med 77:2381-2389, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  10. Age-Related Changes in Pharyngeal Lumen Size: A Retrospective MRI Analysis.

    PubMed

    Molfenter, Sonja M; Amin, M R; Branski, R C; Brumm, J D; Hagiwara, M; Roof, S A; Lazarus, C L

    2015-06-01

    Age-related loss of muscle bulk and strength (sarcopenia) is often cited as a potential mechanism underlying age-related changes in swallowing. Our goal was to explore this phenomenon in the pharynx, specifically, by measuring pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area in a sample of young versus older women. MRI scans of the neck were retrospectively reviewed from 60 women equally stratified into three age groups (20s, 60s, 70+). Four de-identified slices were extracted per scan for randomized, blinded analysis: one mid-sagittal and three axial slices were selected at the anterior inferior border of C2 and C3, and at the pit of the vallecula. Pixel-based measures of pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area were completed using ImageJ and then converted to metric units. Measures of pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area were compared between age groups with one-way ANOVAs using Sidak adjustments for post-hoc pairwise comparisons. A significant main effect for age was observed across all variables whereby pharyngeal wall thickness decreased and pharyngeal lumen area increased with advancing age. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between 20s versus 70+ for all variables and 20s versus 60s for all variables except those measured at C2. Effect sizes ranged from 0.54 to 1.34. Consistent with existing sacropenia literature, the pharyngeal muscles appear to atrophy with age and consequently, the size of the pharyngeal lumen increases.

  11. High Power Laser Beam Welding of Thick-walled Ferromagnetic Steels with Electromagnetic Weld Pool Support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fritzsche, André; Avilov, Vjaceslav; Gumenyuk, Andrey; Hilgenberg, Kai; Rethmeier, Michael

    The development of modern high power laser systems allows single pass welding of thick-walled components with minimal distortion. Besides the high demands on the joint preparation, the hydrostatic pressure in the melt pool increases with higher plate thicknesses. Reaching or exceeding the Laplace pressure, drop-out or melt sagging are caused. A contactless electromagnetic weld support system was used for laser beam welding of thick ferromagnetic steel plates compensating these effects. An oscillating magnetic field induces eddy currents in the weld pool which generate Lorentz forces counteracting the gravity forces. Hysteresis effects of ferromagnetic steels are considered as well as the loss of magnetization in zones exceeding the Curie temperature. These phenomena reduce the effective Lorentz forces within the weld pool. The successful compensation of the hydrostatic pressure was demonstrated on up to 20 mm thick plates of duplex and mild steel by a variation of the electromagnetic power level and the oscillation frequency.

  12. Diagenetic Layers in the Upper Walls of Valles Marineris, Mars: Evidence for Drastic Climate Change Since the Mid-Hesperian

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Treiman, Allan H.; Fuks, Kelly H.; Murchie, Scott

    1995-01-01

    A packet of relatively resistant layers, totaling approx. 400 m thickness, is present at the tops of the chasma walls throughout Valles Marineris. The packet consists of an upper dark layer (approx. 50 m thick), a central bright layer (approx. 250 m thick), and a lower dark layer (approx. 100 m thick). The packet appears continuous and of nearly constant thickness and depth below ground surface over the whole Valles system (4000 km E-W, 800 km N-S), independent of elevation (3-10 km) and age of plateau surface (Noachian through upper Hesperian). The packet continues undisturbed beneath the boundary between surface units of Noachian and Hesperian ages, and continues undisturbed beneath impact craters transected by chasma walls. These attributes are not consistent with layer formation by volcanic or sedimentary deposition, and are consistent with layer formation in situ, i.e., by diagenesis, during or after upper Hesperian time. Diagenesis seems to require the action of aqueous solutions in the near subsurface, which are not now stable in the Valles Marineris area. To permit the stability of aqueous solutions, Mars must have had a fairly dense atmosphere, greater than or equal to 1 bar CO2, when the layers formed. Obliquity variations appear to be incapable of producing such a massive atmosphere so late in Mars' history.

  13. Quartz c-axis orientation patterns in fracture cement as a measure of fracture opening rate and a validation tool for fracture pattern models

    DOE PAGES

    Ukar, Estibalitz; Laubach, Stephen E.; Marrett, Randall

    2016-03-09

    Here, we evaluate a published model for crystal growth patterns in quartz cement in sandstone fractures by comparing crystal fracture-spanning predictions to quartz c-axis orientation distributions measured by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) of spanning quartz deposits. Samples from eight subvertical opening-mode fractures in four sandstone formations, the Jurassic– Cretaceous Nikanassin Formation, northwestern Alberta Foothills (Canada), Cretaceous Mesaverde Group (USA; Cozzette Sandstone Member of the Iles Formation), Piceance Basin, Colorado (USA), and upper Jurassic–lower Cretaceous Cotton Valley Group (Taylor sandstone) and overlying Travis Peak Formation, east Texas, have similar quartzose composition and grain size but contain fractures with different temperature historiesmore » and opening rates based on fluid inclusion assemblages and burial history. Spherical statistical analysis shows that, in agreement with model predictions, bridging crystals have a preferred orientation with c-axis orientations at a high angle to fracture walls. The second form of validation is for spanning potential that depends on the size of cut substrate grains. Using measured cut substrate grain sizes and c-axis orientations of spanning bridges, we calculated the required orientation for the smallest cut grain to span the maximum gap size and the required orientation of the crystal with the least spanning potential to form overgrowths that span across maximum measured gap sizes. We find that within a 10° error all spanning crystals conform to model predictions. Using crystals with the lowest spanning potential based on crystallographic orientation (c-axis parallel to fracture wall) and a temperature range for fracture opening measured from fluid inclusion assemblages, we calculate maximum fracture opening rates that allow crystals to span. These rates are comparable to those derived independently from fracture temperature histories based on burial history and multiple sequential fluid inclusion assemblages. Results support the R. Lander and S. Laubach model, which predicts that for quartz deposited synchronously with fracture opening, spanning potential, or likelihood of quartz deposits that are thick enough to span between fracture walls, depends on temperature history, fracture opening rate, size of opening increments, and size, mineralogy, and crystallographic orientation of substrates in the fracture wall (transected grains). Results suggest that EBSD maps, which can be more rapidly acquired than measurement of tens to hundreds of fluid inclusion assemblages, can provide a useful measure of relative opening rates within populations of quartz-filled fractures formed under sedimentary basin conditions. Such data are useful for evaluating fracture pattern development models.« less

  14. Quartz c-axis orientation patterns in fracture cement as a measure of fracture opening rate and a validation tool for fracture pattern models

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ukar, Estibalitz; Laubach, Stephen E.; Marrett, Randall

    Here, we evaluate a published model for crystal growth patterns in quartz cement in sandstone fractures by comparing crystal fracture-spanning predictions to quartz c-axis orientation distributions measured by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) of spanning quartz deposits. Samples from eight subvertical opening-mode fractures in four sandstone formations, the Jurassic– Cretaceous Nikanassin Formation, northwestern Alberta Foothills (Canada), Cretaceous Mesaverde Group (USA; Cozzette Sandstone Member of the Iles Formation), Piceance Basin, Colorado (USA), and upper Jurassic–lower Cretaceous Cotton Valley Group (Taylor sandstone) and overlying Travis Peak Formation, east Texas, have similar quartzose composition and grain size but contain fractures with different temperature historiesmore » and opening rates based on fluid inclusion assemblages and burial history. Spherical statistical analysis shows that, in agreement with model predictions, bridging crystals have a preferred orientation with c-axis orientations at a high angle to fracture walls. The second form of validation is for spanning potential that depends on the size of cut substrate grains. Using measured cut substrate grain sizes and c-axis orientations of spanning bridges, we calculated the required orientation for the smallest cut grain to span the maximum gap size and the required orientation of the crystal with the least spanning potential to form overgrowths that span across maximum measured gap sizes. We find that within a 10° error all spanning crystals conform to model predictions. Using crystals with the lowest spanning potential based on crystallographic orientation (c-axis parallel to fracture wall) and a temperature range for fracture opening measured from fluid inclusion assemblages, we calculate maximum fracture opening rates that allow crystals to span. These rates are comparable to those derived independently from fracture temperature histories based on burial history and multiple sequential fluid inclusion assemblages. Results support the R. Lander and S. Laubach model, which predicts that for quartz deposited synchronously with fracture opening, spanning potential, or likelihood of quartz deposits that are thick enough to span between fracture walls, depends on temperature history, fracture opening rate, size of opening increments, and size, mineralogy, and crystallographic orientation of substrates in the fracture wall (transected grains). Results suggest that EBSD maps, which can be more rapidly acquired than measurement of tens to hundreds of fluid inclusion assemblages, can provide a useful measure of relative opening rates within populations of quartz-filled fractures formed under sedimentary basin conditions. Such data are useful for evaluating fracture pattern development models.« less

  15. Inverse heat conduction estimation of inner wall temperature fluctuations under turbulent penetration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Zhouchao; Lu, Tao; Liu, Bo

    2017-04-01

    Turbulent penetration can occur when hot and cold fluids mix in a horizontal T-junction pipe at nuclear plants. Caused by the unstable turbulent penetration, temperature fluctuations with large amplitude and high frequency can lead to time-varying wall thermal stress and even thermal fatigue on the inner wall. Numerous cases, however, exist where inner wall temperatures cannot be measured and only outer wall temperature measurements are feasible. Therefore, it is one of the popular research areas in nuclear science and engineering to estimate temperature fluctuations on the inner wall from measurements of outer wall temperatures without damaging the structure of the pipe. In this study, both the one-dimensional (1D) and the two-dimensional (2D) inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP) were solved to estimate the temperature fluctuations on the inner wall. First, numerical models of both the 1D and the 2D direct heat conduction problem (DHCP) were structured in MATLAB, based on the finite difference method with an implicit scheme. Second, both the 1D IHCP and the 2D IHCP were solved by the steepest descent method (SDM), and the DHCP results of temperatures on the outer wall were used to estimate the temperature fluctuations on the inner wall. Third, we compared the temperature fluctuations on the inner wall estimated by the 1D IHCP with those estimated by the 2D IHCP in four cases: (1) when the maximum disturbance of temperature of fluid inside the pipe was 3°C, (2) when the maximum disturbance of temperature of fluid inside the pipe was 30°C, (3) when the maximum disturbance of temperature of fluid inside the pipe was 160°C, and (4) when the fluid temperatures inside the pipe were random from 50°C to 210°C.

  16. Simulation of a turbulent flame in a channel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bruneaux, G.; Akselvoll, K.; Poinsot, T.; Ferziger, J. H.

    1994-01-01

    The interaction between turbulent premixed flames and channel walls is studied. Combustion is represented by a simple irreversible reaction with a large activation temperature. Feedback to the flowfield is suppressed by invoking a constant density assumption. The effect of wall distance on local and global flame structure is investigated. Quenching distances and maximum wall heat fluxes computed in laminar cases are compared to DNS results. It is found that quenching distances decrease and maximum heat fluxes increase relative to laminar flame values. It is shown that these effects are due to large coherent structures which push flame elements towards to wall. The effect of wall strain is studied in flame-wall interaction in a stagnation line flow; this is used to explain the DNS results. It is also shown that 'remarkable' flame events are produced by interaction with a horseshoe vortex: burnt gases are pushed towards the wall at high speed and induce quenching and high wall heat fluxes while fresh gases are expelled from the wall region and form finger-like structures. Effects of the wall on flame surface density are investigated, and a simple model for flame-wall interaction is proposed; its predictions compare well with the DNS results.

  17. Effect of geometric parameters on the in-plane crushing behavior of honeycombs and honeycombs with facesheets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atli-Veltin, Bilim

    In aerospace field, use of honeycombs in energy absorbing applications is a very attractive concept since they are relatively low weight structures and their crushing behavior satisfies the requirements of ideal energy absorbing applications. This dissertation is about the utilization of honeycomb crushing in energy absorbing applications and maximizing their specific energy absorption (SEA) capacity by modifying their geometry. In-plane direction crushing of honeycombs is investigated with the help of simulations conducted with ABAQUS. Due to the nonlinearity of the problem an optimization technique could not be implemented; however, the results of the trend studies lead to geometries with improved SEA. This study has two objectives; the first is to obtain modified cell geometry for a hexagonal honeycomb cell in order to provide higher energy absorption for minimum weight relative to the regular hexagonal cell geometry which has 30° cell angle and walls at equal length. The results of the first objective show that by increasing the cell angle, increasing wall thickness and reducing vertical wall length it is possible to increase the SEA 4.8 times; where the honeycomb with modified geometry provided 3.3 kJ/kg SEA and with regular geometry 0.68 kJ/kg SEA. The second objective considers integration of the energy absorbing honeycombs into the helicopter subfloor, possibly as the web section of a keel beam. In-plane direction crushing of a honeycomb core sandwiched between two facesheets is simulated. Effects of core and facesheet geometric parameters on the energy absorption are investigated, and modified geometries are suggested. For the sandwich structure with thin facesheets increasing cell angle, increasing wall thicknesses and decreasing the cell depth increase the SEA. For the ones with thick facesheet reducing vertical wall length, increasing wall thicknesses and reducing the cell depth increase the SEA. The results show that regular honeycomb geometry with thin facesheets has SEA of 7.24 kJ/kg and with thick facesheets 13.16 kJ/kg. When the geometries are modified the SEA increases to 20.5 kJ/kg for the core with thin facesheets and 53.47 kJ/kg for the core with thick facesheets. The key finding of the dissertation is that the in-plane direction crushing of the honeycombs with facesheets has great potential to be used for the energy absorbing applications since their SEA levels are high enough to make them attractive for applications where high crash loads need to be absorbed such as helicopter crash.

  18. Chronological framework for the deglaciation of the Lake Michigan lobe of the Laurentide ice sheet from ice-walled lake deposits

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Curry, B.; Petras, J.

