Opening Ratio Research Articles

Assessment of building occupants' perception of indoor thermal comfort in Dhaka

This study investigates the perceptions of occupants regarding thermal comfort in Dhaka, characterized by high temperatures and tropical wet and dry climate. The primary objectives are to identify factors influencing indoor thermal comfort and examine the effects of ventilation on occupants' health. Surveys were conducted in the living rooms of thirty residential units, measuring room temperature using thermometers and gathering occupant feedback. The findings reveal that building design factors, including form, orientation, the ratio of openings to floor area, landscaping, and fenestration, significantly influence average indoor temperatures. Poor ventilation and inadequate thermal comfort were linked to various health issues, including insomnia, fatigue, boredom, headaches, reduced cognitive alertness, and asthma. These conditions highlight the pressing need for improved building designs to mitigate adverse health effects and promote well-being. The study recommends involving building professionals in the planning, design, and construction processes to incorporate effective strategies such as optimal building orientation, appropriate ratios of openings to floor area, and enhanced landscaping. These measures can improve ventilation and maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, ensuring healthier living environments for urban residents. Addressing these factors is essential for creating thermally comfortable residential spaces in Dhaka, where climatic challenges demand tailored architectural and environmental interventions.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis and Validation with Field Test of 1 MW Hydropower Turbine System

This study analyzed and validated a 1 MW hydropower turbine system using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in conjunction with field test data. The fluid domain of the hydropower system includes the runner blade, vane, duct, and both inflow and outflow free surface flows. An implicit unsteady flow solver and the SST k-ω turbulence model were employed. The rotational motion of the rotor blade was simulated using the moving reference frame (MRF) method. To handle a non-conformal mesh among the intake, runner, and outlet domains, an internal interface boundary condition was applied. System performance was evaluated by adjusting the guide vane opening ratio and the runner blade pitch angle. A free surface model was also developed to accurately represent the water level. The results show that the CFD analysis predicted the turbine’s power output with a maximum deviation of 1.7% from field test measurements under different tide conditions. The numerical analysis also confirmed the influence of the runner blade pitch angle, with a 1° change in pitch angle leading to a 68 kW variation in power output. The accuracy of the CFD analysis was verified by comparing it to performance data from actual field tests.

Insights from the Last Decade in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Design and Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Wind Turbines

This review provides an analysis of advancements in the design and performance assessment of Darrieus wind turbines over the past decade, with a focus on the contributions of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to this field. The primary objective is to present insights from studies conducted between 2014 and 2024, emphasizing the enhancement of Darrieus wind turbine performance through various technological innovations. The research methodology employed for this review includes a critical analysis of published articles related to Darrieus turbines. The focus on the period from 2014 to 2024 was considered to highlight recent parametric CFD studies on Darrieus turbines, avoiding overlap with previously published reviews and maintaining originality relative to existing review works in the literature. By synthesizing a collection of articles, the review discusses a wide range of recent investigations utilizing CFD modeling techniques, including both 2D and 3D simulations. These studies predominantly utilize the “Ansys-Fluent” V12.0 and “STAR CCM+” V9.02 solvers to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of Darrieus rotors. Technological advancements focus on modifying the geometry of Darrieus, including alterations to blade profiles, chord length, rotor diameter, number of blades, turbine height, rotor solidity, and the integration of multiple rotors in various configurations. Additionally, the incorporation of flow deflectors, the use of advanced blade shapes, such as V-shaped or twisted blades, and the application of an opening ratio on the blades are explored to enhance rotor efficiency. The review highlights the significant impact of these geometric modifications on key performance metrics, particularly the moment and power coefficients. A dedicated section presents CFD-derived visualizations, including vorticity fields, turbulence contours illustrated through the Q-criterion, velocity vectors, and dynamic pressure contours. These visualizations provide a description of the flow structures around the modified Darrieus rotors. Moreover, the review includes an analysis of the dynamic performance curves of Darrieus, which show improvements resulting from the modifications of the baseline design. This analysis covers the evolution of pressure coefficients, moment coefficients, and the increased power output of Darrieus.

