Small Fluid Research Articles

Analysis of fluid retention zones in heat exchangers with segmental baffle and helical baffle

Abstract By using the residence time distribution method (RTD), the fluid retention zones in the shell and tube heat exchanger with segmental baffle (STHX-SB) and the heat exchanger with helical baffle (STHX-HB) are compared and discussed. The flow pattern and fluid retention zone of the similar double helical flow heat exchanger (STHX-SDH) were analyzed by using the same method. The result shows the spiral flow can reduce the fluid retention zone. The flow pattern in the STHX-SDH likes a double helical shape and leads to a very small fluid retention zone. According to the simulation results, the location of the fluid retention zone of STHX-SDH is determined. The verification line method and the zone assessment method were adopted, to discuss the flow velocity of each point on the verification line and the average flow velocities of the selected zones. The change laws of the flow velocities on the verification lines and the average flow velocities of the selected zones at different Reynolds numbers were compared. The result reveals the distribution of the fluid retention zone of the STHX-SDH and the sensitivity of each fluid retention zone to the Reynolds number. By optimization of the angle of the baffle, the volume fraction of the fluid retention zone is reduced to 1.61%, and the heat transfer performance is improved by 13.23%. It is verified that reducing the fluid retention zone can effectively enhance the heat transfer performance. This research method provides a theoretical basis for reducing the fluid retention zone of the heat exchanger and enhancing heat transfer performance.

“The Uncertain Method of Drops”: How a Non-Uniform Unit Survived the Century of Standardization

Abstract This paper follows the journey of two small fluid units throughout the nineteenth century in Anglo-American medicine and pharmacy, explaining how the non-uniform “drop” survived while the standardized minim became obsolete. I emphasize two roles these units needed to fulfill: that of a physical measuring device, and that of a rhetorical communication device. First, I discuss the challenges unique to measuring small amounts of fluid, outlining how the modern medicine dropper developed out of an effort to resolve problems with the “minimometer,” which measured minims. Second, I explain how drops, utilized in “the open drop method” of administering general anesthesia, effectively communicated a gradual process and epistemically valuable heuristic to the audience of practitioners, whose attention to individual medical outcomes was important for verifying the proper dosage. The standardized minim was never able to achieve success as the drop’s intended replacement; the non-uniform drop better served the relevant epistemic goals within the practical contexts for which these units were designed. The surprising historical trajectory of drops should cause us to question the common equivocation of “standardization” with “progress” in the history and philosophy of measurement. This study also exemplifies how examining non-standard measurement practices can be instructive for better understanding the role and function of standardization within epistemology of measurement.

Comparison of MicroRNA Profiles in Extracellular Vesicles from Small and Large Goat Follicular Fluid.

Simple SummaryOvarian follicular development is associated with ovulation and is further related to litter size in goats. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from miRNAs within follicular fluid undergo dynamic changes, and, together with follicle growth, may be considered as potential regulators of follicular development. However, the function and changes in EVs remain ambiguous. Here, we identified miRNA changes in EVs from small to large goat follicular fluid. Using bioinformatics tools, we demonstrated the existence of differentially expressed miRNAs in EVs from follicles of different sizes that are responsible for an altered biological effect. This study contributes to a better understanding of follicular development in goats.Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which exist in the follicular fluid of ruminant ovaries, are considered as cargo carriers for the transfer of biomolecules to recipient cells. However, the functions and changes in EVs in antral follicles remain ambiguous. In the present study, we isolated and characterized EVs from goat follicular fluid by means of differential ultracentrifugation and Western blotting of marker proteins. Bioinformatics tools were used to detect miRNA expression levels in EVs. Different miRNA expression patterns of EVs exist in small to large follicles. Thirteen differentially expressed miRNAs (seven upregulated and six downregulated) were identified and used for analysis. A total of 1948 predicted target genes of 13 miRNAs were mapped to signaling pathways, and three significantly enriched pathways (FoxO, MAPK, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways) were involved in follicular development, as revealed by KEGG enrichment analysis. Our findings suggest that EVs in follicular fluid play biofunctional roles during follicular development in goats.

