Vertical Fissure Research Articles

Application of modified grafted tubularized incised plate urethroplasty in hypospadias

To investigate the clinical feasibility and effectiveness of the modified grafted tubularized incised plate urethroplasty (G-TIP), namely "glans G-TIP (GG-TIP) ", in treatment of hypospadias. A clinical data of 137 children with hypospadias qualified by the selection criteria between January 2021 and June 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 75 children were treated with GG-TIP (GG-TIP group) and 62 with G-TIP (G-TIP group). There was no significant difference ( P>0.05) between the two groups in terms of age, hypospadias type, penile length, penile head width, penile head height, penile curvature, meatus-apex distance, urethral plate width, and distance from the distal endpoint of navicular groove to the dorsal or ventral midline point of the glans corona, and the difference between the two. The operation time, reconstructed urethral length, distance from meatus to ventral glans corona, postoperative complications, maximum urinary flow rate at 2 weeks after operation, and the hypospadias objective scoring evaluation (HOSE) score at 6 months after operation in the two groups were recorded and analyzed. The operation time was significantly shorter in GG-TIP group than in G-TIP group ( P<0.05); but there was no significant difference ( P>0.05) between the two groups in terms of reconstructed urethral length and distance from meatus to ventral glans corona. All urinary meatus located at the tip of glans with vertical fissure shape. All children in the two groups were followed up 6-35 months (median, 26 months). During follow-up, there were 3 cases of urethral fistula, 2 cases of urethral stricture, and 1 case of glans separation in GG-TIP group, and 3, 3, and 1 cases in the G-TIP group, respectively. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups ( P>0.05). The maximum urinary flow rate at 2 weeks and the HOSE score at 6 months after operation were significantly higher in GG-TIP group than in G-TIP group ( P<0.05). GG-TIP is safe and effective for repairing hypospadias in children. Compared with G-TIP, it has the advantages of relatively simple operation, shortened operation time, significant improvement in urinary flow rate, and better cosmetic results.

Management of orofacial granulomatosis: A case report

The term orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) was introduced by Wiesenfeld in the year 1985. OFG describes a disease with frequent or persistent edema in the orofacial region. It may be idiopathic or may present as a localized form or generalized form as in Crohn’s disease, tuberculosis, and sarcoidosis. The clinical features include facial or lip swellings, angular cheilitis, oral ulcerations, vertical fissures of lips, gingival enlargement, mucosal tags, and sometimes lymph node enlargement. The diagnosis of OFG is quite challenging and it should be excluded from other granulomatous conditions. The usual treatment for this condition includes corticosteroids, monoclonal antibodies, and tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors. It has been suggested that intralesional triamcinolone injections are a safe and effective therapeutic strategy in controlling the permanent disfiguring swelling of OFG. Hereby, we present a case of a 34-year-old female patient who reported with swollen upper lips and gingival enlargement.

3D reverse-time migration for pure P-wave in orthorhombic media

Compared with the transverse isotropic (TI) medium, the orthorhombic anisotropic medium has both horizontal and vertical symmetry axes and it can be approximated as a set of vertical fissures developed in a group of horizontal strata. Although the full-elastic orthorhombic anisotropic wave equation can accurately simulate seismic wave propagation in the underground media, a huge computational cost is required in seismic modeling, migration, and inversion. The conventional coupled pseudo-acoustic wave equations based on acoustic approximation can be used to significantly reduce the cost of calculation. However, these equations usually suffer from unwanted shear wave artifacts during wave propagation, and the presence of these artifacts can significantly degrade the imaging quality. To solve these problems, we derived a new pure P-wave equation for orthorhombic media that eliminates shear wave artifacts while compromising computational efficiency and accuracy. In addition, the derived equation involves pseudo-differential operators and it must be solved by 3D FFT algorithms. In order to reduce the number of 3D FFT, we utilized the finite difference and pseudo-spectral methods to conduct 3D forward modeling. Furthermore, we simplified the equation by using elliptic approximation and implemented 3D reverse-time migration (RTM). Forward modeling tests on several homogeneous and heterogeneous models confirm that the accuracy of the new equation is better than that of conventional methods. 3D RTM imaging tests on three-layer and SEG/EAGE 3D salt models confirm that the ORT media have better imaging quality.

