Cross-sectional Area Profile Research Articles

A Method to Improve the Accuracy for the Comparison of Consecutively Determined Upper Limb Cross-Sectional Area Profiles of Test Subjects: Impact on (Segmental) Limb Volume and Local Limb Circumference.

Background: Chronic edema management depends on measuring small volume changes over time. Therefore, a highly sensitive, accurate, and reliable technique is needed to objectively judge sequential measurements. Methods and Results: The prototype of the Peracutus Aqua Meth (PAM), a new volumetric measuring device, was used in an experimental study. Thirty-nine healthy test subjects were measured three times. The measuring principle of the PAM is based on obtaining a profile of cross-sectional areas along the length of an object or limb. Besides total arm volumes, the volume of any chosen segment can be determined. The utmost tip of the middle finger appeared to be an unreliable reference point. Instead, the concept of "hand median" was introduced to align and compare profiles of cross-sectional areas of sequential measurements. Using the hand median strongly improved the measuring accuracy, rendering standard deviation values of 0.4%-1.3% for (segmental) volume determination. Conclusions: Measurements with the PAM show that accurate local/segmental volume determination of a limb is possible. Standard deviations of less than 1.3% are easily obtained for cross-sectional area and volume determination.

Experimental characterisation of the local mechanical behaviour of cellulose fibres: an in-situ micro-profilometry approach

The accurate mechanical characterisation of fibres of micrometric length is a challenging task, especially in the case of organically-formed fibres that naturally exhibit considerable irregularities along the longitudinal fibre direction. The present paper proposes a novel experimental methodology for the evaluation of the local mechanical behaviour of organically-formed (aged and unaged) and regenerated cellulose fibres, which is based on in-situ micro-tensile testing combined with optical profilometry. In order to accurately determine the cross-sectional area profile of a cellulose fibre specimen, optical profilometry is performed both at the top and bottom surfaces of the fibre. The evolution of the local stress at specific fibre locations is next determined from the force value recorded during the tensile test and the local cross-sectional area. An accurate measurement of the corresponding local strain is obtained by using Global Digital Height Correlation (GDHC), thus resulting in multiple, local stress–strain curves per fibre, from which local tensile strengths, elastic moduli, and strains at fracture can be deduced. Since the variations in the geometrical and material properties within an individual fibre are comparable to those observed across fibres, the proposed methodology is able to attain statistically representative measurement data from just one, or a small number of fibre samples. This makes the experimental methodology very suitable for the mechanical analysis of fibres taken from valuable and historical objects, for which typically a limited number of samples is available. It is further demonstrated that the accuracy of the measurement data obtained by the present, local measuring technique may be significantly higher than for a common, global measuring technique, since possible errors induced by fibre slip at the grip surfaces are avoided.

Theoretical analysis on the dynamic compressive behavior of cellular solids with non-linear variation in cross-sectional area

The dynamic compressive behavior of foams with a non-linear variation in the cross-sectional area profiles is studied. A theoretical model has been developed based on the one-dimensional shock theory and the rigid, perfectly-plastic, and locking (RPPL) material model, to establish the governing equations of motion of an initially stationary foam struck by a rigid projectile. Both decreasing and increasing cross-sectional area profiles with various power-law exponents are considered. The numerical simulations suggest that the decreasing area profiles, referred to as the convergent foams, exhibit a double-shock mode. In contrast, the foams with an increasing area-profile, referred to as the divergent foams, exhibit a single-shock mode. The theoretical predictions of both the double-shock and the single-shock cases are validated against the finite element simulations. Compared to the foam with a uniform cross-sectional area, the convergent foams transmit lower mean forces at the distal end, and the divergent foams transmit higher forces at higher impact velocities. An interesting phenomenon observed is that the mean force at the distal end decreases with an increase in the impact velocity beyond the densification velocity, for the convergent foams. An expression for the plastic energy dissipated by convergent foams has been derived, and we observe that the convergent foams dissipate less energy than the divergent foams. The performance of the foams has been compared through the dissipation performance parameter, defined as the ratio of non-dimensional plastic energy dissipated at the end of the crushing process to the mean non-dimensional force at the distal end. Convergent foams with low gradients and high power-law exponents have the highest dissipation performance. A special case of a decreasing density-gradient combined with an increasing area-gradient is shown (through finite element simulations) to be beneficial for structural protection.