Numb Chin Syndrome in Sickle Cell Disease: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Numb Chin Syndrome (NCS) is a rare sensory neuropathy characterized by inferior alveolar or mental nerve damage. It manifests as hypoesthesia, paraesthesia, or pain in the chin and lower lip. Few case reports have been published on NCS secondary to sickle cell disease (SCD). As a result, information about causes, disease course and treatment are lacking. Our objective was to synthesize all currently available relevant literature on this rare condition.Methods: A systematic review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. The following databases were searched: Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL Complete. The search strategy was designed by a librarian and utilized text words and relevant indexing terms to identify studies about NCS in patients with SCD. Conference abstracts of relevant scientific meetings were manually searched. No language limits were applied. Reviews, notes, editorials or comments were excluded. Patient demographics (including age, sex, country, SCD genotype), clinical presentation, investigations, treatment and outcomes were extracted by two independent reviewers.Results: The systematic search revealed 73 publications (Figure). Only 11 publications from the databases and 3 from a manual search met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Together, these case reports and series described 33 unique SCD patients. They originated from different regions (India, Turkey, Jamaica, USA, France, England). They were published between 1972 and 2021. Reports described between 1 and 13 patients each. Mean age was 28.3 years (standard deviation 11.7) and ranged from 11 to 60 years (Table). Sixteen were female. Genotype distribution was as follows: SS in 13 (39%), SC in 5 (15%), Sbeta-thalassemia in 3 (9%), not reported in 12 (36%). All but one case (97%) were associated with a vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) and/or acute chest syndrome (ACS). One patient also developed multiorgan failure. One case occurred post dental surgery which led to a VOC. One case was associated with mandibular osteomyelitis and four others with infections. One patient presented with avascular osteonecrosis of the mandible. Comorbid medical conditions were reported as follows: rheumatoid arthritis treated with prednisone (1), pregnancy (1), type II diabetes (1) metastatic breast cancer treated by chemotherapy (1), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (1), asthma (1), retinal detachment (1) and splenectomy (1).X-Rays were the most utilized imaging modality (10 [30%]), followed by CT-scan (7 [21%]), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (6 [18%]) and bone scan (2 [6%]). Two X-Rays revealed subtle radiolucencies suggestive of bone infarction, 1 X-Ray changes consistent with avascular necrosis and 1 X-Ray lytic lesions typical of osteomyelitis. One patient had a normal X-ray, but a CT-scan showed loss of cortical condensation around the mental canal which corresponded on a bone scan to a region of slightly increased tracer uptake suggestive of infarction. The MRI for one patient with bilateral NCS showed increased T2 signal in both mandibular rami with associated small subperiosteal fluid collections. One patient had a lumbar puncture that was normal.Management of the neuropathy was mostly directed towards the underlying cause: treatment of VOC and SCD acute complications, antibiotics for infection, and tooth extraction for infectious control. Two patients received transfusions during their acute medical condition. The duration of symptoms ranged from a few hours to 14 years. Eleven patients (33%) were reported to have a complete resolution of NCS.Conclusion: We provide a systematic review of the clinical manifestations, investigations and management of NCS in patients with SCD. NCS occurred most often in the context of VOC/ACS. Radiological evidence of mandibular infarction was reported for some. Together, this suggests that vaso-occlusion and bone infarction could be pathophysiological mechanisms of NCS. Careful evaluation is warranted to rule out differential causes including local infection, avascular necrosis, primary neoplasm or metastatic disease. Publication bias, a small sample size, and author-dependant lexical variability used to describe NCS are some limitations to our review. Through this largest report of NCS in SCD, we draw attention to a rare and potentially underrecognized neurological complication that deserves further investigation to optimize management. [Display omitted] DisclosuresSoulieres: Novartis: Research Funding; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Forte: Novartis: Honoraria; Canadian Hematology Society: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding.