    2011-01-01

    A revised chronological framework for the deglaciation of the Lake Michigan lobe of the south-central Laurentide Ice Sheet is presented based on radiocarbon ages of plant macrofossils archived in the sediments of low-relief ice-walled lakes. We analyze the precision and accuracy of 15 AMS 14C ages of plant macrofossils obtained from a single ice-walled lake deposit. The semi-circular basin is about 0.72km wide and formed of a 4- to 16-m-thick succession of loess and lacustrine sediment inset into till. The assayed material was leaves, buds and stems of Salix herbacea (snowbed willow). The pooled mean of three ages from the basal lag facies was 18 270??50 14C a BP (21 810cal. a BP), an age that approximates the switch from active ice to stagnating conditions. The pooled mean of four ages for the youngest fossil-bearing horizon was 17 770??40 14C a BP (21 180cal. a BP). Material yielding the oldest and youngest ages may be obtained from sediment cores located at any place within the landform. Based on the estimated settling times of overlying barren, rhythmically bedded sand and silt, the lacustrine environment persisted for about 50 more years. At a 67% confidence level, the dated part of the ice-walled lake succession persisted for between 210 and 860cal. a (modal value: 610cal. a). The deglacial age of five moraines or morainal complexes formed by the fluctuating margin of the Lake Michigan lobe have been assessed using this method. There is no overlap of time intervals documenting when ice-walled lakes persisted on these landforms. The rapid readvances of the lobe during deglaciation after the last glacial maximum probably occurred at some point between the periods of ice-walled lake sedimentation. ?? 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Experimental and numerical investigations on PDE performance augmentation by means of an ejector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canteins, G.; Franzetti, F.; Zocłońska, E.; Khasainov, B. A.; Zitoun, R.; Desbordes, D.

    2006-06-01

    To improve the performance of pulse detonation engines, a 48 cm long cylindrical combustion chamber of 5cm internal diameter (i.d.) is fitted with an ejector of constant section. The role of the ejector is (i) to provide partial confinement of the detonation products escaping from the chamber and (ii) to suck in fresh air and then to increase the mass ejected compared to the ejection of burned gases alone. The combustion chamber is fully filled with a stoichiometric ethylene/oxygen mixture at ambient conditions. Three parameters of the ejector are varied: the i.d. D, the length L, and the position d relative to the thrust wall of the combustion chamber. For various configurations, the specific impulse ( I sp) is determined in single shot experiments. The maximum operating frequency ( f max) and the maximum thrust are then deduced. I sp is measured by means of the ballistic pendulum method, and f max is derived from the pressure signal recorded on the combustion chamber thrust wall. The addition of an ejector increases the specific impulse up to 60% in the best configuration tested, from 164s without ejector to 260s with ejector. The specific impulse can be represented by a single curve using suitable dimensionless parameters. The thrust results for the main ejector studied ( D = 80mm) indicate an optimal ( L, d) configuration that provides a 28% thrust gain. For the same ejector, f max remains constant and equal to the frequency obtained without ejector in a large range of ( L, d) values, before decreasing. Two-dimensional unsteady numerical computations agree reasonably with the experiments, slightly overestimating the experimental values. The results indicate that 80% of the I sp gain comes from the action of the expanding detonation products on the annular end surface of the combustion chamber, governed by the tube wall thickness.

  20. Ability of the Confined Explosive Component Water Gap Test STANAG 4363 to Assess the Shock Sensitivity of MM-Scale Detonators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lefrancois, A S; Roeske, F; Benterou, J

    2006-02-10

    The Explosive Component Water Gap Test (ECWGT) has been validated to assess the shock sensitivity of lead and booster components having a diameter larger than 5 mm. Several countries have investigated by experiments and numerical simulations the effect of confinement on the go/no go threshold for Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) pellets having a height and diameter of 3 mm, confined by a steel annulus of wall thickness 1-3.5 mm. Confinement of the PETN by a steel annulus of the same height of the pellet with 1-mm wall thickness makes the component more sensitive (larger gap). As the wall thickness is increasedmore » to 2-mm, the gap increases a lesser amount, but when the wall thickness is increased to 3.5-mm a decrease in sensitivity is observed (smaller gap). This decrease of the water gap has been reproduced experimentally. Recent numerical simulations using Ignition and Growth model [1] for the PETN Pellet have reproduced the experimental results for the steel confinement up to 2 mm thick [2]. The presence of a stronger re-shock following the first input shock from the water and focusing on the axis have been identified in the pellet due to the steel confinement. The double shock configuration is well-known to lead in some cases to shock desensitization. This work presents the numerical simulations using Ignition and Growth model for LX16 (PETN based HE) and LX19 (CL20 based HE) Pellets [3] in order to assess the shock sensitivity of mm-scale detonators. The pellets are 0.6 mm in diameter and 3 mm length with different type of steel confinement 2.2 mm thick and 4.7 mm thick. The influence of an aluminum confinement is calculated for the standard LX 16 pellet 3 mm in diameter and 3 mm in height. The question of reducing the size of the donor charge is also investigated to small scale the test itself.« less

  1. In Situ Oxidation Synthesis of p-Type Composite with Narrow-Bandgap Small Organic Molecule Coating on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube: Flexible Film and Thermoelectric Performance.

    PubMed

    Gao, Caiyan; Chen, Guangming

    2018-03-01

    Although composites of organic polymers or n-type small molecule/carbon nanotube (CNT) have achieved significant advances in thermoelectric (TE) applications, p-type TE composites of small organic molecules as thick surface coating layers on the surfaces of inorganic nanoparticles still remain a great challenge. Taking advantage of in situ oxidation reaction of thieno[3,4-b]pyrazine (TP) into TP di-N-oxide (TPNO) on single-walled CNT (SWCNT) surface, a novel synthesis strategy is proposed to achieve flexible films of TE composites with narrow-bandgap (1.19 eV) small molecule coating on SWCNT surface. The TE performance can be effectively enhanced and conveniently tuned by poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate) content, TPNO/SWCNT mass ratio, and posttreatment by various polar solvents. The maximum of the composite power factor at room temperature is 29.4 ± 1.0 µW m -1 K -2 . The work presents a way to achieve flexible films of p-type small organic molecule/inorganic composites with clear surface coating morphology for TE application. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Magnetic domain wall engineering in a nanoscale permalloy junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Junlin; Zhang, Xichao; Lu, Xianyang; Zhang, Jason; Yan, Yu; Ling, Hua; Wu, Jing; Zhou, Yan; Xu, Yongbing

    2017-08-01

    Nanoscale magnetic junctions provide a useful approach to act as building blocks for magnetoresistive random access memories (MRAM), where one of the key issues is to control the magnetic domain configuration. Here, we study the domain structure and the magnetic switching in the Permalloy (Fe20Ni80) nanoscale magnetic junctions with different thicknesses by using micromagnetic simulations. It is found that both the 90-° and 45-° domain walls can be formed between the junctions and the wire arms depending on the thickness of the device. The magnetic switching fields show distinct thickness dependencies with a broad peak varying from 7 nm to 22 nm depending on the junction sizes, and the large magnetic switching fields favor the stability of the MRAM operation.

  3. Effects of age, blood pressure and antihypertensive treatments on retinal arterioles remodeling assessed by adaptive optics.

    PubMed

    Rosenbaum, David; Mattina, Alessandro; Koch, Edouard; Rossant, Florence; Gallo, Antonio; Kachenoura, Nadjia; Paques, Michel; Redheuil, Alban; Girerd, Xavier

    2016-06-01

    In humans, adaptive optics camera enables precise large-scale noninvasive retinal microcirculation evaluation to assess ageing, blood pressure and antihypertensive treatments respective roles on retinal arterioles anatomy. We used adaptive optics camera rtx1 (Imagine-Eyes, Orsay, France) to measure wall thickness, internal diameter and to calculate wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) and wall cross-sectional area of retinal arterioles. This assessment was repeated within a short period in two subgroups of hypertensive individuals without or with a drug-induced blood pressure drop. In 1000 individuals, mean wall thickness, lumen diameter and WLR were 23.2 ± 3.9, 78.0 ± 10.9 and 0.300 ± 0.054 μm, respectively. Blood pressure and age both independently increased WLR by thickening arterial wall. In opposite, hypertension narrowed lumen in younger as compared to older individuals (73.2 ± 9.0 vs. 81.7 ± 10.2 μm; P < 0.001), whereas age exerted no influence on lumen diameter. Short-term blood pressure drop (-29.3 ± 17.3/-14.4 ± 10.0 mmHg) induced a WLR decrease (-6.0 ± 8.0%) because of lumen dilatation (+4.4 ± 5.9%) without wall thickness changes. By contrast, no modifications were observed in individuals with stable blood pressure. In treated and controlled hypertensives under monotherapy WLR normalization was observed because of combined wall decrease and lumen dilatation independently of antihypertensive pharmacological classes. In multivariate analysis, hypertension drug regimen was not an independent predictor of any retinal anatomical indices. Retinal arteriolar remodeling comprised blood pressure and age-driven wall thickening as well as blood pressure-triggered lumen narrowing in younger individuals. Remodeling reversal observed in controlled hypertensives seems to include short-term functional and long-term structural changes.

  4. A temperature correlation for the radiation resistance of a thick-walled circular duct exhausting a hot gas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mahan, J. R.; Cline, J. G.; Jones, J. D.

    1984-01-01

    It is often useful to know the radiation impedance of an unflanged but thick-walled circular duct exhausting a hot gas into relatively cold surroundings. The reactive component is shown to be insensitive to temperature, but the resistive component is shown to be temperature dependent. A temperature correlation is developed permitting prediction of the radiation resistance from a knowledge of the temperature difference between the ambient air and the gas flowing from the duct, and a physical basis for this correlation is presented.

  5. Production test IP-544-A, irradiation of 1.6% enriched thick walled single tube elements in KER-1 and 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kratzer, W.K.; Wise, M.J.

    1962-12-12

    The objective of this production test is to authorize the irradiation of coextruded Zr-2 jacketed thick walled 1.6% enriched tubular elements in KER loops 1 and 2 to evaluate the swelling behavior of fuel elements at high uranium temperatures Coextruded Zr-2 jacketed 1.6% enriched tubular fuel elements 1.79 inch OD, 0.97 inch ID, and 12 inches long will be irradiated KER loops 1 and 2 to exposures no greater than 2500 MWD/T.

  6. Blast Wave Experiments at Z

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-06-01

    radiation flows upward, it passes though a 1.7-mm high, tapered, 25-μm thick gold wall cone that is filled 20 ± 3 mg/cm3 silica aerogel (SiO2). Above...this cone is a 20 ± 3 mg/cm3 silica aerogel filled, 1-mm high, 2.4-mm inner diameter, 25-μm thick gold wall cylinder. On the cylinder rests a 4-mm...diameter gold platform that supports a higher density (40-60 mg/cm3) silica aerogel . This aerogel is the region where the blast wave forms after

  7. Maximum reflectance and transmittance of films coated with gapped graphene in the context of the Dirac model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.

    2018-06-01

    The analytic expressions for the maximum and minimum reflectances of optical films coated with gapped graphene are derived in the application region of the Dirac model taking into account multiple reflections. The respective film thicknesses are also found. In so doing the film material is described by the frequency-dependent index of refraction and graphene by the polarization tensor defined along the real frequency axis. The developed formalism is illustrated by an example of the graphene-coated film made of amorphous silica. Numerical computations of the maximum and minimum reflectances and respective film thicknesses are performed at room temperature in two frequency regions belonging to the near-infrared and far-infrared domains. It is shown that in the far-infrared domain the graphene coating has a profound effect on the values of maximum reflectance and respective film thickness leading to a relative increase in their values by up to 65% and 50%, respectively. The maximum transmittance of a graphene-coated film of appropriately chosen thickness is shown to exceed 90%. Possible applications of the obtained results are discussed.

  8. Drag reduction by polymers in wall bounded turbulence.

    PubMed

    L'vov, Victor S; Pomyalov, Anna; Procaccia, Itamar; Tiberkevich, Vasil

    2004-06-18

    We elucidate the mechanism of drag reduction by polymers in turbulent wall-bounded flows: while momentum is produced at a fixed rate by the forcing, polymer stretching results in the suppression of momentum flux to the wall. On the basis of the equations of fluid mechanics we develop the phenomenology of the "maximum drag reduction asymptote" which is the maximum drag reduction attained by polymers. Based on Newtonian information only we demonstrate the existence of drag reduction, and with one experimental parameter we reach agreement with the experimental measurements.

  9. 49 CFR 178.51 - Specification 4BA welded or brazed steel cylinders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... cylindrical in shape, with a water capacity of 1,000 pounds or less and a service pressure of at least 225 and... inch. In any case the minimum wall thickness must be such that the calculated wall stress at the...; (iii) 35,000 psi; or (iv) Further provided that wall stress for cylinders having copper brazed...

  10. 49 CFR 178.51 - Specification 4BA welded or brazed steel cylinders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... cylindrical in shape, with a water capacity of 1,000 pounds or less and a service pressure of at least 225 and... inch. In any case the minimum wall thickness must be such that the calculated wall stress at the...; (iii) 35,000 psi; or (iv) Further provided that wall stress for cylinders having copper brazed...

  11. Investigation into the influence of laser energy input on selective laser melted thin-walled parts by response surface method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yang; Zhang, Jian; Pang, Zhicong; Wu, Weihui

    2018-04-01

    Selective laser melting (SLM) provides a feasible way for manufacturing of complex thin-walled parts directly, however, the energy input during SLM process, namely derived from the laser power, scanning speed, layer thickness and scanning space, etc. has great influence on the thin wall's qualities. The aim of this work is to relate the thin wall's parameters (responses), namely track width, surface roughness and hardness to the process parameters considered in this research (laser power, scanning speed and layer thickness) and to find out the optimal manufacturing conditions. Design of experiment (DoE) was used by implementing composite central design to achieve better manufacturing qualities. Mathematical models derived from the statistical analysis were used to establish the relationships between the process parameters and the responses. Also, the effects of process parameters on each response were determined. Then, a numerical optimization was performed to find out the optimal process set at which the quality features are at their desired values. Based on this study, the relationship between process parameters and SLMed thin-walled structure was revealed and thus, the corresponding optimal process parameters can be used to manufactured thin-walled parts with high quality.

  12. Comparison between Carotid Artery Wall Thickness Measured by Multidetector Row Computed Tomography Angiography and Intimae-Media Thickness Measured by Sonography

    PubMed Central

    Savić, Živorad N.; Soldatović, Ivan I.; Brajović, Milan D.; Pavlović, Aleksandra M.; Mladenović, Dušan R.; Škodrić-Trifunović, Vesna D.

