Minimum Wind Research Articles

DETERMINATION OF WATER CONSUMPTION OF THE RED PIGEON ( Combretum Lanceolatum Pohl )

The Pantanal is located in the Upper Paraguay Depression and is characterized by being the largest flooded plain in the world, with alternating floods and droughts. During the last decades, economic changes and political demands have increased the pressure on the Pantanal and its watershed, due to changes in land use and occupation with agriculture and livestock. Its natural fields have a great diversity of habitats that include pastures, savannas and forests under different flood regimes. These conditions directly contribute to the development of Combretum lanceolatum Pohl, also known as Pombeiro Vermelho, which is considered a monodominant species and has seen a considerable increase in the fields of the Pantanal. Knowing the characteristics of water consumption of this species in response to atmospheric demand effectively contributes to understanding its physiological characterization and, mainly, its management. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the water consumption of Combretum lanceolatum Pohl (Pombeiro Vermelho). The study was conducted in an area adjacent to the Pe. Ricardo Remeter Meteorological Station, part of the INMET network, in Santo Antônio de Leverger-MT, which provided daily macrometeorological data: maximum and minimum temperatures, wind speed, rainfall, sunlight and evaporation. Water consumption (evapotranspiration) was measured by the constant water table lysimeter method, where there were six pots containing Pombeiro Vermelho plants, whose values ​​were modeled by multiple linear regression together with estimates of Reference Evapotranspiration from the Penman-Moteith aerodynamic method and with the leaf area. The evapotranspiration rates had a greater correlation with the leaf area index than with the reference evapotranspiration.

Demonstrating almost half of cotton fiber quality variation is attributed to climate change using a hybrid machine learning-enabled approach

Understanding the effects of climate change on cotton fiber quality will reduce the risks to production caused by global warming. Machine learning algorithms are effective for forecasting climate impacts on crops. However, the impact of climate change on cotton fiber quality is unclear. Hence, a hybrid machine learning-enabled approach, the Bayesian model average (BMA) method with multiple machine learning algorithms (linear regressor, SVR, RFR, GBDT, LightGBM, and XGBoost) and bootstrap resampling, was developed to explore the impact and screen the important climatic factors affecting various traits of fiber quality. On the basis of fiber quality data from 1033 test stations across Xinjiang, China, from 2016 to 2022, the explained variance for climate change in the hybrid machine learning model was as follows: 44.72 %–50.55 % for white cotton grade, 44.06 %–53.95 % for length, 51.72 %–56.81 % for micronaire, 32.70 %–49.50 % for length uniformity, and 45.66 %–53.09 % for strength in the 1000 bootstrapping samples. In addition, recursive feature elimination with cross-validation (RFECV) was used to select the optimal feature set and calculate the contribution of each feature. The variability in micronaire in the hybrid model was affected primarily by climate factors, such as the daily minimum temperature, rainfall, and wind speed, whereas the other quality traits were affected mainly by radiation-related climatic indicators. The climate during the harvest stage in October had a significant effect on cotton quality, explaining 33.0 % of the variance in white cotton grade, 32.1 % in length, and 48.3 % in fiber strength. Conversely, the climate during the boll opening and early harvest stages in September had a greater influence on micronaire and length uniformity, accounting for 21.4 % and 37.2 % of the variance, respectively. This study highlights that climate change explains nearly 50 % of the variation in fiber quality, with the influence being notably more considerable during the later stages of the cotton growth period. These findings clarify the uncertainty in the impact of climate change on cotton fiber quality considering the uncertainty of the single machine model and model errors. Equally important, this information can be valuable for farmers and growers seeking to improve fiber quality under climate change.

A study on the optimization of cooling performance for oil-immersed transformers in high temperature environments utilizing response surface methodology

To enhance the thermal efficiency of self-cooling oil-immersed transformers in high-temperature environments, this study proposes a method to improve heat transfer by disrupting the boundary layer through incorporating a V-shaped raised structure on the inner wall of the transformer. Numerical calculations using COMSOL software were conducted to compare and analyze the effects of four distinct geometric shapes of protrusions on the thermal performance of 35 kV self-cooling oil-immersed transformers. The results demonstrate that among these four structures, the cone-shaped raised structure exhibits optimal heat dissipation effect and effectively mitigates winding operating temperature. Building upon this finding, response surface methodology was employed for experimental design, constructing a response surface model with minimum winding operating temperature as an objective function while considering variables such as longitudinal spacing (P), height (e), and transverse spacing (g) of cone-shaped protrusions. Through analysis, optimal geometric parameters for cone-shaped raised structures were determined. This research provides an effective solution to address energy consumption and low efficiency issues prevalent in traditional oil-immersed radiators.