Microfluidic device for one-step detection of breast cancer-derived exosomal mRNA in blood using signal-amplifiable 3D nanostructure

Metastasis attributed to approximately 90% of cancer-related deaths; hence, the detection of metastatic tumor–derived components in the blood assists in determining cancer recurrence and patient survival. Microfluidic–based sensors facilitate analysis of small fluid volumes and represent an accurate, rapid, and user-friendly method of field diagnoses. In this study, we have developed a microfluidic chip-based exosomal mRNA sensor (exoNA-sensing chip) for the one-step detection of exosomal ERBB2 in the blood by integrating a microfluidic chip and 3D-nanostructured hydrogels. The exoNA-sensing chip is a vacuum-driven power-free microfluidic chip that can accurately control the flow of trace fluids (<100 μL). The sensing part of the exoNA-sensing chip includes 3D-nanostructured hydrogels capable of detecting ERBB2 and a reference gene by amplifying a fluorescent signal via an enzyme-free catalytic hairpin assembly reaction at room temperature. This hydrogel offers a detection limit of 58.3 fM with good selectivity for target sequences. The performance of the exoNA-sensing chip was evaluated by testing in vitro and in vivo samples and was proven to be effective for cancer diagnosis and liquid biopsies.

A New Uncertainty-Based Control Scheme of the Small Modular Dual Fluid Reactor and Its Optimization

The small modular dual fluid reactor is a novel variant of the Generation IV molten salt reactor and liquid metal fast reactor. In the primary circuit, molten salt or liquid eutectic metal (U-Pu-Cr) is employed as fuel, and liquid lead works as the coolant in the secondary circuit. To design the control system of such an advanced reactor, the uncertainties of the employed computer model and the physicochemical properties of the materials must be considered. In this paper, a one-dimensional model of a core is established based on the equivalent parameters achieved via the coupled three-dimensional model, taking into account delayed neutron precursor drifting, and a power control system is developed. The performance of the designed controllers is assessed, taking into account the model and property uncertainties. The achieved results show that the designed control system is able to maintain the stability of the system and regulate the power as expected. Among the considered uncertain parameters, the reactivity coefficients of fuel temperature have the largest influence on the performance of the control system. The most optimized configuration of the control system is delivered based on the characteristics of uncertainty propagation by using the particle swarm optimization method.

Peritoneal-Membrane Characteristics and Hypervolemia Management in Peritoneal Dialysis: A Randomized Control Trial.

Excessive bodily-fluid retention is the major cause of hypertension and congestive heart failure in patients with end-stage renal disease. Compared to hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis (PD) uses the abdominal peritoneum as a semipermeable dialysis membrane, providing continuous therapy as natural kidneys, and having fewer hemodynamic changes. One major challenge of PD treatment is to determine the dry weight, especially considering that the speed of small solutes and fluid across the peritoneal membrane varies among individuals; considerable between-patient variability is expected in both solute transportation and ultrafiltration capacity. This study explores the influence of peritoneal-membrane characteristics in the hydration status in patients on PD. A randomized control trial compares the bioimpedance-assessed dry weight with clinical judgment alone. A high peritoneal membrane D/P ratio was associated with the extracellular/total body water ratio, dialysate protein loss, and poor nutritional status in patients on PD. After a six-month intervention, patients with monthly bioimpedance analysis (BIA) assistance had better fluid (−1.2 ± 0.4 vs. 0.1 ± 0.4 kg, p = 0.014) and blood-pressure (124.7 ± 2.7 vs. 136.8 ± 2.8 mmHg, p < 0.001) control; however, hydration status and blood pressure returned to the baseline after we prolonged BIA assistance to a 3-month interval. The dry-weight reduction process had no negative effect on residual renal function or peritoneal-membrane function. We concluded that peritoneal-membrane characteristics affect fluid and nutritional status in patients on PD, and BIA is a helpful objective technique for fluid assessment for PD.