Evaluation of Permeable Piles Foundation Performance in Liquefiable Soils under Seismic Loading

The use of permeable piles as an effective drainage method in liquefiable sites has become widely accepted. In this study, the seismic response of both the liquefiable soil and the pile was simulated using FLAC3D software to validate the anti-liquefaction performance of the permeable pile. A group of permeable piles designed according to the China foundation code were numerically modeled with various opening ratios (i.e. area of openings/total surficial area). The numerical results showed that the permeable pile is able to enhance liquefaction resistance by dissipating excess pore water through the drainage holes. The bending moments and axial force of the permeable pile decrease but the ultimate bearing capacity increases in the process of drainage. It is found that the excess pore water pressure ratio (EPWPR) of soil around permeable pile under seismic loading reduces rapidly with increasing opening ratio, but the excess pore water pressure tends to keep nearly a stable level once the opening ratio is beyond a critical value of 0.5%. As a result, the critical value of the opening ratio may be considered as the optimum parameter to design the permeable pile against liquefaction.

Experimental and numerical investigations of cavity flame spread in double skin façade

In recent decades, double-skin façades (DSFs) have gained popularity in modern commercial buildings. However, their cavities can potentially accelerate flame spread, raising significant concerns regarding façade fire safety. Given that existing studies focus on the DSF component failures and fire stop measures without modeling validation, this study presents real-scale DSF fire experiments and modeling in accordance with JIS A 1310, conducted without combustibles to clarify fire behaviors within the cavity. The experiments employ HRRs of 600-900 kW and cavity depths of 0.4 and 0.8 m, highlighting that flame attachment to the facing wall is dependent on HRRs rather than cavity depths. Subsequently, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is utilized to investigate DSF fires, with validation against experimental temperature distribution and flame morphology. Furthermore, the validated CFD modeling is applied to scenarios with extended cavity depths and varied opening shapes, indicating that a cavity depth of ≥0.7 m mitigates flame spread for an opening ratio of n≥1. The Modified-McCaffrey-Yokoi (MMY) model is proposed to characterize façade flame temperatures across varied cavity depths, and its convergence, featured by opening shapes and HRRs, is categorized to distinguish cavity flame behavior.

Simulation Study on Heating Performance of Thermal Management in Heat Pump Air Conditioning Systems for Electric Vehicles

Article Simulation Study on Heating Performance of Thermal Management in Heat Pump Air Conditioning Systems for Electric Vehicles Yihan Zhao School of Management, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China; zhaoyihan@sjzu.edu.cn; Tel./Fax: +86-024-2469-2209 Received: 29 September 2024; Revised: 26 November 2024; Accepted: 2 December 2024; Published: 4 December 2024 Abstract: With the advent of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, the market share of EVs has been steadily increasing, accompanied by growing interest in the heat pump air-conditioning system (including cooling and heating functionalities) of electric vehicles. As the second-largest energy-consuming system in a vehicle, the air-conditioning system significantly impacts driving range, especially under winter heating conditions, where excessive energy consumption can greatly reduce the vehicle’s range. This study addresses the issue of high energy consumption of heat pump air-conditioning systems in winter. By constructing a one-dimensional model of the heat pump air-conditioning system for electric vehicles, the study analyzes the impact of compressor speed, EHX opening, and recirculation ratio on energy consumption and heating capacity under WLTC operating conditions at an ambient temperature of −5 °C. The results indicate that an EHX opening of 450 steps, an external air circulation ratio of 30%, and a compressor speed of approximately 5000 RPM provide optimal heating performance for the heat pump air-conditioning system. This simulation offers insights for optimizing heat pump air-conditioning systems and improving the driving range of electric vehicles. Further optimization could enhance EV range issues and boost the market competitiveness of this type of electric vehicle.

