Rise Speed Research Articles

Effects of Semaglutide on Muscle Structure and Function in the SLIM LIVER Study.

Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, is highly effective for decreasing weight. Concomitant loss of muscle mass often accompanies weight loss and may have consequences on muscle function. This is a secondary analysis from the SLIM LIVER (ACTG A5371) study, a single-arm study of semaglutide in people with HIV (PWH) with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disorder (MASLD). Participants received subcutaneous semaglutide for 24 weeks (titrated to 1 mg/week by week 4). Psoas volume and fat fraction were assessed from liver magnetic resonance imaging and physical function by 10-time chair rise test and 4m gait speed. Mean change from baseline to week 24 was estimated with linear regression modeling. 51 PWH enrolled; muscle measures were available from 46 participants. The mean age was 50 (standard deviation [SD] 11) years and BMI 35.5 (5.6) kg/m2, 43% were women, 33% Black, and 39% Hispanic/Latino. Psoas muscle volume decreased by 9.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -13.4, -5.2; p<0.001) over 24 weeks but psoas muscle fat did not significantly change (-0.42%, CI: -1.00, 0.17; p=0.16). Chair rise and gait speed had non-significant improvements of 1.27 seconds (CI: -2.7, 0.10) and 0.05 m/sec (CI: -0.01, 0.10), respectively (both p>0.07). The prevalence of slow gait speed (< 1 m/sec) decreased from 63% to 46% (p=0.029). In PWH receiving low-dose semaglutide for MASLD, despite decreased psoas muscle volume, there was no significant change in physical function. This suggests that function was maintained despite significant loss of muscle concomitant with weight loss.

Preparation of hierarchical microgroove textures on the surface of Al-based wicks by roller pressing and laser scanning irradiation

Fabrication of high-performance heat pipe wicks has become a major challenge due to the increase of heat dissipation requirements for electronic devices. In this paper, we propose a two-step method for the preparation of aluminum liquid-absorbing wicks with hierarchical groove structures by roller pressing and laser irradiation techniques. The effects of laser fluence and velocity on the groove morphology, wettability and capillary effect of the aluminum wicks with hierarchical grooves processed by laser scanning are investigated. The study demonstrates that sub-scale grooves with a period of 20 μm can be created on the surface of the aluminum wick using a laser fluence of 7.166 J/cm2, scanning velocities of 560 mm/s and 630 mm/s, and a pulse distance of 1 μm. The surface roughness of the irradiated aluminum wick was increased and energy dispersive spectroscopy tests showed an increase in the oxygen content of the machined surface, resulting in a surface amplification effect and the formation of a large number of hydrogen bonds in contact with the liquid. Capillary rise experiments demonstrate that hierarchical microgrooves enhance capillary action on the surface of the aluminum wick more effectively than single-scale grooves. This is due to the pumping effect in microgrooves and the diffusion effect in Ω-grooves. The hierarchical microgroove prepared under the above parameters had a capillary rise height of 88.5 mm and a capillary rise speed of 5.5 mm/s. This work proposes a method for producing high-performance wicks that are both efficient and cost-effective.

Design and application of high-precision calibration blackbody for space optical remote sensing sensor

Radiation calibration is a crucial step in producing high-quality images for spaceborne infrared cameras. Blackbody radiation sources, as the standard equipment for infrared thermometers, play an increasingly important role in radiation calibration. But as the camera aperture increases, blackbody faces challenges such as poor temperature uniformity, slow heating and cooling rates, large mass, and large volume. This article proposes a design scheme for spaceborne calibration blackbody based on a combination of rope pull fixation and limit block positioning. The temperature uniformity, temperature stability, temperature rise and fall rate, thermal stress characteristics, and anti-emission vibration characteristics of the blackbody under this scheme are analyzed and optimized in detail. The analysis results show that the conduction thermal resistance between the blackbody and the environment is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than that of the conventional scheme. The blackbody has excellent temperature uniformity, temperature stability, wide calibration temperature range, light weight, small volume, and fast temperature rise and fall speed. The blackbody scheme with a thickness of only 1.5 mm was implemented and applied on orbit.