CT-based True- and False-Lumen Segmentation in Type B Aortic Dissection Using Machine Learning.

To develop a segmentation pipeline for segmentation of aortic dissection CT angiograms into true and false lumina on multiplanar reformations (MPRs) perpendicular to the aortic centerline and derive quantitative morphologic features, specifically aortic diameter and true- or false-lumen cross-sectional area. An automated segmentation pipeline including two convolutional neural network (CNN) segmentation algorithms was developed. The algorithm derives the aortic centerline, generates MPRs orthogonal to the centerline, and segments the true and false lumina. A total of 153 CT angiograms obtained from 45 retrospectively identified patients (mean age, 50 years; range, 22-79 years) were used to train (n = 103), validate (n = 22), and test (n = 28) the CNN pipeline. Accuracy was evaluated by using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Segmentations were then used to derive the maximal diameter of test-set patients and cross-sectional area profiles of the true and false lumina. The segmentation pipeline yielded a mean DSC of 0.873 ± 0.056 for the true lumina and 0.894 ± 0.040 for the false lumina of test-set cases. Automated maximal diameter measurements correlated well with manual measurements (R 2 = 0.95). Profiles of cross-sectional diameter, true-lumen area, and false-lumen area over several follow-up examinations were derived. A segmentation pipeline was used to accurately identify true and false lumina on CT angiograms of aortic dissection. These segmentations can be used to obtain diameter and other morphologic parameters for surveillance and risk stratification.Supplemental material is available for this article.© RSNA, 2020.

중공롤러의 절단면 형상변화에 따른 변형거동 특성해석

본 연구에서는 여러 가지의 절단면 형상과 하중지지 용량을 높이기 위해 원판을 설치한 중공롤러의 변위거동 특성을 유한요소법으로 해석하였다. FEM 해석결과에 의하면, 중공롤러의 절단면 형상은 외측튜브, 중간튜브, 내측튜브와 이들 튜브들 사이를 연결하기 위해 X형 또는 Y형 컬럼을 설치한 경우는 중공롤러의 중간부에서 발생하는 최대 변위량을 줄여주는 효과가 있다. 여기에 중공롤러의 중간부 두께를 30~40mm 갖는 원판을 설치할 경우는 중공롤러의 최대 변위량을 줄이는데 효과가 크다는 해석결과를 제시하였다. 본 연구에서는 원통롤러의 전체 중량에 연계된 최대 변위량 비율을 고찰한 최적설계 데이터를 제하였다. FEM 해석결과에 의하면, 중공롤러에서 발생하는 최대 변위량과 전체 중량의 비율을 줄인 설계모델로는 4, 5와 6번을 추천할 수 있다. In this paper, the displacement behavior characteristic of hollow rollers with various cross sectional area profiles and circular plate for load supporting capacity increment has been presented using a finite element method. The FEM results present that the hollow roller with X-shaped or Y-shaped columns between outer tube, middle tube and inner tube reduces a maximum displacement at the middle length of hollow rollers. And the circular plate, which is inserted at the middle of the hollow roller, is very useful to reduce the maximum displacement of hollow rollers with the plate thickness of 30~40mm. This paper presents the weight vs the maximum displacement ratio in which is represented for the optimized design as a function of a hollow roller total weight. The FEM analyzed results recommend the design model 4, 5 and 6 of hollow rollers for decreasing the ratio of maximum displacement and total weight of hollow rollers.