Compression of filled, open-cell, 3D-printed Kelvin lattices

The sensitivity of compressive strength of a polymeric Kelvin lattice to the presence of an epoxy core has been investigated both experimentally and numerically. Crush bands develop in the empty lattice, with large oscillations in load due to geometric softening and the sequential fracture of successive layers of struts. In contrast, the epoxy core has a sufficiently high modulus and strength that outward lateral flow of the epoxy through the open-cell lattice is negligible: the boundary layer, wherein migration of epoxy occurs through the lattice, extends less than one cell size from the surface of the specimen. The epoxy core supports the struts and stabilises the bulk macroscopic response against crush band formation. Finite element analysis of periodic unit cells show that the presence of an almost incompressible epoxy core changes the deformation mode of the lattice from one that is close to uniaxial straining to an isochoric mode. However, both the compressible collapse mode of the empty lattice and the isochoric deformation mode of the filled lattice are bending-dominated. At finite strain, the observed macroscopic strength of the filled lattice is degraded by bending failure of the struts and by tensile cracking of the adjacent core; the failure location is at a particular subset of the nodes of the lattice. Microcrack coalescence leads to the formation of a series of vertical fissures in the specimen.

Research on Gas Flow in Vertical Fissure Field of Coal Mine Goaf

The gas in the goaf of a coal mine is difficult to extract compared to the gas in the roadway. Studying the flow pattern of gas in the goaf fracture field is of great significance for optimizing gas extraction measures and ensuring coal mine production safety. Taking a coal mining face in Shaanxi Province, China as the research object, a mathematical model of gas flow was constructed. Through finite element numerical simulation, the pressure and velocity distribution of gas in the goaf fracture field were obtained, and the influence of vertical fracture field on gas flow was analyzed. The research results provide a theoretical basis for coal mine gas control.

Research on Sustainable Mining and Water Prevention in Large Open-Pit Water Deposits

Due to the impacts on the ecological environment, production safety and the economic benefits of large open-pit water deposits, there is no longer a single drainage method within the pit that can be used to meet the need for further deep mining. Therefore, curtain grouting technology is proposed for use in the prevention and control of mine water. The flow control equation of slurry in vertical fissures under the influence of self-weight stress was derived, and a three-dimensional visualized laminated jointed rock grouting model was developed independently to study the slurry transport mechanism, diffusion pattern, and sealing mechanism, which verified the correctness of the control equation. Field trials of industrial curtain grouting were also carried out at the mines, and the effectiveness of curtain water blockage was tested using visual analysis, inspection hole detection, and geophysical exploration methods. The results showed that after grouting the curtain, water-conducting cracks in the formation can be filled well and sealed, and the curtain has a good water-blocking effect. A complete set of diversified value-taking grouting systems is obtained, which can ensure the development of a green, safe and sustainable mine in the future.

Experimental Study on the Compressive Strength of Masonry Blocks with Geopolymer Mortar

Masonry units are the major building materials used in construction work. There are several masonry units available in the market today. Some of the widely used masonry units are burnt clay bricks, concrete blocks, fly ash blocks, compressed stabilized soil/earth blocks, geopolymer mud blocks, geopolymer concrete blocks, and so on. These blocks are used for the construction of load bearing structure. To bond two masonry units together, mortar plays a vital role. Fly ash based geopolymer mortar has been used in this study. The strength of masonry units namely bricks, concrete blocks and stabilized geopolymer blocks masonry with geopolymer mortar has been individually studied and the results have been tabulated. From this study, it was found that the stabilized geopolymer mud blocks are suitable in the construction of load bearing walls and for other structural purposes. The failure pattern revealed visible vertical fissures and ultimately spalling of brick prism blocks.

