Horizontal Area Research Articles

Experimental investigation on effects of heat release rate and horizontal vent area on enclosure fire phenomena with upper horizontal and lower vertical vents

Experimental investigation on effects of heat release rate and horizontal vent area on enclosure fire phenomena with upper horizontal and lower vertical vents

Lisbon Urban Climate: Statistical Analysis/Approach for Urban Heat Island Effect Based on a Pioneering Urban Meteorological Network

The urban heat island (UHI) effect is a widely recognized phenomenon consisting of heat accumulation by dense urban construction and human activities, resulting in higher temperatures across urban areas compared to their surroundings. This article aims to quantify the UHI effect on several areas throughout the city of Lisbon, Portugal, with the main goal of validating, evaluating, and reinforcing urban climate adaptation and resilience strategies proposed in the recent scientific literature. A set of nine quality-controlled weather stations from the “Lisboa Aberta” network that are compliant with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards and installation requirements were used to characterize Lisbon’s UHI, in comparison to a reference weather station from the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA), located at Lisbon Airport. By applying a principal component analysis (PCA) in an innovative way to 10 urban indexes, it is shown that the thermal inertia in Lisbon’s urban areas is positively correlated with the UHI intensity and urban density, regardless of the daily heating/cooling cycle. Furthermore, the results show that land use also has an impact on the UHI effect, with continuous, vertical building areas showing the greatest deviations in comparison to the reference, averaging +1.8 °C. Contrastingly, horizontal building areas reveal an average deviation of +1.3 °C, with sparse, discontinuously built areas representing an average UHI effect of +0.2 °C. Finally, through a climatope analysis, it is determined that, across Lisbon, high-density urban areas and ventilation corridors are responsible for inducing average UHI effects of +1.7 °C and +0.2 °C, respectively.

The role of building mass configuration and material selection for mitigating the intensity of the urban heat island

The knowledge of urban heat island (UHI) mitigation for the materials and geometry of urban areas requires enrichment. This study compares to the thermal conditions on two different building mass configurations (Superblock and horizontal residential areas), that involve geometry aspect (density, orientation) and materials aspect (softscape, pavement, roof, wall). A surface urban heat island (SUHI) survey was conducted using Landsat thermal imagery, followed by ground surveys in selected areas. Data collected in both areas included air temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, and globe temperature area. The results show that the superblock configuration had a low SUHI intensity due to the proportional orientation of East-West-North-South (0.56–0.44) and large shading (average of 0.31 m2). In contrast, in the dense residential areas, the intensity of SUHI was high because the proportion of East-West walls was wider than North-South (0.8–0.2), and the shading was low (average of 0.15–0.16 m2). Façade and ground heating occurred owing to the use of heavy-weight materials, which was indicated in the thermal imagery, with a solar heating index in a vertical cluster mass configuration of 21.7 and a horizontal grid of 55.9. Convective cooling occurred in a vertical geometry because the buildings generated turbulence that removed warm air, whereas it did not occur in a horizontal geometry. The convective cooling index for the vertical cluster mass configuration was 0.62, whereas that for the horizontal grid configuration was 0.09. This indicates that regional planning must incorporate geometric and material considerations to control the urban thermal environments.

Distribution law of Chang 7 Member tight oil in the western Ordos Basin based on geological, logging and numerical simulation techniques

Abstract Fine characterization of oil plane distribution in highly heterogeneous tight sandstone is a prerequisite for efficient reservoir development. This study systematically evaluated the distribution characteristics of tight oil in the Chang 7 Member of the Western Ordos Basin using a large number of experimental tests, logging interpretation, and 3D modelling methods. The logging interpretation models of shale content, porosity, permeability, and oil saturation were constructed, and the effective reservoir was identified by establishing the intersection identification pattern of reservoir acoustic wave time difference and deep lateral resistivity. The 3D numerical simulation results showed that the tight oil is distributed between injection and production wells. The areas with high tight oil content are mainly distributed along the WE direction, and a series of high remaining oil zones are formed locally. Under the influence of long-term injection and production, a high permeability zone will be formed between wells, which is similar to a high-speed channel and will be flooded quickly, and a banded remaining oil retention zone will be formed around it. For the horizontal well flooding area, the water flooding range of the water injection well is small, and a large amount of remaining oil is enriched between water injection wells. Finally, the classification standard of the remaining oil in the Chang 72 sub-member of the study area is proposed, and then, the strategy of adopting different development and adjustment schemes according to different types of reservoirs is formed.