Role of the bi-dispersion of particle size on tortuosity in isotropic structures of spherical particles by three-dimensional computer simulation

In this study, the effect of the bi-dispersion of the particle size on tortuosity is investigated. To do that, three-dimensional computer simulations are carried out on isotropic structures of non-overlapping spherical particles. The validity of the calculation methodology is provided by investigating different diffusion directions of the FCC structure (〈1 0 0〉, 〈1 1 0〉 and 〈1 1 1〉) and mesh settings. Then, the functionality of tortuosity with porosity is first evaluated for several mono-disperse structures—i.e., the Simple Cubic (SC), Body-Centred Cubic (BCC), Face-Centred Cubic (FCC) and the so-called “Tetragonal” structure – introducing also a suitable empirical correlation with just one adjustable parameter. Afterwards, two bi-disperse structures – NaCl and CaF2 – are investigated, highlighting the effect of the bi-dispersion on tortuosity in terms of several geometrical parameters (inter-particle distance and particle diameters). As the main novel result, it is found that the functionality of tortuosity with porosity presents a lower bound curve (here-called Minimum Tortuosity Curve, MTC) for each structure investigated. In particular, it is proposed that this curve might be generally achieved by considering the particle diameters in the minimum porosity configurations (i.e., maximum packing degree) and allowing just the inter-particle distance to change. This concept is used to explain the reason why the mono-disperse structure with the highest minimum porosity have also the highest tortuosity-curve. Furthermore, for the NaCl structure, it is found a small porosity range in which tortuosity slightly increases with increasing porosity. This peculiar behaviour, observed for the first time, is attributed to the particular approach of the NaCl structure to the FCC one as the second particle decreases. Finally, after presenting a brief geometrical comparison between FCC, NaCl and CaF2 in terms of cross-sectional area profiles, an overall correlation is proposed to calculate the porosity–tortuosity ratio.

The Influence of Amino Acid Protonation States on Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Bacterial Porin OmpF

Several groups, including our own, have found molecular dynamics (MD) calculations to result in the size of the pore of an outer membrane bacterial porin, OmpF, to be reduced relative to its size in the x-ray crystal structure. At the narrowest portion of its pore, loop L3 was found to move toward the opposite face of the pore, resulting in decreasing the cross-section area by a factor of ∼2. In an earlier work, we computed the protonation states of titratable residues for this system and obtained values different from those that had been used in previous MD simulations. Here, we show that MD simulations carried out with these recently computed protonation states accurately reproduce the cross-sectional area profile of the channel lumen in agreement with the x-ray structure. Our calculations include the investigation of the effect of assigning different protonation states to the one residue, D 127, whose protonation state could not be modeled in our earlier calculation. We found that both assumptions of charge states for D 127 reproduced the lumen size profile of the x-ray structure. We also found that the charged state of D 127 had a higher degree of hydration and it induced greater mobility of polar side chains in its vicinity, indicating that the apparent polarizability of the D 127 microenvironment is a function of the D 127 protonation state.

Membrane Model for the G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin: Hydrophobic Interface and Dynamical Structure

Rhodopsin is the only member of the pharmacologically important superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors with a known structure at atomic resolution. A molecular dynamics model of rhodopsin in a POPC phospholipid bilayer was simulated for 15 ns, revealing a conformation significantly different from the recent crystal structures. The structure of the bilayer compared with a protein-free POPC control indicated hydrophobic matching with the nonpolar interface of the receptor, in agreement with deuterium NMR experiments. A new generalized molecular surface method, based on a three-dimensional Voronoi cell construction for atoms with different radii, was developed to quantify cross-sectional area profiles for the protein, lipid acyl chains and headgroups, and water. Thus, it was possible to investigate the bilayer deformation due to curvature of the individual lipid monolayers. Moreover, the generalized molecular surface derived hydrophobic interface allowed benchmarking of the hydropathy sequence analysis, an important structural genomics tool. Five water molecules diffused into internal hydration sites during the simulation, yielding a total of 12 internal waters. The cytoplasmic loops and the C-terminal tail, containing the G-protein recognition and protein sorting sequences, exhibited a high mobility, in marked contrast to the extracellular and transmembrane domains. The proposed functional coupling of the highly conserved ERY motif to the lipid-water interface via the cytoplasmic loops provides insight into lipid effects on G-protein-coupled receptor activation in terms of a flexible surface model, involving the spontaneous monolayer curvature.