Overburden Failure Associated with Slicing Mining in a Super Thick Coal Seam under Special Weak Aquifers

With the increasing improvement of national ecological standards, the eco-environmental problems caused by super thick coal seam mining in western China are becoming more and more serious. The failure law of weak overburden stratum is an important factor affecting the safe mining of coal. The failure characteristics of weakly cemented overburden under high-intensity mining in the mining area of western China were studied. For this purpose, a case study was conducted in the 1101 working face of the Baituyao Coal Mine in Ürümqi County. Based on the analysis of geological conditions in the study area, we combined empirical calculations with engineering analogy, physical simulation, and numerical simulation to comprehensively analyze the characteristics of mining-induced overburden failure. The study showed that the overburden in the study area had several unfavorable engineering geological characteristics, including ease of softening in the presence of water. The Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation is a directly recharged aquifer with a weak water-retaining property. Overburden failure mainly occurred at the two ends of the open-off cut. During the mining process, vertical fissures and bed-separated fissures were periodically developed and closed, and the fissures were interconnected. The overburden was fractured, and the fractured zone showed a trapezoidal shape, tapering off from bottom to top. The heights of the caving zone and the water-conducting fracture zone were 25 and 280 m, respectively, in the 1101 working face of the Baituyao Coal Mine, and the ratio of fracturing to mining height was 14.0. Due to the weakly cemented overburden and the presence of the Neogene weak aquifer, the risk of water and sand bursts still exists in this working face under high-intensity mining. Our findings shed light on the safe mining and environmental protection of the ground surface in coal mine shafts in western China.

Fractal characteristics of overburden fissures in shallow thick coal seam mining in loess gully areas.

The problems of water scarcity and ecological fragility are common in the loess gully area. To research the distribution and evolution of the overburden fissures and quantitatively analyze them have certain theoretical and engineering significance for realizing the evaluation of overburden damage degree and safe and green mining. This paper takes the 6102 working face of Chuancao Gedan Coal Mine as the engineering background. The development law and distribution characteristics of overburden fissures caused by the mining of shallow coal seams in the loess gully area were studied by the combination of physical similarity simulation, numerical similarity simulation and fractal theory. The results show that the fractal dimension change of the overburden fissures caused by the shallow mining of coal seam groups in the loess gully area can be divided into three stages during the mining process of the working face. Repeated mining causes the activation and development of overburden fissures, the fractal dimension increases significantly, and the regularity of changes weakens. The magnitude of the stress near the working face and the fluctuation times of the stress in the goaf have an influence on the change of the fractal dimension of the overburden fissures. According to the development angle and the fractal dimension of the overburden fissures, the overburden rock above the goaf is divided into the collapse fissure area, the compaction fissure area, and the vertical fissure area. Overburden fissures develop violently in the vertical fissure area, the overburden fissures in the compaction fissure area are mostly transverse fissures, and the overburden fissures in the caving fissure area are irregular.

Cadaveric study of morphology of caudate lobe of the liver in North Indian population

The caudate lobe is a vertically elongated central projection from posterior surface of liver. It is bordered on the right by the groove for the inferior vena cava (IVC), on the left by the fissure for the ligamentum venosum, and on the bottom by the porta hepatis. It is continuous on the superior aspect with the upper part of the right limb of the fissure for the ligamentum venosum. The morphology of the caudate lobe was studied in 100 cadaveric human livers (15-70 years old) stored in 10% formaldehyde, regardless of gender, obtained from the department of anatomy at Santosh Medical College in Ghaziabad. The caudate lobe was observed in a variety of shapes. Vertical fissures extending upward from the lower border of the caudate lobe were seen in 52% of the liver specimens, while accessory caudate fissures extending downward from the upper border were seen in 9% and accessory transverse fissures were seen in 3% cases. Caudate notch was horizontal in 11% of liver specimens. The papillary process was visible in 27% of the liver specimens; a hook shape of the papillary process was seen in one liver specimen. Caudate process was present in 18% of the cases. Linguiform process was observed in 46% of cadaveric liver specimens. As observed, the incidences of morphological variations of the caudate lobe are very high, so it is critical for both radiologists and surgeons to keep these variations in mind when making diagnoses and planning surgeries for a favourable clinical outcome.