    2011-01-01

    The increased thickness of the carotid wall >1 mm is a significant predictor of coronary and cerebrovascular diseases. The purpose of our study was to assess the agreement between multidetector row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) in measuring carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT) and color Doppler ultrasound (CD-US) in measuring intimae-media thickness (IMT). Eighty-nine patients (aged 35–81) were prospectively analyzed using a 64-detector MDCTA and a CD-US scanner. Continuous data were described as the mean value ± standard deviation, and were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. Bland–Altman statistics were employed to measure the agreement between MDCTA and CD-US. CAWT ranged from 0.62 to 1.60 mm, with a mean value of 1.09 mm. IMT ranged from 0.60 to 1.55 mm, with a mean value of 1.06 mm. We observed an excellent agreement between CD-US and MDCTA in the evaluation of the common carotid artery thickness, with a bias between methods of 0.029 mm (which is a highly statistically important difference of absolute values [t = 43.289; p < 0.01] obtained by paired T test), and limits of agreement from 0.04 to 0.104. Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.9997 (95% CI 0.9996–0.9998; p < 0.01). We conclude that there is an excellent correlation between CAWT and IMT measurements obtained with the MDCTA and CD-US. PMID:22224072

  13. The rotation of cellulose synthase trajectories is microtubule dependent and influences the texture of epidermal cell walls in Arabidopsis hypocotyls.

    PubMed

    Chan, Jordi; Crowell, Elizabeth; Eder, Magdalena; Calder, Grant; Bunnewell, Susan; Findlay, Kim; Vernhettes, Samantha; Höfte, Herman; Lloyd, Clive

    2010-10-15

    Plant shoots have thick, polylamellate outer epidermal walls based on crossed layers of cellulose microfibrils, but the involvement of microtubules in such wall lamellation is unclear. Recently, using a long-term movie system in which Arabidopsis seedlings were grown in a biochamber, the tracks along which cortical microtubules move were shown to undergo slow rotary movements over the outer surface of hypocotyl epidermal cells. Because microtubules are known to guide cellulose synthases over the short term, we hypothesised that this previously unsuspected microtubule rotation could, over the longer term, help explain the cross-ply structure of the outer epidermal wall. Here, we test that hypothesis using Arabidopsis plants expressing the cellulose synthase GFP-CESA3 and show that cellulose synthase trajectories do rotate over several hours. Neither microtubule-stabilising taxol nor microtubule-depolymerising oryzalin affected the linear rate of GFP-CESA3 movement, but both stopped the rotation of cellulose synthase tracks. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that drug-induced suppression of rotation alters the lamellation pattern, resulting in a thick monotonous wall layer. We conclude that microtubule rotation, rather than any hypothetical mechanism for wall self-assembly, has an essential role in developing cross-ply wall texture.

  14. Method of fabricating a monolithic core for a solid oxide fuela cell

    DOEpatents

    Zwick, S.A.; Ackerman, J.P.

    1983-10-12

    A method is disclosed for forming a core for use in a solid oxide fuel cell that electrochemically combines fuel and oxidant for generating galvanic output. The core has an array of electrolyte and interconnect walls that are substantially devoid of any composite inert materials for support consisting instead only of the active anode, cathode, electrolyte and interconnect materials. Each electrolyte wall consists of cathode and anode materials sandwiching electrolyte material therebetween, and each interconnect wall consists of the cathode and anode materials sandwiching interconnect material therebetween. The electrolyte and interconnect walls define a plurality of substantially parallel core passageways alternately having respectively the inside faces thereof with only the anode material or with only the cathode material exposed. In the wall structure, the electrolyte and interconnect materials are only 0.002 to 0.01 cm thick; and the cathode and anode materials are only 0.002 to 0.05 cm thick. The method consists of building up the electrolyte and interconnect walls by depositing each material on individually and endwise of the wall itself, where each material deposit is sequentially applied for one cycle; and where the depositing cycle is repeated many times until the material buildup is sufficient to formulate the core. The core is heat cured to become dimensionally and structurally stable.

  15. Method of fabricating a monolithic core for a solid oxide fuel cell

    DOEpatents

    Zwick, Stanley A.; Ackerman, John P.

    1985-01-01

    A method is disclosed for forming a core for use in a solid oxide fuel cell that electrochemically combines fuel and oxidant for generating galvanic output. The core has an array of electrolyte and interconnect walls that are substantially devoid of any composite inert materials for support consisting instead only of the active anode, cathode, electrolyte and interconnect materials. Each electrolyte wall consists of cathode and anode materials sandwiching electrolyte material therebetween, and each interconnect wall consists of the cathode and anode materials sandwiching interconnect material therebetween. The electrolyte and interconnect walls define a plurality of substantially parallel core passageways alternately having respectively the inside faces thereof with only the anode material or with only the cathode material exposed. In the wall structure, the electrolyte and interconnect materials are only 0.002-0.01 cm thick; and the cathode and anode materials are only 0.002-0.05 cm thick. The method consists of building up the electrolyte and interconnect walls by depositing each material on individually and endwise of the wall itself, where each material deposit is sequentially applied for one cycle; and where the depositing cycle is repeated many times until the material buildup is sufficient to formulate the core. The core is heat cured to become dimensionally and structurally stable.

  16. Deformation Behaviors of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Walls on Shallow Weak Ground

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, You-Seong; Won, Myoung-Soo

    In this study, the fifteen-month behavior of two geosynthetic reinforced soil walls, which was constructed on the shallow weak ground, was measured and analyzed. The walls were backfilled with clayey soil obtained from the construction site nearby, and the safety factors obtained from general limit equilibrium analysis were less than 1.3 in both wall. To compare with the measured data from the real GRS walls and unreinforced soil mass, a series of finite element method (FEM) analyses on two field GRS walls and unreinforced soil mass were conducted. The FEM analysis results showed that failure plane of unreinforced soil mass was consistent with the Rankine active state, but failure plane did not occur in GRS walls. In addition, maximum horizontal displacements and shear strains in GRS walls were 50% smaller than those found in unreinforced soil mass. Modeling results such as the maximum horizontal displacements, horizontal pressure, and geosynthetic tensile strengths in GRS wall have a god agreement with the measured data. Based on this study, it could be concluded that geosynthetic reinforcement are effective to reduce the displacement of the wall face and/or the deformation of the backfill soil even if the mobilized tensile stress after construction is very small.

  17. The association of sleep disordered breathing with left ventricular remodeling in CAD patients: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Alonderis, Audrius; Raskauskiene, Nijole; Gelziniene, Vaidute; Mickuviene, Narseta; Brozaitiene, Julija

    2017-09-18

    There is still insufficient knowledge on the potential effect of mild to moderate sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) that is widely prevalent, often asymptomatic, and largely undiagnosed in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). SDB affects 34% of men and 17% of women aged between 30 and 70. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between SDB and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy as well as structural remodeling in stable CAD patients. The study was based on a cross-sectional design. Echocardiography and polysomnography was performed in 772 patients with CAD and with untreated sleep apnea. All study participants underwent testing by Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire. Their mean age, NYHA and left ventricular ejection fraction were, respectively: 57 ± 9 years, 2.1 ± 0.5 and 51 ± 8%, and 76% were men. Sleep apnea (SA) was defined as an apnea-hypopnea-index (AHI) ≥5 events/h, and, non-SA, as an AHI <5. Sleep apnea was present in 39% of patients, and a large fraction of those patients had no complaints on excessive daytime sleepiness. The patients with SA were older, with higher body mass and higher prevalence of hypertension. LV hypertrophy (LVH), defined by allometrically corrected (LV mass/height 2.7 ) gender-independent criteria, was more common among the patients with SA than those without (86% vs. 74%, p < 0.001). The frequency of LVH by wall thickness criteria (interventricular septal thickness or posterior wall thickness ≥ 12 mm: 49% vs. 33%, p < 0.001) and concentric LVH (61% vs. 47%, p = 0.001) was higher in CAD patients with SA. The patients with SA had significantly higher values of both interventricular septal thickness and posterior wall thickness. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that even mild sleep apnea was an independent predictor for LVH by wall thickness criteria and concentric LVH (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.04-2.2 and OR = 1.9; 1.3-2.9 respectively). We concluded that unrecognized sleep apnea was highly prevalent among patients with stable CAD, and the majority of those patients did not report daytime sleepiness. Mild to moderate sleep apnea was associated with increased LV wall thickness, LV mass, and with higher prevalence of concentric LV hypertrophy independently of coexisting obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus or advancing age.

  18. Fabrication of Low-Density Foam Liners in Hohlraums for NIF Targets

    DOE PAGES

    Bhandarkar, Suhas; Baumann, Ted; Alfonso, Noel; ...

    2018-01-15

    Low-density foam liners are seen as a means to mitigate hohlraum wall motion that can interfere with the inner set of beams that are pointed toward the middle section of the hohlraum. These liners need to meet several requirements, most notably the material choice and the maximum allowable solid fraction and thickness, which necessitate development of new processing capabilities. In this paper, we discuss our strategy and work on fabrication of a tantalum oxide foam liner and its assembly into targets for the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Finally, in particular, we discuss our approach to finding solutions to the uniquemore » challenges that come up in working with such low-density materials so as to be able establish a viable platform for production of cryogenic targets for NIF with foam-lined hohlraums.« less

  19. Fabrication of Low-Density Foam Liners in Hohlraums for NIF Targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhandarkar, Suhas; Baumann, Ted; Alfonso, Noel

    Low-density foam liners are seen as a means to mitigate hohlraum wall motion that can interfere with the inner set of beams that are pointed toward the middle section of the hohlraum. These liners need to meet several requirements, most notably the material choice and the maximum allowable solid fraction and thickness, which necessitate development of new processing capabilities. In this paper, we discuss our strategy and work on fabrication of a tantalum oxide foam liner and its assembly into targets for the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Finally, in particular, we discuss our approach to finding solutions to the uniquemore » challenges that come up in working with such low-density materials so as to be able establish a viable platform for production of cryogenic targets for NIF with foam-lined hohlraums.« less

  20. Processing and characterization of oval piezoelectric actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jadidian, B.; Allahverdi, M.; Mohammadi, F.; Safari, A.

    2002-03-01

    The processing and characterization of piezoelectric actuators with oval geometry are presented. The monolithic actuators were fabricated using the fused deposition of ceramic process. The minor diameter of the ovals varied between 2 and 14 mm and their major diameter, wall thickness, and width were 20, 0.85, and 7 mm, respectively. When driven under electric field, the actuators expanded along their minor diameter. The static and dynamic displacements of ˜7 and ˜5.6 μm were observed at 850 V(dc) and 100 V(ac). The static displacement of the ovals varied almost linearly with voltage and did not change under the application of external load in the range of 1-15 N. However, both dynamic displacement and resonant frequency of the ovals varied, with a maximum of 42 μm and 38 Hz, respectively, under 13 N load.

  1. Boundary layer simulator improvement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Praharaj, S. C.; Schmitz, C.; Frost, C.; Engel, C. D.; Fuller, C. E.; Bender, R. L.; Pond, J.

    1984-01-01

    High chamber pressure expander cycles proposed for orbit transfer vehicles depend primarily on the heat energy transmitted from the combustion products through the thrust wall chamber wall. The heat transfer to the nozzle wall is affected by such variables as wall roughness, relamarization, and the presence of particles in the flow. Motor performance loss for these nozzles with thick boundary layers is inaccurate using the existing procedure coded BLIMPJ. Modifications and innovations to the code are examined. Updated routines are listed.

  2. Analytical Modeling of Pressure Wall Hole Size and Maximum Tip-to-Tip Crack Length for Perforating Normal and Oblique Orbital Debris Impacts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schonberg, William P.; Mohamed, Essam

    1997-01-01

    This report presents the results of a study whose objective was to develop first-principles-based models of hole size and maximum tip-to-tip crack length for a spacecraft module pressure wall that has been perforated in an orbital debris particle impact. The hole size and crack length models are developed by sequentially characterizing the phenomena comprising the orbital debris impact event, including the initial impact, the creation and motion of a debris cloud within the dual-wall system, the impact of the debris cloud on the pressure wall, the deformation of the pressure wall due to debris cloud impact loading prior to crack formation, pressure wall crack initiation, propagation, and arrest, and finally pressure wall deformation following crack initiation and growth. The model development has been accomplished through the application of elementary shock physics and thermodynamic theory, as well as the principles of mass, momentum, and energy conservation. The predictions of the model developed herein are compared against the predictions of empirically-based equations for hole diameters and maximum tip-to-tip crack length for three International Space Station wall configurations. The ISS wall systems considered are the baseline U.S. Lab Cylinder, the enhanced U.S. Lab Cylinder, and the U.S. Lab Endcone. The empirical predictor equations were derived from experimentally obtained hole diameters and crack length data. The original model predictions did not compare favorably with the experimental data, especially for cases in which pressure wall petalling did not occur. Several modifications were made to the original model to bring its predictions closer in line with the experimental results. Following the adjustment of several empirical constants, the predictions of the modified analytical model were in much closer agreement with the experimental results.

  3. The effect of wall thickness distribution on mechanical reliability and strength in unidirectional porous ceramics.

    PubMed

    Seuba, Jordi; Deville, Sylvain; Guizard, Christian; Stevenson, Adam J

    2016-01-01

    Macroporous ceramics exhibit an intrinsic strength variability caused by the random distribution of defects in their structure. However, the precise role of microstructural features, other than pore volume, on reliability is still unknown. Here, we analyze the applicability of the Weibull analysis to unidirectional macroporous yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) prepared by ice-templating. First, we performed crush tests on samples with controlled microstructural features with the loading direction parallel to the porosity. The compressive strength data were fitted using two different fitting techniques, ordinary least squares and Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo, to evaluate whether Weibull statistics are an adequate descriptor of the strength distribution. The statistical descriptors indicated that the strength data are well described by the Weibull statistical approach, for both fitting methods used. Furthermore, we assess the effect of different microstructural features (volume, size, densification of the walls, and morphology) on Weibull modulus and strength. We found that the key microstructural parameter controlling reliability is wall thickness. In contrast, pore volume is the main parameter controlling the strength. The highest Weibull modulus ([Formula: see text]) and mean strength (198.2 MPa) were obtained for the samples with the smallest and narrowest wall thickness distribution (3.1 [Formula: see text]m) and lower pore volume (54.5%).

  4. The effect of wall thickness distribution on mechanical reliability and strength in unidirectional porous ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seuba, Jordi; Deville, Sylvain; Guizard, Christian; Stevenson, Adam J.