Pollen morphology reveals genetic diversity between some superior sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) genotypes; an opportunity for expanding breeding possibilities

AbstractPreservation of the genetic diversity of sour cherry in Iran is imperative for the development of improved cultivars tailored to specific ecological conditions. Addressing gaps in research concerning ecological adaptation, resource management and international collaboration related to sour cherry genetic resources in Iran is essential. Bridging these research lacunae can facilitate the implementation of sustainable cultivation practices, optimize production systems and enhance the global utilization of sour cherry genetic diversity. A comprehensive analysis of the morphology and ultrastructure of pollen grains from ten native sour cherry genotypes in Iran was conducted over a two-year period using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The examination revealed that all pollen grains were unipolar, radially symmetrical and tricolpate. The length and width of pollen grains varied among genotypes, with lengths ranging from 42.17 to 57.57 μm and widths from 20.28 to 28.13 μm. Furthermore, all genotypes exhibited prolate pollen grains, with differing colpus lengths. Examination of pollen exine revealed striate shapes with varying numbers of ridges, ranging from 18.5 to 8.5 furrows per 50 m2. The horizontal area of pollen grains varied from 333.28 to 1491.69 μm. Polar perspective analysis showed considerable variation in the distance between mesocolpium endpoints. Sour cherry displays significant genetic diversity in Iran, and the application of SEM has proven instrumental in characterizing this diversity. This understanding will aid in further breeding research aimed at enhancing sour cherry varieties and their adaptation to specific ecological conditions.

Investigating Factors Influencing Crash Severity on Mountainous Two-Lane Roads: Machine Learning Versus Statistical Models

Due to poor road design, challenging terrain, and difficult geological conditions, traffic accidents on mountainous two-lane roads are more frequent and severe. This study aims to address the lack of understanding of key factors affecting accident severity with the goal of improving mountainous traffic safety, thereby contributing to sustainable transportation systems. The focus of this study is to compare the interpretability of model performances with three statistical models (Ordered Logit, Partial Proportional Odds Model, and Multinomial Logit) and six machine learning models (Decision Tree, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Extra Trees, AdaBoost, and XGBoost) on two-lane mountain roads in Yunnan Province, China. Additionally, we assessed the ability of these models to uncover underlying causal relationships, particularly how accident causes affect severity. Using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method, we interpreted the influence of risk factors in the machine learning models. Our findings indicate that machine learning models, especially XGBoost, outperform statistical models in predicting accident severity. The results highlight that accident patterns are the most significant determinants of severity, followed by road-related factors and the type of colliding vehicles. Environmental factors like weather, however, have minimal impact. Notably, vehicle falling, head-on collisions, and longitudinal slope sections are linked to more severe accidents, while minor accidents are more frequent on horizontal curve sections and areas that combine curves and slopes. These insights can help traffic management agencies develop targeted measures to reduce accident rates and enhance road safety, which is critical for promoting sustainable transportation in mountainous regions.

S100 protein expression in PKC-fused blue naevi, cellular blue naevi and PRKAR1A-inactivated pigmented epithelioid melanocytomas