Effect of structural parameters on the opening ratio of atmospheric cutterheads

During excavation, mud-discharge performance is largely related to the opening ratio of the cutterhead. Based on the symmetrical characteristics of the atmospheric cutterhead body, a parametric method is proposed to establish the mapping relationship between the opening ratio and structural parameters. The variation ranges of the key structural parameters were determined based on the cutter installation size, cutter arrangement and geometric relationships with the cutterhead. The coupled relationship between structural parameters and their influence on the opening ratio was also investigated. The distribution of soil under different opening ratios was analysed by using a full-scale mud-discharge numerical model. The results showed that, the larger the opening ratio (especially the opening ratio of the transition area), the better the mud-discharge performance of the cutterhead. Suggestions for adjusting the structural parameters during the design of the cutterhead opening are provided based on the findings of this research.

Experimental and Simulation Investigation of J-Shaped and Kammtail Virtual Airfoils in Small-Scale Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Abstract In this work, the performance of new wind blade designs for small-scale horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) was studied and compared with the performance of a baseline design. Three J-shaped pressure-side truncation ratios (1/3, 1/2, and 2/3) and two Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) truncation ratios (1/8 and 1/4) were studied. The baseline design was experimentally investigated. Output power was measured using a digital rotary torque sensor at three different wind speeds. Tip speed ratio (TSR) was calculated after measuring each wind speed's free-rotating revolutions per minute (RPM). Three wind speeds and experimental TSRs were used in three-dimensional simulations to capture the performances of the proposed cases and compare them with the baseline. The simulation investigation was carried out for lab-scale and scaled cases. The three-dimensional study found that the J-shaped blades enhanced the performance of the HAWTs for both lab-scale and scaled cases. J-shaped blades with a 1/3 opening ratio yielded an average power coefficient enhancement of around 1.56% and 4.16% for lab-scale and scaled cases, respectively. J-shaped blades with a 1/2 opening ratio yielded an average power coefficient enhancement of around 1.15% and 4.23% for lab-scale and scaled cases, respectively. On the other hand, J-shaped blades with a 2/3 opening ratio yielded an average power coefficient enhancement of around −0.12% and 2.54% for lab-scale and scaled cases, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that the KVF blades diminished the performance for both lab-scale and scaled cases.

Multi-Objective Optimization of Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Sunlight Hours in Elderly Residential Areas: A Case Study of Beijing, China

To optimize the outdoor thermal comfort and sunlight hours of elderly residential areas in cold regions of China, we collected data on streets and building forms from 121 elderly residential sites in Beijing. Utilizing parametric modeling tools to generate ideal residential models, a multi-objective optimization algorithm was applied to identify 144 Pareto solutions. The optimal solutions were analyzed using K-means clustering and Pearson correlation analysis to examine how block form affects outdoor environmental performance. The universal thermal climate index (UTCI) in summer showed significant positive correlations (r > 0.72) with the distance between buildings (DB), building density (BD), shape coefficient (SC), and coefficient of variation for building height (CVH), and significant negative correlations (r < −0.82) with average building height (AH), floor area ratio (FAR), volume area ratio (VAR), mean building area (MA), average building volume (AV), and open space ratio (OSR). Winter UTCI was significantly positively correlated with AH, FAR, VAR, MA, and AV (r > 0.83) and significantly negatively correlated with DB, porosity (PO), SC, and CVH (r < −0.88). Sunlight hours were significantly positively correlated with DB, PO, OSR, and CVH (r > 0.84) and significantly negatively correlated with AH, BD, FAR, SC, VAR, MA, and AV (r > 0.88). Courtyard and point-building configurations performed the best across all optimization objectives. (The value of r, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, ranges from −1 to +1. r = +1: Perfect positive correlation, r = −1: Perfect negative correlation, r = 0: No linear correlation).