    2016-01-01

    Macroporous ceramics exhibit an intrinsic strength variability caused by the random distribution of defects in their structure. However, the precise role of microstructural features, other than pore volume, on reliability is still unknown. Here, we analyze the applicability of the Weibull analysis to unidirectional macroporous yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) prepared by ice-templating. First, we performed crush tests on samples with controlled microstructural features with the loading direction parallel to the porosity. The compressive strength data were fitted using two different fitting techniques, ordinary least squares and Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo, to evaluate whether Weibull statistics are an adequate descriptor of the strength distribution. The statistical descriptors indicated that the strength data are well described by the Weibull statistical approach, for both fitting methods used. Furthermore, we assess the effect of different microstructural features (volume, size, densification of the walls, and morphology) on Weibull modulus and strength. We found that the key microstructural parameter controlling reliability is wall thickness. In contrast, pore volume is the main parameter controlling the strength. The highest Weibull modulus (?) and mean strength (198.2 MPa) were obtained for the samples with the smallest and narrowest wall thickness distribution (3.1 ?m) and lower pore volume (54.5%).

  5. Detecting airway remodeling in COPD and emphysema using low-dose CT imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rudyanto, R.; Ceresa, M.; Muñoz-Barrutia, A.; Ortiz-de-Solorzano, C.

    2012-03-01

    In this study, we quantitatively characterize lung airway remodeling caused by smoking-related emphysema and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), in low-dose CT scans. To that end, we established three groups of individuals: subjects with COPD (n=35), subjects with emphysema (n=38) and healthy smokers (n=28). All individuals underwent a low-dose CT scan, and the images were analyzed as described next. First the lung airways were segmented using a fast marching method and labeled according to its generation. Along each airway segment, cross-section images were resampled orthogonal to the airway axis. Next 128 rays were cast from the center of the airway lumen in each crosssection slice. Finally, we used an integral-based method, to measure lumen radius, wall thickness, mean wall percentage and mean peak wall attenuation on every cast ray. Our analysis shows that both the mean global wall thickness and the lumen radius of the airways of both COPD and emphysema groups were significantly different from those of the healthy group. In addition, the wall thickness change starts at the 3rd airway generation in the COPD patients compared with emphysema patients, who display the first significant changes starting in the 2nd generation. In conclusion, it is shown that airway remodeling happens in individuals suffering from either COPD or emphysema, with some local difference between both groups, and that we are able to detect and accurately quantify this process using images of low-dose CT scans.

  6. Extremely thick cell walls and low mesophyll conductance: welcome to the world of ancient living!

    PubMed Central

    Tosens, Tiina; Laanisto, Lauri; Niinemets, Ülo

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Mesophyll conductance is thought to be an important photosynthetic limitation in gymnosperms, but they currently constitute the most understudied plant group in regard to the extent to which photosynthesis and intrinsic water use efficiency are limited by mesophyll conductance. A comprehensive analysis of leaf gas exchange, photosynthetic limitations, mesophyll conductance (calculated by three methods previously used for across-species comparisons), and the underlying ultra-anatomical, morphological and chemical traits in 11 gymnosperm species varying in evolutionary history was performed to gain insight into the evolution of structural and physiological controls on photosynthesis at the lower return end of the leaf economics spectrum. Two primitive herbaceous species were included in order to provide greater evolutionary context. Low mesophyll conductance was the main limiting factor of photosynthesis in the majority of species. The strongest sources of limitation were extremely thick mesophyll cell walls, high chloroplast thickness and variation in chloroplast shape and size, and the low exposed surface area of chloroplasts per unit leaf area. In gymnosperms, the negative relationship between net assimilation per mass and leaf mass per area reflected an increased mesophyll cell wall thickness, whereas the easy-to-measure integrative trait of leaf mass per area failed to predict the underlying ultrastructural traits limiting mesophyll conductance. PMID:28419340

  7. Echocardiographic and Blood Pressure Characteristics of First-Year Collegiate American-Style Football Players.

    PubMed

    Crouse, Stephen F; White, Stephanie; Erwin, John P; Meade, Thomas H; Martin, Steven E; Oliver, Jonathan M; Joubert, Dustin P; Lambert, Bradley S; Bramhall, Joe P; Gill, Kory; Weir, David

    2016-01-01

    Echocardiographic (echo) and blood pressure (BP) reference values may help identify athletes at cardiovascular risk, yet benchmarks are inadequate for collegiate American-style football (ASF) players. Our purpose was to describe echo characteristics and BP values in collegiate ASF athletes compared with normal. First-year players (n = 80, age = 18 ± 1 years, height = 186 ± 7 cm, weight = 100.1 ± 22.0 kg, body mass index = 28.7 ± 5.0), body surface area [BSA] = 2.24 ± 0.25; percentage fat = 16.5 ± 9.7%) were measured for systolic and diastolic BP, and underwent echo procedures by a certified sonographer. Data analyses included simple statistics, Pearson r, frequencies in normal ranges, and t test; α = 0.05. Selected echo measurements (and indexed by BSA) were: left ventricular (LV) internal diameter diastole = 5.3 ± 0.5 cm (2.4 ± 0.3); left atrial diameter = 3.9 ± 0.5 cm (1.8 ± 0.2): LV end-diastolic volume = 138 ± 30 ml (62 ± 11); septal wall thickness = 1.0 ± 0.2 cm (0.5 ± 0.1); LV posterior wall thickness = 1.0 ± 0.1 cm (0.5 ± 0.1), LV mass = 212 ± 46 g (95 ± 18); and relative wall thickness = 0.39 ± 0.07. Correlations between BSA and echo variables were significant (r = 0.26 to 0.50). Indexing by BSA reduced percentages above reference ranges from 36% to 7%. Septal wall thickness index was significantly greater in black (0.5 ± 0.1) than nonblack (0.4 ± 0.1) athletes. Fifty-nine athletes were hypertensive or prehypertensive, and diastolic BP was significantly greater in black (76 ± 10 mm Hg) compared with nonblack athletes (71 ± 8 mm Hg). ASF athletes demonstrated LV wall thicknesses and cavity sizes consistent with sport-training hypertrophy but which were unremarkable when indexed by BSA. Ethnicity generally did not influence echo variables. No ASF players were identified with cardiac dysfunction or disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Coronary Stent Artifact Reduction with an Edge-Enhancing Reconstruction Kernel - A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study with 256-Slice CT.

    PubMed

    Tan, Stéphanie; Soulez, Gilles; Diez Martinez, Patricia; Larrivée, Sandra; Stevens, Louis-Mathieu; Goussard, Yves; Mansour, Samer; Chartrand-Lefebvre, Carl

    2016-01-01

    Metallic artifacts can result in an artificial thickening of the coronary stent wall which can significantly impair computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients with coronary stents. The objective of this study is to assess in vivo visualization of coronary stent wall and lumen with an edge-enhancing CT reconstruction kernel, as compared to a standard kernel. This is a prospective cross-sectional study involving the assessment of 71 coronary stents (24 patients), with blinded observers. After 256-slice CT angiography, image reconstruction was done with medium-smooth and edge-enhancing kernels. Stent wall thickness was measured with both orthogonal and circumference methods, averaging thickness from diameter and circumference measurements, respectively. Image quality was assessed quantitatively using objective parameters (noise, signal to noise (SNR) and contrast to noise (CNR) ratios), as well as visually using a 5-point Likert scale. Stent wall thickness was decreased with the edge-enhancing kernel in comparison to the standard kernel, either with the orthogonal (0.97 ± 0.02 versus 1.09 ± 0.03 mm, respectively; p<0.001) or the circumference method (1.13 ± 0.02 versus 1.21 ± 0.02 mm, respectively; p = 0.001). The edge-enhancing kernel generated less overestimation from nominal thickness compared to the standard kernel, both with the orthogonal (0.89 ± 0.19 versus 1.00 ± 0.26 mm, respectively; p<0.001) and the circumference (1.06 ± 0.26 versus 1.13 ± 0.31 mm, respectively; p = 0.005) methods. The edge-enhancing kernel was associated with lower SNR and CNR, as well as higher background noise (all p < 0.001), in comparison to the medium-smooth kernel. Stent visual scores were higher with the edge-enhancing kernel (p<0.001). In vivo 256-slice CT assessment of coronary stents shows that the edge-enhancing CT reconstruction kernel generates thinner stent walls, less overestimation from nominal thickness, and better image quality scores than the standard kernel.

  9. High-energy-density plasma jet generated by laser-cone interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ke, Y. Z.; Yang, X. H.; Ma, Y. Y.; Xu, B. B.; Ge, Z. Y.; Gan, L. F.; Meng, L.; Wang, S. W.; Kawata, S.

    2018-04-01

    The generation of high-energy-density (HED) plasma jet from a laser ablating thin cone target is studied theoretically and by numerical simulations. Theoretical analysis and 1D simulations show that a maximum kinetic energy conversion efficiency (CE) of 26% can be achieved when nearly 80% of the foil is ablated by laser. A HED plasma jet is generated when an intense laser (˜1015 W/cm2) irradiates the cone target, inducing a great enhancement of energy density compared to that of the planar target, which is attributed to the cumulative effect of the cone shape and the new generation mechanism of jet, i.e., laser directly accelerating the cone wall onto the axis. The characteristic of jet is influenced by the cone geometry, i.e., thickness and cone angle. It is found that a cone with a half opening angle around 70 ° and the optimized thickness (˜5 μm) can induce a jet with a high CE and long duration, whose peak energy density can reach 3.5 × 1015 erg/cm3. The results can be beneficial for laser-driven novel neutron sources and other fusion related experiments, where HED plasma jet can be applied.

  10. Brazed graphite/refractory metal composites for first-wall protection elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šmid, I.; Croessmann, C. D.; Salmonson, J. C.; Whitley, J. B.; Kny, E.; Reheis, N.; Kneringer, G.; Nickel, H.

    1991-03-01

    The peak surface heat flux deposition on divertor elements of near term fusion devices is expected to exceed 10 MW/m 2. The needed reliability of brazed plasma interactive components, particularly under abnormal operating conditions with peak surface temperatures well beyond 1000°C, makes refractory metallic substrates and brazes with a high melting point very attractive. TZM, a high temperature alloy of molybdenum, and isotropic graphite, materials very closely matched in their thermal expansion, were brazed with four high-temperature brazes. The brazes used were Zr, 90Ni/10Ti, 90Cu/10Ti and 70Ag/27Cu/3Ti (nominal composition prior to brazing, wt%). The resulting composite tiles of 50 × 50 mm2 with a TZM thickness of 5 mm and a graphite thickness of 10 mm have been tested in high heat flux simulation for their thermal fatigue properties. Up to 600 loading cycles were carried out with an average heat flux of 10 MW/m 2 for 0.5 s pulses. The maximum surface temperature was 1100°C. In support of the experiment, the thermal response and temperature gradients of the samples were investigated using a finite element model.

  11. Coercivity Enhancement in Exchange Biased Bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leighton, C.

    2001-03-01

    The well-known enhancement in coercivity in ferromagnet / antiferromagnet bilayers has been studied in the model epitaxial system MnF2 / Fe. We have investigated how the coercivity depends on temperature, cooling field, layer thickness and interfacial disorder. In all cases a typical enhancement is observed on cooling below the Neel temperature of the antiferromagnet. However, for the case of positively exchange biased layers we observe an extra coercivity enhancement which occurs when the interface is deliberately driven to a situation of maximum magnetic frustration(C. Leighton, J. Nogues, B.J. Jonsson-Akerman and I.K. Schuller, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 3466 (2000)). This situation is controlled by the magnitude of the cooling field, giving us an external parameter through which we can vary the coercivity. We propose a model where a frustrated interface provides local energy minima which effectively pin domain walls leading to an increase in coercivity. We further examine the ferromagnet thickness dependence of the effect as a probe of the coercive mechanisms(Z. Li and S. Zhang, Phys. Rev. B61 R14897 (2000) ; S. Zhang et al J. Mag. Mag. Mat. 198-199 468 (1999)). Work supported by the US DoE and the NSF.

  12. Pressure vessels fabricated with high-strength wire and electroformed nickel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roth, B.

    1966-01-01

    Metal pressure vessels of various shapes having high strength-to-weight ratios are fabricated by using known techniques of filament winding and electroforming. This eliminates nonuniform wall thickness and unequal wall strength which resulted from welding formed vessel segments together.

  13. School Tucked in an Envelope.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    AIA Journal, 1981

    1981-01-01

    At the Telluride (Colorado) school, the classroom wing was outfitted with a thick floor slab and a greenhouse space where heat is stored in waterfilled tubes. The gymnasium's southwestern wall was transformed into a Trombe wall by applying 2,000 square feet of glazing. (Author/MLF)

  14. Sarcocysts of an unidentified species of Sarcocystis in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dubey, J.P.; Lindsay, D.S.; Rosenthal, B.M.; Thomas, N.J.

    2003-01-01

    The number of Sarcocystis species that infect sea otters (Enhydra lutris) is unknown. Sea otter tissues were recently shown to harbor sarcocysts of S. neurona and of unidentified species of Sarcocystis. Whereas sarcocysts of S. neurona have walls 1a??3 I?m thick with type 9 villar protrusions, ultrastructure of a distinct thin-walled sarcocyst (0.5a??0.7 I?m thick) lacking villar protrusions, but instead exhibiting minute type 1 undulations on the sarcocyst wall, is described in this report. Parasites characterized from a sea otter infection were inferred to be related to, but distinct from, other species belonging to Sarcocystis, based on sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of a portion of the beta subunit of the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase gene.

  15. Gender Differences of Airway Dimensions in Anatomically Matched Sites on CT in Smokers

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Yu-Il; Schroeder, Joyce; Lynch, David; Newell, John; Make, Barry; Friedlander, Adam; Estépar, Raúl San José; Hanania, Nicola A.; Washko, George; Murphy, James R.; Wilson, Carla; Hokanson, John E.; Zach, Jordan; Butterfield, Kiel; Bowler, Russell P.