EXPLORING CLIMATIC PATTERNS AMONG BRAZILIAN CAPITALS

This study aims to examine the patterns of climatic variables and delineate climatically homogeneous regions among Brazilian capitals using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and clustering techniques. Annual climate data from 26 state capitals and the Federal District of Brazil were analyzed, covering the period from 1958 to 2022, representing different regions of the country. The PCA results revealed that the first three principal components accounted for 91.8% of the total data variability. Four climatically homogeneous regions were identified: the East region, the Northeast region, the North region and another region that comprises the rest of the country. Cluster Analysis (CA) also confirmed the formation of four homogeneous groups among municipalities based on climatic variables. The analysis of spatial distribution showed significant variations in annual climate variables between Brazilian capitals, with maximum values observed for maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, wind speed, relative humidity, evapotranspiration and soil moisture. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of climate variability in Brazilian capitals and provide a basis for future studies on climate dynamics and regional impacts. Keywords: Principal Component Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Multivariate Analysis; Biplot

A Wind Tunnel Test for the Effect of Seed Tree Arrangement on Wake Wind Speed

Changes in canopy structures caused by harvesting and regeneration practices can significantly alter the wind environment. Therefore, it is essential to understand the wind patterns influenced by seed tree arrangements for predicting seed dispersal by winds and ensuring the success of natural regeneration. This study aimed to identify how wind speed responds to seed tree arrangement designs with differing horizontal distances, vertical positions, and free-stream wind speeds. A wind tunnel test was conducted using pine saplings for a scale model of various seed tree arrangements, and the change in wake speed was tracked. The wake’s relative wind speed averaged 71%, ranging from 3.5% to 108.5%, depending on the seed tree arrangement, distance from saplings, and vertical position. It peaked within the patch of three seed trees compared to other arrangements and at the top canopy layer. The empirical function effectively described the wind speed reduction and recovery with distance from saplings. For instance, the minimum wind speed was reached at 0.6–2.2 times the canopy height, and a wind speed reduction of over 20% of the free-stream wind speed was maintained at a 1.6–7.6 canopy height. A negative relationship between the seed tree leaf area and the relative wind speed was observed only at the top canopy layer. This study presents empirical evidence on the patterns of wake winds induced by different types of heterogeneous canopy structures.

Passive Cooling Design Opportunities: Lessons Learned from Traditional Banjar Houses

Abstract Indonesia is an archipelago country that encompasses many different ethnicities across five large islands, one of which is Kalimantan (Borneo) Island. The river has become the lifeline in Borneo, especially for Banjar people. Banjar people have eleven types of traditional houses, each designed for specific social classes, which differ from one another in terms of materials, layout, and roof proportions. In this paper, three different types of Banjar traditional houses are compared to study the passive cooling conditions related to the proportions of the floor plan and cross-section. These three types are: (1) Bubungan Tinggi House, (2) Palimbangan House, and (3) Lanting House. The three types of houses are modelled and simulated using RWIND CFD software, by inputting the maximum and minimum wind speed (3.5 and 17 m/s), to study the potential of imitating vernacular forms that assures effective passive cooling. The result is that the Palimbangan house has the most balanced passive cooling performance through wind movements and direction. The findings could serve as an alternative for application in modern housing architecture that is sustainable and energy-efficient.