Investigating the Suitability of Printing Metal Current Collectors Directly Onto the GDMs of PEMFCs

Flexible electrochemical energy sources with unconventional cell materials and topologies are becoming more and more popular because they present novel design possibilities that are currently being investigated. Adopting electronics manufacturing techniques to manufacture flexible electrochemical devices can provide advantages such as conformability, high power density, high specific power, and lower costs. This study examines the feasibility of printing metal current collectors (CCs) directly onto Gas Diffusion Medium (GDM) typically used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). In this work, we print the metal CCs directly onto the GDM using different techniques such as screen printing and ink jet printing. We also investigate the effect of varying the metal CCs geometry (square shape vs. hexagonal), opening ratio (30%, 40% and 50%) and metal thicknesses (10 µm to 50 µm thick) on the overall single cell performance and cell ohmic resistances. Techniques used to understand cell performance include I-V polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and thermal imaging. The performance of the cells tested with the embedded GDM/Metal CCs is compared to the performance of a standard cell.

Performance Characteristics of a Free-Breathing Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell with Various Channel Shapes

Free-breathing fuel cells of channel-type cathodes have straight vertical channels with open ends to supply oxygen to their cathode by natural convection. The channel structure should efficiently feed air to the cathode and ensure uniform contact between the electrode and the electrolyte. Several studies have reported the performance characteristics of free-breathing fuel cells with channel-type cathodes, including the effects of the width and the depth of the channels, the thickness of the gas diffusion layers, and the air blowing into the channels. However, we have seen no full reports investigating the performance characteristics of free-breathing fuel cells as a function of their channel shapes. This study utilized a small free-breathing fuel cell, with an active area of 4 cm2 (2 cm × 2 cm), and channel cathodes with various channel shapes, to experimentally investigate the effect of channel structure on cell performance, to numerically analyze the natural convection air flow in channels, and to compare with the results of performance characteristics.Our free-breathing fuel cell used a solid polymer electrolyte membrane of Nafion 112, with a thickness of 50 μm. The electrodes with gas diffusion layers were carbon paper (TGP-H-120) with a thickness of 0.37 mm, loaded with 1.0 mg/cm2 platinum. A separator on the anode had a meander channel with a width of 2 mm and a depth of 1 mm. The various channel-type separators on the cathode were based on a separator with four straight channels with a width of 3 mm, a depth of 3 mm, and a rib width of 2 mm, then some of the ribs were eliminated or their shapes were modified to promote natural convection through the channels.Experiments were carried out with the cell center plane perpendicular to the ground, and the channels of the cathode separator oriented vertically. The cell voltage and resistance (at a frequency of 10 kHz) were measured, by increasing current density in increments of 5 mA/cm2, until the cell voltage dropped to 0.3 V, at a non-humidified hydrogen supply rate of 7.0 cm3/min (normal). Experiments were conducted at ambient temperatures of 16 - 22 ºC and relative humidities of 35 - 40%.The experimental results indicated that, compared with a conventional cathode separator with four straight channels, cell performance was improved by eliminating some of the channel ribs and increasing the opening ratio, up to a point. A separator with 2 mm square ribs rotated by 45° further improved cell performance. However, when the opening ratio became too large, cell performance leveled off.CFD ULTIMATE (Autodesk Inc.) software was used to analyze the natural convection air flow. The analytical model consisted of the cathode separator, the electrode, the gasket, and their separating spaces, as well as spaces above and below the cathode separator (3 mm thick x 31 mm wide x 100 mm long). Natural convection of air was analyzed in these spaces. The temperature was set at 25 ºC on the electrode surface and 20 ºC on the other surfaces. The gauge pressure at the inlet of the space below the separator and at the outlet of the space above was set to 0 Pa. No air flow was allowed in the vertical direction on the sides of the spaces above and below the separator. The turbulence model was a low Reynolds number k-ε model and the analysis method was incompressible steady flow.The analysis results showed that, compared with a conventional cathode separator with four straight channels, eliminating some of the ribs and increasing the opening ratio resulted in higher flow velocities in the channels. In addition, a separator with 2 mm square ribs rotated by 45° showed even higher velocities next to the ribs. These analysis results revealed that separators with modified channels improved cell performance by promoting natural convection.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of a pilot-scale solar air-heated humidification dehumidification desalination system