    2013-01-01

    Rationale and Objectives There are limited data on, and controversies regarding gender differences in the airway dimensions of smokers. Multi-detector CT (MDCT) images were analyzed to examine whether gender could explain differences in airway dimensions of anatomically matched airways in smokers. Materials and Methods We used VIDA imaging software to analyze MDCT scans from 2047 smokers (M:F, 1021:1026) from the COPDGene® cohort. The airway dimensions were analyzed from segmental to subsubsegmental bronchi. We compared the differences of luminal area, inner diameter, wall thickness, wall area percentage (WA%) for each airway between men and women, and multiple linear regression including covariates (age, gender, body sizes, and other relevant confounding factors) was used to determine the predictors of each airway dimensions. Results Lumen area, internal diameter and wall thickness were smaller for women than men in all measured airway (18.4 vs 22.5 mm2 for segmental bronchial lumen area, 10.4 vs 12.5 mm2 for subsegmental bronchi, 6.5 vs 7.7 mm2 for subsubsegmental bronchi, respectively p < 0.001). However, women had greater WA% in subsegmental and subsubsegmental bronchi. In multivariate regression, gender remained one of the most significant predictors of WA%, lumen area, inner diameter and wall thickness. Conclusion Women smokers have higher WA%, but lower luminal area, internal diameter and airway thickness in anatomically matched airways as measured by CT scan than do male smokers. This difference may explain, in part, gender differences in the prevalence of COPD and airflow limitation. PMID:21756032

  16. Relation between small airways disease and parenchymal destruction in surgical lung specimens.

    PubMed Central

    Willems, L N; Kramps, J A; Stijnen, T; Sterk, P J; Weening, J J; Dijkman, J H

    1990-01-01

    The relation between small airways disease and parenchymal destruction was investigated in lungs and lobes removed at surgery from 27 patients aged 15-70 years. Eight of the 27 patients were life-long non-smokers. The degree of small airways disease was assessed by semi-quantitative grading (SAD score) and by measuring diameter and wall thickness of membranous bronchioles. Parenchymal destruction was measured in three ways. Firstly, the number of alveolar attachments on membranous bronchioles per millimetre of circumference (AA/mm) was counted; the number of broken attachments was subtracted from the total AA/mm to give the numbers of intact attachments (normal AA/mm). Secondly, a point counting technique was used to give a destructive index (DI). Thirdly, the mean linear intercept (Lm) was determined. Total and normal AA/mm correlated negatively with the SAD score of membranous bronchioles (rs = -0.48 and -0.51) and with wall thickness (rs = -0.37 and -0.45) and DI correlated with wall thickness (rs = 0.5) and with the SAD score of respiratory bronchioles (rs = 0.53). Lm did not correlate with indices of small airway disease and total and normal AA/mm did not correlate with diameter. Multiple regression analyses showed that the correlation of total AA/mm with the SAD score of membranous and respiratory bronchioles and with wall thickness were not confounded by age or smoking. It is concluded that small airways disease is related to destruction of peribronchiolar alveoli, and it is postulated that small airways disease has a direct role in the causation of centrilobular emphysema. PMID:2315880

  17. Ureteral wall thickness at the impacted ureteral stone site: a critical predictor for success rates after SWL.

    PubMed

    Sarica, Kemal; Kafkasli, Alper; Yazici, Özgür; Çetinel, Ali Cihangir; Demirkol, Mehmet Kutlu; Tuncer, Murat; Şahin, Cahit; Eryildirim, Bilal

    2015-02-01

    The aim of the study was to determine the possible predictive value of certain patient- and stone-related factors on the stone-free rates and auxiliary procedures after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with impacted proximal ureteral calculi. A total of 111 patients (86 male, 25 females M/F: 3.44/1) with impacted proximal ureteral stones treated with shock wave lithotripsy were evaluated. Cases were retrieved from a departmental shock wave lithotripsy database. Variables analyzed included BMI of the case, diameter of proximal ureter and renal pelvis, stone size and Hounsfield unit, ureteral wall thickness at the impacted stone site. Stone-free status on follow-up imaging at 3 months was considered a successful outcome. All patients had a single impacted proximal ureteral stone. While the mean age of the cases was 46 ± 13 years (range 26-79 years), mean stone size was 8.95 mm (5.3-15.1 mm). Following shock wave lithotripsy although 87 patients (78.4%) were completely stone-free at 3-month follow-up visit, 24 (21.6%) cases had residual fragments requiring further repeat procedures. Prediction of the final outcome of SWL in patients with impacted proximal ureteral stones is a challenging issue and our data did clearly indicate a highly significant relationship between ureteral wall thickness and the success rates of shock wave lithotripsy particularly in cases requiring additional procedures. Of all the evaluated stone- and patient-related factors, only ureteral wall thickness at the impacted stone site independently predicted shock wave lithotripsy success.

  18. Factors influencing the ablative efficiency of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for adenomyosis: A retrospective study.

    PubMed

    Gong, Chunmei; Yang, Bin; Shi, Yarong; Liu, Zhongqiong; Wan, Lili; Zhang, Hong; Jiang, Denghua; Zhang, Lian

    2016-08-01

    Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting ablative efficiency of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for adenomyosis. Materials and methods In all, 245 patients with adenomyosis who underwent ultrasound guided HIFU (USgHIFU) were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after HIFU treatment. The non-perfused volume (NPV) ratio, energy efficiency factor (EEF) and greyscale change were set as dependent variables, while the factors possibly affecting ablation efficiency were set as independent variables. These variables were used to build multiple regression models. Results A total of 245 patients with adenomyosis successfully completed HIFU treatment. Enhancement type on T1 weighted image (WI), abdominal wall thickness, volume of adenomyotic lesion, the number of hyperintense points, location of the uterus, and location of adenomyosis all had a linear relationship with the NPV ratio. Distance from skin to the adenomyotic lesion's ventral side, enhancement type on T1WI, volume of adenomyotic lesion, abdominal wall thickness, and signal intensity on T2WI all had a linear relationship with EEF. Location of the uterus and abdominal wall thickness also both had a linear relationship with greyscale change. Conclusion The enhancement type on T1WI, signal intensity on T2WI, volume of adenomyosis, location of the uterus and adenomyosis, number of hyperintense points, abdominal wall thickness, and distance from the skin to the adenomyotic lesion's ventral side can all be used as predictors of HIFU for adenomyosis.

  19. Biomechanical remodeling of obstructed guinea pig jejunum

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Jingbo; Liao, Donghua; Yang, Jian; Gregersen, Hans

    2010-01-01

    Data on morphological and biomechanical remodeling are needed to understand the mechanisms behind intestinal obstruction. The effect of partial obstruction on mechanical properties with reference to the zero-stress state and on the histomorphological properties of the guinea pig small intestine was determined in this study. Partial obstruction and sham operation were surgically created in mid-jejunum of guinea pigs. The animals survived 2, 4, 7, and 14 days respectively. The age-matched guinea pigs that were not operated served as normal controls. The segment proximal to the obstruction site was used for histological analysis, no-load state and zero-stress state data, and distension test. The segment for distension was immersed in an organ bath and inflated to 10 cmH20. The outer diameter change during the inflation was monitored using a microscope with CCD camera. Circumferential stresses and strains were computed from the diameter, pressure and the zero-stress state data. The opening angle and absolute value of residual strain decreased (P<0.01 and P<0.001) whereas the wall thickness, wall cross-sectional area, and the wall stiffness increased after 7 days obstruction (P<0.05, P<0.01). Histologically, the muscle and submucosa layers, especially the circumferential muscle layer increased in thickness after obstruction. The opening angle and residual strain mainly depended on the thickness of the muscle layer whereas the wall stiffness mainly depended on the thickness of the submucosa layer. In conclusion, the histomorphological and biomechanical properties of small intestine (referenced for the first time to the zero-stress state) remodel proximal to the obstruction site in a time-dependent manner. PMID:20189575

  20. High levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone are associated with aortic wall thickness in the general population.

    PubMed

    Ittermann, Till; Lorbeer, Roberto; Dörr, Marcus; Schneider, Tobias; Quadrat, Alexander; Heßelbarth, Lydia; Wenzel, Michael; Lehmphul, Ina; Köhrle, Josef; Mensel, Birger; Völzke, Henry

    2016-12-01

    Our aim was to investigate the association of thyroid function defined by serum concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with thoracic aortic wall thickness (AWT) as a marker of atherosclerotic processes. We pooled data of 2,679 individuals from two independent population-based surveys of the Study of Health in Pomerania. Aortic diameter and AWT measurements were performed on a 1.5-T MRI scanner at the concentration of the right pulmonary artery displaying the ascending and the descending aorta. TSH, treated as continuous variable, was significantly associated with descending AWT (β = 0.11; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.21), while the association with ascending AWT was not statistically significant (β = 0.20; 95 % CI -0.01-0.21). High TSH (>3.29 mIU/L) was significantly associated with ascending (β = 0.12; 95 % CI 0.02-0.23) but not with descending AWT (β = 0.06; 95 % CI -0.04-0.16). There was no consistent association between TSH and aortic diameters. Our study demonstrated that AWT values increase with increasing serum TSH concentrations. Thus, a hypothyroid state may be indicative for aortic atherosclerosis. These results fit very well to the findings of previous studies pointing towards increased atherosclerotic risk in the hypothyroid state. • Serum TSH concentrations are positively associated with aortic wall thickness. • Serum TSH concentrations are not associated with the aortic diameters. • Serum 3,5-diiodothyronine concentrations may be positively associated with aortic wall thickness.

  1. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lyon, B.F.

    The United States Department of Energy (DOE) currently manages the UF, Cylinder Project. The project was formed to maintain and safely manage depleted uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) stored in approximately 50,000 carbon steel cylinders. The cylinders located at three DOE sites: the K-25 site at Oak Ridge, Tennessee (K-25); the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky (PGDP), and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Portsmouth, Ohio. The System Requirements Document (SRD) (LMES 1997a) delineates the requirements of the project. The appropriate actions needed to fulfill these requirements are then specified within the System Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) (LMESmore » 1997b). The report presented herein documents activities that in whole or in part satisfy specific requirements and actions stated in the UF{sub 6} Cylinder Project SRD and SEMP with respect to forecasting cylinder conditions. The wall thickness projections made in this report are based on the assumption that the corrosion trends noted will continue. Some activities planned may substantially reduce the rate of corrosion, in which case the results presented here are conservative. The results presented here are intended to supercede and enlarge the scope of those presented previously (Lyon 1995,1996, 1997). In particular, projections are made for thin-walled cylinders (nominal initial thickness 312.5 mils) and thick-walled cylinders (nominal initial thickness 625 mils). In addition, a preliminary analysis is conducted for the minimum thickness at the head/skirt interface for skirted cylinders.« less

  2. Correlation of root dentin thickness and length of roots in mesial roots of mandibular molars.

    PubMed

    Dwivedi, Shweta; Dwivedi, Chandra Dhar; Mittal, Neelam

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation of tooth length and distal wall thickness of mesial roots in mandibular molars at different locations (ie, 2 mm below the furcation and at the junction between the middle and apical third). Forty-five mandibular first molars were taken, and the length of each tooth was measured. Then, specimens were divided into three groups according to their length: group I-long (24.2 mm ± 1.8), group II-medium (21 mm ± 1.5) and group III-short (16.8 mm ± 1.8). mesial root of each marked at two levels - at 2 mm below the furcation as well as at junction of apical and middle third of roots. The minimum thickness of the distal root dentine associated with the buccal and lingual canals of the mesial roots was measured, The distance between the buccal and lingual canals and the depth of concavity in the distal surface of the mesial roots were also measured. Statistical analysis was performed by using analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls test. The minimum thickness of the distal wall of the mesiobuccal canal was significantly different (P < .001) between groups 1 (long) and 3 (short). Distal wall thickness of the mesiobuccal root and distal concavity of the mesial root of mandibular first molars were found to be thinner in longer teeth compared with shorter teeth. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Terahertz inline wall thickness monitoring system for plastic pipe extrusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hauck, J.; Stich, D.; Heidemeyer, P.; Bastian, M.; Hochrein, T.

    2014-05-01

    Conventional and commercially available inline wall thickness monitoring systems for pipe extrusion are usually based on ultrasonic or x-ray technology. Disadvantages of ultrasonic systems are the usual need of water as a coupling media and the high damping in thick walled or foamed pipes. For x-ray systems special safety requirements have to be taken into account because of the ionizing radiation. The terahertz (THz) technology offers a novel approach to solve these problems. THz waves have many properties which are suitable for the non-destructive testing of plastics. The absorption of electrical isolators is typically very low and the radiation is non-ionizing in comparison to x-rays. Through the electromagnetic origin of the THz waves they can be used for contact free measurements. Foams show a much lower absorption in contrast to acoustic waves. The developed system uses THz pulses which are generated by stimulating photoconductive switches with femtosecond laser pulses. The time of flight of THz pulses can be determined with a resolution in the magnitude of several ten femtoseconds. Hence the thickness of an object like plastic pipes can be determined with a high accuracy by measuring the time delay between two reflections on materials interfaces e.g. at the pipe's inner and outer surface, similar to the ultrasonic technique. Knowing the refractive index of the sample the absolute layer thickness from the transit time difference can be calculated easily. This method in principle also allows the measurement of multilayer systems and the characterization of foamed pipes.

  4. Ultrasonic multi-skip tomography for pipe inspection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volker, Arno; Vos, Rik; Hunter, Alan; Lorenz, Maarten

    2012-05-01

    The inspection of wall loss corrosion is difficult at pipe support locations due to limited accessibility. However, the recently developed ultrasonic Multi-Skip screening technique is suitable for this problem. The method employs ultrasonic transducers in a pitch-catch geometry positioned on opposite sides of the pipe support. Shear waves are transmitted in the axial direction within the pipe wall, reflecting multiple times between the inner and outer surfaces before reaching the receivers. Along this path, the signals accumulate information on the integral wall thickness (e.g., via variations in travel time). The method is very sensitive in detecting the presence of wall loss, but it is difficult to quantify both the extent and depth of the loss. If the extent is unknown, then only a conservative estimate of the depth can be made due to the cumulative nature of the travel time variations. Multi-Skip tomography is an extension of Multi-Skip screening and has shown promise as a complimentary follow-up inspection technique. In recent work, we have developed the technique and demonstrated its use for reconstructing high-resolution estimates of pipe wall thickness profiles. The method operates via a model-based full wave field inversion; this consists of a forward model for predicting the measured wave field and an iterative process that compares the predicted and measured wave fields and minimizes the differences with respect to the model parameters (i.e., the wall thickness profile). This paper presents our recent developments in Multi-Skip tomographic inversion, focusing on the initial localization of corrosion regions for efficient parameterization of the surface profile model and utilization of the signal phase information for improving resolution.