Investigation of species-mass diffusion in binary-species boundary layers at high pressure using direct numerical simulations

Direct numerical simulations of single-species and binary-species temporal boundary layers at high pressure are performed with special attention to species-mass diffusion. The working fluids are nitrogen or a mixture of nitrogen and methane. Mean profiles and turbulent fluctuations of mass fraction show that their qualitative characteristics are different from those of streamwise velocity and temperature, due to the different boundary conditions. In a wall-parallel plane near the wall, the streamwise velocity and temperature have streaky patterns and the fields are similar. However, the mass fraction field at the same location is different from the streamwise velocity and temperature fields indicating that species-mass diffusion is not similar to the momentum and thermal diffusion. In contrast, at the centre and near the edge of the boundary layer, the mass fraction and temperature fields have almost the same pattern, indicating that the similarity between thermal and species-mass diffusion holds away from the wall. The lack of similarity near the wall is traced to the Soret effect that induces a temperature-gradient-dependent species-mass flux. As a result, a new phenomenon has been identified for a non-isothermal binary-species system – uphill diffusion, which in its classical isothermal definition can only occur for three or more species. A quadrant analysis for the turbulent mass flux reveals that near the wall the Soret effect enhances the negative contributions of the quadrants. Due to the enhancement of the negative contributions, small species-concentration fluid tends to be trapped near the wall.

OEIS Syndrome: Omphalocele, Exstrophy of the Cloaca, Imperforate Anus, and Spinal Defects

OEIS Syndrome: Omphalocele, Exstrophy of the Cloaca, Imperforate Anus, and Spinal Defects

Design, preparation and evaluation of nanoparticles of 5-Flurouracil for the targeted delivery to treat colon cancer

The objective of the study is to prepare the nano particles of 5-fluorouracil with targeted delivery to the colon with enhancement of bioavailability and decrease the side effects of the drug. 5-Fluorouracil-loaded PLGA nanoparticles were developed by double solvent evaporation technique method. Characterization was carried out by determination of encapsulation efficiency (%), loss on Drying. The in-vitro drug release of drug 5- Fluorouracil was carried out for formulations (F1-F4), it is concluded that F4 was the best formulation which shows the most desired rate drug release and concluded that the polymer PLGA have a capacity of protection the drug in the GI and small intestinal Fluid hence, the maximum release of drug in the colonic region of large intestine.

PD41-06 EFFECT OF PELVICALYCEAL FLUID VOLUME ON TEMPERATURE ELEVATION AND THERMAL DOSE DURING LASER LITHOTRIPSY

You have accessJournal of UrologySurgical Technology & Simulation: Instrumentation & Technology II (PD41)1 Sep 2021PD41-06 EFFECT OF PELVICALYCEAL FLUID VOLUME ON TEMPERATURE ELEVATION AND THERMAL DOSE DURING LASER LITHOTRIPSY Nikta R. Khajeh, Timothy L. Hall, Khurshid R. Ghani, and William W. Roberts Nikta R. KhajehNikta R. Khajeh More articles by this author , Timothy L. HallTimothy L. Hall More articles by this author , Khurshid R. GhaniKhurshid R. Ghani More articles by this author , and William W. RobertsWilliam W. Roberts More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002051.06AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: While high-power holmium lasers facilitate successful ureteroscopic treatment of larger and more complex stones, they can also substantially elevate fluid temperatures in the ureter and collecting system potentially causing thermal injury of the adjacent tissue. Fluid volume is an important factor when assessing temperature elevation. The aim of this study was to investigate temperature elevation and thermal dose from laser lithotripsy in model calyces/pelvises spanning a clinically relevant range of fluid volumes. METHODS: Glass bulbs of volumes 0.5, 2.8, 4.0, 7.0, 21.0, and 60.8 mL served as calyx/pelvis models. A single bulb was submerged in a tank of 37˚C deionized (DI) water to simulate core body temperature. A 230 µm core laser fiber extending 5 mm from the tip of a LithoVue ureteroscope was positioned in the center of the model. Irrigation settings of 0, 8, 15, and 40 ml/min with room temperature DI water were used while a P120 Ho:YAG laser was activated for 60 seconds at 40W (0.5 J x 80 Hz, SP). Temperature was measured every second by a thermocouple affixed 5 mm from the tip of the ureteroscope. 5 trials were run under each parameter. Thermal dose was calculated from the temperature curves using the Dewey and Sapareto t43 methodology with t43=120 equivalent minutes accepted as the threshold for thermal injury. RESULTS: The rate of temperature elevation and thermal dose from laser activation were inversely proportional to the volume of fluid in each model and the irrigation rate. The time to threshold for thermal injury was only 3 seconds for the smallest model (0.5 ml) without irrigation, while it was never reached in the largest model (60.8 mL), regardless of irrigation rate (table). 40 ml/min irrigation maintained safe temperatures below the threshold for injury in all models (figure). CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be mindful when using high power laser settings in confined calyxes, or tight spaces as heating of small volume fluid to dangerous levels can occur quickly. Source of Funding: Research grant from Boston Scientific © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e682-e683 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Nikta R. Khajeh More articles by this author Timothy L. Hall More articles by this author Khurshid R. Ghani More articles by this author William W. Roberts More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...