EXPERIMENTAL 3-D SIMULATION OF THE COMPRESSION WAVE, DUE TO TRAIN–TUNNEL ENTRY

The work presented in this paper concerns the first compression wave generated in a tunnel when a high-speed train enters it. This wave is the first of successive compression and expansion waves which propagate back and forth in the tunnel. Once generated at the tunnel entrance, its amplitude and gradient vary according to the train and tunnel characteristics. These waves provoke: (a) an aural discomfort for train passengers, (b) mechanical stresses on train and tunnel structures, and (c) emission of impulsive noises outside the tunnel. A reduced-scale test method, using low-sound-speed gas mixtures, has been developed and validated by using newly available European full-scale test-results. It can reproduce quite well the three-dimensional effects due to the train geometry and its position in the tunnel. The study also clearly points out that three-dimensional effects on the front of the first compression wave are attenuated with distance from the tunnel entrance and that the wave front can be considered well established and planar for distances larger than four times the tunnel diameter. Characteristics of the planar wave are in good agreement with Japanese results. The reduced-scale train Mach number has been extended up to 0.34 to determine its test domain. Our study clearly shows that, as far as the characteristics of the wave front of well-established planar first compression wave are concerned, axially symmetrical models can advantageously replace three-dimensional models, provided that the longitudinal cross-sectional area profile is the same for both configurations. This feature yields the following train nose design procedure: first determine the cross-sectional profile of a train nose against train–tunnel interactions by means of axially symmetrical configuration, then give a three-dimensional shape for drag and stability optimisation.

The influence of membrane lateral pressures on simple geometric models of protein conformational equilibria

The function of many intrinsic membrane proteins requires a conformational transition that is often strongly influenced by the molecular composition of the bilayer in which the protein is embedded. Recently, a mechanism for this shift in conformational equilibrium was suggested, in which it is argued that a shift in distribution of lateral pressures of the bilayer resulting from a change in lipid composition alters the amount of mechanical work of the protein conformational transition, if the change in the cross-sectional area profile of the protein varies with depth within the bilayer. As there is little information on the change in shape of the transmembrane region of any protein, various simple geometric models are considered. For both a generic model, and more specific models that approximate likely cooperative rearrangements of α-helices in bundles, it is found that the conformational equilibrium depends on the first and second integral moments of the lateral pressure distribution. In addition to revealing the possible physical underpinnings of the well-known correlation between protein activity and the ‘nonlamellar’ tendency of bilayer lipids, this dependence on moments of the pressure profile allows for prediction of the relative effects of different lipid compositional changes even in the absence of information on specific protein shape changes. Effects of variation in acyl chain length, degree and position of cis-unsaturation, and addition of cholesterol and small interfacially-active solutes ( n-alkanols) are compared.

Efferent and afferent neuronal hypertrophy associated with micturition pathways in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Elevated nerve growth factor secreted by bladder smooth muscle may be associated with noradrenergic hyperinnervation of the bladder and hyperactive voiding in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and rats with bladder outlet obstruction. The present study was undertaken to determine if changes occur in efferent and afferent pathways supplying the SHR bladder similar to those in rats with bladder outlet obstruction. Fluoro-Gold (FG) retrograde tracing studies were conducted to examine the postganglionic efferent limb (major pelvic ganglion; MPG) and sensory afferent limb (L1, L2, L6, and S1 dorsal root ganglion; DRG) of the micturition reflex pathway of the SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive rat. A significant increase in cross sectional area profiles for labeled neurons in the MPG was observed in SHRs (830.5 +/- 9.0 microns2) as compared to WKYs (736.3 +/- 16.6 microns2). Neuronal cell areas in L2 (1,010.9 +/- 18.6 microns2) and S1 (1,024.6 +/- 28.3 microns2) of SHRs were significantly larger than those of WKYs (L2, 865.3 +/- 12.6 microns2, S1, 778.3 +/- 11.2 microns2). There was an increase in number of labeled cells in L6 within SHRs over WKYs. These results provide evidence that both efferent and afferent changes in neuronal innervation of the bladder occur in SHRs. The SHR strain may represent a genetic model to study changes in micturition reflex pathways that result from alterations in neuronal morphology such as those that occur with urethral outlet obstruction.

