Interior Body Research Articles

To see or not to see: a qualitative interview study of patients’ views on their own diagnostic images

ObjectivesTo ascertain what meaning individuals attach to perceiving images of their own interior body and how the images and their meanings affect the clinical consultation.DesignFace-to-face semistructured interviews.Participants25 adult patients in...

Higher surface ozone concentrations over the Chesapeake Bay than over the adjacent land: Observations and models from the DISCOVER-AQ and CBODAQ campaigns

Air quality models, such as the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, indicate decidedly higher ozone near the surface of large interior water bodies, such as the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay. In order to test the validity of the model output, we performed surface measurements of ozone (O3) and total reactive nitrogen (NOy) on the 26-m Delaware II NOAA Small Research Vessel experimental (SRVx), deployed in the Chesapeake Bay for 10 daytime cruises in July 2011 as part of NASA's GEO-CAPE CBODAQ oceanographic field campaign in conjunction with NASA's DISCOVER-AQ air quality field campaign. During this 10-day period, the EPA O3 regulatory standard of 75 ppbv averaged over an 8-h period was exceeded four times over water while ground stations in the area only exceeded the standard at most twice. This suggests that on days when the Baltimore/Washington region is in compliance with the EPA standard, air quality over the Chesapeake Bay might exceed the EPA standard. Ozone observations over the bay during the afternoon were consistently 10–20% higher than the closest upwind ground sites during the 10-day campaign; this pattern persisted during good and poor air quality days. A lower boundary layer, reduced cloud cover, slower dry deposition rates, and other lesser mechanisms, contribute to the local maximum of ozone over the Chesapeake Bay. Observations from this campaign were compared to a CMAQ simulation at 1.33 km resolution. The model is able to predict the regional maximum of ozone over the Chesapeake Bay accurately, but NOy concentrations are significantly overestimated. Explanations for the overestimation of NOy in the model simulations are also explored.

Lightning Interactions with Humans and Lifelines

Lightning is one of the fascinating phenomena exhibiting tremendous natural power. It is source of awe, curiosity, enticement, inspiration as well as fear. On average, 50 lightning strikes occur on earth in one second. Fortunately not all of them kill people, albeit 10% people fall prey to lightning annually, out of which hardly 20 to 25% die. Lightning injures victims by heat, shockwave, intense brightness, radio waves, and secondary slip or fall mechanisms. Lightning injury is different from the normal electric shock as it involves transient flashover unlike the electrical contact freeze, wherein alternating (AC) and direct currents (DC) pass through the conductive interior body. Vacuity in knowledge is the driving force behind discoveries and inventions. Lightning experts had hardly developed any concurrence on lightning physics, and the observation of dark lightning complicated the Gordian knot. Lightning preventive, alerting and control devices help reduce fatality rates by the bolts out of blue skies. Lightning was considered to be the second cause of death making natural disasters after flashfloods but preventive measures have slithered it down to the third place in developed countries. Lightning prevention rule recommends 'when the thunder roars, go indoors'. This work describes lightning characteristics, damage thresholds to humans, machines, energy infrastructures, airplanes, wind turbines, light railway tractions, underground cables and pipelines. Power and energy lifelines such as transmission lines, oil tankers and gas or petroleum pipelines are susceptible to lightning strikes. Artificial rocket and laser triggered lightning protection and control techniques help to divert the lightning attacks. Interaction of lightning with power and energy infrastructures disrupts these lifelines. However, lightning itself is viewed as an extraterrestrial energy source. Lightning energy harvesting is an interesting application which has been investigated quantitatively.

A Preliminary Investigation of Ductility-Enhancement Mechanism through In Situ Nanofibrillation in Thermoplastic Matrix Composites

A preliminary investigation of interrelationships between tensile stress-strain characteristics and morphology evolution during deformation is conducted on a commercially available thermoplastic composite with a low-surface-energy nanofibrillating poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) additive. In this class of composites, the deformation-associated nanofibrillation of the low-surface-energy additive has been hypothesized to provide an additional dissipation mechanism, thereby enhancing the ductility of the composite. This class of composites offers potential for automotive light weighting in exterior and interior body and fascia applications; it is therefore of interest to investigate processing-structure-property interrelationships in these materials. This study specifically probes the interrelationships between the plastic deformation within the matrix and the fibrillation of the low-surface-energy additive; tensile tests are carried out at two different temperatures which are chosen so as to facilitate and suppress plastic deformation within the matrix polymer. Based on these preliminary investigations, it is noted that PTFE fibrillation acts synergistically with the ductile deformation of the matrix resin resulting in higher strains to failure of the composite; the results also suggest that the mechanism of fibrillation-assisted enhancement of strains to failure may not operate in the absence of matrix plasticity.