Recent data have redefined the genetic spectrum of pigmented epithelioid melanocytomas (PEMs). PEM is now defined by a secondary genetic event, a protein kinase cAMP-dependent type I regulatory subunit alpha (PRKAR1A) inactivation, that confers the specific cytomorphology of the entity, but this event can arise within a naevus with a genetic background of common, blue or Spitz type. PKC-fused melanocytic proliferations, although they can exhibit PEM-like morphological features, have now been regrouped within the blue group of tumours. Past studies have shown that the latter group tends to lose S100 expression. Herein, we studied the nuclear expression of S100 by immunohistochemistry in 73 PKC-fused benign blue naevi. Histologically, the most frequent pattern found in PKC-fused blue naevi (51%) was a dermal biphasic architecture associated with a horizontal band of medium-sized bland melanocytes in the upper papillary dermis, with a deeper dermal expansion combining spindled and dendritic melanocytes with occasional small nests of bland melanocytes within a fibrous background. A PEM-like hyperpigmented hyperplasia of the epidermis was seen in 32% of cases. The immunohistochemical study found in 31 of the 37 (84%) dermal biphasic PKC-fused melanocytic tumour cases a significant loss of nuclear expression of S100 (in more than 50% of cells) in the superficial horizontal dermal band area and in 68% of the biphasic dermal component. However, the hyperpigmented PEM-like junctional components were not assessable by immunohistochemistry. An exploratory analysis of S100 expression in 21 blue naevi and in 25 PEM with confirmed PRKAR1A inactivation was also performed. In blue naevi, a loss of nuclear S100 expression in more than 50% of melanocytes was found in over 70% of these lesions both in the dendritic and epithelioid dermal components. By contrast, nuclear expression of S100 was most often preserved in PEM with PRKAR1A inactivation (85% preservation in the epithelioid component). These results suggest that searching for S100 expression loss by immunohistochemistry may be helpful in the diagnosis of PKC-fused blue naevus similarly as in dendritic and cellular blue naevi. This simple test, especially if a band-like structure is present in the upper dermis, can effectively support this diagnosis, as a genetic confirmation of these benign tumours is not warranted.

Dietary Supplementation with Nano-Curcumin Improves the Meat Quality and Nutrition Value of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Fed with a High-Carbohydrate Diet

This study investigated the effects of curcumin nanoparticles on the flesh quality of largemouth bass on a high-carbohydrate diet. A total of 180 fish (11.01 ± 0.02 g) were fed three semi-purified diets: the Control group (LC) were supplemented with standard carbohydrate (10%), the experimental group (HC) were supplemented with 15% carbohydrate, and the experimental group were supplemented with 0.2% nano-curcumin added to 15% carbohydrate (HCN) for 6 weeks. Results showed that a* value, taurine, valine, isoleucine, histidine, cystine, fatty acids (C17:0 and C20:2n6), MDA (malondialdehyde) content, and SOD (Superoxide dismutase) activity were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in HC. Muscle fibers showed significant increases in horizontal diameter, longitudinal diameter, and cross-sectional area (p < 0.05), as well as up-regulated expression levels of the MRFS (myogenic regulatory factor) family gene and MSTN (myostatin) (p < 0.05), and a significant decrease in C16:1n7 in HC (p < 0.05). Importantly, the HCN group enhanced the muscle quality of largemouth bass by elevating the L* value, valine, isoleucine, arginine and cystine, C20:2n6, decreasing (p < 0.05) refrigeration loss, chewability, firmness and hardness, then MDA content and SOD activity, and downregulating (p < 0.05) MSTN and MRFS family gene expression levels to improve largemouth bass muscle quality.

Sovereignty cubed: The Arctic as a territorial and ontological volume

State sovereignty over space has traditionally been viewed as confined to a bounded land area. However, scholarship in critical cartography, political, and social theory shows this understanding to be flawed. This perspective not only limits understandings of sovereignty density, but also weakens our understanding of the limits of the state. This is particularly evident in the Arctic, where sovereignty discourse often fails to address the complexities of space in connection with authority and legitimacy for decision-making in the region. This article first critically examines Arctic sovereignty, challenging the notion of sovereignty as merely a horizontal area with land or sea boundaries. Instead, it argues that Arctic geopolitics and governance are better understood when sovereignty is considered as a scalar concept encompassing a territorial volume. Second, it contextualises the processes involved in the legitimisation of sovereignty and governance practices across the Arctic, framing this as ontological sovereignty. The article contends that Arctic sovereignty and governance are more comprehensively understood by shifting from a strictly material perspective to an ontological framing, which encompasses control over the nature and existence of Arctic spaces, with implications for future development and understandings of Arctic governance.