Ophthalmic findings in a herd of Caspian miniature horses

SummaryBackgroundThe Caspian miniature horse (CMH) is a small horse breed, which has not previously been evaluated for ophthalmic diseases.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to describe the ocular findings and to declare the normal ocular parameters seen in a small herd of CMH.Study designCross‐sectional study.MethodsForty‐five Caspian miniature horses (25 mares and 20 stallions) were examined. Complete ophthalmic examination, commensal ocular surface microbiota culture and measurement of the horizontal and vertical fissure length were performed.ResultsMean ± SD age of horses was 52.0 ± 33.9 months (range: 12–122 months). Nine different ocular disorders were observed: dacryocystitis, conjunctivitis, linear keratopathy, Haab's striae, corpora nigra atrophy, iris hyperpigmentation, cataract, peripapillary butterfly inactive lesions and inactive choroiditis were detected. In total, 17 eyes (18.8%) of 12 horses (26.2%) had ocular related lesions. Two horses (4%) had more than one ocular lesion; the lesions were consistent with a diagnosis of either traumatic or recurrent uveitis. No vision loss was detected in these horses despite the identified ocular disorders.Main limitationsLimited number of studied animals.ConclusionsThis study reported ocular findings in a small herd of CMH. A minority of horses in the herd had ocular lesions suggesting a history of glaucoma and/or equine recurrent uveitis.

Ptosis Repair with Additional Blepharoplasty

Purpose: To share the results of Levator resection with additional blepharoplasty in patients with ptosis. Study Design: Interventional case series. Place and duration of study: This study was carried out at Khalid eye clinic, Karachi, from January 2019 to June 2019. Methods: We recruited twelve patients belonging to either gender with ages ranging from 18 to 35 years. Patients with moderate to severe ptosis with fair to good Levator function were included in the study. Whereas, patients with previous history of eyelid procedure or any bleeding diathesis were excluded. All patients were briefed about the study dynamics and complete ocular examination along with ptosis evaluation were performed. Levator resection was done with additional blepharoplasty. The amount of skin removal was solely dependent upon the surgeon’s clinical judgment. Main outcome measure was cosmetic appearance by assessing the vertical fissure height as compared to the contra lateral eye, and the amount of overhanging skin at the lid crease as judged by the patients and the oculoplastic surgeon. Result: This study included thirteen eyes of both genders with a mean age of 23.7±4.19 years. Twelve out of thirteen eyes had a satisfactory final cosmetic appearance, and were also graded as excellent by another oculoplastic surgeon. One patient required revision of surgery for the overhanging skin at the lid crease. Conclusion: Additional blepharoplasty with Levator resection can be a good option for ptosis correction and it provides a good aesthetic appearance. Key Words: Ptosis, Levator resection, Blepharoplasty.

Morphological Variations and Morphometric Analysis of the Caudate Lobe of Liver: A Cadaveric Study

Introduction: The caudate lobe is most referred area of the liver radiologically. In cirrhosis, the right lobe exhibits relatively greater shrinkage, while the caudate lobe undergoes relative enlargement as it is the only segment which receives blood independently from left and right branches of portal veins. Aims: To assess the morphological variations and morphometric analysis of the caudate lobe of liver in the cadavers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on 48 formalin fixed human liver specimens available in the gross anatomy laboratory of Department of Anatomy, National Medical College, Birgunj, Nepal. The caudate lobe of liver specimens was studied for morphological variations and different measurements were taken, and the result was presented in tables. Results: The caudate lobe showed a wide range of variations in shape. Caudate lobe was present in all 48 specimens of liver out of which, 15 specimens were rectangular (31.25%), 26 specimens were pyriform (54.16%) and 7 specimens were irregular (14.58%) respectively. In 6 liver specimens (12.50% of total number of liver specimens), there was vertical fissure that extended upwards from the lower border of caudate lobe was seen in 6 specimens (12.50%). Notch was present in 10 specimens (20.83%). Conclusion: The caudate lobe of the liver showed a great degree of variations and the most common shape was pyriform. The ratio of the transverse diameter of the caudate lobe to that of the right lobe of the liver (CT/RL) ratio was found to be 0.14.