Deflagration characteristics of N2 diluted propanal/air mixtures at elevated pressures

Hydrocarbon fuels, in addition to being direct sources of energy, also serve as crucial raw materials for numerous industrial processes. In this study, the oxidation of propanal to propionic acid under elevated pressures has garnered our attention due to the substantial heat release during the mixing of propanal and oxidants, posing considerable hazards to production. Fortunately, the introduction of N2 effectively mitigates these risks by reducing the laminar burning speed (SL) and peak deflagration pressure (Pm), and even preventing the ignition of mixtures. On this basis, the deflagration characteristics of propanal/N2/air mixtures were investigated in a 20 L spherical vessel at 348 K under various equivalent ratios (φ, 0.5 - 2.0), dilution rates (D, 0 - 0.5) and initial pressures (P0, 0.1 - 1.0 MPa). The combustion characteristics of propanal/N2/air were also analyzed through the 1-D laminar flame speed model, and the sensitivity analysis was performed to elucidate the effect of φ, D and P0 on the combustion of propanal. Results reveal that the addition of N2 stabilizes the flame propagation, and the Pm of propanal/N2/air mixtures decreases with the increasing D, with a sudden drop observed at a certain D level. However, the reduction of SL does not undergo an abrupt decrease across the entire dilution rate range. Furthermore, Pm exhibits a linear relationship with P0 at lower D, but this linear trend disappears once D approaches the critical suppression concentration. Interestingly, the critical suppression concentration of N2 increases with P0 at fuel-rich conditions, yet remains unaffected by P0 at fuel-lean conditions. Near the critical suppression concentration, a limiting burning speed (Slim) emerges, below which the flame is incapable of spontaneous propagation. Notably, Slim is not a fixed value, but varies according to the composition and initial state of the mixture. For a given gas component, an increase in P0 leads to a decline in Slim, while for gases with varying components, Slim is observed to be lower under fuel-rich conditions compared to fuel-lean scenarios. Also, both the addition of N2 and the augmentation of P0 significantly reduce the SL. When SL is comparable to the gas rise speed due to natural convection, the flame propagation becomes vulnerable to buoyancy instability. Meanwhile, the flame propagation may also be influenced by thermal diffusion instability and hydrodynamic instability. Under the combined effect of these instabilities, the flame is prone to be unstable. More importantly, when the flame contacting the upper wall of the is in a critical state where it can or cannot propagate downward, the irregularity of the disturbed flame may introduces uncertainty into the subsequent propagation, resulting in markedly different Pm even among mixtures with identical compositions.

VITAMIN D AND INDICATORS OF AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING IN WOMEN WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN THE EARLY POSTMENOPAUSAL PERIOD

Objective: To assess plasma 25(OH)D levels and indicators of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in women with arterial hypertension (AH) stage II risk 3 in the early postmenopausal period. Design and method: We investigated 52 women with AH stage II risk 3 aged 52 (50; 54) years of age who are in the early postmenopausal period - group I. Serum level of 25(OH)D was determined by the immunoenzymatic assay. The level of 25(OH)D in the blood plasma was determined by enzyme immunoassay. In group I we identified subgroup IB (n=21) with vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency - level of 25(OH)D&lt;30ng/ml and subgroup IA (n=31) without vitamin D deficiency. ABPM was carried out with a Watch BP 03. Statistical analysis was performed by means of «STATISTICA 10.0». Results: The level of 25(OH)D was lower (p&lt;0,05) in subgroup IB (18,2±9,5 ng/ml) than in the comparable to subgroup IA (27,4±10,5 ng/ml). In subgroup IB, compared with subgroup IA, the values of mean night diastolic (DBP) were higher (p&lt;0,05) (73,0 (69,0;79,0) mm Hg versus 68,8±7,4 mm Hg), time index (TI) DBP at night (14,3 (12,5; 33,4)%, versus 12.5 (0,0;12,5)%,), speed of morning rise DBP (16,5(11,0;22,0) mm Hg/hour versus 10,0(8,5;17,3) mm Hg/hour), systolic variability (SBP) during the day (36,0(29,0;43,0) mm Hg versus 25,0(22,0; 38,0) mmHg). TI DBP at night exceeded the threshold value in 42,9% of women in subgroup IB versus 17,2% (p&lt; 0,05) of subjects in subgroup IA. Morning rise speed DBP in subgroup IB did not correspond to the norm in 81% of cases compared to subgroup IA – 37,9% (p = 0,004). Inverse moderate correlations were established in subgroup IB between the level of 25(OH)D in the blood plasma and a number of ABPM indicators: average night SBP (R =-0,37, p=0,004), TI SBP night (R=-0,42, p=0,04), average night DBP (R=-0,43, p=0,03), TI DBP night (R=-0,39, p=0,05). Conclusions: In women with AH stage II risk 3 in the early postmenopausal period, with a deficiency/insufficiency of the level of 25(OH)D in the blood plasma, excess of a number of ABPM indicators was more common than with its optimal level.