In situ local imaging and analysis of impregnation during liquid moulding of composite materials using synchrotron radiation computed laminography

Analysis of the impregnation process during injection experiments in fibre-reinforced polymer composites has been carried out via a three-dimensional in-situ imaging method, namely Synchrotron Radiation Computed Laminography (SR-CL). A resin transfer moulding device was designed to perform injection experiments at different flow rates while, at the same time, the evolution of the flow front was inspected by SR-CL. Injections with flow rates of 50 μL/min and 300 μL/min in plain woven E-glass fabrics were carried out, resulting in small capillary number fluid propagation with capillary forces dominant over viscous ones. Intratow and intertow voids were accurately segmented by using a machine learning algorithm that enabled the direct measurement of their time and spatial distribution from the raw XCT volumes. The saturation evolution, void content, shape and spatial distribution quantification are reported. Intratow void formation and transport mechanisms were accurately described, in particular those related with large void splitting including the subsequent flow dragging. Advantages and limitations of the use of SR-CL for the analysis of the impregnation process of dry preforms in liquid moulding are discussed in detail, and in particular, those aspects related with the time acquisition limitations.

Smart controlled release of acarbose from glucose‐sensitive hydrogels comprising covalently modified carboxylated pullulan and concanavalin A

AbstractA hydrogel comprising covalently modified carboxylated pullulan and concanavalin A (CPUL‐ConA) was prepared with glucose‐sensitivity in a simulated small intestinal fluid containing glucose. The acarbose‐encapsulated CPUL‐ConA (Acar/CPUL‐ConA) hydrogel, with an acarbose encapsulation ratio of 0.63, was prepared by immersing the dried CPUL‐ConA hydrogel in an acarbose/PBS (pH 7.2) solution. In the simulated gastric fluid, less than 20% acarbose was released from the Acar/CPUL‐ConA hydrogel, which could be beneficial to protecting the stomach. In contrast, more than 80% acarbose was smartly controlled released from the Acar/CPUL‐ConA hydrogel in the simulated small intestine fluid containing glucose. Scanning electron microscopy provided further evidence of the smart release of acarbose from the Acar/CPUL‐ConA hydrogel in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, which is advantageous to inhibiting α‐glucosidase activity and subsequently reducing the postprandial blood glucose levels, as well as helpful for reducing the gastrointestinal dysfunction of acarbose. Rheological analysis indicated that the Acar/CPUL‐ConA hydrogel showed characteristics of chemical crosslinked hydrogels. There was no obvious shear thinning behavior, suggesting that the Acar/CPUL‐ConA hydrogel could be stable under gastric and intestinal peristalsis. Therefore, the Acar/CPUL‐ConA hydrogel is anticipated to improve the therapeutic efficacy of postprandial hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes.