Investigation of the Optimal Layout of the Roadway in Closely Spaced Ultra-Thick Coal Seams Mining with Remaining Coal Pillars

The reasonable layout of the roadway in closely spaced, ultra-thick coal seam mining is of great significance to mining safety. Based on the research background of repeated roof leaks in the process of repairing the return air roadway in working face No. 30503 in the Tashan Coal Mine, theoretical analysis, in situ engineering testing, and numerical simulation were jointly adopted to evaluate the stability of the return air roadway under two schemes of repairing the original return air roadway and excavating a new return air roadway. The results show that the vertical mining-induced fissure above the roadway will cause severe damage to the roadway due to the influence of working-face mining when restoration of the roadway excavation is adopted. When choosing to excavate a new return air roadway, the new return air roadway just staggers the vertical cracks located in the top slab of the original return air roadway, putting the roadway in a state of stress reduction, making the roadway itself more stable and conducive to support. Therefore, the new air return tunnel was selected to establish the working face. To ensure safety of the working face during the mining of the original return air roadway, the original return air roadway was filled with high water content materials. Site investigation data show that this material plays a cushioning role in the filling section of the original return air roadway during the mining of the 30503 working face, and the deformation of the new return air roadway during the filling section crossing the original return roadway is stable and well controlled.

Stress-strain state and stability of the Unglichikan open pit walls

Research objective is to identify the features of stress-strained state development and estimate the stability of Unglichikan open pit walls and dump slopes based on calculation, analysis, and estimation with the certified finite element method GenIDE32. The introduction describes features of research object location natural-technogenic conditions and geological history of rocks building up the research object. Research relevance is due to complex solution to deep and high mountain structures design problems, account for construction technologies, and stress-strained state and elements stability determination. Methods of the stress-strained state numerical calculation, analysis, and estimation for the “structure– geological environment” system consists in using all tools of the program’s interface, namely, values, value levels, isolines and graphs for different quantities, including the graphs of stress-strained state behavior trajectories in the space of the stress tensor invariants and relative strains. Results of calculation are presented as the program’s capabilities in graphic representation of the sequential development of mudslides in open pit walls and dump slopes with vertical fissures. Colors of magnitude levels specify the contours of mudslides, while the corresponding shading of finite elements indicates the fissure formation sites. Conclusions. Calculation results proved the stability of the mountain structures for the selected size dimensions of open pit walls and dump slopes.

Destruction of the Royal Town at Visegrád, Hungary: Historical Evidence and Archaeoseismology of the A.D. 1541 Earthquake at the Proposed Danube Dam Site

Abstract The Danube Bend is the site of the proposed Nagymaros dam, part of the Gabčikovo–Nagymaros hydropower complex in Slovakia and Hungary. The dam was designed in the 1970s to resist intensity VI seismic events. We present historical and archaeological evidence for an intensity IX earthquake on 21 August 1541, which destroyed buildings of the royal town of Visegrád. Evidence includes vertical fissures cutting through the 30-m-high, thirteenth-century donjon Salamon Tower, built on hard rock. Some parts of the adjacent fifteenth-century Franciscan friary, built on the alluvial plain, collapsed because of liquefaction of the subsoil. The date of a potentially responsible earthquake on 21 August 1541 was recorded in a sermon of the eyewitness Lutheran minister Péter Bornemisza, living at Pest-Buda, 35 km away. Taken by the Ottoman army in 1544, the royal town and the fortress lost strategic importance, never to be rebuilt. Photographs and drawings of the donjon made three centuries later faithfully reflect the status of sixteenth-century seismic damage, corroborated by modern archaeological excavations in the ecclesiastic complex.

Prospective Correlation of Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Severe Clinical Features of Thyroid Eye Disease.

