Changes In Pressure Research Articles

Benchmarking numerical simulation of induced fault slip with semi-analytical solutions

AbstractPore pressure fluctuation in subsurface reservoirs and its resulting mechanical response can cause fault reactivation. Numerical simulation of such induced seismicity is important to develop reliable seismic hazard and risk assessments. However, modeling of fault reactivation is quite challenging, especially in the case of displaced faults, i.e., faults with non-zero offset. In this paper, we perform a systematic benchmarking study to validate two recently developed numerical methods for fault slip simulation. Reference solutions are based on a semi-analytical approach that makes use of inclusion theory and Cauchy-type singular integral equations. The two numerical methods both use finite volume discretizations, but they employ different approaches to represent faults. One of them uses a conformal discrete fault model (DFM) while the other employs an embedded (non-conformal) fault model. The semi-analytical test cases cover a vertical frictionless fault, and inclined displaced faults with constant friction and slip-weakening friction. It was found that both numerical methods accurately represent pre-slip stress fields caused by pore pressure changes. Moreover, they also successfully cope with a vertical frictionless fault. However, for the case with an inclined displaced fault with a constant friction coefficient, the embedded method can not converge for the post-slip phase, whereas the DFM successfully coped with both constant and slip-weakening friction coefficients. In its current implementation, the DFM is therefore the model of choice when accurate simulation of local faulted systems is required.

Oral Health Complications of SCUBA Diving

OBJECTIVE This review aims to assess the specific oral health complications associated with SCUBA diving, including barodontalgia, barosinusitis, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and to examine the dental implications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) used in decompression sickness treatment. Additionally, this review identifies gaps in the literature and suggests areas for further research to improve dental care guidelines for divers. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases from 2004 to 2024, focusing on terms such as "barodontalgia," "dental barotrauma," and "diving dentistry." From 77 initial articles, 25 studies were selected based on relevance to pressure-induced oral complications, diving-related barotrauma, and dental management for SCUBA divers. RESULTS The review identifies barodontalgia as a prevalent issue, commonly triggered by untreated caries or defective restorations, with symptoms intensified by pressure changes. TMJ disorders, linked to prolonged clenching on diving mouthpieces, and sinus-related barotrauma also emerged as significant concerns. Preventive measures, including regular dental checkups, use of resin-based cements, and customized mouthpieces, are recommended to reduce risks. Furthermore, the review highlights a need for larger, controlled studies across diverse diver populations to validate current recommendations and develop accessible guidelines, especially for recreational divers who may lack access to specialized dental care.

Analysis of the influence of thermal insulation parameters on the effectiveness of enclosing structures and building heating systems

The results of thermal engineering calculations of external multilayer enclosing structures of buildings and the thermal power of the heating system of residential buildings are presented, including calculations of temperature fields and partial pressures of water vapor at various parameters of structural layers and thermal insulation layers. Variants are considered and an assessment is given of the variation of parameters and the different location of thermal insulation in external multilayer fences for changes in temperature fields and partial pressures of water vapor in the fence, as well as for changes in the thermal power of the heating system of the building premises for two climatological design areas. The calculations were performed according to the methodology presented below using a specially developed computer program.

Influence of Temperature and Pressure on the Wetting Progress in 21700 Lithium‐Ion Battery Cells: Experiment, Model, and Lattice Boltzmann Simulation

AbstractThe electrolyte filling and subsequent wetting of the active material is a time‐critical process in the manufacturing of lithium‐ion batteries. Due to the metallic cell housing, the process phenomena are insufficiently accessible, preventing the replication of the wetting processes by mathematical or simulative methods and hindering efforts to accelerate the wetting process. Therefore, this publication employs a glass cell housing for electrolyte filling of a 21700 cylindrical cell to investigate the wetting at different temperatures and process pressures. In parallel, a mathematical replication of the wetting, as well as a lattice Boltzmann pore‐scale simulation, is used to evaluate the influence of these varying process boundary conditions. The results show a strong temperature dependence on electrolyte wetting and the positive effect of pressure changes in the wetting process. These findings are particularly relevant to the process design of large‐scale cylindrical cell manufacturing.