Scalings for unsteady natural convection boundary layer under time-varying heating flux in a small Prandtl number fluid

The unsteady natural convection boundary layer (NCBL) on a vertical wall heated by time-varying flux in initially quiescent homogeneous fluid with a small Prandtl number (Pr) was studied. Scalings for the parameters typifying NCBL behavior, including plate temperature, maximum vertical velocity, thermal boundary-layer thickness, and velocity boundary-layer thickness, at different development stages, and the time for the transition from the start-up stage to the quasi-steady state, were developed by scaling analysis. The obtained scalings were compared to and validated by the numerical results with different values of Pr, the Rayleigh number Ra and the dimensionless time-varying heat flux frequency fn, over 106 ≤ Ra ≤ 109, 0.01 ≤ Pr ≤ 0.5, and 0.001 ≤ fn ≤ 0.025. It is also found that the development of the boundary layer at the start-up stage is one-dimensional and but becomes two-dimensional at the quasi-steady state.

Evaluation of Prolonged Versus Continuous Infusions of Piperacillin/Tazobactam During Shortages of Small Volume Parenteral Solutions

Background: In 2017, a national drug shortage of small volume solutions significantly affected the preparation of intravenous antibiotics. In response, a continuous infusion administration protocol for piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) was implemented. Objective: To compare the outcomes of continuous to prolonged infusions of PIP/TAZ in the setting of drug shortages. Methods: This study is a single-center, retrospective cohort study in a community hospital of patients 18 years and older who received intravenous PIP/TAZ through 2 different dosing strategies of intravenous antibiotics from December 2016 to January 2018. Data were collected for 2 months on patients receiving prolonged infusions of PIP/TAZ prior to November 2017 and for 2 months on patients receiving continuous infusions of PIP/TAZ after November 2017. Results: A total of 90 patients who received PIP/TAZ via either prolonged (n = 47) or continuous infusion (n = 43) were evaluated. There were no differences between the groups in mortality (3 vs 2 deaths, P = 1.00), length of therapy (6 ± 4 vs 6 ± 3 days, P = .86), or length of stay (9 ± 7 vs 8 ± 6 days, P = .47). Additionally, no differences were noted between incidences of thrombocytopenia ( P = .41), Clostridioides difficile infection ( P = .48), acute renal failure ( P = 1.00), seizures ( P = 1.0), or 30-day readmission rates ( P = .27). Conclusions: Administration of continuous infusion PIP/TAZ appears to be a viable mitigation strategy during small volume fluid shortages. Future cost-effectiveness studies may provide information on the financial impact of continuous infusions during costly drug shortages.

Do low GDP neutral pH solutions prevent or retard peritoneal membrane alterations in long-term peritoneal dialysis?

Several studies have been published in the last decade on the effects of low glucose degradation product (GDP) neutral pH (L-GDP/N-pH) dialysis solutions on peritoneal morphology and function during the long-term PD treatment. Compared to conventional solutions, the impact of these solutions on the morphological and functional alterations of the peritoneal membrane is discussed, including those of effluent proteins that reflect the status of peritoneal tissues. Long-term PD with conventional solutions is associated with the loss of mesothelium, submesothelial and interstitial fibrosis, vasculopathy, and deposition of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs). L-GDP/N-pH solutions mitigate these alterations, although vasculopathy and AGE deposition are still present. Increased vascular density was found in some studies. Small solute transport increases with PD duration on conventional solutions. Initially, higher values are present on L-GDP/N-pH treatment, but these may be reversible and remain stable with PD duration. Consequently, ultrafiltration (UF) is lower initially but remains stable thereafter. At 5 years, UF and small pore fluid transport are higher, while free water transport decreased only slightly during follow-up. Cancer antigen 125 was initially higher on L-GDP/N-pH solutions, suggesting better mesothelial preservation but decreased during follow-up. Therefore, L-GDP/N-pH solutions may not prevent but reduce and retard the peritoneal alterations induced by continuous exposure to glucose-based dialysis fluids.

Current smoking alters phospholipid- and surfactant protein A levels in small airway lining fluid: An explorative study on exhaled breath.