A Numerical Modeling Study of the Propagation of Idealized Sea-Breeze Density Currents

AbstractSea breezes are often modeled as a wave response to transient heating in a stratified environment. They occur, however, as density currents with well-defined fronts, the understanding of which rests primarily on experiments and theory that do not include the stratification within and above the current and the steady heat input at the land surface. These gaps are investigated here via a sequence of idealized 2D density current simulations, progressing from the simplest classical case to more realistic surface heating and stratification.In the classical situation where the entire horizontal density contrast is imposed initially, the front quickly attains a constant speed determined by traditional formulas based on the density contrast across the front and the current depth, or by the amount of heat needed to produce it from an initially barotropic fluid. However, these diagnostic and prognostic tools fail completely if the current is driven by a gradual input of heat, analogous to a real sea-breeze situation. In this case the current accelerates slowly at first, remaining much slower than would be expected based on classical formulas.The motion of a classical density current is mostly inertial, with accelerations occurring at the current head; while in the continuously heated case, the entire current accelerates, requiring interior body forces to develop slowly owing to heating of the density current itself. This explains why observed sea-breeze fronts propagate more slowly than predicted from classical formulas, and may help to explain why larger landmasses, where fronts have more time to accelerate, often experience stronger convective storms when triggered by sea-breeze effects.

Placental Surfaces and the Geographies of Bodily Interiors

Within geographical research on ‘the body’, a focus on the surfaces of bodies has been useful for considering how body boundaries, most often implied to begin and end at the skin, (de)limit, (de)regulate, and (de)stabilise what we come to know as ‘a body’. Such work draws attention to how meaning is inscribed ‘upon’ such surfaces and on the fluids that move across, within, and through those surfaces: for example blood, breast milk, and excrement. This paper, however, considers the potential for thinking geographically about interior bodily surfaces by engaging with the placenta. The placenta is a temporary organ that forms in a woman's body only during pregnancy and whose purpose is to mediate the flow of substances between a woman's body and the foetus. It is often considered to have two surfaces, the maternal and foetal surface, or to be ‘a’ surface in and of itself. Our intention is to think geographically ‘with’ ‘the placenta’ in order to focus on what interior surfaces can ‘do’ rather than ‘what they mean’. In so doing our contribution is twofold. Firstly, we will focus on the ‘resurfacing’ of the placenta when it moves outside of the body to be placed upon other (bodily) surfaces, taken back inside the body of origin, or put to use in research. This is significant for highlighting the specific mobilities and temporalities of interior bodily surfaces. Secondly, we consider the theoretical and ethical significance of the placenta for geography by engaging with Luce Irigaray's account of the placental relation between mother and foetus understood as a space of mediation or ‘space between two’. In particular we are interested in considering the geographical potential of the sexed specificities of interior body surfaces, or their ‘morpho-logics’, for understandings of relationality, between self and other, and body and world; in short, we work with the placenta as a ‘relational organ’ in order to uncover new and potentially enlivening ethical spaces of exchange.

Simulation and Optimization to Vehicle Interior Noise in Mid and High Frequency Using VAone

Finite Element-Statistical Energy Analysis (FE-SEA) hybrid method is better than SEA method for vehicle interior noise analysis in mid frequency. The noise predictions using FE-SEA in mid and SEA in high frequency are good in consistent with the experiments, so the computer-aided simulation using above two methods is a good alternative to experiments. The results shows that the Poly Methyl Meth Acrylate (PMMA) instead of glass as the windshield material can reduce the interior noise at the driver’s ear in mid frequency, also lighten the body weight. The results shows the new polymer transparent material can looked as a good new way for vehicle interior noise reduction and body lightweighting.