Explosion characteristics of hydrogen-nitrous oxide mixtures with carbon dioxide addition

In this work, the explosion of hydrogen/nitrous oxide/carbon dioxide mixtures with various equivalence ratios (0.6–1.0), initial pressures (40–100 kPa), and carbon dioxide fractions (20%–40 %) at ambient temperature (298 K) was conducted inside a normative 15.625-L cubic container. The maximum explosion pressure and pressure rise speed were obtained and analyzed. The results show that carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in weakening H2/N2O explosion intensity, flame instabilities, as well as the tendency of deflagration to detonation. In addition, the addition of carbon dioxide has affected the two competitive effects between adiabatic temperature and molecular number. The variations of maximum explosion pressure and pressure rise speed with equivalence ratios depend on the carbon dioxide fraction. Only a linear dependence was found between maximum pressure rise speed and original pressure. These results would be useful in developing explosion-proof devices in the event of potential fire and explosion hazards.

Peculiarities of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in patients who have suffered from COVID-19

Violations of blood pressure control in patients who have had COVID-19 can be due to many pathophysiological factors. Further study of the features of blood pressure (BP) fluctuations in this category of patients will allow to diagnose arterial hypertension (AH) on time, to identify the uncontrolled course of AH and to select the optimal tactics of patients’ management. It was suggested to determine the characteristics of BP fluctuations in patients who have suffered from COVID-19 more than 12 weeks ago, based on the results of ambulatory (daily) blood pressure monitoring. 98 patients (51 men – 52.0%, 47 women – 47.9%) who have had COVID-19 infection more than 12 weeks ago were examined. Patients were divided into 2 groups – with and without a history of AH. The groups of examinees were homogeneous in age and gender. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (AM BP) was carried out on the CardioTens apparatus (Meditech, Hungary) according to the standard method. According to the data of AM BP in patients with AH in the anamnesis, who have suffered from COVID-19 more than 12 weeks ago, significantly higher average indicators of daily systolic blood pressure were recorded, and significant violations of the indicators of variability of systolic blood pressure during the day and night periods, pressure load during the day period, as well as a significantly higher degree and the rate of the morning rise in systolic blood pressure. In patients without a history of AH who have suffered from COVID-19 more than 12 weeks ago, in 21.4% cases there was newly diagnosed AH, in 33.3% of cases, increased variability of systolic blood pressure was observed, mainly during the day, in 21.4% of cases, the degree and speed of the morning rise of systolic blood pressure were increased, which indicated the presence of hypertensive reactions to household loads. In patients with a history of AH, in 55.3% of cases there was observed an increase in average blood pressure values per day, during the day and night periods, which was considered as ineffective blood pressure control and required an increase in the doses of previously prescribed antihypertensive drugs or the use of additional antihypertensive drugs in the treatment regimen. In patients with AH in the anamnesis, who have suffered from COVID-19 more than 12 weeks ago, reliable violations of many indicators of AM BP, deterioration of blood pressure control were recorded. In the patients, who did not have AH and who have suffered from COVID-19 more than 12 weeks ago, the presence of a hypertensive reaction to household loads and newly diagnosed AH were odserved.