Optimal data acquisition for volumetric intracoronary ultrasound.

Three-dimensional analysis using intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) pull-back data provides the unique ability to quantitate lumen and atherosclerotic plaque volumes. Optimal data acquisition parameters for volumetric acquisition were established using simulations on computer phantoms of stenotic arteries. Eleven computer phantoms were generated using cross-sectional area data from quantitative angiography of stenotic coronary arteries. Three methods of data acquisition were simulated: conventional manual pull-back; motorized pull-back; and manual pull-back with measured displacement. Effects of pull-back velocity and cardiac gating on cross-sectional area profiles and volumes were studied. Cardiac gating eliminated errors introduced by vessel deformation within a cardiac cycle. With cardiac gating, pull-backs with mean velocities up to 1.2 mm/sec allowed reconstruction of cross-sectional area profiles within 5% RMS error. With faster pull-backs, cardiac gating resulted in sparse spatial sampling and significant errors in cross-sectional area profiles. The accuracy of both motorized and measured required equal displacements of the catheter proximal and distal ends. This assumption was validated with in vitro experiments where X-ray fluoroscopy was used to measure the displacement of the imaging tip. Excellent correlation was found between the two displacements (r = 0.99). Finally, slow pull-backs were performed by 3 operators, and pull-back velocities were measured. It was found that mean pull-back velocities as low as 0.8 mm/sec were achievable. From our simulations, we predict that accurate volumetric analysis requires cardiac gated, calibrated, slow (< 1.2 mm/sec) pull-backs.

Simultaneous recording of urethral pressure and cross sectional area profile.

A new technique for simultaneously recording urethral closure pressure and cross sectional area profile is described. The cross sectional area of the urethra could be measured using the field gradient principle. The procedure was performed readily in male patients and the recordings can be graphically presented during measurement. A high degree of reproducibility using this method was obtained. Typical recordings of control subjects was well as patients with pathology were obtained using this technique. The results of this study show that the maximum urethral closure pressure obtained was 60.8 + 3.4 mmHg and functional profile length, 4.8 + 0.4 cm. Internal meatus cross sectional area was 0.67 + 0.04 cm2 and the minimum urethral cross sectional area was 0.12 + 0.02 cm2. This method has been shown to be readily applicable in measuring urethral closure pressure in males and can potentially be used as a tool of comparing the functional parameters of pressure with the anatomical value of diameter.

Stretching of a fine cylindrical fluid filament having lengthwise viscosity variation

The stretching of a fine cylindrical filament of power-law fluids having arbitrary lengthwise variations in viscosity was studied analytically. A very simple analytical solution expressing the cross-sectional area profile along the filament is available in Lagrangian coordinates for any arbitrary initial viscosity profile. Variation in cross-sectional area caused by a 1% variation in viscosity is independent of the wave length of the viscosity variation and increases monotonically with increasing average stretch ratio.

An instrument for monitoring stump oedema and shrinkage in amputees

A new system for measuring the cross-sectional area profiles of amputation stumps and whole limbs has been designed at the Amputee Research Centre. The instrument consists of a cylindrical tank supported on an elevator. The tank is raised to the height of the amputation stump and filled with water. A graph of the cross-sectional area profile of the amputation stump is generated by a mini-computer as the elevator descends. The cross-sectional area (A) is calculated from the expression: formula: (see text) where Hw = height of water in the tank He = height of the elevator Ac = a constant, related to the size of the measuring tank. This paper describes the instrument, which may find application in many other areas where there is a need to study shape.