Among the various humidification dehumidification desalination (HDD) system configurations, the air-heated cycle has demonstrated promising results in small lab-scale setup investigations, whereas pilot-scale studies are lacking. This study theoretically and experimentally investigates the performance of a pilot-scale flat-plate solar air collector-powered HDD unit. An optical-thermal model for a solar air collector and a transport model based on heat and mass transfer for the dehumidifier have been developed and validated using experimental data. The triangular-shaped turbulators on the absorber plate of a solar collector with relative roughness pitches of 2.3, 4.61, and 6.92 are built and optimized for maximum distillate yield. Perforated turbulators with open area ratios of 5.5 %, 12.25 %, and 21.8 % are evaluated. To reduce distillate production costs in the HDD system, naturally available wood apple shell with drilled holes is tested in the humidifier. Outdoor test results revealed that at an average solar intensity of 712 W/m2, the proposed system achieved a maximum distillate yield and gain output ratio of 17.34 kg/day and 0.65, respectively. Wood apple shell packing demonstrated better distillate yield, gain output ratio, and humidifier performance potential factor compared to the commercially available raschig ring and cascade mini-ring packings. Moreover, the optimal performance of the solar air collector with solid turbulators was obtained at a relative roughness pitch of 4.61 due to sufficient longitudinal space to effectively prevent flow separation and reattachment of the free shear layer. Turbulators with a 12.25 % open area ratio exhibited the highest Nusselt number and low friction factor.

The Effect of Sodıum Hypochlorite and Hydrogen Peroxide on the Vase life of Cut Rose Flowers

Cut roses are a popular choice for bouquets and floral arrangements, but their short vase life can be a significant drawback. this study investigated the use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and sodium hypochlorite as potential treatments to extend the vase life of cut roses. Cut flowers (R. hybrida cv ‘Samourai’) were placed in glass containing solutions in six different treatments: H2O2, 400, 600, 800 μM; Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl, 50, 100, 200 mg L-1) and distilled water as a control. Vase life, fresh flower weight, water uptake, color change of flower, flower open ratio, pH and EC variation were among the parameters that were noted based during 15 days According to the results, the solution containing 600 μM of H2O2 produced the highest values for vase life, fresh weight, water uptake, and least color change of the flowers. This was followed by the solution containing 400 μM of H2O2. Sodium hypoclite 50 mg L-1 treatment together with the control during the vase life gave the lowest results both in terms of vase life and water uptake and in terms of preserving the quality of the flowers.The quality and vase life of cut rose flowers were found to be significantly affected by the use of 400 μM and 600 μM H2O2 in preservation solutions.

Experimental study on tsunami-driven debris damming loads on columns of an elevated coastal structure

This study presents experimental findings on debris damming loads on columns of an elevated coastal structure under tsunami-like wave conditions. A total of 183 cases (140 with and 43 without debris) were tested at a 1:20 scale to understand the impact of various factors on debris-driven damming loads, including wave characteristics, structure configurations, and debris shapes. The debris impact and damming processes were observed and quantified from optical measurements, and corresponding loads were measured on the entire structure using a force balance plate and on an individual column in the front row using a multi-axial load cell. The experimental results indicated the horizontal debris damming load on the entire column structure increased by up to 3.2 times compared to conditions without debris, while the load on the individual column increased by up to 11.0 times. The total damming loads for the whole structure increased, but the load for the individual column decreased at a reduced opening ratio. The smaller debris sizes relative to column spacing showed significantly lower chances of debris damming across different column configurations. Overall, the load on the whole structure showed stronger correlations between debris damming loads and hydro-kinematic variables such as flow depth, velocity, momentum flux, and Froude number compared to the loads on the individual column. Among these variables, momentum flux emerged as the most consistently influential across all categories.