Correlations of the Circadian Rhythmicity of Blood Pressure With Erectile Dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) share common pathophysiological mechanisms. This study aimed to assess the relationship between ED and its severity with the risk of developing CVD by analyzing changes in the circadian blood pressure (BP) rhythm. In the study, 24-h BP levels of 192 (94 with ED and 98 controls) participants with no history of CVD were evaluated using an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) device. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to assess the ED severity in the study group. ABPM measurements revealed higher BP values among the ED group. The nondipper pattern was significantly more frequent in the ED group compared to the controls (56.2%vs. 77.1%, p<0.01). Blood pressure variability parameters, including systolic standard deviation (SD) and average real variability (ARV), were notably higher in the ED group (16.3±3.9vs. 14.6±4.3, p<0.01 and 13.39±7.24vs. 11.5±2.1, p<0.01, respectively). Furthermore, parameters reflecting arterial stiffness including pulse pressure index (PPI) and ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) were higher in the ED group (0.81±0.33vs. 0.73±0.18, p = 0.03 and 0.71±0.09vs. 0.59±0.17, p = 0.014, respectively). Both AASI and ARV were significantly correlated with the severity of ED. This study suggests a significant association between ED severity and altered blood pressure patterns which in part explains the increased risk of CVD among individuals with ED.

The outcomes of electronic personal health records in patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease.

There are limited data on the efficacy of smartphone-based personal health records (PHRs) in patients with cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to examine the processes, outcomes and challenges associated with the implementation of integrated PHRs in patients with heart failure (HF) or coronary artery disease (CAD). This prospective single-group study evaluated the effects of a PHR system with the capability to capture electronic health records and vital signs in patients with HF or CAD. The outcomes measured were the 6-month changes in blood pressure (BP), body weight (BW), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, lipid profiles and haemoglobin (Hb) A1c levels. Between June 2021 and March 2022, we enrolled 111 patients (median age: 61years and 47% women) with CAD and/or HF. Over 6months, the PHR review count distribution was skewed: median 749 times (lowest 2, highest 5724)/180days, suggesting both low and excessive PHR users. After 3days, 23% of the patients discontinued inputting their vital signs and medication status. At 6months, compared with patients who discontinued, those who continued to input their vital signs (N=86) showed a significant decrease in their systolic BP and LDL-C levels but not in the diastolic BP, BW, BNP, HDL-C, triglyceride or HbA1c levels. The implementation of smartphone-based PHRs in daily practice is challenging for patients with HF or CAD. However, we observed positive indications of the benefits of PHR in these patients. UMIN000044369.

Sympathetic transduction to blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more than twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular event than those with normal kidney function. Although CKD may increase resting sympathetic activity, quantification of resting sympathetic outflow alone does not account for the ensuing vasoconstriction, and blood pressure (BP) change (i.e., sympathetic transduction). Patients with CKD have been reported to exhibit elevated α-adrenergic receptor sensitivity, which may predispose this population to greater sympathetic transduction. We tested the hypothesis that patients with CKD have augmented sympathetic transduction to BP. In 16 patients with CKD, 17 bodyweight-matched (BWM) controls, and 11 lean controls of a similar age muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and beat-to-beat BP were continuously recorded during quiet supine rest. Signal averaging was used to quantify changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and total vascular conductance (TVC) following spontaneous bursts of MSNA. Peak increases in MAP following MSNA bursts were not different among patients with CKD and the control groups (CKD: 2.3 ± 1.1mmHg; BWM controls: 2.1 ± 1.0mmHg; lean controls: 1.7 ± 0.9mmHg; P = 0.28). Likewise, nadir reductions in TVC following all bursts of MSNA were not different among patients with CKD and either control group (P = 0.69). Both patients with CKD and controls had graded increases in MAP and decreases in TVC with increasing burst size, which were not different among groups (all P > 0.05). In summary, these data indicate that patients with CKD do not have augmented sympathetic transduction to BP.

Bifunctional Luminescent Thermometer-Manometer Based on Cr3+-Cr3+ Pair Emission.