Simulation of Heat Assisted Forming of Commercial Aluminium Alloy AA5182

To improve the formability of commercial aluminium alloy AA5182, a new heat assisted forming method is used. The process sequence of this method is; cold forming (pre-forming, 90 to 95% of final shape), heat treatment and cooling it down to room temperature and final cold forming. AA5182 is a non-heat treatable alloy and hence heat treating a strain hardened non-heat treatable aluminium alloy leads to lose in strength and gain in plastic recovery. Therefore by heat treating a preformed part and then following it up by further forming stages, it not only gains the lost strength back but also shows increased formability. This behavior is particularly useful in forming more complex automotive interior body parts. To accurately simulate this method, modeling the effect of heat treatment is important. Initial investigations on tensile tests showed that the degree of pre-forming in combination with heat treatment is directly proportional to plastic recovery. Which means, the more the pre-strain is the more the recovery becomes viable. Based on this, a new algorithm has been developed and implemented in LS-DYNA to capture the effect of heat treatment. Finally experimental investigations were carried out on a cross die deep drawn cup to validate the developed simulation model.

Penetrators for in situ subsurface investigations of Europa

We present the scientific case for inclusion of penetrators into the Europan surface, and the candidate instruments which could significantly enhance the scientific return of the joint ESA/NASA Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM). Moreover, a surface element would provide an exciting and inspirational mission highlight which would encourage public and political support for the mission. Whilst many of the EJSM science goals can be achieved from the proposed orbital platform, only surface elements can provide key exploration capabilities including direct chemical sampling and associated astrobiological material detection, and sensitive habitability determination. A targeted landing site of upwelled material could provide access to potential biological material originating from deep beneath the ice. Penetrators can also enable more capable geophysical investigations of Europa (and Ganymede) interior body structures, mineralogy, mechanical, magnetic, electrical and thermal properties. They would provide ground truth, not just for the orbital observations of Europa, but could also improve confidence of interpretation of observations of the other Jovian moons. Additionally, penetrators on both Europa and Ganymede, would allow valuable comparison of these worlds, and gather significant information relevant to future landed missions. The advocated low mass penetrators also offer a comparatively low cost method of achieving these important science goals. A payload of two penetrators is proposed to provide redundancy, and improve scientific return, including enhanced networked seismometer performance and diversity of sampled regions. We also describe the associated candidate instruments, penetrator system architecture, and technical challenges for such penetrators, and include their current status and future development plans.

Processed Aconite Root Prevents Cold-Stress-Induced Hypothermia and Immuno-Suppression in Mice

Processed aconite root (PA) is a crude drug used in traditional Chinese or Japanese medicine to generate heat in interior body and dispel cold. We evaluated the effects of PA on hypothermia and reduction in the activity of natural killer (NK) cells in mice exposed to chronic cold stress. Male mice were reared at 4 degrees C, and powdered PA was administered for 10 d as a food additive. Core body temperature of mice significantly decreased by approximately 1 degrees C after rearing in a cold environment, and PA administration significantly restored the reduction in core body temperature in a dose-dependent manner. After 10 d, splenic NK-cell activity of cold-stressed mice was significantly reduced, and the reduction was dose-dependently recovered by PA administration. An aconitine-type alkaloid fraction prepared from PA was ineffective when administered to cold-stressed mice, and the thermogenic effect on hypothermic mice was present in the fraction containing low-molecular-weight compounds without alkaloids. In cold-stressed mice, the weight of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 level in BAT increased, whereas the weight of white adipose tissue decreased. The increase in UCP-1 level in BAT of cold-stressed mice was further augmented by PA treatment. These results indicate that PA exhibited a thermogenic effect on hypothermia induced by cold stress in mice by additional upregulation of UCP-1 level in BAT, which was already enhanced by hypothermia, and that the active ingredients present in PA are non-alkaloidal low-molecular-weight compounds.

Finite element study of side impact on pelvis with car door padding

Pelvic injuries and fractures, caused by intrusion of car door structure due to car side impacts, are a serious problem worldwide. A 'car door padding', modelled with expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), is suggested in this study. This padding, formed with five layers of foams with different stiffness, is to be incorporated between the car door interior and outer body surface, around greater trochanter location of the occupant for protection from pelvic fracture (pubic rami fracture). To simplify the situation, in this finite element study the padding was fitted with a rigid impactor to hit the previously developed finite element model of the pelvis-femur-soft tissue complex with simplified representation of the whole body in occupant posture. It was observed that this padding has the capacity to reduce the risk of pubic rami fracture in case of car side impact for the occupants with the attenuation of peak impact force by 63% and a considerable reduction in peak strain by 91%. For the five-layered padding, the non-linear stiffness variations of EPS ('high to low' or 'low to high' across the pad thickness) also have an effect on the peak impact force, though less pronounced and it can be concluded that 'low to high' combination is preferred over 'high to low' combination.