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Small Wind Pump

The demand for energy used to pump water for irrigation has been increasing, resulting in the need for alternative renewable energy sources to reduce costs. A study was conducted to develop a small wind pump that could be used to irrigate crops. The wind pump's efficiency, discharge, and actual power generated were evaluated, and regression analysis and the coefficient of determination were used to determine the goodness of fit. Results showed that the wind pump required a minimum wind speed of 0.3 m/s produced a discharge of 0.95 L/min, while a 4.13m/s wind speed produced a water discharge of 5.45 L/min. The efficiency of the wind pump was measured using the regression equation E= - 04075(ws)² - 0.6375(ws) + 14.36, where R² = 0.6201, resulting in a maximum efficiency of 20.56% and a minimum of 5.57%. This indicates that the wind pump was efficient at low wind speeds due to the dynamic stress of the pump lift rod and a mismatch between the rotor and pump characteristics. Lastly, the net benefit of Php 25,083.61 per year was derived, with a return on investment of 33.86%, which will be paid back in 1.26 months.

Lateral Sacral Artery Perforator Flap as a New Option in Myelomeningocele Reconstruction.

This study aims to present lateral sacral artery perforator (LSAP) flaps as a new option for myelomeningocele reconstruction and to discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Eleven patients were included in the study, and reconstruction was performed with 22 LSAP flaps. Patients were evaluated in age, gender, birth weight, kyphosis status, defect localization and size, flap size, operation time, amount of bleeding, and postoperative complications. Sixteen flaps were raised from the first and 6 from the second LSA. The average time for soft tissue reconstruction was 57 minutes. The mean blood loss was 11.1 mL/kg. No cerebrospinal fluid leakage was detected in any patient. In 1 of the 22 flaps, venous congestion did not completely resolved and resulted in partial necrosis secondary to venous insufficiency. In 2 patients, minimal wound dehiscence was detected in the distal part of the flap. No wound infections, hematomas, donor site complications, or seromas were observed in any patient. Considering that myelomeningoceles are often located in the lumbar region, we think that LSAP flaps will be a new option among other flaps. Additionally, if other flaps are used in the neonatal period, it may be a good alternative for pressure sore reconstruction in the kyphotic area.

A study on meteorological characteristics and its consequences on human mortality in Rajkot City, Gujarat

Abstract Background: Climate change presents a crucial threat to human health. The health of human is affected by heat waves and extreme weather events. Hence, the present study was planned to explore weather conditions and their consequences on mortality of human being by accessing the meteorological and mortality data. Methodology: Meteorological data include maximum and minimum temperature, average wind speed, and total rainfall; relative humidity was obtained for January 1, 2017–December 31, 2021, from India Meteorological Department, Pune. Trend analysis of climatic variables was done. Human mortality data were obtained from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2020, from Health Department, Rajkot Municipal Corporation, Rajkot. The impact of temperature and rainfall on mortality was observed. Results: Upward trend of maximum temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity while downward trend for minimum temperature and average wind speed was observed. Human mortality due to communicable and noncommunicable diseases was not affected by maximum temperature. The effect of rainfall on mortality due to vector-borne diseases was observed. Conclusion: The effect of rainfall on human mortality was observed. Upward and downward trend of climatic variables was not found to be statistically significant. Further study needs to be conducted by analyzing climate data over a longer duration and across a larger geographical area.

Influence of Terrain on Windblown Sand Flow Field Characteristics around Railway Culverts

Aeolian sand hazards are often a threat to culverts, which are important channels and pieces of infrastructure of the desert railway. In addition to wind speed, wind direction, and culvert structure, terrain may also be an important reason for the formation of culvert sand hazards. However, there are few studies on the effect of terrain on the sediment accumulation characteristics of culverts. This paper established computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of railway culverts (flat and concave culverts) based on Euler’s two-fluid theory. An analysis of the influence of terrain on the distribution law of the flow fields and sand accumulation around railway culverts was carried out. The results show that the horizontal wind speed curves changes in a “W” shape along the centre axis surface from the forecourt to the rearcourt within a range of 30 m~66.8 m. Low-speed backflow is formed at the inlet and outlet of the culvert, and the minimum wind speed reaches −3.6 m/s and −4.2 m/s, respectively, when the height from the bottom of the culvert is 1.0 m and 1.5 m, resulting in intensified sand sedimentation. In concave culverts, the lower the roadbed height, the easier it is for sand to accumulate at the culvert outlet, the rearcourt, and the track; the sand volume fraction is close to 0.63, affecting the normal operation of the trains. On the contrary, the higher the roadbed, the easier it is for sand to accumulate at the culvert inlet, hindering the passage of engineering vehicles and reducing the function of the culverts. These results reveal that terrain plays a pivotal role in the sand accumulation around culverts and that it should be one of the key considerations for the design of new railway culverts. This work can provide a theoretical basis for preventing and managing sand hazards in railway culverts.