Experiments on fluid entrainment and slip in continuous bubble plumes

A series of laboratory experiments are reported in which a continuous stream of bubbles rise from a small source at the base of a tank of water. Using different nozzles, bubble sizes $d$ ranging from 1.2 to 11.6 mm were produced for a number of gas volume fluxes, $Q_b$ , ranging between 1.1 and $21.1\times 10^{-6}\ {\rm m}^3\ {\rm s}^{-1}$ . Within a small distance from the source, the slip speed of these bubbles exceeds the speed of the equivalent single-phase plume with the same buoyancy flux, leading to formation of what we refer to as the ‘slip plume’ regime. Through a combination of high-speed photography, coupled with flow visualisation in the plume and the ambient fluid using dye, we find that the bubble speed and the fluid speed remain nearly constant with height, with the maximum fluid speed being of order $0.30\pm 0.03$ of the bubble speed. Using the filling box method, we also find that the net fluid volume flux in the slip plume increases linearly with distance from the source at a rate $Q_l = \lambda Bz/v_s^2$ , where $B$ is the buoyancy flux of the gas, $v_s$ the rise speed of the gas bubbles, $z$ the distance above the source and $\lambda$ is a constant related to the dimensionless volume of fluid in the wake of each bubble. This slip-dominated flow regime can be understood in terms of kinetic energy imparted to the fluid as the bubbles rise and release potential energy. Further experiments with particle-laden plumes illustrate similar scalings for the volume flux in a particle-driven slip plume once the slip speed of the particles exceeds the bulk speed of the equivalent single-phase buoyant plume with the same buoyancy flux. Near the source the slip speed may be smaller than the plume speed, and the flow follows the classical model for a turbulent buoyant plume, with the transition to the slip regime occurring at a distance $z^*\approx (32\pm 5)\lambda ^{3/2} B/v_s^3$ from the source, where the dimensionless parameter $\lambda$ relates to the dimensionless volume of the fluid wake, which we find varies with the Reynolds number of the particles.

Fate of bubble clusters rising in a quiescent liquid

We use experiments to study the evolution of bubble clusters in a swarm of freely rising, deformable bubbles. A new machine learning-aided algorithm allows us to identify and track bubbles in clusters and measure the cluster lifetimes. The results indicate that contamination in the carrier liquid can enhance the formation of bubble clusters and prolong the cluster lifetimes. The mean bubble rise velocities conditioned on the bubble cluster size are also explored, and we find a positive correlation between the cluster size and the rise speed of the bubbles in the cluster, with clustered bubbles rising up to $20\,\%$ faster than unclustered bubbles.

Dynamic process simulation of indoor temperature distribution in radiant-convective heating terminals

Intermittent heating can achieve energy savings from a temporal perspective and effectively control building carbon emissions in certain regions. Unlike continuous heating, intermittent heating requires heating terminals with low thermal inertia and a fast room heating speed. Simultaneously, ensuring thermal comfort during the heating process is equally important. Based on this, the newly proposed radiant-convective heating terminal has demonstrated certain potential applicability and thus has gained significant attention. However, current research on radiant-convective heating terminals primarily focuses on steady-state studies of experimental terminal heating performance, lacking dynamic studies on indoor environmental fields. Nevertheless, obtaining a complete, accurate, and continuous indoor heating process solely through experiments is challenging. Therefore, this work simulates the heating process of a radiant-convective terminal through the co-simulation approach of Energy Simulation (ES) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). ES and CFD are complementary, and therefore coupling them can improve accuracy. Specifically, we establish a co-simulation model for radiant-convective heating terminals and conduct simulations of dynamic convection and radiation modes. The accuracy of the co-simulation results is verified through experimental cases, demonstrating that the convection mode has advantages regarding room temperature rise speed and the heating personnel zone. Furthermore, the radiation mode has advantages in thermal comfort during the stable period. Hence, utilizing a radiant-convective heating terminal with a convection-to-radiation sequence is an effective heating strategy that balances energy savings and thermal comfort under intermittent heating requirements.

Static Characteristics of Water-Lubricated Hydrodynamic Spiral-Groove Journal and Thrust Bearings for Motorized Spindle

Abstract Oil-lubricated hydrodynamic bearing is a typical support for motorized spindle. However, a motorized spindle supported by the oil-lubricated hydrodynamic bearing has disadvantages regarding high-temperature rise and low rotational speed. To overcome this problem, this technical brief proposes novel water-lubricated hydrodynamic spiral groove bearings for the motorized spindle. A rotor-bearing static model for the motorized spindle was established considering the external loads and the tilting effect of bearings. An experimental prototype for the motorized spindle was developed, and the theoretical calculation and experimental research on the bearing static characteristics were carried out. The result shows that the water-lubricated hydrodynamic spiral groove bearings have significant advantages in terms of low-temperature rise, good high-speed performance, and moderate spindle stiffness, together with the inherent low manufacture cost and high rotation accuracy of the bearings, and the proposed bearings can be a potential alternative to the fluid bearing for the high-speed motorized spindle.