To evaluate the association between risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and severity of thyroid eye disease (TED) using a validated OSA screening tool. A prospective, observational cohort study was performed. New adult TED patients were offered OSA screening with the Snoring Tired Observed Pressure (STOP)-Bang survey during their initial evaluation. Clinical examination and treatment for TED were standard of care and utilized the International Thyroid Eye Disease Society Vision Inflammation Strabismus Appearance system. At the conclusion of the study period, analysis was performed correlating maximum severity of TED signs and symptoms between high- and low-risk OSA groups. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were also performed to analyze the association between the numerical STOP-Bang score and maximum severity of the potentially actionable clinical features of TED (compressive optic neuropathy, vertical prism deviation, horizontal prism deviation, exophthalmos, vertical fissure height). Eighty-five patients met inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight percent were at high risk of OSA (STOP-Bang score of 3 or higher). When comparing the low- and high-risk cohorts, increased risk of OSA was significantly associated with the development of TED compressive optic neuropathy (p = 0.014), conjunctival injection (p = 0.027), chemosis (p = 0.013), upper eyelid edema (p = 0.024), lower eyelid edema (p = 0.003), eyelid erythema (p = 0.037), and vertical strabismus (p = 0.047). In the multivariate regression analyses, higher STOP-Bang scores correlated with increased risk of TED compressive optic neuropathy (p = 0.006), vertical strabismus (p = 0.019), and higher subjective diplopia scores (p = 0.045). Increased risk of OSA, as determined by the STOP-Bang survey, is associated with increased severity of multiple clinical features of TED, including TED compressive optic neuropathy and strabismus.

Study of mechanical behavior of salt rock with prefabricated fissures under different confining pressures

To study the mechanical behavior of apparent fissures in salt rock, tests on the rock mechanics were conducted on an RMT-150B multifunctional system. The effects of the apparent fissures on the strength and deformation, as well as the apparent fissure propagation behavior of the salt rock and its coalescence pattern, were analyzed. The propagation evolution of the apparent fissures was divided into two types. The main fissures extending from the initial apparent fissures of the salt rock specimens comprised the first type. The second type was that the initial apparent fissures of specimens were closed. Then, new microfissures initiated from the initial apparent fissures gathered together, and formed main fissures. Simultaneously, the secondary fissures grew slowly. The tensile coalescence pattern and tension-shear coalescence pattern are the main coalescence patterns of salt rock with apparent fissures. Pressured coalescence patterns and other coalescence patterns did not appear. Owing to the compactness of the structure, the paths of fissure coalescence present an obvious zigzag line. The influence of vertical transfixion fissures on the deformation modulus of salt rock is greater than the influence of inclined fissures.

Orofacial Granulomatosis Treated with Systemic Steroid: A Case Report

Orofacial granulomatosis refers to conditions restricted to oral region mainly characterized by chronic swelling of orofacial tissues with histological evidence of non-caseating granuloma. It may be idiopathic where there is absence of identifiable granulomatous disease or may present as a component of localized or generalized Crohn’s disease, tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. The clinical features are facial or lip swelling, angular cheilitis, oral ulcerations, vertical fissures of lips, gingival enlargement, mucosal tags and sometimes lymph node enlargement. A middle-aged female presented to our outpatient department with diffuse chronic swelling of lips which after treatment with systemic steroid showed visible improvement during follow up.

Optical Quality Assessment in Patients with Unilateral Congenital Ptosis: A Matched Case-Control Study

Background. To evaluate the differences in the corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and optical quality of the ptosis eyes compared with the normal fellow eyes in the unilateral congenital ptosis patients. Methods. A matched case-control study was performed in 17 pairs of eyes in 17 unilateral congenital ptosis patients. The ptosis eye was enrolled in the ptosis group while the normal fellow eye was enrolled in the normal group. The HOAs obtained from Pentacam HR and the optical quality parameters obtained from Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS) were compared between the two groups. Results. There were significant differences in a vertical coma and vertical trefoil on the anterior corneal surface between the ptosis group and the normal group p &lt; 0.05 . The OQAS parameters in the ptosis group were significantly different from those in the normal group p &lt; 0.05 . The vertical fissure height (VFH) showed a significant correlation with the total HOAs, 3rd HOAs, and vertical coma on the anterior corneal surface p &lt; 0.05 . Conclusions. Compared with the normal fellow eyes, the ptosis eyes showed significantly degraded optical quality. The eyelid position was important for the changes of corneal HOAs in the ptosis eyes. The reasons for the discrepancy of the OQAS parameters between the ptosis eyes and normal fellow eyes were multiple.