Size scale effect on mass burning flux and flame behavior of solid fuels

The study investigates the horizontal fuel size effect on free-burning fires for PMMA plates and wood cribs. The fuel size effect on mass burning flux and flame behavior is mainly discussed and compared with typical pool fires. For the PMMA plate and liquid pool, when the fuel size is small (< 10 cm), either the 3D sidewall burning of PMMA or the container wall heated by flame can promote the burning flux at the horizontal projection area. As the fuel size increases, these side wall burning or heating effects decrease, causing the drop in burning flux with fuel scale for both the PMMA plate and liquid pool. For small-scale wood cribs, fire cannot self-sustain due to the large airflow cooling. With the increase in wood crib size, the burning rate first remains constant and then gradually increases, driven by the enhanced internal radiation. As the fuel size increases above 20–30 cm, the flame radiation dominates the burning flux for all fuel types. Fire dynamics simulator (FDS) was adopted to simulate the horizontal size effect by setting a varied fire source (horizontal projection) area. First, the flame geometry and heat release rate (HRR) of simulations were validated against experimental results. Subsequently, the validated fire model generates cases covering a broad range of fire scales. Finally, a new correlation of flame height with the fire heat release rate and fuel size is proposed, and its prediction capability is validated in the numerical fire modeling. This study quantifies the size effect on the burning rate for common solid fuels and provides valuable information for the numerical modeling of multi-scale fires.

Hallux valgus treatment by percutaneous scarf-like screwless osteotomy: surgical technique and medium-term outcomes

BackgroundHallux valgus is a common condition. There is a consensus that distal metatarsal osteotomies have positive outcomes for the correction of mild-to-moderate deformities, and that proximal osteotomies are preferable for more severe ones. The well-known scarf osteotomy technique is considered powerful enough for both types of deformation and is described without internal fixation. We aimed to describe a new surgical technique for hallux valgus percutaneous scarf like osteotomy (PSLO) without internal fixation, and to report the medium-term radiological and clinical outcomes. HypothesisA combination of a PSLO without internal fixation will lead to optimal results. Patients and methodsThis retrospective case series reports on 126 cases involving 106 patients who underwent hallux valgus surgery with the PSLO technique +/− Akin, +/− lateral release. The osteotomy was stabilized by a bandage, and immediate weight bearing was allowed. The surgeries took place in 3 clinics in France from March 2016 to July 2017. ResultsAll radiological parameters: hallux valgus angle (HVA), the 1–2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) and the distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA) showed statistically significant improvement. The mean preoperative HVA, IMA and DMAA were 27.7 °, 14.2 ° and 12.7 ° respectively. The mean postoperative HVA, IMA and DMAA were 8.23 °, 8.1 ° and 3.8 °, respectively. Clinically, 97% were satisfied or very satisfied with the results, 92% could wear “normal” shoes (45 days - 6 months), 99% returned to the same athletic activities after surgery (3–5 months), and the average time to return to work was 4 weeks (1 day - 51 days). DiscussionThe combination of scarf -like osteotomy and the percutaneous technique provide sufficient initial stabilization through the large horizontal area of contact between the fragments and the preservation of the attachment of the soft tissue. The lack of internal fixation significantly shortens the surgery time, cost, and reduces x-ray exposure without compromising the results. Level of evidenceIII, retrospective comparative study

Vascular changes of the peripapillary choroidal area in the thyroid orbitopathy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the peripapillary choroidal vascular changes in thyroid orbitopathy (TO). The study included 20 eyes of 10 patients with active TO (aTO), 30 eyes of 15 patients with inactive TO (inaTO) and 30 eyes of 30 healthy subjects. The peripapillary choroidal vascular change was assessed with peripapillary choroidal vascular index (pCVI), peripapillary choroidal luminal area (pLA), peripapillary choroidal stromal area (pSA), peripapillary total choroidal area (pTCA). Compared to the control group, there was a reduction in the nasal and temporal areas of pCVI in both the aTO and inaTO groups (aTO vs control: nasal p = 0.001 and temporal p = 0.004; inaTO vs control: nasal p = 0.007 and temporal p < 0.001), while the inferior area was lower only in the inaTO group (p = 0.001). Compared to the other groups, the inaTO group exhibited a decrease pSA (vs aTO: total p = 0.004, inferior p = 0.02 and vs control: total p = 0.01, inferior p = 0.03), pLA (vs aTO: total p = 0.02, inferior p = 0.02, temporal p < 0.001 and vs control: total p = 0.002, inferior p < 0.001, temporal p < 0.001) and pTCA (vs aTO: total p = 0.009, inferior p = 0.01, temporal p < 0.001 and vs control: total p = 0.003, inferior p = 0.001, temporal p < 0.001). The horizontal area (nasal and temporal area) of the peripapillary choroidal vascular structure may be more sensitive than the vertical area in TO patients. The first affected quadrant of RPC-VD in the active TO may be the inferior quadrant. Structural or vascular choroidal changes may occur during the chronic or post-active phase of the disease.