Pressure dependence of spectral positions of the 2E → 4A2 and 4T2 → 4A2 bands of Cr3+ ions, resulting from changes in Cr3+-O2- covalency and variations in crystal field strength, respectively, is commonly utilized in luminescence manometry. However, as demonstrated in this paper, the luminescence of Cr3+-Cr3+ pairs shows insensitivity to pressure changes, making this signal suitable as a luminescence reference. The significant difference in the thermal and pressure dependences of luminescence with Cr3+ occupying different crystallographic positions in CaAl12O19:Cr3+ enables the development of a dual-function luminescence thermometer that operates in both ratiometric and lifetime-based readout modes. The presented first demonstration on utilization of Cr3+-Cr3+ pairs luminescence for sensing applications may rekindle interest in Cr3+-Cr3+ pairs for the development of optical sensors for physical quantities.

Investigation of geometric structure on energy performance and flow characteristics in underwater hydraulic machinery

PurposeFor underwater hydraulic machinery, the unique structure significantly enhances the three-dimensional non-uniformity of turbulence within the flow domain and high Reynolds number turbulence introduces complex effects on the machinery. Therefore, studying the turbulent flow characteristics in underwater hydraulic machinery is crucial for system stability.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducts a numerical analysis on a specific type of underwater hydraulic machinery. A numerical calculation model is established under stable inflow conditions to analyze the flow trends and pressure changes at different flow speeds. Subsequently, structural modifications are made to the underwater hydraulic machinery, and the characteristics of the velocity field, pressure field and vorticity distribution under different model parameters are analyzed.FindingsThe results indicate that changes in internal structure have a certain impact on flow characteristics. When the structural changes are significant, the fluid flow becomes more complex and pressure fluctuations become more intense. The research findings provide a scientific basis and theoretical guidance for the structural design of underwater hydraulic machinery and have significant research implications for controlling fluid-induced noise.Originality/valueAffected by the inherent structural characteristics of the flow channel structure, the flow direction of the high-speed water flow changes drastically in the flow channel, so it is of great significance to study its flow characteristics for the stability of the system.

Changes of endotracheal tube cuff pressure and its indicators in laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms: an observational prospective clinical trial.

Laparoscopic surgery is a popular alternative for resection of colorectal neoplasms. Carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg positioning in procedure can significantly increase airway pressure, when endotracheal tube cuff pressure is not monitored. This prospective observational study aimed to evaluate indicators, changes and its correlation factors of endotracheal tube cuff pressure during laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms. 122 patients scheduled for laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms under propofol/remifentanil total intravenous anesthesia with orotracheal intubation were included. Tracheal tube cuff pressure was monitored continuously by calibrated pressure transducers. The ability of several predictors to predict out-of-range tracheal tube cuff pressure at different time points and its correlation factors were assessed. ROC analysis showed that waist-to-hip ratio has the highest AUC for predicting out-of-range tracheal cuff pressure (AUC: 0.86 [95% CI: 0.77-0.95]); Tracheal tube cuff pressure provided by palpation was 41.0 (29.0-53.3) cmH20. Cuff pressure was 33.7 ± 2.9 cmH20 at 15min and comparable at 30 and 45min after insufflation, all values were significantly higher than 25 cmH20 (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed tracheal tube cuff pressure was associated with peak airway pressure (p < 0.001). Patients with normal BMI undergoing laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms require continuous monitoring and timely adjustments of tracheal tube cuff pressure. Compared with BMI, waist-to-hip ratio is a better predictor of out-of-range tracheal tube cuff pressure. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, identifier: ChiCTR2100054089, Date: 08/12/2021.

Effect of aspirin on biomarker profile in women at high-risk for preeclampsia.