Magnetic transfer piezoelectric wind energy harvester with dual vibration mode conversion

Wind-induced vibration piezoelectric energy harvesters have garnered significant interest in recent years as a means to power autonomous wireless sensor systems. A magnetic transfer piezoelectric wind energy harvester (MT-PWEH) is proposed and its durability, power generation performance and environmental adaptability are improved utilizing dual mode conversion. This MT-PWEH incorporated a downstream rectangular baffle, which facilitated the transition of the hollow cylinder from a traditional single vortex-induced vibration to a coupled vibration involving both vortex-induced vibration and galloping (i.e., the first vibration mode conversion). Besides, the vibration direction of the hollow cylinder was perpendicular to the vibration direction of the transducer, which achieved the purpose of limiting the amplitude (i.e., the second vibration mode conversion). The feasibility of MT-PWEH was confirmed through theoretical analysis, CFD simulation, fabrication and experiments. The experimental results demonstrated that the working characteristics of MT-PWEH were significantly affected by position and size of the baffle. Specifically, the ratio of the maximum cut-in wind speed of 12.5 m/s to the minimum cut-in wind speed of 1.2 m/s reached 10.4. Additionally, a maximum power output of 0.78 mW was recorded at 10 m/s with an optimal load resistance of 800 kΩ and 10 LEDs were drove successfully.

Climatic Suitability for Outdoor Tourism in Romania’s Big Cities

This research aims to assess the climatic temporal suitability over the year and identify the appropriate season for open-air tourism in ten Romanian cities. It was evaluated using the Enhanced Tourism Climatic Index on a temporal scale of one day and then aggregated to 10 days over 61 years (1961–2021). Daily mean and maximum temperature, mean and minimum relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation, and sunshine hours were employed in the investigation. The Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope were used for trend detection in the frequency, season duration, and first/last suitable day during the year for outdoor tourism. Acceptable or better weather conditions usually begin in the last part of April and end in mid-October, with Good or better conditions lasting between 260 and 310 days/year. The trend shows a shift of Good conditions earlier in the year (0.3–9.0 days/decade), resulting in a longer season duration (0.8–13.0 days/decade) for open-air activities. The trend is statistically significant mainly for the extra-Carpathian regions. Big differences in open-air events number during the climatically suitable season have been identified among the cities considered (2–19 events/year). This study is useful for better planning open-air events and activities for tourism and recreation.

The Effect of Distance between Jet Fans on Gas Transport, Energy Conservation, and Emission Reduction in Long Highway Tunnels

With the rapid development of the national economy, China’s transportation industry is experiencing accelerated development, and, at the same time, the number of long tunnels is constantly increasing. In order to examine the influence of jet fan spacing on gas transport law during the construction of long highway tunnels, this study used the Baima Highway Tunnel in Sichuan as an engineering prototype and established a numerical tunnel ventilation model based on Fluent numerical simulation software. The gas transport characteristics of jet fans in tunnels at different spacings (200 m, 400 m, 600 m, and 800 m) were studied. The results showed that with the increase in jet fan spacing (200 m, 400 m, 600 m, and 800 m), the gas concentration at the tunnel face showed a trend of decreasing and then increasing. Moreover, by analyzing the gas distribution cloud map and the wind flow line diagram, it was determined that the ventilation system effect was the best when the jet fan spacing was 600 m, which met the requirements of a gas concentration of less than 0.5% at the tunnel face and a minimum wind speed of 0.25 m/s. At the same time, according to the optimal spacing for the optimization of the site ventilation system, it was observed that after the ventilation was stabilized (after 600 s), the minimum value of the gas concentration in the left and right tunnel holes diminished from 0.38% to 0.31% and from 0.41% to 0.31%, with rates of reduction of 18.42% and 24.39%, respectively. This indicated that after optimizing the ventilation system at the tunnel site, the concentration significantly decreased compared with before the optimization. Moreover, when the jet fan spacing was 600 m compared with 200 m and 400 m, the annual energy savings were 1900.8 MW·h and 950.4 MW·h, respectively. The research results clarified the optimal layout parameters of jet fans in the Baima Highway Tunnel, providing a reference for the rational layout of jet fans in long-distance tunnels. In addition, the results of this study provide an important theoretical basis for the gas prevention and safe construction of long highway tunnels. Furthermore, this study contributes to research in energy conservation, emission reduction, and sustainable development of energy in the ventilation process during tunnel construction.