The influence of invariant horizontal projection area constraint on shape optimization of free-form surface structure with openings

Free-form curved surface shell roof is favored by architects, but the openings for daylighting will decline its mechanical properties. In the shell shape optimization under the vertical load, when the outer contour of the openings or the shell changes, the total load of the structure also changes with the changes in its horizontal projection area. This contradicts the premise of structural optimization, that is, to maintain the principle of unchanging total loads. To solve this problem, the invariant horizontal projection area of the shell was taken as constraints in the shell shape optimization in which the objective function was structural strain energy and optimization design variables were internal and external boundary points of the curved surfaces with openings, and the key points on the curved surface which were design variables of the overall shape of the curved surface. The numerical examples verified the validity of the method, and the influence of the invariant horizontal projection area constraint of the curved surface with openings on the optimization results of the minimum strain energy, optimization with the frequency constraint, and the initial surface with the different support distribution were discussed. The results of the numerical examples showed that the invariant horizontal projection area constraint has a greater impact on the results of the curved surface with opening optimization, and its influence should be considered in the engineering design.

A voxel-based magnetic resonance study of cortical gray matter structures in intermittent exotropia

Objective: To explore the changes in gray matter volume of the cerebral cortex in patients with intermittent exotropia (IXT) using the voxel-based analysis and to analyze the correlation between these changes and clinical manifestations. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A collection of 15 consecutive patients diagnosed with IXT at Tianjin Eye Hospital from March 2021 to May 2022 formed the exotropia group, which comprised 8 males and 7 females, with an average age of (23.5±5.2) years. Ten healthy individuals, 3 males and 7 females, with an average age of (27.0±7.5) years, were selected as the control group. All participants underwent assessments of exotropia severity and Titmus stereoacuity. Three-dimensional high-resolution brain images were obtained through MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry was employed to preprocess the MRI data, and the SPM toolbox in MATLAB was utilized to analyze differences of images between the two groups. Regions of interest (ROI) with structural abnormalities in the gray matter volume analysis were selected, and the ratio of gray matter voxel values in the ROI to the mean gray matter voxel values of the whole brain for each participant was calculated using the MarsBaR software. The correlation between this ratio and exotropia severity as well as the common logarithm of Titmus stereoacuity was analyzed. Results: The differences in age, gender distribution, and refractive error between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences in the degree of strabismus and Titmus stereoacuity (both P<0.001). Compared to the control group, patients in the strabismus group exhibited decreased gray matter volume in several brain regions, including the wedges of the medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere (decreased by 89 voxels), the left lingual gyrus (decreased by 176 voxels), the left calcarine sulcus V3 area (decreased by 30 voxels), the central anterior gyrus of the right frontal lobe (decreased by 192 voxels), the gray matter of the left hippocampal gyrus (decreased by 20 voxels), and the bilateral lateral geniculate nuclei (decreased by 100 and 40 voxels on the left and right sides, respectively). These differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.001). Additionally, there was an increase in gray matter volume in several brain regions, including the bilateral caudate nuclei (increased by 60 and 76 voxels on the left and right sides, respectively) and the left precentral gyrus (increased by 36 voxels). These differences were also statistically significant (all P<0.001). A group-level analysis identified 10 brain regions with structural differences between the two groups, which were used as ROI. The gray matter volume ratio was negatively correlated with the degree of exotropia (all P<0.05) in the ROI of the left wedges (r=-0.670), left calcarine sulcus V3 area (r=-0.610), and left lingual gyrus (r=-0.684). The gray matter volume ratio was negatively correlated with lgTS (all P<0.05) in the ROI of the left wedges (r=-0.568) and the central anterior gyrus of the right frontal lobe (r=-0.563). Conclusions: Patients with IXT exhibit decreased gray matter volume in the horizontal connection areas between the primary visual cortices V1 and V2. The reduction in gray matter volume of the lingual gyrus and the dorsal visual pathway V3 area becomes more pronounced with increasing exotropia severity, while the gray matter volume of the precentral gyrus (BA6 area) decreases with worsening stereoacuity.