There is limited evidence in the literature regarding the temporal changes of preeclampsia-related biomarkers during pregnancy in high-risk women who develop preeclampsia despite the administration of aspirin prophylaxis. To compare the temporal changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) across gestation in women screened high-risk for preterm preeclampsia receiving aspirin prophylaxis and low-risk women without aspirin treatment. This was a prospective longitudinal nested case-control study of 2007 women with singleton pregnancies who participated in the first-trimester screen-and-prevent program for preeclampsia at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China, between January 2020 and May 2023. The risk of developing preterm preeclampsia was determined using the Fetal Medicine Foundation triple test (maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF). High-risk women (adjusted risk ≥1:100) were administered a daily dose of aspirin at either 100 or 160 mg according to maternal weight, starting before 16 weeks until 36 weeks or until delivery or the onset of preeclampsia before 36 weeks. Low-risk women were matched based on maternal age, weight, and the date of the scan. The participants were followed up at 12-15+6, 20-24+6 and 30-37+6 weeks to measure MAP, UtA-PI, PlGF and sFlt-1 at each visit. The level of biomarker was expressed as multiple of median (MoM). Log10 transformation was applied to make the data Gaussian distribution prior to statistical analysis. A linear mixed-effects analysis was performed to compare the longitudinal changes of these biomarkers across gestation between the study groups. Our study involved 403 low-risk women without preeclampsia, 1471 high-risk women without preeclampsia, and 133 high-risk women who developed preeclampsia. The low-risk group had significantly lower estimated marginal mean log10 MAP MoM, log10 UtA-PI MoM, log10 sFlt-1 MoM and higher estimated marginal mean log10 PlGF MoM across gestation than the high-risk groups (p values <0.001). Among high-risk women, those who developed preeclampsia experienced a significantly higher estimated marginal mean log10 MAP MoM (0.06378 vs 0.02985; p<0.001), log10 UtA-PI MoM (0.08651 vs 0.02226; p<0.001), log10 sFlt-1 MoM (0.13204 vs 0.01234; p<0.001) and lower estimated marginal mean log10 PlGF MoM (-0.33504 vs -0.16388; p<0.001) across gestation in comparison to those without preeclampsia. In the individual gestational timepoint analysis, compared to high-risk women without preeclampsia, those who developed preeclampsia experienced higher log10 MAP MoM in all three trimesters, higher log10 UtA-PI MoM and lower log10 PlGF MoM in the second- and third-trimesters, and higher log10 sFlt-1 MoM in the third-trimester. The study has demonstrated that high-risk women who develop preeclampsia experience consistently high MAP level from the first-trimester and remain unchanged during pregnancy, high UtA-PI level and low PlGF level starting from the second-trimester, and high sFlt-1 level in the third-trimester compared to those who do not develop preeclampsia despite the administration of low-dose aspirin. These findings underscore the role of these biomarkers in further risk stratification for the development of preeclampsia among high-risk women following aspirin administration.

Experimental investigation on the restart characterization of shale oil-water flow in a horizontal pipe

ABSTRACT With the dwindling conventional oil resources and increasing energy demand, shale oil development has gradually become a hot spot in the global energy industry. Moreover, the shale oil pipeline also inevitably experiences abnormal operations, such as shutdown and restart during regular maintenance or emergency accident repairs. However, previous restart research primarily focused on conventional crude oil pipelines, and there is still a research gap on shale oil-water flow. Therefore, this work conducted the shale oil-water restart flow experiment in the multi-test section pipe flow loop, considering the temperature (20–50℃), starting frequency (15–25 hz), and water content (0–80%). Based on the restart pressure and volume flow rate change, the response characteristics of start pressure are studied. Moreover, the changing rules of restart pressure are explored with starting frequency, temperature, and water content. Eventually, the variation trend of the restart pressure absolute errors between the calculated value and the experimental data with the starting frequency is analyzed. The results show that the restart pressure reaches the maximum around 10 s after the pump starts, and the maximum restart pressure is approximately 1.5 times the stabilized restart pressure. Moreover, the restart pressure increases linearly with the starting frequency and decays exponentially with the temperature and water content (after the inversion point). With the starting frequency reduced from 45 hz to 15 hz, the restart pressure reduces from 24.6 kPa to 10.0 kPa at 20°C. Furthermore, the empirical formulas can predict the starting pressure at low frequencies. This research lays a theoretical foundation for the safe restart of shale oil-water flow.