Design and Implementation Monitoring System for The effects of Prolonged Sitting

Workers spent more than two-thirds of their working hours sitting behind their desk. Almost all of them never put attention to good sitting position and caused health problems for themselves such as increasing the risk of hemorrhoids, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, joints damage, muscles and posture. The workers are not aware into account how long they had been sitting. Thus, one way to avoid health problems caused by long-term sitting is using a device which monitors body temperature, heart and muscle. In this study, the prototype is designed and implemented to monitor how long the worker had sit in their chair and the effect to their body. This system detected the temperature on the chair using temperature sensor, sensor ECG to heart detection placed on the finger and the sensor EMG to detect muscle is placed on the hand muscles. The information from the sensors are sent and saved to the database server and displayed through the website. The test results indicate that body weight and gender affect the speed of rise of body temperature which is measured on the seat cushions. Functional testing using the web interface successfully performed in displaying the results to the web interface sensor readings in real time and displays the results of the previous sensor readings.

Horizontal and vertical migration of cyanobacterial blooms in two eutrophic lakes observed from the GOCI satellite

Under the variations of natural conditions (temperature, wind speed, light, et al.) and self-regulation of buoyancy, cyanobacterial blooms can change rapidly in a short time. The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) can provide hourly monitoring of the dynamics of algal blooms (eight times per day), and has potential in observing the horizontal and vertical movement of cyanobacterial blooms. Based on the fractional floating algae cover (FAC), the diurnal dynamics and migration of floating algal blooms were evaluated, and the horizontal and vertical migration speed of phytoplankton was estimated from the proposed algorithm in two eutrophic lakes, Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu in China. The locations, number, and area of algal bloom patches showed the hotspots and horizontal movement of bloom patches. The spatial and seasonal variations of the vertical velocities indicated that both the rising and sinking speed were higher in summer and autumn than those in spring and winter. The factors affecting diurnal horizontal and vertical migrations of phytoplankton were analyzed. Diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI), direct normal irradiance (DNI), and temperature had significant positive relationships with FAC in the morning. Wind speed contributed 18.3 and 15.1% to the horizontal movement speed in Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu, respectively. The rising speed was more related to DNI and DHI in Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu with contribution of 18.1 and 16.6%. The horizontal and vertical movement of algae provide important information for understanding phytoplankton dynamics and the prediction and warning of algal blooms in lake management.

Terminal Decline in Physical Function in Older Adults.

It is currently unclear whether (and when) physical function exhibits a terminal decline phase, that is, a substantial acceleration of decline in the very last years before death. 702 deceased adults aged 70 years and older from the Yale PEP Study provided 4 133 measurements of physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery, SPPB) up to 20 years before death. In addition, continuous gait and chair rise subtest scores (in seconds) were assessed. Generalized mixed regression models with random change points were used to estimate the onset and the steepness of terminal decline in physical function. Decline accelerated in the last years of life in all 3 measures of physical function. The onset of terminal decline occurred 1 year before death for the SPPB, and at 2.5 and 2.6 years before death for chair rise and gait speed test scores, respectively. Terminal declines in physical function were 6-8 times steeper than pre-terminal declines. Relative to those whose condition leading to death was frailty, participants who died from dementia and cancer had an up to 6 months earlier and 3 months later onset of terminal decline in SPPB, respectively. Terminal decline in physical function among older adults is comparable to the more established terminal decline phenomenon in cognition. Our results provide additional evidence of late-life rapid decline in physical function due to impending death.

Long-duration bipolar linear transformer driver based on a multi-turn half-bridge structure

All-solid linear transformer driver(LTD) generators are widely used to output unipolar high-voltage rectangular pulses in nanoseconds. However in some applications, the bipolar output is necessary and the size of the generator is limited, which is challenging for LTD topology because the size of the magnetic core is related directly to the amplitude and pulse duration of the output waveforms. In this paper, a bipolar long-duration pulse generator based on the topology of a linear transformer driver combined with a half-bridge and multi-turn structure is put forward. The half-bridge topology can output bipolar waveforms easily and can save the number of switches used in the generator. To eliminate the crosstalk voltage that appears during operation, a differential mode inductance is used to protect the circuit. A snubber circuit is applied to suppress the reverse overshoot. The multi-turn design is chosen to make the size more compact. However, the multi-turn usually leads to a lower rise speed. To improve the performance, an optimization method that improves the rising speed by changing the turns of each stage is discussed. The strategy is useful and can be applied on some other occasions. The generator can output bipolar waveforms whose amplitudes are 4 kV and the duration can be adjusted from 200 ns to 800 ns. The rise time can be limited to 70 ns. The size of the generator is 10 cm * 10 cm * 15 cm, which is compact compared to the generators put forward before.