Dynamic channel selection based on vertical sensitivities for the assimilation of FY‐4A geostationary interferometric infrared sounder targeted observations

AbstractTarget observations have garnered significant attention owing to their successful applications in enhancing forecasting skills of extreme weather events, particularly tropical cyclone (TC) events. The key step of implementing target observation is to determine the sensitive area in advance. Previous studies often obtained the sensitive areas for TC forecasting by vertically integrating the energy of optimal perturbation and taking the horizontal area of large energy, in an attempt to use it to represent roughly the sensitivity of the whole atmospheric layer. The advent of the geostationary interferometric infrared sounder on the FY‐4A satellite and then corresponding satellite data assimilation have opened up a new possibility for identifying the vertical sensitivity for TC forecasting to improve the forecasting skill. This article proposes a targeting satellite channel (TSC) approach to accurately capture the sensitivity along vertical directions of the atmosphere that allows one to preferentially select the channels whose observations locate on the sensitive vertical atmospheric layers. Numerical experiments demonstrate that, when preferentially assimilating the channel observations obtained from the TSC approach, the TC tracks achieve a considerably smaller forecast error than the information entropy channel selection approach. The TSC approach, therefore, has the potential for the satellite data assimilation to improve TC track forecasting skill very effectively, which can also provide guidance to targeting observations in field campaigns for TC forecasting.

Research on tree-based support generation algorithm for fused deposition modeling

A tree-based support generation algorithm based on Fused Deposition Modeling is proposed to optimize support material consumption. The algorithm first identifies dangerous facets and partitions them. Support points are obtained using either a grid sampling method or a contour sampling method based on the ratio of the horizontal projection area of the dangerous area to the area of the bounding rectangle. Then, support segments are generated from top to bottom based on specified constraint angles. Slicing the support segments with height planes at specified intervals produces sliced support points. Finally, support contours and infill are generated around these points. To ensure model quality and facilitate support removal, a predetermined distance is maintained between the top of the support and the model, and the contour diameter decreases near the model. Experimental results comparing this algorithm with alternative support generation methods demonstrate its ability to effectively support overhanging regions while reducing printing time and material consumption.

Assessing acute nicotine impact on choroidal thickness: a randomized, double-blinded study comparing smoking cessation aids, including nicotine gum and electronic cigarettes.

To explore whether differences in choroidal thickness arise from nicotine consumption in healthy young individuals, specifically comparing the effects of nicotine gum to electronic cigarette (vaping), while maintaining a consistent 4mg nicotine dosage. In a randomized double-blinded prospective cross-sectional study, 20 healthy participants (mean age ± standard deviation: 23 ± 2.36years) were randomly assigned to either the nicotine gum or vaping group. Choroidal thickness (ChT) measurements were conducted using optical coherence tomography (OCT) (Topcon 3D OCT-1 Maestro System) at baseline, 30, and 60min after ingesting 4mg of nicotine, with ChT measurements taken from five different horizontal areas. Neither the nicotine delivery method (gum or vaping) demonstrated a statistically significant impact on ChT mean scores among subjects in the five measured areas at baseline, 30, and 60min (p > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in ChT mean scores within subjects across the five areas (F (1.83, 72) = 36.43, p < 0.001), regardless of other study factors such as group, time, and visit (p > 0.05). A statistically significant interaction was identified between the factors of area and time concerning participants' ChT mean scores when stratified by the type of smoking (tobacco, vaping, and dual) (p = 0.003). The results of this study revealed that nicotine, up to particular concentration of 4mg, does not have a statistically significant vasoconstrictive effect on choroidal thickness, regardless of the delivery method, within the examined group. These findings offer valuable insights into the relationship between nicotine intake and choroidal dynamics in young adults.