Effects of the main media of wind and water on the biodiversity pattern of grassland and its driving mechanism in Poyang Lake

AbstractAs important media for species diffusion, water and wind are two important factors for grassland biodiversity conservation in lake areas. Exploring their driving mechanism on grassland biodiversity is crucial for maintaining the lake ecosystem's equilibrium. Our study utilizes the data of wind velocity and water level, which are significant performance factors for wind and water respectively in Poyang Lake from 2000 to 2020 to reveal their interannual time‐series fluctuation characteristics and their influence mechanism on the grassland biodiversity pattern. Landscape pattern indices and biodiversity indicators, such as the number of patches (NP), patch density (PD), landscape spreading index (CI), landscape fragmentation index (LSD), landscape aggregation index (AI), Simpson diversity index (MSIDI) and Simpson evenness index (MSIEI) were analysed, trend analysis, redundancy analysis and structural equation modelling were applied in this study. The main results were: (1) From 2000 to 2020, Poyang Lake's wind velocity decreased gradually, and the water level first decreased and then rose. NP in Poyang Lake fluctuated substantially, LSD fluctuated frequently and obvious temporal heterogeneity existed. (2) CI and AI increased from low to high value, facilitating species dispersal and migration. The dominant species with high aggregation gradually established stronger connectivity. Moderate spreading degree and aggregation degree maintained high biodiversity and evenness, whereas excessive spreading degree and aggregation degree led to homogenization of species, decrease in biodiversity, reduction in species evenness, and increase in dominance. (3) As the landscape transformed from having no obvious dominant species to being dominated by several dominant species, MSIEI and landscape dominance changed from high to low and low to high respectively. Moreover, the biodiversity shifted from high to low, and species distribution in the landscape shifted from balanced to unbalanced. (4) The effect of water level on PD, AI, LSD, MSIDI and MSIET was significantly higher than that of wind velocity. LSD was mainly regulated by the minimum wind velocity affecting the maximum and average water levels. MSIDI and MSIET were primarily governed by the minimum wind velocity affecting the minimum water level. The minimum water level decreased as the minimum wind velocity increased, and MSIDI and MSIET weakened as the minimum water level decreased.

Aerodynamic optimization of high-rise building with façade ribs through CFD-based multi-objective optimization algorithm

Façade appurtenances is an effective aerodynamic optimization measure for alleviating the wind loads on high-rise buildings in modern cities, while the optimized layout of façade ribs necessary for practical engineering remains unclear. The conventional method through numerical simulations and wind tunnel tests can only obtain limited optimal schemes of ribs, the optimization process is time-consuming and laborious, an optimization algorithm can be used to effectively evaluate the optimal arrangement of façade ribs. In present study, a multi-objective optimization procedure coupling large eddy simulation (LES), back propagation neural network (BPNN), and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is applied to evaluate the optimal arranged parameters of façade vertical ribs. The optimization procedure can quickly identify the optimal location parameter b and extensional depth d of façade ribs that producing minimum wind loads acting on building and ribs. The findings indicate that there are complex non-linear relationships between the ribs arrangement parameters and the objective wind loads. The mean drag C‾d and fluctuating lift C'l of models of windward ribs and upstream sidewall ribs have opposite trend. The relationships between wind forces and arranged parameters of the downstream sidewall and leeward ribs are relatively complicated due to the vortex shedding. Genetic algorithm NSGA-II can effectively evaluate the optimal trade-off solution among multi-objective wind loads. The ranges of optimal layout parameters b/D and d/D are 0.14–0.17, 0.073–0.077, the ratio of b/d is about 2, and the optimal arrangement of façade ribs well balances the total wind forces on the model and wind forces on the ribs. The 3D numerical simulations demonstrate that the optimal layout of the ribs can considerably improve the flow structure and wind load, the maximum reduction ratio of the C‾d and C'l are achieved 25 % and 56 %, respectively. The obtained optimized layout parameters can provide reference for engineers when actually using the facade ribs.