Experimental study and finite element analysis on the shear performance of steel-bamboo composite cellular beam

To study the influence of opening ratio on the shear performance of steel-bamboo composite cellular beams (SBCC), taking the opening size as the basic parameter, experimental research was carried out on five test beams. The failure modes and deformation characteristics of the specimens were observed, and the influence and law of the change of hole size on the shear performance of steel-bamboo composite cellular beams were analyzed. Through nonlinear finite element simulation calculation, multi-parameter analysis was carried out on the composite cellular beams, and the contribution of flanges to the shear performance of cellular composite beams was studied. The results show that the integrity of steel-bamboo composite cellular beams is good. The failure is mainly manifested as the fracture of bamboo web at the beam hole area, the buckling of section steel and the debonding and separation of steel-bamboo interface. The opening ratio has a great influence on the shear performance of steel-bamboo composite cellular beams. The thickness of bamboo flange cannot be ignored for the shear contribution of cellular beams. The shear capacity of cellular beams is shared by flanges and webs. The larger the opening ratio, the greater the shear contribution of flanges to composite cellular beams.

Determination and Application of Stress States Based on Finite Element Techniques: A Case Study of the Longmaxi Formation in the Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin.

Knowledge of the present-day in situ stress field (PIS) has important theoretical and practical significance for shale gas exploration and development. The Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation in the Luzhou Block serves as the main reservoir of marine shale production in southern China. However, there is no clear understanding of PIS in the Luzhou area, which leads to a series of production problems. To investigate the PIS of deep shale reservoirs in Luzhou, experimental and finite element methods (FEMs) were used. Data obtained from imaging logging data, well deviation data, multipole array acoustic logging (XMAC), and world stress map were used to determine the orientation of the horizontal maximum principal stress (S Hmax). Additionally, acoustic emission experiments were employed to determine the magnitude of three principal stresses. Based on FEM, with the stress of a single well as a constraint, a three-dimensional (3D) stress field model was developed. The results show that the orientation of S Hmax varies from 90 to 120 °E. Further, there are significant differences in stress regimes across the region, with strike-slip/reverse faulting stress regime (S Hmax > S v ≈ S hmin) in the northern region and strike-slip stress regime in the southern region (S Hmax > S v > S hmin). In addition, geomechanical evaluations of wellbore stability and natural activation of fractures were performed. The Luzhou Block mainly develops two groups of natural fractures (NE-SW trending and NW-SE trending), with NW-SE trending being the dominant fracture development orientation. During the fracturing operation, a pore pressure increment larger than 50 MPa is conducive to maintaining a high opening ratio of the reservoir and improving the gas production efficiency. Horizontal wells drilled in the direction of maximum horizontal principal stress in the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation reduce the probability of wellbore instability. The research results provide a reference for the effective development of deep shale gas reservoirs in southern Sichuan.

Talbot-effect-based multiplication of Laguerre–Gaussian beams with non-zero radial indices: From theory to experimental realization

We present a Talbot self-imaging inspired method for multiplying Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beams of non-zero radial indices. We explore theoretically and experimentally the LG beam diffraction from two-dimensional (2D) periodic structures. In particular, we determine near-field LG beam diffraction patterns from a 2D binary grating of a small opening ratio (OR). We demonstrate that incident LG beam intensity patterns are reproduced as images of individual square apertures of the grating in certain Talbot planes. We also investigate the impact of the number of fractional-Talbot and Talbot planes on the quality of the generated 2D array of multiplexed LG modes. Our theoretical predictions are in good agreement with our experiments. Our method can find applications in optical communication, optical tweezing, multi-particle trapping, screening, and micro-manipulation.

