Wall Separation Research Articles

How Effective is Deep Inspiration Breath Hold in Minimizing Cardiac Doses During Hybrid Radiotherapy Treatment for Left-Sided Breast Cancer with Comprehensive Regional Nodes?

In the context of left breast cancer radiotherapy, long term cardiopulmonary toxicity has been well-documented, significant efforts have been undertaken to mitigate such toxicity by using 4D gating, deep inspiration breath-hold(DIBH) and active breath control(ABC) techniques. To evaluate and compare the cardio-pulmonary radiation doses incurred during postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in two distinct breathing conditions such as DIBH and Free Breathing (FB), with a specific focus on the left chest wall with comprehensive regional nodal irradiation. A prospective dosimetric study was conducted on 15 patients who received adjuvant loco-regional radiotherapy of chest-wall (CW), supraclavicular fossa(SCF), and internal mammary region(IMC), with or without axilla. Two sets of planning CT scans were taken in DIBH and FB conditions. The dosimetric difference between DIBH CT and FB CT plans analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, employing SPSS software version 21.0. Comparison of DIBH and FB parameters for target coverage revealed a statistically significant advantage with DIBH in SCF(D95, V90, p<0.017) and IMC(D98, V90 & V95, p<0.03). Dosimetric characteristics of heart and LAD exhibited statistically significant lower doses with DIBH (V20, V25, and Dmean, p<0.001) compared to FB plans. Lung doses were similar with no discernible advantage of one technique over the other. Other OARs such as contralateral breast (p=0.027) and esophagus (p=0.001) received lower doses with the DIBH technique while the spinal cord (p=0.691) and thyroid(p=0.496) showed no significant difference. Maximum heart distance (p= 0.001), central lung distance (p= 0.011) and Haller index (p= 0.001) exhibited statistical significance between the two techniques, whereas chest wall separation showed no significant statistical difference (p=0.629). DIBH demonstrates a substantial reduction in cardiac and LAD doses compared to the FB technique. This study underscores the efficacy of DIBH as a viable strategy for mitigating cardiac and LAD radiation doses in left-sided breast cancer patients undergoing PMRT of chest wall with comprehensive regional nodes.

Ultraconfined oblate hard particles between hybrid penetrable walls.

We have investigated, by Monte Carlo simulation, the orientational structure of very thin films of a discotic liquid crystal (DLC) confined between hybrid walls of controllable penetrability, as a function of wall separation L_{z}. Our purpose was to clarify whether, as predicted by continuum theory, the preferred orientation of the DLC is uniform, changes linearly, or changes discontinuously, when L_{z} and the anchoring strengths at either wall are changed. The model consists of oblate hard Gaussian overlap (HGO) particles: each wall sees a particle as a disk of zero thickness and diameter D less than or equal to that of the actual particle σ_{0}, embedded inside the particle and located halfway along, and perpendicular to, its minor axis. This provides a particle-level mechanism to control the anchoring properties of the walls, from planar (edge-on) for D∼0 to homeotropic (face-on) for D∼σ_{0}, which can be done independently at either wall. As in our earlier work [C. Anquetil-Deck et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 124, 7709 (2020)1520-610610.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05027], which was restricted to L_{z}=6σ_{0}, depending on the values of D_{s}≡D/σ_{0} at the top (D_{s}^{t}) and bottom (D_{s}^{b}) walls, we find domains in (D_{s}^{b},D_{s}^{t}) space in which particle alignment is uniform planar (UP), uniform homeotropic (UH), or varies linearly from planar at one wall to homeotropic at the other (L), but no bistable or tristable regions are identified between these domains. Most importantly, there appears never to occur an abrupt change of the LC orientation when the walls strongly favor different anchorings, in general agreement with the scenario proposed by Velasco and co-workers [D. de las Heras et al., Phys. Rev. E 79, 011712 (2009)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.79.011712], but in contrast to the behavior of equivalent calamitic systems [F. Barmes et al., Phys. Rev. E 69, 061705 (2004)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.69.061705; Phys. Rev. E, 71, 021705 (2005)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.71.021705; C. Anquetil-Deck et al., Phys. Rev. E 86, 041707 (2012)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.86.041707]. However, for the thinnest films investigated (L_{z}=2σ_{0}), the system is unable to accommodate a rotation of the preferred particle orientation from one wall to the other and adopts instead a tilted configuration, similar to that reported earlier for Gay-Berne films in symmetric confinement [T. Gruhn et al., Thin Solid Films 330, 46 (1998)0040-609010.1016/S0040-6090(98)00799-8; Mol. Phys. 93, 681 (1998)10.1080/002689798169014] but which, as far as we know, has been missed in most earlier work.