MP23-13 THERMOGRAPHY-BASED COMPARISON OF DYNAMIC IRRIGATION TEMPERATURES BETWEEN MOSES MODE AND VIRTUAL BASKET MODE: AN IN-VITRO PHANTOM STUDY

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP23-13 THERMOGRAPHY-BASED COMPARISON OF DYNAMIC IRRIGATION TEMPERATURES BETWEEN MOSES MODE AND VIRTUAL BASKET MODE: AN IN-VITRO PHANTOM STUDY Shimpei Yamashita, Takaaki Inoue, Satoshi Imai, Yasuo Kohjimoto, and Isao Hara Shimpei YamashitaShimpei Yamashita More articles by this author , Takaaki InoueTakaaki Inoue More articles by this author , Satoshi ImaiSatoshi Imai More articles by this author , Yasuo KohjimotoYasuo Kohjimoto More articles by this author , and Isao HaraIsao Hara More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003248.13AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Moses Mode and Virtual Basket Mode are special pulse modulation modes based on Moses technology. However, no previous study has directly compared irrigation temperatures between these two modes. The aim of this in-vitro phantom study was to evaluate the dynamic changes of irrigation temperatures and compare those between these two modes by using thermography. METHODS: We created an unroofed pyelocaliceal model by using silicon flask of 50 mm and filled it with 37°C saline. A flexible ureteroscope (LithoVue) with 200 μm laser fiber was placed in an 11/13 Fr ureteral access sheath inserted into this model. The distance between saline surface and the tip of laser fiber was 5 mm. The laser fired for 60 sec at 0.4 J/60 Hz. Three runs were tested per setting used short pulse mode (SPM), long pulse mode (LPM), Virtual Basket Mode (VBM) (by using 100 W CyberHo, Quanta) and Moses Contact Mode (MM) (by using Pulse 120H, Lumenis). Dynamic changes of irrigation temperatures with and without saline irrigation (25 mL/min) were evaluated by using thermography. We compared the time until 42°C was achieved, the highest reachable temperatures and the area exceeding 42°C among those modes. RESULTS: The time until 42°C was achieved in SPM, LPM, VBM and MM was 19.3 sec, 6.7 sec, 14.3 sec and 9.0 sec, respectively. The time in MM was significantly shorter than that in VBM (p=0.03). On the other hand, the highest reachable temperatures in these modes were respectively 47.4°C, 49.6°C,48.4°C and 48.6°C, and there was no significant difference of temperatures between VBM and MM (p=0.86). Although there was no significant difference of the area exceeding 42°C after laser shot of 15 sec between VBM and MM (17.4% vs 35.5%, p=0.10), the position and spread of high temperature region differed depending on laser modes (Figure). While the area with high temperature spread to the going straight direction of laser in VBM, the area spread also around the ureteroscope as well as the straight direction of laser in MM. CONCLUSIONS: The speed of irrigation temperature rise in MM was faster than that in VBM. Thermography-based evaluation of irrigation temperatures suggested that the irrigation fluid might flow faster in MM than in VBM. Source of Funding: None. © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e311 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Shimpei Yamashita More articles by this author Takaaki Inoue More articles by this author Satoshi Imai More articles by this author Yasuo Kohjimoto More articles by this author Isao Hara More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Effects of surface nanotexturing on the wickability of microtextured metal surfaces