Estimativa das máximas pistas de vento no reservatório da barragem de Ilha Solteira, Estado de São Paulo

Most methods employed to estimate the height of waves generated by the wind require the surface length over which the wind blows. The choice of method depends on the nature of the water body, being applicable to ocean areas or interior water bodies, such as bays, lakes and reservoirs. One of the usual solutions has been the direct usage of the method validated in ocean waters for interior waters, therefore, not taking into consideration the effect of the restriction imposed by the shores. Nevertheless, the excessive quantity of operations of the method applied to interior water bodies (where the shore is a restraint condition) may not assure a satisfactory precision degree, unless an accurate enough graphic base of the shore with the addition of the operator’s subjectivity is used. Thus, this scientific community brings this discussion to light, proposing a classic solution based on the application of the adequate method to interior waters (Saville et al., 1954), via automatized processing. Therefore, a program in AutoLISP, a computational language, has been developed. The application of the program has determined the maximum wind fetches in Ilha Solteira, state of São Paulo, reservoir as being between 9.5 and 12.5 km, in contrast with a previous study which has predicted far longer fetches (factor of three).

A laboratory study of localized boundary mixing in a rotating stratified fluid

Oceanic observations indicate that abyssal mixing tends to be localized to regions of rough topography. How localized mixing interacts with the ambient fluid in a stratified, rotating system is an open question. To gain insight into this complicated process laboratory experiments are used to explore the interaction of mechanically induced boundary mixing and an interior body of linearly stratified rotating fluid. Turbulence is generated by a single vertically oscillating horizontal bar of finite horizontal extent, located at mid-depth along the tank wall. The turbulence forms a region of mixed fluid which quickly reaches a steady-state height and collapses into the interior. The mixed-layer thickness, is constant and in agreement with the experiments.

Water permeability and TCDD-induced edema in zebrafish early-life stages.

A common response to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure in teleost embryos is blue-sac disease, characterized by pericardial and yolk-sac edema. The cellular and extracellular fluids of freshwater fish are hyperosmotic compared to the surrounding water. In order to be in osmotic balance, freshwater fish must maintain a barrier to minimize water entry and excrete excess water that passes the barrier. We hypothesized that edema observed in TCDD-exposed zebrafish was caused by a failure of a barrier to incoming water. As a test of this hypothesis, we removed the osmotic gradient that drives water entry by increasing the osmolarity of the surrounding water with mannitol. Abolishing the osmotic gradient between the interior body fluids and the water environment of the developing zebrafish significantly reduced both pericardial and yolk-sac edema. When added after edema formation had already started, mannitol only partially reversed pre-existing edema. An alternate hypothesis is that TCDD impairs water excretion, allowing water to accumulate as edema fluid. However, we were unable to demonstrate an alteration in kidney function: expression of early markers for kidney development appeared normal, and we did not observe TCDD-induced changes in kidney filtration. An alteration in the overall shape of the kidney was observed, but this may be a consequence of compression by edema. In conclusion, TCDD exposure may inhibit the function of a permeability barrier to water, which is critical for maintaining osmotic balance in early development.

Endoscopic method for large-depth optical imaging of interior body organs

An optical imaging method is described, that offers imaging depth of the order of 1 cm and can be realised utilising existing medical endoscopes with the incorporation of appropriate modifications. This imaging method employs polarisation and spectral light discrimination in combination with image processing to remove a large portion of the image information from the outer layers of the tissue which leads to enhancement of the contrast and visibility of subsurface tissue structures.

A study of children's concepts of their internal bodies: A comparison of children with and without congenital heart disease

This study examined the following: (1) the knowledge children with and without congenital heart disease have about their internal bodies, (2) the relationship of this knowledge with age, disease severity, and previous health care experiences, and (3) how the differences between beliefs about the interior body and the value assigned to specific body parts differed between children with congenital heart disease and their unaffected peers. One hundred participants, 50 with cardiac disease and 50 comparisons, between 5 and 15 years of age, completed the Inside the Body Test; the severity of the conditions of the children with cardiac problems was evaluated with the Permanent Impairment Evaluation Guide. Results indicated that there were no differences between the 2 groups on knowledge of body parts, body-part function, nor the values that were assigned. Implications for practice are discussed. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company

In vivo studies concerning a pH gradient in human stratum corneum and upper epidermis.