Changes in Water Dynamics and Vigor of Recalcitrant Phoebe chekiangensis Seeds during Desiccation by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Transmission Electron Microscopy

The vigor of recalcitrant seeds is closely related to seed moisture. Real-time, non-destructive monitoring of changes in water distribution and status during the seed desiccation, utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, is crucial for preserving the high vigor of these seeds. In this study, we investigated the changes in the vigor of Phoebe chekiangensis seeds during natural desiccation, focusing on seed germination, seed size, and ultrastructural changes, while also exploring seed moisture dynamics with NMR. Our results indicated that the moisture content of fresh, undehydrated P. chekiangensis seeds was 37.06%. As the seeds dried to 25.09% moisture content, their germination ability decreased by approximately 88%. Magnetic resonance images (MRIs) revealed that the internal water of fresh P. chekiangensis seeds was primarily concentrated in the embryonic axis and the middle of the cotyledons. During desiccation, water loss occurred from the exterior to the interior of the embryonic axis, and from the periphery to the center of the cotyledons. Low-field NMR results demonstrated that fresh, undehydrated seeds contained the highest proportion of free water at 55.47%, followed by immobile water at 37.88% and bound water at 4.36%. As drying progressed, the proportion of free water decreased significantly, while immobile water initially decreased and then increased markedly, and the proportion of bound water also rose. Combined with transmission electron microscopy results, we observed that when the seeds were dried to 28.11% moisture content or lower, the cells in the cotyledons and embryonic axis began to shrink due to free water loss, resulting in plasmic wall separation and a subsequent loss of seed vigor. Correlation analysis further revealed a highly significant relationship between the decrease in germination and the loss of free water of P. chekiangensis seeds.

Experimental investigation of the effects of graphene nano particle added water fluid on heat transfer in a smooth tube with double inserts

In this study, experimental studies were carried out to increase the performance of heat exchangers. The effects of two techniques (inserts and nanofluid) on thermohydraulic performance was investigated simultaneously. The twisted tape and the helically wire coil were originally created. The two separation ratios (0.1 and 0.05), the eight twisted tape pitch ratios (1.9/2.3/2.7/3 and 2.1/2.4/2.8/3.2), the four coil wire pitch ratios (0.8/1.2/1.5/1.6) and three weight fractions (0.5/0.75/1 %) for graphene-water nanofluids were used with the Reynolds number ranging from 5000 to 26,000. Experiments in which a coiled wire coil and twisted tape are used together have been found to increase both the heat transfer rate and the friction factor compared to experiments using distilled water in an empty tube. According to the results of all experiments, it was found that the highest heat transfer rate and friction factor were obtained with the model containing graphene-water fluid used at a weight fraction of 1 %. The highest performance evaluation criteria is found as 2.5 b y using the graphene-water mixture model with a wall separation ratio of 0.05, a twisted tape ratio of 2.1, a wire coil ratio of 0.8 and a 1 % weight fraction among all combinations.