Functional and Radiological Outcome after Internal Fixation of Intra-articular Calcaneal Fractures.

Calcaneal fractures are rare injuries constituting 2% of all fractures. Fractures of calcaneum correspond to nearly 60-75% of the tarsal bone fractures. The calcaneum is the most commonly fractured tarsal bone 90% occur in males between 21 and 45 years of age. The calcaneal fracture may be extra-articular (sparing the subtalar joint) and intra-articular involving the subtalar joint. Intra-articular fractures account for approximately 75% of calcaneal fractures and have been associated with poor functional outcomes. In this study, we aim to assess the functional outcome of internal fixation in displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures. A prospective interventional study was conducted on patients with only intra-articular calcaneal fractures admitted to Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam during the period from May 1, 2022, to February 29, 2024, and a total of 32 patients were considered. The functional outcome was assessed by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle Hindfoot Scoring System. The average age of the patients in our study was 39 years of which all were male. Fall from height is the most common mode of injury. The right calcaneum is more commonly involved than the left. The mean duration of hospital stay was around 10 days. The fracture classification was based on the sanders and Essex-Lopresti classification of which 17 patients were sanders type 3 and 13 patients were sanders type 2 and 1 patient was sanders type 4. The mean time for radiological union is 12 weeks. The Bohler's angle and Gissane's angle preoperatively 16.16 ± 8.87 and 121.48 ± 7.47 restored to near normal values after fixation 27.77 ± 6.02 and 113.485 ± 44, respectively. Heel height and heel width restored to near normal values of (pre-operative heel height - 24.74 ± 3.71 and heel width - 39.97 ± 4.11 and post-operative heel height - 31.55 ± 3.38 and heel width - 34.0 ± 3.1), respectively. The most common complications were wound-related complications (superficial wound infection - 9.7%, deep wound infection - 3.2%, and wound margin necrosis and wound dehiscence 6.4%) and the most common late complications were complex regional pain syndrome - 9.7% and subfibular lateral impingement with peroneal tendinitis - 6.5%. AOFAS grading of functional outcome had shown good to excellent results in 83.8% (26 patients) of the cases. The mean AOFAS score was 83.39 in our study. The present study shows that open reduction and internal fixation give superior radiographic results as shown by the restoration of Bohler's and Gissane's angle and height and width of the calcaneus to near normal values, indicating anatomical restoration of calcaneal shape. The functional outcome by AOFAS score showed good to excellent results in most of the patients with minimal wound complications.

Bronchoscopic holmium laser ablation continuous cryoablation for the treatment of airway stenosis caused by tissue hyperplasia after tracheal intubation: clinical case observation.

This study aimed to design a standardised bronchoscopic holmium laser ablation continuous cryoablation for the treatment of airway stenosis caused by tissue hyperplasia after tracheal intubation and to retrospectively analyse its safety and feasibility. We collected the data of patients who had undergone bronchoscopic holmium laser ablation continuous cryoablation due to airway stenosis caused by tracheal mucosal tissue hyperplasia after tracheal intubation. The patients' baseline characteristics, ablation effects, surgical complications and other data were analysed. In total, 16 patients were enrolled in this study. On average, airway stenosis occurred 96.00 (interquartile range, 69.75-152.50) days after tracheal intubation and bronchoscopic holmium laser ablation continuous cryoablation took an average of 90.38 minutes (standard deviation: 16.78). After the first continuous cryoablation, 75.0% (12/16) of the patients had complete ablation of hyperplastic tissue, and 25.0% (4/16) had most of the hyperplastic tissue (>50%) removed. Altogether, 18.75% (3/16) and 6.25% (1/16) of the patients had complete ablation of hyperplastic tissue after the second and third cryoablation, respectively. Moreover, one patient (6.25%) had minimal wound bleeding postoperatively, and no other surgical complications occurred. No airway stenosis was found in all enrolled patients during follow-up 1 and 6 months after the last cryoablation. According to the above results of our small sample study indicated that bronchoscopic holmium laser ablation continuous cryoablation seems safe and effective for treating airway stenosis caused by tissue hyperplasia after tracheal intubation.