Stable three-dimensional vortex families consistent with Jovian observations including the Great Red Spot

Detailed observations of the velocities of Jovian vortices exist at only one height in the atmosphere, so their vertical structures are poorly understood. This motivates this study that computes stable three-dimensional, long-lived planetary vortices that satisfy the equations of motion. We solve the anelastic equations with a high-resolution pseudo-spectral method using the observed Jovian atmospheric temperatures and zonal flow. We examine several families of vortices and find that constant-vorticity vortices, which have nearly uniform vorticity as a function of height, and horizontal areas that go to zero at their tops and bottoms, converge to stable vortices that look like the Great Red Spot (GRS) and other Jovian anticyclones. In contrast, the constant-area vortices proposed in previous studies, which have nearly uniform areas as a function of height, and vertical vorticities that go to zero at their tops and bottoms, are far from equilibrium, break apart, and converge to constant-vorticity vortices. Our late-time vortices show unexpected properties. Vortices that are initially non-hollow become hollow (i.e. have local minima of vertical vorticity at their centres), which is a feature of the GRS that cannot be explained with two-dimensional simulations. The central axes of the final vortices align with the planetary spin axis even if they align initially with the local direction of gravity. We present scaling laws for how vortex properties change with the Rossby number and other non-dimensional parameters. We prove analytically that the horizontal mid-plane of a stable vortex must lie at a height above the top of the convective zone.

Changes in masseter muscle morphology after surgical-orthodontic treatment in patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion with mandibular asymmetry: The automatic masseter muscle segmentation model

This study evaluated the masseter muscle changes after surgical-orthodontic treatment in patients with a skeletal Class III malocclusion using automatic segmentation. Images of 120 patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion were obtained and reconstructed at T0 (pretreatment), T1 (presurgery), and T2 (6-12-month postsurgery). The patients were divided into symmetrical and asymmetrical groups. The volume, major axis length, maximum cross-sectional area, horizontal cross-sectional area 5 mm above the mandibular foramen (CSAF), and orientation were calculated automatically. In the asymmetrical group, the volume and major axis length on the deviated side were lower than on the nondeviated side at T0, T1, and T2 (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in maximum cross-sectional area and CSAF bilaterally. The orientation was coronally more vertical and sagittally more forward on the deviated side (both P<0.001). In the symmetrical group, there were no significant bilateral differences at T0, T1, and T2. The volume, major axis length, and CSAF decreased, and the coronal orientation was more vertical on the nondeviated side at T2 than at T0 in both groups (P<0.05). The coronal plane orientation was more inclined on the deviated side at T2 than at T0 in the asymmetrical group (P<0.05). The smaller volume on the deviated side at T2 indicates the need for myofunctional training after surgery. The masseter muscle volume and the cross-sectional area did not recover to the preorthodontic levels. Studies with longer follow-up durations are needed to confirm these findings.

Marine heatwaves and cold spells in the Brazil Overshoot show distinct sea surface temperature patterns depending on the forcing

The Brazil Current Overshoot regions feature the strongest sea surface temperature variations over the global ocean but forecast skill for these extreme variations is limited. Here we investigate the drivers of marine heatwaves and cold spells in this region and find that ocean flows and sea surface heat fluxes are the primary drivers. We also find that sea surface temperature extremes driven by air-sea heat fluxes produce consistent changes in sea surface temperature and related atmospheric variables over a wide horizontal area, whereas ocean flow-driven sea surface temperature extremes exhibit low consistency in air variables and limited consistency in the spatial extent of sea variables across most sea surface temperature extreme events. These differing air-sea characteristics associated with extremes driven by different drivers offer potential avenues for improving prediction skills and advancing the understanding of three-dimensional air-sea impacts associated with extreme events.