Microbial diversity in dairy manure environment under liquid-solid separation systems

ABSTRACT In dairy manure, a wide array of microorganisms, including many pathogens, survive and grow under suitable conditions. This microbial community offers a tremendous opportunity for studying animal health, the transport of microbes into the soil, air, and water, and consequential impacts on public health. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of manure management practices on the microbial community of manure. The key novelty of this work is to identify the impacts of various stages of manure management on microbes living in dairy manure. In general, the majority of dairy farms in California use a flush system to manage dairy manure, which involves liquid-solid separations. To separate liquid and solid in manure, Multi-stage Alternate Dairy Effluent Management Systems (ADEMS) that use mechanical separation systems (MSS) or weeping wall separation systems (WWSS) are used. Thus, this study was conducted to understand how these manure management systems affect the microbial community. We studied the microbial communities in the WWSS and MSS separation systems, as well as in the four stages of the ADEMS. The 16S rRNA gene from the extracted genomic DNA of dairy manure was amplified using the NovoSeq Illumina next-generation sequencing platform. The sequencing data were used to perform the analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) and multi-response permutation procedure (MRRP) statistical tests, and the results showed that microbial communities among WWSS and MSS were significantly different (p < 0.05). These findings have significant practical implications for the design and implementation of manure management practices in dairy farms.

Imaging Characteristics of Clear Cell Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma: Identifying the Sheep in Wolf's Clothing.

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma (CCPRCC). This retrospective study comprised 27 patients diagnosed with 29 tumors of CCPRCC. The study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee and the requirement for the informed consent was waived. The inclusion criteria stipulated pathology-confirmed CCPRCCs with at least one preoperative imaging examination, including CT or MRI. Two experienced radiologists independently analyzed the imaging characteristics, including size, location, growth mode, morphology, texture, density, and enhancement pattern. Paired t-test was used to compare differences in CT Hounsfield unit values and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) imaging between the tumor and the renal cortex. The mean age of the 27 patients was 57.0 ± 14.2 years. Nineteen patients underwent CT, while 12 underwent MRI (There are 4 patients underwent not only CT but also MRI). Among the cases, 26 (96%) were single, and 1 (4%) was multiple, consisting of three lesions. Out of the 29 tumors, 15 (52%) were located in the left kidney and 14 (48%) in the right kidney. The mean tumor diameter was 3.3 ± 1.7 cm. Furthermore, 19 (66%), 3 (10%), and 7 (24%) tumors were solid, cystic, mixed solid, and cystic type, respectively. The growth mode was endogenous and exogenous in 8 (28%) and 21 (72%) tumors, respectively. The tumor shape was irregular and round in 5 (17%) and 24 (83%) tumors, respectively. The CT value of the tumor was approximately 33.2 ± 9.8 HU, which was not significantly different from that of the renal cortex(31.1 ± 6.3HU)(p = 0.343). Furthermore, 7 (24%), 12 (41%), and 3 (10%) had calcification, cystic degeneration, and hemorrhage, respectively. In 12 tumors, hypointense and hyperintense were predominant on T1 and T2-weighted images, respectively. The tumor capsule was found at the edge of 12 tumors. The average ADC value of the tumor (1.54 ± 0.74 × 10-3 mm2/s) and that of the renal cortex(1.68 ± 0.63×10-3mm2 /s) was not statistically significantly different (p = 0.260). The enhancement scanning revealed "wash-in and wash-out" enhancement in 19 (68%) tumors, continuous or progressive enhancement in 6 (21%) tumors, and enhanced cystic wall and central separation in 3 (11%) tumors. CCPRCC occurs more likely in middle-aged and elderly individuals, and the tumor is prone to cystic degeneration, with rare bleeding and calcification, and no obvious limitation on MRI diffusion-weighted imaging, which enhancement form performs as mainly "wash-in and washout," but the final diagnosis depends on histopathology.

Numerical investigations on interactions between 2D/3D conical shock wave and axisymmetric boundary layer at Ma=2.2