Effectiveness and safety of hydrogen inhalation therapy as an additional treatment for hypertension in real-world practice: a retrospective, observational study in China

AimTo evaluate the real-life effectiveness and safety of hydrogen inhalation (HI) therapy as an additional treatment in Chinese adults with hypertension.MethodsThis observational, retrospective clinical study included hypertensive patients receiving routine antihypertensives with or without HI initiation from 2018 to 2023. Participants were assigned to the HI group or non-HI group (control group) after propensity score matching. The changes in mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) level during the 24-week follow-up period in different groups were examined primarily. The secondary outcome was the changes in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and blood pressure (BP) control rate during the study. Several subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to confirm the robustness of our main findings. Adverse event (AE) was also assessed in patients of both groups.ResultsIn total, we selected 2,364 patients into the analysis. Both mean SBP and DBP levels significantly decreased in the HI group compared to control group at each follow-up visit with the between group difference of −4.63 mm Hg (95% CI, −6.51 to −2.74) at week 8, −6.69 mm Hg (95% CI, −8.54 to −4.85) at week 16, −7.81 mm Hg (95% CI, −9.57 to −6.04) at week 24 for SBP, and −1.83 mm Hg (95% CI, −3.21 to −0.45) at week 8, −2.57 mm Hg (95% CI, −3.97 to −1.17) at week 16, −2.89 mm Hg (95% CI, −4.24 to −1.54) at week 24 for DBP. Patients in the HI group were more likely to attain controlled BP at the follow-up period with odds ratio of 1.44 (95% CI, 1.21–1.72) at week 8, 1.90 (95% CI, 1.59–2.27) at week 16, and 2.24 (95% CI, 1.87–2.68) at the end. The trends of subgroup and sensitivity analyses were mostly consistent with the main analysis. The incidences of AEs were similar between the HI group and control group with all p-value &amp;gt;0.05.ConclusionThe HI therapy is related to significant amelioration in BP levels with acceptable safety profile in Chinese hypertensive adults after 24 weeks of treatment, building a clinical ground for further research to evaluate the antihypertensive effect of HI therapy.

A new method to predict return of spontaneous circulation by peripheral intravenous analysis during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a rat model pilot study.

Enhancing venous return during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can lead to better hemodynamics and improved outcome after cardiac arrest (CA). Peripheral Intravenous Analysis (PIVA) provides feedback on venous flow changes and may indicate an increase in venous return and cardiac output during CPR. We hypothesize PIVA can serve as an early indicator of increased venous return, preceding end-tidal CO2 (etCO2) increase, before the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in a rat model of CA and CPR. Eight male Wistar rats were intubated and ventilated, and etCO2 was measured. Vessels were cannulated in the tail vein, femoral vein, femoral artery, and central venous and connected to pressure transducers. Ventilation was discontinued to achieve asphyxial CA. After 8min, CPR began with ventilation, epinephrine, and automated chest compressions 200 times per minute until mean arterial pressure increased to 120mmHg. Waveforms were recorded and analyzed. PIVA was calculated using a Fourier transformation of venous waveforms. Data are mean ± SE. Maximum PIVA values occurred in the tail vein 34.7 ± 2.9s before ROSC, with subsequent PIVA peaks in femoral vein and centrally at 30.9 ± 5.4 and 25.1 ± 5.0s, respectively. All PIVA peaks preceded etCO2 increase (21.5 ± 3.2s before ROSC). PIVA consistently detected venous pressure changes prior to changes in etCO2. This suggests that PIVA has the potential to serve as an important indicator of venous return and cardiac output during CPR, and also as a predictor of ROSC.