Small airways are difficult to access. Exhaled droplets, also referred to as particles, provide a sample of small airway lining fluid and may reflect inflammatory responses. We aimed to explore the effect of smoking on the composition and number of exhaled particles in a smoker-enriched study population. We collected and chemically analyzed exhaled particles from 102 subjects (29 never smokers, 36 former smokers and 37 current smokers) aged 39 to 83 years (median 63). A breathing maneuver maximized the number exhaled particles, which were quantified with a particle counter. The contents of surfactant protein A and albumin in exhaled particles was quantified with immunoassays and the contents of the phospholipids dipalmitoyl- and palmitoyl-oleoyl- phosphatidylcholine with mass spectrometry. Subjects also performed spirometry and nitrogen single breath washout. Associations between smoking status and the distribution of contents in exhaled particles and particle number concentration were tested with quantile regression, after adjusting for potential confounders. Current smokers, compared to never smokers, had higher number exhaled particles and more surfactant protein A in the particles. The magnitude of the effects of current smoking varied along the distribution of each PEx-variable. Among subjects with normal lung function, phospholipid levels were elevated in current smokers, in comparison to no effect of smoking on these lipids at abnormal lung function. Smoking increased exhaled number of particles and the contents of lipids and surfactant protein A in the particles. These findings might reflect early inflammatory responses to smoking in small airway lining fluid, also when lung function is within normal limits.

Comparative study on the stability/intestinal absorption kinetics of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside derived from Polygoni Multiflori Radix and its herb pairs

The 2,3,5,4’-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (THSG) is a main active ingredient of Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR). In this study, THSG was found to be a differential chemical composition between PMR and its compatible herb pairs through chemometrics techniques. The effects of the herb pairs Codonopsis Radix-PMR, Astragali Radix-PMR, and Ophiopogonis Radix (OR)-PMR on the stability and absorption behavior of THSG were investigated by simulating the digestive environment in vitro and using an everted gut sac model. The results indicated that the compatible pairs were able to significantly increase the stability of THSG in the gastrointestinal tract and delay the absorption of THSG in the small intestine. OR had the most obvious influence on THSG as the t0.9 values of THSG increased by 14.74- and 6.68-fold in simulated gastric juice and small intestinal fluid, and the apparent permeability coefficient of THSG were 2.07- and 1.97-fold lower for OR-PMR in the ileum and duodenum, respectively. Thus, the compatibility could potentially be used to change the biopharmaceutical properties of THSG. Moreover, the present study established a research method for describing the compatibilities of traditional Chinese medicine based on stability-intestinal absorption, which may provide important reference values for the compatibilities of traditional Chinese medicine.

Arthroscopically Assisted Fixation of Terrible Triad Variant Injuries of the Elbow With Small-Bore Needle Arthroscopy

The range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications of needle arthroscopy (NA) continue to expand due to advances in image quality and resolution. Minimally invasive techniques can be augmented by the smaller camera size and reduced fluid use made possible by NA. Small-bore arthroscopy presents opportunities for use in smaller joints, such as the elbow, where applications of standard arthroscopic equipment may be limited by small anatomic spaces and fluid extravasation. In this Technical Note, we present our technique for NA-assisted treatment of terrible triad injuries, specifically in the setting of an intact radial head. The technique describes a stepwise approach to arthroscopically aided fixation of the coronoid process, followed by open reconstruction of the lateral collateral ligament complex.

Tourmaline geochemistry and boron isotope variations as a guide to fluid-rock interaction in the Qinghe pegmatite, NW China

The alteration zone around pegmatites can be used as a direct tool to trace the property of pegmatite-derived fluids. In the present study, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, and MC-ICP-MS were used to analyze major elements, trace elements and boron isotope compositions of tourmaline from Qinghe barren pegmatite, NW China. Most tourmalines from the pegmatite are schorl, while the remaining tourmalines from the pegmatite, the contact zone, the altered wall rock and the unaltered wall rock are dravite. All tourmalines follow the exchange vector (Fe + Mg) (Al + Xvac)−1, indicating enriched Fe and Mg. The Fe3+Al−1 exchange vector and increase of V/Sc in the late stage suggest sudden destruction of the pegmatite system. The δ11B indicates that a small scale fluid exsolution occurred in the late stage. Compared with other fertile pegmatites around the world, Qinghe pegmatite has the most negative δ11B and lower Li content, indicating that both the source and evolution process have an impact thereon.