Numerical simulation and analysis are carried out on interactions between a 2D/3D conical shock wave and an axisymmetric boundary layer with reference to the experiment by Kussoy et al. [AIAA J, 1980, 18(12): 1477–1487], in which the shock was generated by a 15° half-angle cone in a tube at 15° angle of attack (AOA). Based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and Menter's SST turbulence model, the present study uses the newly developed WENO3−PRM1,12 scheme and the PHengLEI CFD platform for the computations. First, computations are performed for the 3D interaction corresponding to the conditions of the experiment by Kussoy et al., and these are then extended to cases with AOA = 10° and 5° For comparison, 2D axisymmetric counterparts of the 3D interactions are investigated for cones coaxial with the tube and having half-cone angles of 27.35°, 24.81°, and 20.96° The shock wave structure, vortex structure, variable distributions, and wall separation topology of the interaction are computed. The results show that in 2D/3D interactions, a new Mach reflection-like event occurs and a Mach stem-like structure is generated above the front of the separation bubble, which differs from the model of Delery for 2D planar shock wave/boundary layer interaction. A new interaction model is established to describe this behavior. The relationship between the length of the circumferentially unseparated region in the tube and the AOA of the cone indicates the existence of a critical AOA at which the length is zero, and a prediction of this angle is obtained using an empirical fit, which is verified by computation. The occurrence of side overflow in the windward meridional plane is analyzed, and a quantitative knowledge is obtained. To further elucidate the characteristics of the 3D interaction, the scale and structure of the vortex and the pressure and friction force distributions are presented and compared with those of the 2D interaction.

Numerical simulation and experimental research on oscillation performance of disc-type jet oscillator

Based on active flow control technology, the two wall jets attached to a standard cylindrical surface due to the Coanda effect will output a detached jet when they collide. The direction of the output jets produced by this collision is very sensitive to small changes in the two wall jets. Therefore, a new type of curved-wall supersonic compressible disc-type jet oscillator is proposed by using the oscillating feedback jet as the source of wall separation. Through monitoring the internal flow field, the jet core’s pressure attenuation, the jet’s amplitude, and the wall pressure are analyzed. The results show that the disc-type jet oscillator model with a double-bend inlet has the best performance. After adding a multi-pipe outlet structure to the model, the oscillators with various disc diameters were simulated at different inlet pressures and air inlet frequencies to the wall-off control port. The oscillation performance of the disc jet oscillator is better when the diameter of the disc is 32 mm and 20 mm, and the included angle between the wall-off control port and the horizontal direction is 45°. Two kinds of oscillators of the same diameter as the model are experimentally studied, and the results prove the feasibility of the disc-type jet oscillator.

Exploration of transient flow perturbations in a bulb turbine diffuser using proper orthogonal decomposition

Hydraulic turbines with high efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions offer a much sought-after flexibility to electricity producers. However, some low-head turbines exhibit sharp losses of efficiency close to their peak efficiency discharge that are linked to draft tube flow separations whose causes remain misunderstood. This paper presents the latest results obtained in the scope of the BulbT project that focused on the flow dynamics related to the efficiency drop. The main objectives are to document the transient characteristics of the flow in the hub-wake region and investigate interactions between the core flow and wall separations to identify potential mechanisms explaining the efficiency drop. Using proper orthogonal decompositions of synchronized time-resolved velocity and pressure measurements, highly energetic modes representing stochastic perturbations across BulbT's draft tube are identified. These perturbations occur only for the discharges affected by the efficiency drop, past the best efficiency point. Despite the absence of near-wall velocity measurements, the modal decompositions provide evidence that the onset of the efficiency drop is the result of two independent types of flow separation that occur on opposite sides of the draft tube. Upstream separations are found to happen simultaneously with an asymmetric acceleration of the flow in a region surrounding the turbine's axis and the tip of the runner hub and become the most important contributor to the efficiency drop at the highest measured flow rate. Furthermore, the likeliness of observing one kind of flow separation increases after it has already occurred, pointing to a strong history effect.

Clinical evaluation of atlas-based auto-segmentation in breast and nodal radiotherapy.