Hypothesis: Achieving spontaneous, rapid, and long-distance liquid transport is crucial for many practical applications such as phase change heat transfer and reactions at solid–liquid interfaces. Surface nanotexturing has been widely reported to improve the wickability of microtextured metal surfaces. Although surface nanotextures show high capillary pressure, the high fluid flow resistance through nanotextures prevents fluid transport. The underlying mechanisms responsible for the enhanced wickability of nanotextured surfaces are still unclear.Experiments: Herein, we prepared a variety of microtextures and nanotextures on copper surfaces by femtosecond laser micromachining and chemical oxidation, respectively. The wickability of these textured surfaces was quantitively compared by measuring wicking coefficient and capillary rise speed. We designed experiments to eliminate any possible effects of surface oxidation and metal composition on wickability. A theoretical model describing the vertical and horizontal capillary flow in V-shaped microgrooves was proposed and utilized to analyze the experimental results. The effects of time-dependent wettability on wickability were also examined.Findings: Surface nanotexturing can enhance surface wettability while altering the micrometer-scale structural characteristics. The greatly enhanced wickability of nanotextured surfaces can only be observed when the surface microtextures have a very small aspect ratio. Otherwise, for metal surfaces with fine microgrooves, the latter effect is more pronounced, and thus the surface wickability may deteriorate after preparing surface nanotextures; for surfaces with wide microgrooves, both effects are minimal, and the surface wickability enhances only marginally after surface nanotexturing. Furthermore, the wickability of microtextured surfaces will decay rapidly due to the adsorption of airborne organics, whereas adding surface nanotextures can significantly inhibit this degradation. The anti-contamination capability of surface nanotextures is considered likely to be a potential mechanism responsible for the greatly enhanced wickability of nanotextured surfaces noted in some studies.

Speaker performance on sports performance -Behavior analysis using OpenPose

Most of the sound quality evaluation methods for loudspeaker are based on physical evaluation and subjective evaluation. In the physical evaluation, we focus on the peak sound pressure and the rise speed. In the subjective evaluation, the sound quality is evaluated by the subjective evaluation experiment using the sound quality evaluation word. However, it's difficult for people who don't have professional knowledge in the field of acoustics to judge the performance of a loudspeaker from these evaluation methods. In addition, according to the engineers of a speaker manufacturer, the difference of the sound quality of the loudspeaker may affect the movement and motivation of the game. In this study, aims to evaluate the sound quality of loudspeaker objectively from a new point of view. In order to clarify whether the difference of the sound quality of the loudspeaker affects the movement, the movement analysis using OpenPose was carried out. As a result, it was found that the complicated motion was not likely to be affected by the difference of the sound quality of the loudspeaker. However, the results suggested that simple and familiar actions may be affected by the difference in loudspeaker sound quality.

Fault location discrimination and protection strategy for DC distribution network based on PET

After the bipolar short circuit fault occurs on the low-voltage DC side of the low-voltage DC distribution network with a power electronic transformer, the fault current amplitude is high and the rise speed is fast, which leads to the rapid locking of power electronic devices, and the loss of fault information of line protection. Based on the multi-branch DC distribution network with CHB-type PET, this paper proposes a fault current limiting strategy. PET starts current limiting measures after detecting the DC side fault, which can provide stable and continuous fault transient information for line protection while providing a small amount of short circuit current. On this basis, using the fault current at both ends of the line, longitudinal polarity protection without strict communication synchronization is proposed. The simulation analysis based on PSCAD/EMTDC software shows that the scheme can realize fast and reliable fault line selection and has strong resistance to transition resistance.

Temporal Relationships Between Saharan Dust Proxies, Climate, and Meningitis in Senegal.

The Harmattan, a dry, northeasterly trade wind, transports large quantities of Saharan dust over the Sahelian region during the dry season (December-March). Studies have shown that bacterial meningitis outbreaks in Sahelian regions show hyper-endemic to endemic levels during high-dust months. We examine the (a) seasonality and intraseasonal variability of dust, climate, and meningitis and the (b) quantitative relationships between various dust proxies with meningitis lags of 0-10weeks in Senegal from 2012 to 2017. The results show that the onset of the meningitis season occurs in February, roughly 2months after the dusty season has begun. The meningitis season peaks at the beginning of April, when northeasterly wind speeds and particulate matter (PM) are relatively high, and the meningitis season ends near the end of June, when temperature and humidity rise and northeasterly wind speeds decline. Furthermore, we find that Senegal's relatively high humidity year-round may help slow the transmission of the infection, contributing to a lower disease incidence than landlocked countries in the meningitis belt. Lastly, our results suggest the desert dust may have a significant impact on the onset to the peak of the meningitis season in Senegal, particularly at the 0-2 and 10-week lag, whether that be directly through biological processes or indirectly through changes in human behavior. PM and visibility, however, are not in phase with aerosol optical depth throughout the year and consequently show different relationships with meningitis. This study further exemplifies the critical need for more PM, meteorological, and meningitis measurements in West Africa to further resolve these relationships.