Human skin has an acid mantle of pH 4-6, contrasting with the almost neutral pH of the interior body and implying the existence of a pH gradient over the horny layer that might influence a variety of epidermal processes. In an attempt to characterize the pH gradient, we applied a glass electrode to the volar surface of the forearm before and after consecutive strippings with sello-tape. Before stripping, the surface pH (mean +/- SD) was 4.5 +/- 0.2 in men (n = 7) and 5.3 +/- 0.5 in women (n = 7), the values gradually increasing to pH 6.9 +/- 0.4 in men and 6.8 +/- 0.5 in women after about 100-120 tape strippings, which completely removed the stratum corneum. When plotted against the number of strippings, the pH values usually conformed to a sigmoid curve with inflection (50% change) after about 60 strippings, at a level corresponding histologically to the lower third of stratum corneum. Similar gradients were found also in skin of the abdomen and calf. Stripping with cyanoacrylate resin produced a similar gradient, even though this form of stripping was 10 times more effective. The healing process after tape stripping was studied by determining pH and transepidermal water loss in 5 persons over a period of 14 days. The importance of the re-established pH gradient is discussed in relation to the many pH-dependent enzymes operating in stratum corneum.

ESTIMATING DEPTHS OF BACTERIAL PENETRATION INTO POST‐RIGOR CARCASS TISSUE DURING WASHING

ABSTRACTA method for predicting the depth of penetration of bacteria into various beef tissues was developed. Blue Lake, an insoluble dye, was used to simulate bacteria on the meat surface because movement of the Blue Lake into the meat tissue during spray washing could be easily visualized. The beef tissue surfaces studied were: (1) exterior lean, (2) exterior fat, (3) interior body cavity (peritoneum) and (4) cut tissue. The model indicated that many bacteria not removed during washing are driven into the beef tissue by the washing process. Interior body cavity tissue was most resistant to penetration followed by exterior lean and fat tissues, which were about equal in resistance. Cut surfaces were the most susceptible to Blue Lake penetration.

Accurate interior point computations in the boundary integral equation method

This paper describes an implementation of the direct boundary integral equation method for problems of linear, elastostatic stress analysis. Isoparametric, quadratic boundary elements, with numerical integration of the kernel-shape function products, are employed for the numerical study. In the portion of a solid which is very close to a discretized surface, solutions generated with such boundary elements are subject to numerical error. A simple superposition procedure is described which eliminates the most inaccurate influence coefficients as well as the jump terms which arise when the interior point reaches the surface. This leads to accuracy in the near-surface area which is equal to that on the surface. The numerical integration effort is no greater than that required to generate the boundary solution. Both the interior body problem (a finite solid) and the exterior body problem (a cavity in an infinite solid) are analyzed and the method is demonstrated for the test problem of a spherical cavity in an infinite body. The procedure should be able to be implemented in most elastostatic boundary element programs which employ the conventional direct formulation and which integrate the kernel-shape function products numerically. As well, it is applicable in nonlinear problems and in other fields which use singular integral equations, such as elastodynamics.

Three bodies of practice in a traditional south Indian martial art

This paper describes three interconnected conceptions of the body in ka l ̇ arippaya t t u , the martial tradition of Kerala, south India. It traces continuities and discontinuities among concepts and practices recorded in classic source texts and contemporary martial practice for each of the three ‘bodies of practice’. The first is the fluid body of humors and saps. The second is the body as superstructure composed of bones, muscles, and vital spots ( marma-s), which supports the fluid body. The concepts and practices of the first two bodies are based on the regional tradition of Ayurveda. They constitute the external physical body ( sth u la-śar i ra ). The third, subtle or interior body ( s u k s ̇ ma-śar i ra ) is thought to be encased within the physical body. It provides an experiential map of practice and is the basis for higher stages of meditation. The long-term practice of the martial art (1) makes the body fluid so that healthful congruence of the humors occurs, (2) establishes an intuitive and practical knowledge of vital points ( marma) useful in fighting ( pray o gam ) and in treating injuries, and (3) purifies the subtle body and awakens the internal vital energy ( pr a n ̇ a-v a yu ) that is manifest as the power ( śakti) of the master in combat or medical practice. The paper concludes with a discussion of the interrelationship between these three concepts of the body in the accomplished practice of the martial practitioner.