  5. Drywall construction as a dental radiation barrier

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    MacDonald, J.C.; Reid, J.A.; Berthoty, D.

    1983-03-01

    Six typical forms of drywall construction have been tested as barriers against primary and secondary dental x-radiation. It is concluded that this widely used type of wall construction is generally effective for this purpose, but with a heavy workload two thicknesses of wallboard on each side of the wall are required to provide a sufficient barrier. In general, no lead need be incorporated in the walls.

  6. Drywall construction as a dental radiation barrier.

    PubMed

    MacDonald, J C; Reid, J A; Berthoty, D

    1983-03-01

    Six typical forms of drywall construction have been tested as barriers against primary and secondary dental x-radiation. It is concluded that this widely used type of wall construction is generally effective for this purpose, but with a heavy workload two thicknesses of wallboard on each side of the wall are required to provide a sufficient barrier. In general, no lead need be incorporated in the walls.

  7. On the Goertler instability in hypersonic flows: Sutherland law fluids and real gas effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fu, Yibin B.; Hall, Philip; Blackaby, Nicholas D.

    1990-01-01

    The Goertler vortex instability mechanism in a hypersonic boundary layer on a curved wall is investigated. The precise roles of the effects of boundary layer growth, wall cooling, and gas dissociation is clarified in the determination of stability properties. It is first assumed that the fluid is an ideal gas with viscosity given by Sutherland's law. It is shown that when the free stream Mach number M is large, the boundary layer divides into two sublayers: a wall layer of O(M sup 3/2) thickness over which the basic state temperature is O(M squared) and a temperature adjustment layer of O(1) thickness over which the basic state temperature decreases monotonically to its free stream value. Goertler vortices which have wavelengths comparable with the boundary layer thickness are referred to as wall modes. It is shown that their downstream evolution is governed by a set of parabolic partial differential equations and that they have the usual features of Goertler vortices in incompressible boundary layers. As the local wavenumber increases, the neutral Goertler number decreases and the center of vortex activity moves towards the temperature adjustment layer. Goertler vortices with wavenumbers of order one or larger must necessarily be trapped in the temperature adjustment layer and it is this mode which is most dangerous. For this mode, it was found that the leading order term in the Goertler number expansion is independent of the wavenumber and is due to the curvature of the basic state. This term is also the asymptotic limit of the neutral Goertler numbers of the wall mode. To determine the higher order corrections terms in the Goertler number expansion, two wall curvature cases are distinguished. Real gas effects were investigated by assuming that the fluid is an ideal dissociating gas. It was found that both gas dissociation and wall cooling are destabilizing for the mode trapped in the temperature adjustment layer, but for the wall mode trapped near the wall the effect of gas dissociation can be either destabilizing or stabilizing.

  8. Fluorescence multispectral imaging-based diagnostic system for atherosclerosis.

    PubMed

    Ho, Cassandra Su Lyn; Horiuchi, Toshikatsu; Taniguchi, Hiroaki; Umetsu, Araya; Hagisawa, Kohsuke; Iwaya, Keiichi; Nakai, Kanji; Azmi, Amalina; Zulaziz, Natasha; Azhim, Azran; Shinomiya, Nariyoshi; Morimoto, Yuji

    2016-08-20

    Composition of atherosclerotic arterial walls is rich in lipids such as cholesterol, unlike normal arterial walls. In this study, we aimed to utilize this difference to diagnose atherosclerosis via multispectral fluorescence imaging, which allows for identification of fluorescence originating from the substance in the arterial wall. The inner surface of extracted arteries (rabbit abdominal aorta, human coronary artery) was illuminated by 405 nm excitation light and multispectral fluorescence images were obtained. Pathological examination of human coronary artery samples were carried out and thickness of arteries were calculated by measuring combined media and intima thickness. The fluorescence spectra in atherosclerotic sites were different from those in normal sites. Multiple regions of interest (ROI) were selected within each sample and a ratio between two fluorescence intensity differences (where each intensity difference is calculated between an identifier wavelength and a base wavelength) from each ROI was determined, allowing for discrimination of atherosclerotic sites. Fluorescence intensity and thickness of artery were found to be significantly correlated. These results indicate that multispectral fluorescence imaging provides qualitative and quantitative evaluations of atherosclerosis and is therefore a viable method of diagnosing the disease.

  9. The beetle elytron plate: a lightweight, high-strength and buffering functional-structural bionic material.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaoming; Xie, Juan; Chen, Jinxiang; Okabe, Yoji; Pan, Longcheng; Xu, Mengye

    2017-06-30

    To investigate the characteristics of compression, buffering and energy dissipation in beetle elytron plates (BEPs), compression experiments were performed on BEPs and honeycomb plates (HPs) with the same wall thickness in different core structures and using different molding methods. The results are as follows: 1) The compressive strength and energy dissipation capacity in the BEP are 2.44 and 5.0 times those in the HP, respectively, when the plates are prepared using the full integrated method (FIM). 2) The buckling stress is directly proportional to the square of the wall thickness (t). Thus, for core structures with equal wall thicknesses, although the core volume of the BEP is 42 percent greater than that of the HP, the mechanical properties of the BEP are several times higher than those of the HP. 3) It is also proven that even when the single integrated method (SIM) is used to prepare BEPs, the properties discussed above remain superior to those of HPs by a factor of several; this finding lays the foundation for accelerating the commercialization of BEPs based on modern manufacturing processes.

  10. Recent developments in guided wave travel time tomography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zon, Tim van; Volker, Arno

    The concept of predictive maintenance using permanent sensors that monitor the integrity of an installation is an interesting addition to the current method of periodic inspections. Guided wave tomography had been developed to create a map of the wall thickness using the travel times of guided waves. It can be used for both monitoring and for inspection of pipe-segments that are difficult to access, for instance at the location of pipe-supports. An important outcome of the tomography is the minimum remaining wall thickness, as this is critical in the scheduling of a replacement of the pipe-segment. In order to improvemore » the sizing accuracy we have improved the tomography scheme. A number of major improvements have been realized allowing to extend the application envelope to pipes with a larger wall thickness and to larger distances between the transducer rings. Simulation results indicate that the sizing accuracy has improved and that is now possible to have a spacing of 8 meter between the source-ring and the receiver-ring. Additionally a reduction of the number of sensors required might be possible as well.« less

  11. ANSYS-Based Simulation and Optimization on Temperature Field of Amorphous Ingot Made by Water Quenching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, W.; Sun, Z.; Tang, Z.; Liaw, P. K.; Li, J.; Liu, R. P.; Li, Gong

    2014-05-01

    2D finite element analysis was conducted on the temperature field to create an amorphous ingot by vacuum water quenching. An optimized analysis document was then written by ANSYS parametric design language, and the optimal design modules of ANSYS were used to study the inside diameter and wall thickness of the quartz tube, as well as the water temperature. The microstructure and the phase structure of the amorphous ingot were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Results show that during the cooling process, the thinner wall thickness, smaller diameter of the ingot, or lower temperature of the water environment can result in higher cooling rate at a given temperature. Besides, the gap between the different cooling rates induced by wall thickness or diameter of the ingot narrows down as the temperature decreases, and the gap between the different cooling rates induced by temperature of the water environment remains constant. The process parameters in creating an amorphous ingot, which is optimized by the finite element analysis on the temperature field, are reliable.

  12. Abdominal exploration in captive collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) by ultrasonography.

    PubMed

    Peixoto, G C X; Oliveira, I R S; Alves, N D; Oliveira, M F; Silva, A R

    2012-08-01

    This study determines the morphology and ultrasound features of the abdominal organs in male, nestling and healthy collared peccaries. The bladder wall is hyperechogenic, with a thickness of 0.2 ± 0.08 cm. The kidneys present a well-defined cortex, medulla and pelvis, and the dimensions are 2.56 ± 0.3 × 4.6 ± 0.8 cm for the left and 2.51 ± 0.4 × 4.86 ± 1.1 cm for the right kidney. The spleen has a uniform echotexture over its entire surface. The largest dimensions of the liver are 2.0 ± 0.57 cm for the left lobe and 1.42 ± 0.66 cm for the caudate lobe. The liver presents a homogeneous echotexture in the majority of cases, but sometimes some hyperechoic spots are present. The stomach wall has a thickness of 0.42 ± 0.28 cm. The bowel loops show alternate hyperechoic and hypoechoic layers with a uniform diameter and a wall thickness of 0.19 ± 0.07 cm. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  13. Fluid Structural Analysis of Human Cerebral Aneurysm Using Their Own Wall Mechanical Properties

    PubMed Central

    Valencia, Alvaro; Burdiles, Patricio; Ignat, Miguel; Mura, Jorge; Rivera, Rodrigo; Sordo, Juan

    2013-01-01

    Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD) simulations, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, and Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations were carried out in an anatomically realistic model of a saccular cerebral aneurysm with the objective of quantifying the effects of type of simulation on principal fluid and solid mechanics results. Eight CSD simulations, one CFD simulation, and four FSI simulations were made. The results allowed the study of the influence of the type of material elements in the solid, the aneurism's wall thickness, and the type of simulation on the modeling of a human cerebral aneurysm. The simulations use their own wall mechanical properties of the aneurysm. The more complex simulation was the FSI simulation completely coupled with hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin material, normal internal pressure, and normal variable thickness. The FSI simulation coupled in one direction using hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin material, normal internal pressure, and normal variable thickness is the one that presents the most similar results with respect to the more complex FSI simulation, requiring one-fourth of the calculation time. PMID:24151523

  14. Measuring Thicknesses of Wastewater Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schubert, F. H.; Davenport, R. J.

    1987-01-01

    Sensor determines when thickness of film of electrically conductive wastewater on rotating evaporator drum exceeds preset value. Sensor simple electrical probe that makes contact with liquid surface. Made of materials resistant to chemicals in liquid. Mounted on shaft in rotating cylinder, liquid-thickness sensor extends toward cylinder wall so tip almost touches. Sensor body accommodates probe measuring temperature of evaporated water in cylinder.

  15. Domain wall structure and interactions in 50 nm wide Cobalt nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tu, Kun-Hua; Ojha, Shuchi; Ross, Caroline A.

    2018-05-01

    Arrays of cobalt nanowires with widths of 50 nm, thickness of 5 and 20 nm and periodicity of 70 nm were fabricated by pattern transfer from a self-assembled block copolymer film. Transverse domain walls (DWs) were imaged by magnetic force microscopy, indicating repulsive interactions between DWs of the same sign in the 20 nm thick wires. Micromagnetic simulations were used to identify the interactions in the six distinct cases of a pair of transverse DWs in adjacent wires, considering all the possible combinations of head-to-head and tail-to-tail DWs and the orientation of the core magnetization. The boundary between repulsive and attractive DW interactions is mapped out for wires as a function of thickness, width and interwire spacing.

  16. Subclinical atherosclerosis in obese adolescents with normal left ventricular function.

    PubMed

    Abdel-Wahab, Amina M; Atwa, Hoda A; El-Eraky, Azza Z; El-Aziz, Mohamed A

    2011-09-01

    To assess the impact of obesity on carotid intima media thickness and left ventricular (LV) mass in obese adolescents. The study included 52 obese adolescents (mean age 14.16+/-2.64 years) and 52 healthy adolescents who served as a control group (mean age 12+/-2.3 years), who were attended the outpatient clinic at Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt. The study population was submitted for medical history, clinical examination, laboratory investigations (fasting blood sugar and lipid profile), and echocardiographic examination of LV mass and dimensions. Assessment of carotid intima-media thickness was carried out by using carotid duplex. All children had normal LV function. Obese adolescents had a significant increase in total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, and low HDL-C compared to the control group. Also, there was a significant increase in blood pressure, carotid intima media thickness, LV mass, and LV mass index. There was a significant correlation between BMI and dyslipidemia, blood pressure, carotid intima/media thickness, LV mass, and posterior wall thickness. Carotid intima-media thickness had a significant correlation with increased LDL-C and low HDL-C, blood pressure, LV mass, and posterior wall thickness. Obesity in childhood and adolescents is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Although obese children had no LV dysfunction, yet there are LV structure changes.

  17. 49 CFR 230.72 - Testing main reservoirs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STEAM LOCOMOTIVE INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS Steam Locomotives and... longitudinal lap seams, an appropriate NDE method that can measure the wall thickness of the reservoir may be... or riveted longitudinal lap seam main reservoirs, an appropriate NDE method that can measure wall...

  18. The compressed breast during mammography and breast tomosynthesis: in vivo shape characterization and modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez-Ruiz, Alejandro; Agasthya, Greeshma A.; Sechopoulos, Ioannis

    2017-09-01

    To characterize and develop a patient-based 3D model of the compressed breast undergoing mammography and breast tomosynthesis. During this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant study, 50 women were recruited to undergo 3D breast surface imaging with structured light (SL) during breast compression, along with simultaneous acquisition of a tomosynthesis image. A pair of SL systems were used to acquire 3D surface images by projecting 24 different patterns onto the compressed breast and capturing their reflection off the breast surface in approximately 12-16 s. The 3D surface was characterized and modeled via principal component analysis. The resulting surface model was combined with a previously developed 2D model of projected compressed breast shapes to generate a full 3D model. Data from ten patients were discarded due to technical problems during image acquisition. The maximum breast thickness (found at the chest-wall) had an average value of 56 mm, and decreased 13% towards the nipple (breast tilt angle of 5.2°). The portion of the breast not in contact with the compression paddle or the support table extended on average 17 mm, 18% of the chest-wall to nipple distance. The outermost point along the breast surface lies below the midline of the total thickness. A complete 3D model of compressed breast shapes was created and implemented as a software application available for download, capable of generating new random realistic 3D shapes of breasts undergoing compression. Accurate characterization and modeling of the breast curvature and shape was achieved and will be used for various image processing and clinical tasks.

  19. Wood Cellular Dendroclimatology: A Pilot Study on Bristlecone Pine in the Southwest US

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ziaco, E.; Biondi, F.; Heinrich, I.