Short‐Term Safety of Nutri‐Jelly in Adults Undergoing Hemodialysis

ABSTRACTExcessive water consumption from liquid or reconstituted oral nutrition supplements may increase risk of fluid overload in renal patients. Nutri‐jelly, a ready‐to‐eat texture‐modified diet with 52.8% water, some protein, low potassium, phosphorus, and sodium, could be an alternative. However, its safety is unknown for adults undergoing hemodialysis (HD). This study investigated the short‐term physiological safety of Nutri‐Jelly intake and its preliminary impact on renal outcomes. A randomized open‐label, single‐arm, two‐sequence, two‐period cross‐over trial was conducted in 20 adults undergoing HD with inadequate protein intake (0.50 ‐ 0.70 g/ kg body weight/day). Participants were randomly allocated into 2 groups (n =10 each) and assigned in random sequence into both Without‐Jelly (HD 3 times during 7 days) and With‐Jelly periods (100 g Nutri‐Jelly twice daily along with HD 3 times during 7 days). A two‐week washout was between the periods. Outcome measures included adverse symptoms, changes in body weight, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood biochemical parameters relevant to renal outcomes. The results showed no intervention‐related adverse symptoms or significant changes in body weight, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, creatinine, albumin, and sodium. Potassium level and pre‐HD diastolic blood pressure were better controlled during the With Jelly than the Without Jelly Periods (p &lt; 0.01 and p &lt; 0.05, respectively). The eGFR was improved with no significant difference between the periods. The findings suggest that continuous intake of 100 g Nutri‐Jelly twice daily for 7 days is safe in adults undergoing hemodialysis. Its efficacy on renal‐related parameters warrants further investigations in long‐term studies.

Ciprofol versus propofol for anesthesia induction in cardiac surgery: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial.

Ciprofol, a novel intravenous general anesthetic with a chemical structure similar to propofol, exhibits significantly enhanced potency. It offers a rapid onset, reduced incidence of injection pain, and has comparable effects on heart rate and blood pressure to propofol. However, clinical data on its use for anesthesia induction in cardiac surgery remain limited. Seventy-eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting or valve replacement surgery were randomly assigned to receive either ciprofol (N = 40) or propofol (N = 38) for anesthesia induction. Variables recorded included changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate during anesthesia, alterations in the oxygenation index and lactic acid concentration before and 10min after anesthesia induction, and the incidence of adverse events such as bradycardia, hypotension, and injection pain. The incidence of anesthesia-induced injection pain was significantly lower in the ciprofol group compared to the propofol group (3% vs. 18%, P < 0.05). The incidence of other adverse events was similar between the groups. No significant differences in hemodynamics or oxygenation index were observed during anesthesia induction between ciprofol and propofol. Ciprofol demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of injection pain compared to propofol, potentially improving patient comfort during anesthesia induction. Additionally, ciprofol showed comparable circulatory stability to propofol during anesthesia induction in cardiac surgery, suggesting it may be a suitable alternative to propofol for this application. The trial was registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov on 03/10/2024 (NCT06312345).

Abstract 4136614: The design of novel therapeutics that target the L-type calcium channel to prevent hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited autosomal dominant disease of the sarcomere. Pathogenic features include ventricular hypertrophy, increased myofilament calcium sensitivity, myocardial fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction. At the level of the myocyte there is cytoskeletal disarray, hypercontractility and altered mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to be a key driver in HCM pathology. Research question: We previously demonstrated that the L-type Ca 2+ channel plays a role in the development of HCM facilitated by a structural-functional communication with mitochondria that can be regulated via the alpha interaction domain (AID) of the channel. In search of a preventative HCM therapy, we explored the efficacy of amino acid peptide variants that correspond to the AID of the cardiac L-type Ca 2+ channel. Methods and Results: Consistent with in silico predictions , competition binding assays confirmed that 4 variant peptides bound with higher affinity to the beta subunit than the AID peptide. In vitro studies confirmed that 3 of the 4 peptides could decrease the characteristic hypermetabolic state in myocytes isolated from a murine model of human HCM ( cTnI-G203S ). In vivo treatment of cTnI-G203S mice with peptide variants prevented the development of HCM and the development of fibrosis, in the absence of alterations in blood pressure, or kidney and liver function or changes in behaviour. Of note, the peptide variants also significantly improved contractile function. Similar effects were measured in αMHC 403/+ mice expressing the MYH6 mutation. Conclusions: Here we describe a first in class therapy that uniquely targets the L-type Ca 2+ channel to modify mitochondrial function and prevent hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The peptides may be effective for treatment of HCM broadly because the mechanism of action involves the modification of mitochondrial function and impaired energy metabolism that is a common characteristic and driver of the pathology.