Steady Output Triboelectric-Electromagnetic Hybrid Generator with Variable Drag Turbine Blades for Natural Wind Energy Harvesting.

In recent years, the triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid generator (TEHG) has been widely studied. However, the problems of unsteady output and high starting wind speed of traditional TEHG in the wind energy environment have not been effectively solved. This work introduces an innovative solution in the form of a steady output triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid generator (SO-TEHG) with variable drag turbine blades. The SO-TEHG integrates the energy management circuit to output steady electric energy under random wind conditions. In addition, the integration of variable drag turbine blades with the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) reduces the wind speed threshold required for SO-TEHG activation. In comparison to the traditional turbine blades, which necessitate a minimum wind speed of 3 m/s, the SO-TEHG's innovative design allows it to commence power generation at a lower 2 m/s wind speed, producing an additional output of 50 V. This enhanced starting capability in mild breezes positions the SO-TEHG as an ideal power source for applications. In practical farmland settings, experimental results conclusively demonstrate the SO-TEHG's ability to successfully activate soil hygrothermographs and hydrogen sensors. As a steady power source driven by gentle winds, the SO-TEHG holds tremendous promise for advancing smart agriculture.

Caregivers and Clinic Providers View Soft Casts for Pediatric Hand Burns as Acceptable and Feasible: A Mixed Methods Survey.

Soft casts have been introduced as an efficacious strategy to manage hand burns that simplifies wound care for families. We hypothesized that the outpatient use of soft casts in pediatric hand burns would be viewed as acceptable by patient caregivers and providers, logistically feasible, and result in satisfactory clinical outcomes. A review was performed of pediatric clinic patients managed with soft casts since implementation (9/2022-9/2023). Patient caregivers and providers were surveyed. The primary outcome was the acceptability of soft casts as a management strategy (questions targeted care burden, overall satisfaction, comfort, pragmatism, and healing concerns). The secondary outcome was feasibility (effect on clinic workflow, and efficiency). Survey responses were collected from 70% of caregivers and 95% of providers. Responses overwhelmingly favored soft cast acceptability. Among providers, 84% agreed that "the soft cast method simplified the hand burn care experience in our clinic" and 100% indicated "the soft cast was easy for parents to manage at home" (Likert range 7-10, mode 10). Thirty-three English-speaking patients with partial and full-thickness hand burns were managed with soft casts. A mean of 1.8 reapplications (mode 1, range 1-5) was required with a median healing time of 13 days. No infections were attributed to the use of soft casting, and only 1 patient ultimately required grafting. Overall, the introduction of soft casts as a management strategy for pediatric hand burns was acceptable and feasible. The clinical outcomes assessed suggest soft casts are associated with good wound healing with minimal wound care responsibilities for patients and families.

Transoral Ultrasound-Guided Core Biopsy for Minimally Invasive Sampling of Hard-to-Access Oropharyngeal Cancers.

Pathological diagnosis plays a pivotal role in risk classification and personalized treatment planning for patients with oropharyngeal cancers. However, challenges arise in cases involving trismus and tumors with submucosal spread, hindering traditional endoscopic biopsies and open incisional biopsies. In this study, we examined the clinical and pathological data of patients with trismus who underwent transoral ultrasound-guided core biopsy (USCB) for their oropharyngeal tumors, comparing this method with existing diagnostic approaches. Seventeen patients presenting with oropharyngeal tumors and trismus underwent transoral USCB for diagnosis. Of these, 14 patients were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, while the remaining 3 were diagnosed with lymphoma. The procedure resulted in minimal wound size and effective bleeding control through compression, without encountering any complications. In conclusion, transoral USCB emerges as a precise diagnostic tool for patients with oropharyngeal tumors and trismus, offering a valuable adjunct to conventional open and endoscopic biopsies.