    2015-12-01

    Tree-rings provide paleoclimatic records at annual to seasonal resolution for regions or periods with no instrumental climatic data. Relationships between climatic variability and wood cellular features allow for a more complete understanding of the physiological mechanisms that control the climatic response of trees. Given the increasing importance of wood anatomy as a source of dendroecological information, such studies are now starting in the US. We analyzed 10 cores of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey) from a high-elevation site included in the Nevada Climate-ecohydrological Assessment Network (NevCAN). Century-long chronologies (1870-2013) of wood anatomical parameters (lumen area, cell diameter, cell wall thickness) can be developed by capturing strongly contrasted microscopic images using a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, and then measuring cellular parameters with task-specific software. Measures of empirical signal strength were used to test the strength of the environmental information embedded in wood anatomy. Correlation functions between ring-width, cellular features, and PRISM climatic variables were produced for the period 1926-2013. Time series of anatomical features present lower autocorrelation compared to ring widths, highlighting the role of environmental conditions occurring at the time of cell formation. Mean chronologies of radial lumen length and cell diameter carry a stronger climatic signal compared to cell wall thickness, and are significantly correlated with climatic variables (maximum temperature and total precipitation) in spring (Mar-Apr) and during the growing season (Jun-Sep), whereas ring widths show weaker or no correlation. Wood anatomy holds great potential to refine dendroclimatic reconstructions at higher temporal resolution, providing better estimates of hydroclimatic variability and plant physiological adaptations in the southwest US.

  20. Size, shape, and stamina: the impact of left ventricular geometry on exercise capacity.

    PubMed

    Lam, Carolyn S P; Grewal, Jasmine; Borlaug, Barry A; Ommen, Steve R; Kane, Garvan C; McCully, Robert B; Pellikka, Patricia A

    2010-05-01

    Although several studies have examined the cardiac functional determinants of exercise capacity, few have investigated the effects of structural remodeling. The current study evaluated the association between cardiac geometry and exercise capacity. Subjects with ejection fraction > or = 50% and no valvular disease, myocardial ischemia, or arrhythmias were identified from a large prospective exercise echocardiography database. Left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness were used to classify geometry into normal, concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy, and concentric hypertrophy. All of the subjects underwent symptom-limited treadmill exercise according to standard Bruce protocol. Maximal exercise tolerance was measured in metabolic equivalents. Of 366 (60+/-14 years; 57% male) subjects, 166 (45%) had normal geometry, 106 (29%) had concentric remodeling, 40 (11%) had eccentric hypertrophy, and 54 (15%) had concentric hypertrophy. Geometry was related to exercise capacity: in descending order, the maximum achieved metabolic equivalents were 9.9+/-2.8 in normal, 8.9+/-2.6 in concentric remodeling, 8.6+/-3.1 in eccentric hypertrophy, and 8.0+/-2.7 in concentric hypertrophy (all P<0.02 versus normal). Left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness were negatively correlated with exercise tolerance in metabolic equivalents (r=-0.14; P=0.009 and r=-0.21; P<0.001, respectively). Augmentation of heart rate and ejection fraction with exercise were blunted in concentric hypertrophy compared with normal, even after adjusting for medications. In conclusion, the pattern of ventricular remodeling is related to exercise capacity among low-risk adults. Subjects with concentric hypertrophy display the greatest limitation, and this is related to reduced systolic and chronotropic reserve. Reverse remodeling strategies may prevent or treat functional decline in patients with structural heart disease.

  1. Size, Shape and Stamina: The Impact of Left Ventricular Geometry on Exercise Capacity

    PubMed Central

    Lam, Carolyn S.P.; Grewal, Jasmine; Borlaug, Barry A.; Ommen, Steve R.; Kane, Garvan C.; McCully, Robert B.; Pellikka, Patricia A.

    2010-01-01

    While several studies have examined the cardiac functional determinants of exercise capacity, few have investigated the effects of structural remodeling. The current study evaluated the association between cardiac geometry and exercise capacity. Subjects with ejection fraction ≥ 50% and no valvular disease, myocardial ischemia or arrhythmias were identified from a large prospective exercise echocardiography database. Left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness were used to classify geometry into normal, concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy and concentric hypertrophy. All subjects underwent symptom-limited treadmill exercise according to standard Bruce protocol. Maximal exercise tolerance was measured in metabolic equivalents. Of 366 (60±14 years; 57% male) subjects, 166(45%) had normal geometry, 106(29%) had concentric remodeling, 40(11%) had eccentric hypertrophy and 54(15%) had concentric hypertrophy. Geometry was related to exercise capacity: in descending order, the maximum achieved metabolic equivalents was 9.9±2.8 in normal, 8.9±2.6 in concentric remodeling, 8.6±3.1 in eccentric hypertrophy and 8.0±2.7 in concentric hypertrophy (all p<0.02 vs normal). Left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness were negatively correlated with exercise tolerance in metabolic equivalents (r= -0.14; p=0.009 and r= -0.21; p<0.001, respectively). Augmentation of heart rate and ejection fraction with exercise were blunted in concentric hypertrophy compared to normal, even after adjusting for medications. In conclusion, the pattern of ventricular remodeling is related to exercise capacity among low-risk adults. Subjects with concentric hypertrophy display the greatest limitation and this is related to reduced systolic and chronotropic reserve. Reverse remodeling strategies may prevent or treat functional decline in patients with structural heart disease. PMID:20215563

  2. Around Marshall

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1963-06-24

    At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. In this photo, taken June 24, 1963, the four tower legs of the test stand can be seen at their maximum height.

  3. Carbon nanotube embedded PVDF membranes: Effect of solvent composition on the structural morphology for membrane distillation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mapunda, Edgar C.; Mamba, Bhekie B.; Msagati, Titus A. M.

    2017-08-01

    Rapid population increase, growth in industrial and agricultural sectors and global climate change have added significant pressure on conventional freshwater resources. Tapping freshwater from non-conventional water sources such as desalination and wastewater recycling is considered as sustainable alternative to the fundamental challenges of water scarcity. However, affordable and sustainable technologies need to be applied for the communities to benefit from the treatment of non-conventional water source. Membrane distillation is a potential desalination technology which can be used sustainably for this purpose. In this work multi-walled carbon nanotube embedded polyvinylidene fluoride membranes for application in membrane distillation desalination were prepared via non-solvent induced phase separation method. The casting solution was prepared using mixed solvents (N, N-dimethylacetamide and triethyl phosphate) at varying ratios to study the effect of solvent composition on membrane morphological structures. Membrane morphological features were studied using a number of techniques including scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, SAXSpace tensile strength analysis, membrane thickness, porosity and contact angle measurements. It was revealed that membrane hydrophobicity, thickness, tensile strength and surface roughness were increasing as the composition of N, N-dimethylacetamide in the solvent was increasing with maximum values obtained between 40 and 60% N, N-dimethylacetamide. Internal morphological structures were changing from cellular structures to short finger-like and sponge-like pores and finally to large macro void type of pores when the amount of N, N-dimethylacetamide in the solvent was changed from low to high respectively. Multi-walled carbon nanotube embedded polyvinylidene fluoride membranes of desired morphological structures and physical properties can be synthesized by regulating the composition of solvents used to prepare the casting solution.

  4. Tracheal Wall Thickening Is Associated with the Granulation Tissue Formation Around Silicone Stents in Patients with Post-Tuberculosis Tracheal Stenosis

    PubMed Central

    Eom, Jung Seop; Jeon, Kyeongman; Um, Sang-Won; Koh, Won-Jung; Suh, Gee Young; Chung, Man Pyo; Kwon, O Jung

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Tracheal restenosis due to excessive granulation tissue around a silicone stent requires repeated bronchoscopic interventions in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis (PTTS). The current study was conducted to identify the risk factors for granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting in PTTS patients. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted between January 1998 and December 2010. Forty-two PTTS patients with silicone stenting were selected. Clinical and radiological variables were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results Tracheal restenosis due to granulation tissue formation were found in 20 patients (47.6%), and repeated bronchoscopic interventions were conducted. In multivariate analysis, tracheal wall thickness, measured on axial computed tomography scan, was independently associated with granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting. Furthermore, the degree of tracheal wall thickness was well correlated with the degree of granulation tissue formation. Conclusion Tracheal wall thickening was associated with granulation tissue formation around silicone stents in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis. PMID:23709431

  5. Tracheal wall thickening is associated with the granulation tissue formation around silicone stents in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis.

    PubMed

    Eom, Jung Seop; Kim, Hojoong; Jeon, Kyeongman; Um, Sang-Won; Koh, Won-Jung; Suh, Gee Young; Chung, Man Pyo; Kwon, O Jung

    2013-07-01

    Tracheal restenosis due to excessive granulation tissue around a silicone stent requires repeated bronchoscopic interventions in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis (PTTS). The current study was conducted to identify the risk factors for granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting in PTTS patients. A retrospective study was conducted between January 1998 and December 2010. Forty-two PTTS patients with silicone stenting were selected. Clinical and radiological variables were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Tracheal restenosis due to granulation tissue formation were found in 20 patients (47.6%), and repeated bronchoscopic interventions were conducted. In multivariate analysis, tracheal wall thickness, measured on axial computed tomography scan, was independently associated with granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting. Furthermore, the degree of tracheal wall thickness was well correlated with the degree of granulation tissue formation. Tracheal wall thickening was associated with granulation tissue formation around silicone stents in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis.

  6. Construction Guide to Next-Generation High-Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 - Part 2: 2x4 Walls

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kochkin, V.; Wiehagen, J.

    2017-06-01

    Part 2 of this Construction Guide to High-Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 provides straightforward and cost-effective strategies to construct durable, energy-efficient walls. It addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 inches thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low-rise residential buildings up to three stories high. Walls with 2x6 framing are addressed in Part 1 of the Guide.

  7. Construction Guide to Next-Generation High-Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 - Part 2: 2x4 Walls

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kochkin, V.; Wiehagen, J.

    Part 2 of this Construction Guide to High-Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 provides straightforward and cost-effective strategies to construct durable, energy-efficient walls. It addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 inches thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low-rise residential buildings up to three stories high. Walls with 2x6 framing are addressed in Part 1 of the Guide.

  8. Influence of micromachined targets on laser accelerated proton beam profiles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalui, Malay; Permogorov, Alexander; Pahl, Hannes; Persson, Anders; Wahlström, Claes-Göran

    2018-03-01

    High intensity laser-driven proton acceleration from micromachined targets is studied experimentally in the target-normal-sheath-acceleration regime. Conical pits are created on the front surface of flat aluminium foils of initial thickness 12.5 and 3 μm using series of low energy pulses (0.5-2.5 μJ). Proton acceleration from such micromachined targets is compared with flat foils of equivalent thickness at a laser intensity of 7 × 1019 W cm-2. The maximum proton energy obtained from targets machined from 12.5 μm thick foils is found to be slightly lower than that of flat foils of equivalent remaining thickness, and the angular divergence of the proton beam is observed to increase as the depth of the pit approaches the foil thickness. Targets machined from 3 μm thick foils, on the other hand, show evidence of increasing the maximum proton energy when the depths of the structures are small. Furthermore, shallow pits on 3 μm thick foils are found to be efficient in reducing the proton beam divergence by a factor of up to three compared to that obtained from flat foils, while maintaining the maximum proton energy.

  9. Dynamic estimation of three-dimensional cerebrovascular deformation from rotational angiography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang Chong; Villa-Uriol, Maria-Cruz; De Craene, Mathieu

    2011-03-15

    Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of detecting and quantifying 3D cerebrovascular wall motion from a single 3D rotational x-ray angiography (3DRA) acquisition within a clinically acceptable time and computing from the estimated motion field for the further biomechanical modeling of the cerebrovascular wall. Methods: The whole motion cycle of the cerebral vasculature is modeled using a 4D B-spline transformation, which is estimated from a 4D to 2D+t image registration framework. The registration is performed by optimizing a single similarity metric between the entire 2D+t measured projection sequence and the corresponding forward projections of themore » deformed volume at their exact time instants. The joint use of two acceleration strategies, together with their implementation on graphics processing units, is also proposed so as to reach computation times close to clinical requirements. For further characterizing vessel wall properties, an approximation of the wall thickness changes is obtained through a strain calculation. Results: Evaluation on in silico and in vitro pulsating phantom aneurysms demonstrated an accurate estimation of wall motion curves. In general, the error was below 10% of the maximum pulsation, even in the situation when substantial inhomogeneous intensity pattern was present. Experiments on in vivo data provided realistic aneurysm and vessel wall motion estimates, whereas in regions where motion was neither visible nor anatomically possible, no motion was detected. The use of the acceleration strategies enabled completing the estimation process for one entire cycle in 5-10 min without degrading the overall performance. The strain map extracted from our motion estimation provided a realistic deformation measure of the vessel wall. Conclusions: The authors' technique has demonstrated that it can provide accurate and robust 4D estimates of cerebrovascular wall motion within a clinically acceptable time, although it has to be applied to a larger patient population prior to possible wide application to routine endovascular procedures. In particular, for the first time, this feasibility study has shown that in vivo cerebrovascular motion can be obtained intraprocedurally from a 3DRA acquisition. Results have also shown the potential of performing strain analysis using this imaging modality, thus making possible for the future modeling of biomechanical properties of the vascular wall.« less

  10. Evaluation of oxide-coated iridium-rhenium chambers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reed, Brian D.

    1994-03-01

    Iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) provides long life operation of radiation-cooled rockets at temperatures up to 2200 C. Ceramic oxide coatings could be used to increase Ir-Re rocket lifetimes and allow operation in highly oxidizing environments. Ceramic oxide coatings promise to serve as both thermal and diffusion barriers for the iridium layer. Seven ceramic oxide-coated Ir-Re, 22-N rocket chambers were tested with gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen (GHz/G02) propellants. Five chambers had thick (over 10 mils), monolithic coatings of either hafnia (HfO2) or zirconia (ZrO2). Two chambers had coatings with thicknesses less than 5 mils. One of these chambers had a thin-walled coating of ZrO2 infiltrated with sol gel HfO2. The other chamber had a coating composed of an Ir-oxide composite. The purpose of this test program was to assess the ability of the oxide coatings to withstand the thermal shock of combustion initiation, adhere under repeated thermal cycling, and operate in aggressively oxidizing environments. All of the coatings survived the thermal shock of combustion and demonstrated operation at mixture ratios up to 11. Testing the Ir-oxide composite-coated chamber included over 29 min at mixture ratio 16. The thicker walled coatings provided the larger temperature drops across the oxide layer (up to 570 C), but were susceptible to macrocracking and eventual chipping at a stress concentrator. The cracks apparently resealed during firing, under compression of the oxide layer. The thinner walled coatings did not experience the macrocracking and chipping of the chambers that was seen with the thick, monolithic coatings. However, burn-throughs in the throat region did occur in both of the thin-walled chambers at mixture ratios well above stoichiometric. The burn-throughs were probably the result of oxygen diffusion through the oxide coating that allowed the underlying Ir and Re layers to be oxidized. The results of this test program indicated that the thin-walled oxide coatings are better suited for repeated thermal cycling than the thick-walled coating, while thicker coatings may be required for operation in aggressively oxidizing environments.