Numerical investigation of thermal-flow processes in the ejector-condenser for selected geometrical parameters

The paper presents the results of analysis of thermal-flow processes in the ejector-condenser for selected geometrical param-eters using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) methods. The ejector-condenser is the water-driven, two-phase ejector responsible for creating a sub-pressure allowing exhaust gases (steam and CO2 mixture) to be entrained, condensing steam, and then increasing the pressure above the atmospheric conditions. The axisymmetric numerical model was developed to take into account multiphase, turbulent flow with steam condensation in the presence of inert gas. The influence of the selected geometrical parameters, such as the motive nozzle's and mixing chamber's diameters on the ejector performance was investi-gated. CFD analysis results are presented in the form of developed scalar distributions as well as pressure, temperature and steam mass flow changes along the flow path. Performances for different geometry modes were calculated and compared using parameters such as compression ratio, expansion ratio, mass entertainment ratio and condensation efficiency. The max-imum achieved compression ratio for the analyzed geometrical variants is 1.113 for the assumed mass entertainment ratio of 0.0295. The condensation efficiency varies in a range of 49.6%–91.4% depending on motive fluid inlet conditions and geom-etry mode.

One-Side Weight Sports and the Impact of Their Load on the Feet and the Occurrence of Posture Disorders in Professional Football and Handball Players

The aim of this study was to evaluate center of pressure (CoP) changes in unilateral sports and examine how these changes affect the athlete’s feet, ankles, knees or posture. The study sample consisted of 40 professional male players (age: 19.4 ± 2.08 years; height: 165.78 ± 4.92 cm; weight: 59.04 ± 4.02 kg; BMI: 21.57 ± 2.22; foot size: 40.9 ± 1.6), divided by type of sport into group H—handball (n: 20) and group F—football (n: 20). To evaluate the monitored parameters, we used the instrumental diagnostic techniques: 3D laser footscan, baropodometric platform FreeStep and 2D Videography. We found no significant differences between the groups in the loading of the right and left foot (F: 8.3 ± 4.22; H: 7.7 ± 6.1) (p = 0.410). We found a significant difference in the load on the front and back of the left (p = 0.0079) and right foot (p = 0.0210) depending on the type of sport performed. Maximum and mean values of CoP (g/cm2) showed statistically significant differences depending on the sport performed (p &lt; 0.0001). The shift in CoP (mm) from the norm depending on the sport performed was confirmed in the latero-lateral direction (p = 0.003), but not in the antero-posterior direction (p = 0.320). We found a difference in the angulation of the knees and heels depending on the sport played. Handball players showed higher knee varosity/valgosity (p = 0.015) and heel values than football players (p = 0.002). The handball players also confirmed a worse postural load and initial forward posture. The one-sided sports, handball and football, showed negative effects on the athlete’s movement system. These changes were more pronounced in handball players. Proper training programs should be applied in athletes’ daily routine to improve the negative effects of unilateral sports.

Novel metrics for tracking blood pressure changes incontinuous cuffless blood pressure estimations

Recent studies revealed the importance of tracking continuous blood pressure (BP) changes in monitoring and controlling hypertension and diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. However, current evaluation protocols utilize distance measures as primary metrics, which cannot properly evaluate the ability of the estimation model to track BP changes. This paper proposes a comprehensive evaluation framework which evaluates the distance and trend similarity metrics, and the composite metric of both between the reference and estimated BPs. The results of applying both widely used conventional metrics and the new proposed metrics for BP estimations are demonstrated in an example of comparing the reference with a set of different BP estimations. Then, the metrics are applied to BP estimations obtained using state-of-the-art (SOTA) algorithms. It is shown that even though SOTA algorithms have a low mean and standard deviation of absolute difference, they are not capable of tracking short-term blood pressure changes. Additionally, the proposed metrics are normalized metrics and range from -1 to 1, making them intuitively interpretable, similar to well-known correlation coefficients. Therefore, we suggest that the proposed evaluation framework should be used regularly in evaluating continuous BP monitoring systems.