Process optimization of preparing CMOS backplane for ultrahigh pixel density red Micro-LED display

Abstract In this paper, an AlGaInP-based red Micro-LED display measured 17.78 mm (0.7 in), with a resolution of 1920 × 1080, a light-emitting mesa size of 6 μm, a pixel pitch of 8 μm and a pixel density of 3175 PPI was designed and fabricated with a CMOS driver backplane. The metal bump preparation technology of the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor driver backplane was optimized to enhance the bonding yield and create an optimal display effect. Improper sizing of the etched window in the SiO2 insulation and passivation layer can have a detrimental impact on the metal bump preparation and subsequent bonding process. By optimizing the settings of lithography and dry etching, the appropriate size of the etched aperture in the passivation layer was achieved. The high density, small size, and large aspect ratio of the photoresist openings for the bump fabrication made it challenging to remove the photoresist following the metal evaporation. To successfully remove the photoresist, it is important to carefully choose suitable experimental conditions for the removal. Afterwards, an 8 μm AlGaInP-based red Micro-LED display was effectively integrated with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor using flip-chip bonding technology. This work may be of reference value to those who work on ultrahigh density red Micro-LEDs that is challenging but crucial for future full color micro displays.

Swallowing Kinematics in Male Patients with Total Laryngectomy.

The present study aimed to investigate the symptomatic swallowing complaints in individuals with total laryngectomy (TL) and reveal how swallowing kinematics differs between those with and without symptomatic dysphagia complaints. A total of 34 subjects with TL were included in the study. Swallowing kinematics of those with symptomatic swallowing complaints (Group 1) were compared to those without (Group 2). Kinematic parameters including pharyngeal transit duration (PTD), maximum pharyngeal constriction ratio (MPCR), upper esophageal sphincter opening ratio (UESOR), upper esophageal sphincter opening duration (UESOD), and bolus clearance ratio (BCR) were investigated from Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) records via ImageJ software. Symptomatic swallowing complaints were determined in 47.1% of the subjects (n = 16). Difficulty while swallowing solid foods and pills, diminished pleasure of eating, food getting stuck in the throat, and increased level of stress during swallowing were among the major swallowing complaints in the present cohort. PTD, MPCR, and BCR parameters were significantly higher in subjects with symptomatic swallowing complaints than those without. These preliminary findings indicate that almost half of individuals with TL may have symptomatic swallowing complaints. The underlying pathophysiology of this phenomenon may be the devianced kinematic parameters including PTD, MPCR, and BCR in this population. Therefore, it is recommended to include the kinematic measurements in the dysphagia evaluation protocol in individuals with TL, most notably in those with symptomatic swallowing complaints. 3 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Water-based Silicalite-1 porous liquid facilitates adsorption and absorption for CH4 capture

As the key to open the Pandora’s box of gas efficient capture, water-based porous liquids have doubled the popular attention. Nevertheless, the synthesis of water-based porous liquids is a significant challenge due to the inherent limitation in the wettability of nanoporous hosts. In this work, Silicalite-1 was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, based on which a water-based porous liquid of S-1-PL was successfully prepared, and CH4 capture in the porous liquid via adsorption-absorption synergistic approach was evaluated. It was demonstrated that S-1-PL exhibited excellent stability and flowability, with a pore opening ratio up to 90 %. CH4 capture capacity in S-1-PL with the solid content of 15 wt% was 0.57 mol/L, which was 2.6 times that in pure water system, demonstrating excellent CH4 physisorption performance. When the adsorption-absorption synergistic approach was employed, CH4 capture capacity increases to 1.88 mol/L with an increase by 229.8 %. In addition, a hydrate nano-promoter of −SO3-@PSNS was prepared to enhance hydration efficiency, which resulted in a notable enhancement in the hydration conversion rate, and it increases from 12.54 % to 61.99 % in the system of S-1-PL15wt%, giving rise to a significant increase in CH4 capture to 6.22 mol/L, which is 12.67 times that in the system of −SO3-@PSNS solution. These findings provide clear evidence for the first time on the exceptional adaptability of water-based porous liquid for the capture of CH4 by adsorption-absorption synergistic approach, offering a new strategy for the emission reduction of CH4.