  11. Evaluation of oxide-coated iridium-rhenium chambers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reed, Brian D.

    1994-01-01

    Iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) provides long life operation of radiation-cooled rockets at temperatures up to 2200 C. Ceramic oxide coatings could be used to increase Ir-Re rocket lifetimes and allow operation in highly oxidizing environments. Ceramic oxide coatings promise to serve as both thermal and diffusion barriers for the iridium layer. Seven ceramic oxide-coated Ir-Re, 22-N rocket chambers were tested with gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen (GHz/G02) propellants. Five chambers had thick (over 10 mils), monolithic coatings of either hafnia (HfO2) or zirconia (ZrO2). Two chambers had coatings with thicknesses less than 5 mils. One of these chambers had a thin-walled coating of ZrO2 infiltrated with sol gel HfO2. The other chamber had a coating composed of an Ir-oxide composite. The purpose of this test program was to assess the ability of the oxide coatings to withstand the thermal shock of combustion initiation, adhere under repeated thermal cycling, and operate in aggressively oxidizing environments. All of the coatings survived the thermal shock of combustion and demonstrated operation at mixture ratios up to 11. Testing the Ir-oxide composite-coated chamber included over 29 min at mixture ratio 16. The thicker walled coatings provided the larger temperature drops across the oxide layer (up to 570 C), but were susceptible to macrocracking and eventual chipping at a stress concentrator. The cracks apparently resealed during firing, under compression of the oxide layer. The thinner walled coatings did not experience the macrocracking and chipping of the chambers that was seen with the thick, monolithic coatings. However, burn-throughs in the throat region did occur in both of the thin-walled chambers at mixture ratios well above stoichiometric. The burn-throughs were probably the result of oxygen diffusion through the oxide coating that allowed the underlying Ir and Re layers to be oxidized. The results of this test program indicated that the thin-walled oxide coatings are better suited for repeated thermal cycling than the thick-walled coating, while thicker coatings may be required for operation in aggressively oxidizing environments.

  12. Testing and evaluation of oxide-coated iridium/rhenium chambers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reed, Brian D.

    1993-01-01

    Iridium-coated rhenium provides long life operation of radiation-cooled rockets at temperatures up to 2200 C. Ceramic oxide coatings could be used to increase iridium/rhenium rocket lifetimes and allow operation in highly oxidizing environments. Ceramic oxide coatings promise to serve as both thermal and diffusion barriers for the iridium layer. Seven ceramic oxide-coated iridium/rhenium, 22 N rocket chambers were tested on gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen propellants. Five chambers had thick (over 10 mils), monolithic coatings of either hafnia or zirconia. Two chambers had coatings with thicknesses less than 5 mils. One of these chambers had a thin-walled coating of zirconia infiltrated with sol gel hafnia. The other chamber had a coating composed of an iridium/oxide composite. The purpose of this test program was to assess the ability of the oxide coatings to withstand the thermal shock of combustion initiation, adhere under repeated thermal cycling, and operate in aggressively oxidizing environments. All of the coatings survived the thermal shock of combustion and demonstrated operation at mixture ratios up to 11. The iridium/oxide composite coated chamber included testing for over 29 minutes at mixture ratio 16. The thicker-walled coatings provided the larger temperature drops across the oxide layer (up to 570 C), but were susceptible to macrocracking and eventual chipping at a stress concentrator. The cracks apparently resealed during firing, under compression of the oxide layer. The thinner-walled coatings did not experience the macrocracking and chipping of the chambers seen with the thick, monolithic coatings. However, burnthroughs in the throat region did occur in both of the thin-walled chambers at mixture ratios well above stochiometric. The burn-throughs were probably the result of oxygen-diffusion through the oxide coating that allowed the underlying iridium and rhenium layers to be oxidized. The results of this test program indicated that the thin-walled oxide coatings are better suited for repeated thermal cycling than the thick-walled coating, while thicker coatings may be required for operation in aggressively oxidizing environments.

  13. Direct numerical simulation of turbulent boundary layer with fully resolved particles at low volume fraction.

    PubMed

    Luo, Kun; Hu, Chenshu; Wu, Fan; Fan, Jianren

    2017-05-01

    In the present work, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of dilute particulate flow in a turbulent boundary layer has been conducted, containing thousands of finite-sized solid rigid particles. The particle surfaces are resolved with the multi-direct forcing immersed-boundary method. This is, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the first DNS study of a turbulent boundary layer laden with finite-sized particles. The particles have a diameter of approximately 11.3 wall units, a density of 3.3 times that of the fluid, and a solid volume fraction of 1/1000. The simulation shows that the onset and the completion of the transition processes are shifted earlier with the inclusion of the solid phase and that the resulting streamwise mean velocity of the boundary layer in the particle-laden case is almost consistent with the results of the single-phase case. At the same time, relatively stronger particle movements are observed in the near-wall regions, due to the driving of the counterrotating streamwise vortexes. As a result, increased levels of dissipation occur on the particle surfaces, and the root mean square of the fluctuating velocities of the fluid in the near-wall regions is decreased. Under the present parameters, including the particle Stokes number St + = 24 and the particle Reynolds number Re p = 33 based on the maximum instantaneous fluid-solid velocity lag, no vortex shedding behind the particle is observed. Lastly, a trajectory analysis of the particles shows the influence of turbophoresis on particle wall-normal concentration, and the particles that originated between y + = 60 and 2/3 of the boundary-layer thickness are the most influenced.

  14. Direct numerical simulation of turbulent boundary layer with fully resolved particles at low volume fraction

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Kun; Hu, Chenshu; Wu, Fan; Fan, Jianren

    2017-01-01

    In the present work, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of dilute particulate flow in a turbulent boundary layer has been conducted, containing thousands of finite-sized solid rigid particles. The particle surfaces are resolved with the multi-direct forcing immersed-boundary method. This is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first DNS study of a turbulent boundary layer laden with finite-sized particles. The particles have a diameter of approximately 11.3 wall units, a density of 3.3 times that of the fluid, and a solid volume fraction of 1/1000. The simulation shows that the onset and the completion of the transition processes are shifted earlier with the inclusion of the solid phase and that the resulting streamwise mean velocity of the boundary layer in the particle-laden case is almost consistent with the results of the single-phase case. At the same time, relatively stronger particle movements are observed in the near-wall regions, due to the driving of the counterrotating streamwise vortexes. As a result, increased levels of dissipation occur on the particle surfaces, and the root mean square of the fluctuating velocities of the fluid in the near-wall regions is decreased. Under the present parameters, including the particle Stokes number St+ = 24 and the particle Reynolds number Rep = 33 based on the maximum instantaneous fluid-solid velocity lag, no vortex shedding behind the particle is observed. Lastly, a trajectory analysis of the particles shows the influence of turbophoresis on particle wall-normal concentration, and the particles that originated between y+ = 60 and 2/3 of the boundary-layer thickness are the most influenced. PMID:29104418

  15. Direct numerical simulation of turbulent boundary layer with fully resolved particles at low volume fraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Kun; Hu, Chenshu; Wu, Fan; Fan, Jianren

    2017-05-01

    In the present work, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of dilute particulate flow in a turbulent boundary layer has been conducted, containing thousands of finite-sized solid rigid particles. The particle surfaces are resolved with the multi-direct forcing immersed-boundary method. This is, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the first DNS study of a turbulent boundary layer laden with finite-sized particles. The particles have a diameter of approximately 11.3 wall units, a density of 3.3 times that of the fluid, and a solid volume fraction of 1/1000. The simulation shows that the onset and the completion of the transition processes are shifted earlier with the inclusion of the solid phase and that the resulting streamwise mean velocity of the boundary layer in the particle-laden case is almost consistent with the results of the single-phase case. At the same time, relatively stronger particle movements are observed in the near-wall regions, due to the driving of the counterrotating streamwise vortexes. As a result, increased levels of dissipation occur on the particle surfaces, and the root mean square of the fluctuating velocities of the fluid in the near-wall regions is decreased. Under the present parameters, including the particle Stokes number St+ = 24 and the particle Reynolds number Rep = 33 based on the maximum instantaneous fluid-solid velocity lag, no vortex shedding behind the particle is observed. Lastly, a trajectory analysis of the particles shows the influence of turbophoresis on particle wall-normal concentration, and the particles that originated between y+ = 60 and 2/3 of the boundary-layer thickness are the most influenced.

  16. MO-D-213-07: RadShield: Semi- Automated Calculation of Air Kerma Rate and Barrier Thickness

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DeLorenzo, M; Wu, D; Rutel, I

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To develop the first Java-based semi-automated calculation program intended to aid professional radiation shielding design. Air-kerma rate and barrier thickness calculations are performed by implementing NCRP Report 147 formalism into a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The ultimate aim of this newly created software package is to reduce errors and improve radiographic and fluoroscopic room designs over manual approaches. Methods: Floor plans are first imported as images into the RadShield software program. These plans serve as templates for drawing barriers, occupied regions and x-ray tube locations. We have implemented sub-GUIs that allow the specification in regions and equipment for occupancymore » factors, design goals, number of patients, primary beam directions, source-to-patient distances and workload distributions. Once the user enters the above parameters, the program automatically calculates air-kerma rate at sampled points beyond all barriers. For each sample point, a corresponding minimum barrier thickness is calculated to meet the design goal. RadShield allows control over preshielding, sample point location and material types. Results: A functional GUI package was developed and tested. Examination of sample walls and source distributions yields a maximum percent difference of less than 0.1% between hand-calculated air-kerma rates and RadShield. Conclusion: The initial results demonstrated that RadShield calculates air-kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses with reliable accuracy and can be used to make radiation shielding design more efficient and accurate. This newly developed approach differs from conventional calculation methods in that it finds air-kerma rates and thickness requirements for many points outside the barriers, stores the information and selects the largest value needed to comply with NCRP Report 147 design goals. Floor plans, parameters, designs and reports can be saved and accessed later for modification and recalculation. We have confirmed that this software accurately calculates air-kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses for diagnostic radiography and fluoroscopic rooms.« less

  17. SPHERICAL DIE

    DOEpatents

    Livingston, J.P.

    1959-01-27

    A die is presented for pressing powdered materials into a hemispherical shape of uniforin density and wall thickness comprising a fcmale and male die element held in a stationary spaced relation with the space being equivalent to the wall thickness and defining the hemispherical shape, a pressing ring linearly moveable along the male die element, an inlet to fill the space with powdered materials, a guiding system for moving the pressing ring along the male die element so as to press the powdered material and a heating system for heating the male element so that the powdered material is heated while being pressed.

  18. Failure Analysis of a Service Tube

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Zhongdong; Cai, Weiguo; Li, Zhenxing; Guan, YiMing; Zhang, Baocheng; Yang, XiaoTong

    2017-12-01

    One tube was cracked used in the primary reformer furnace in a fertilizer plant for two and half years. In order to find out the causes of cracking, the methods for chemical composition analysis, macro- and microstructure analysis, penetrant testing, weld analysis, crack and surface damage analysis, mechanics property analysis, high temperature endurance performance analysis, stress and wall thickness calculation were adopted. The integrated assessment results showed that the carbon content of the tube was in the lower limit of the standard range; the tube effective wall thickness was too small; local overheating leads to tube cracking in use process.

  19. Axial thermal medium delivery tubes and retention plates for a gas turbine rotor

    DOEpatents

    Mashey, Thomas Charles

    2002-01-01

    In a multi-stage turbine rotor, tubes are disposed in openings adjacent the rotor rim for flowing a thermal medium to rotor buckets and returning spent thermal medium. The tubes have axially spaced lands of predetermined wall thickness with thin-walled tube sections between the lands and of increasing thickness from the forward to the aft ends of the tubes. A pair of retention plates are carried on the aft end face of the aft wheel and straddle the tube and engage against a shoulder on the tube to preclude displacement of the tube in an aft direction.

  20. The effect of simvastatin, aspirin, and their combination in reduction of atheroma plaque

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurniati, Neng Fisheri; Permatasari, Anita

    2015-09-01

    Atherosclerosis is one of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by high level of cholesterol especially low density lipoprotein (LDL) and accumulation of neutrophil and macrophage in the artery wall. Thickness of aortic wall is an early stage of atherosclerosis plaque formation. Identification of atherosclerosis plaque formation was done by measuring level of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, interleukin-18 (IL-18), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and measuring the thickness of aortic wall. Atherosclerosis's model induced by high fat diet and CCT (cholesterol, cholic acid, and propyltiouracil) oral administration. Rats induced cholesterol divided into positive control, simvastatin 25 mg/kg bw, aspirin 20 mg/kg bw, and combination simvastatin 25 mg/kg and aspirin 20 mg/kg bw group for 3 weeks. In the third week, therapy was given to atherosclerosis's model. Then, in the fourth and fifth week, therapy was given but induction of high cholesterol was stopped due to the massive loss of body weight. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, MPO, and IL-18 measured by uv-vis spectrophotometry and ELISA. In the end of therapy, aorta's rats was isolated to identify the thickness of aorta wall. In the fourth week, after 1 week of treatment, only combination group showed significantly higher total cholesterol, LDL and MPO compared to positive control group. Level of triglycerides and HDL in all groups did not significantly differ compared to positive control group. After 2 weeks continuing drug treatment, the level of total cholesterol, MPO, and IL-18 were decreased in all groups, and aspirin group showed the lowest level. The level of triglycerides was decreased in simvastatin and aspirin group, and aspirin group showed the lowest. Only combination group showed the lowest level of LDL. Based on histopathology result, the thickness of aortic wall was reduced in all groups and aspirin group showed the lowest.

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