Accurate contouring of anatomical structures allows for high-precision radiotherapy planning, targeting the dose at treatment volumes and avoiding organs at risk. Manual contouring is time-consuming with significant user variability, whereas auto-segmentation (AS) has proven efficiency benefits but requires editing before treatment planning. This study investigated whether atlas-based AS (ABAS) accuracy improves with template atlas group size and character-specific atlas and test case selection. One clinician retrospectively contoured the breast, nodes, lung, heart, and brachial plexus on 100 CT scans, adhering to peer-reviewed guidelines. Atlases were clustered in group sizes, treatment positions, chest wall separations, and ASs created with Mirada software. The similarity of ASs compared to reference contours was described by the Jaccard similarity coefficient (JSC) and centroid distance variance (CDV). Across group sizes, for all structures combined, the mean JSC was 0.6 (SD 0.3, p = .999). Across atlas-specific groups, 0.6 (SD 0.3, p = 1.000). The correlation between JSC and structure volume was weak in both scenarios (adjusted R2-0.007 and 0.185).Mean CDV was similar across groups but varied up to 1.2 cm for specific structures. Character-specific atlas groups and test case selection did not improve accuracy outcomes. High-quality ASs were obtained from groups containing as few as ten atlases, subsequently simplifying the application of ABAS. CDV measures indicating auto-segmentation variations on the x, y, and z axes can be utilised to decide on the clinical relevance of variations and reduce AS editing. High-quality ABASs can be obtained from as few as ten template atlases.Atlas and test case selection do not improve AS accuracy.Unlike well-known quantitative similarity indices, volume displacement metrics provide information on the location of segmentation variations, helping assessment of the clinical relevance of variations and reducing clinician editing. Volume displacement metrics combined with the qualitative measure of clinician assessment could reduce user variability.

Enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation alleviates structural damages on rice leaf caused by Magnaporthe oryzae infection.

Enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation can change the interaction between crops and pathogens. The effects of single and compound stresses of enhanced UV-B radiation (5.0kJ·m-2) and Magnaporthe oryzae on the morphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure of rice leaves were investigated. M. oryzae infection decreased the leaf area and thickness, reduced the stomatal area and density, and caused damages to the leaf ultrastructure, such as cytoplasm-cell wall separation, atrophy and sinking of fan-shaped bulliform cells, and chloroplast deformation. The enhanced UV-B radiation supplied before or during M. oryzae infection remarkably decreased the mycelia number of M. oryzae in leaf epidermis, increased the leaf area, leaf thickness, stomatal density, and mastoid number; and alleviated the ultrastructural damages induced by M. oryzae to keep an integral chloroplast. While the UV-B radiation was supplied after M. oryzae infection, its alleviation effects on the damages induced by M. oryzae infection on the morphology and structure of rice leaf were attenuated. Thus, the alleviation of enhanced UV-B radiation on damages induced by M. oryzae infection on rice leaves was related to its application period. The enhanced UV-B radiation supplied before or during M. oryzae infection allowed the rice leaf to resist M. oryzae infection.

Effects of shear-thinning rheological properties on the energy loss characteristics of a biomass mixing vessel

This study investigated the irreversible energy losses in the different sections of propeller blades. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to consider the properties of a shear-thinning fluid in evaluating irreversible energy losses based on the entropy generation theory. The numerical simulation results were consistent with the experimental results. The flow energy losses and the total mechanical energy loss gradient of an anaerobic digestion (AD) system were determined. The results indicated that the total mechanical energy loss occurred in the propeller region and was primarily influenced by the operation speed. The effects of rheology were neglected, although rheology notably affects the equivalent-volume velocity field within specific power characteristics, leading to an insufficient mixing field in the AD system. The energy losses primarily occurred around the propeller region, primarily in sections 3–5 under different flow rates. Viscous diffusion and velocity fluctuation are the primary factors contributing to the entropy of the system, accounting for more than 98%. According to the wall separation and friction loss on the suction and pressure surfaces of the propellers, sections 3–5 accounted for 90% of the energy loss. Energy dissipation in the propeller was mostly constituted by turbulence entropy and direct entropy. The rotation speed was the key factor causing viscous diffusion. Although the rheology effect on hydraulic loss is limited at low concentrations, the hydraulic loss in the blade tip region due to high-concentration fluids is significantly affected by rheology.

Rahnella aquatilis JZ-GX1 Alleviate Salt Stress in Cinnamomum camphora by Regulating Oxidative Metabolism and Ion Homeostasis

Salt stress is an environmental stress that severely limits plant growth, development and productivity. The use of symbiotic relationships with beneficial microorganisms provides an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly preventative method. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Rahnella aquatilis JZ-GX1 is a moderately salinophilic strain with good probiotic properties, although its ability to improve woody plant salt tolerance has not been reported. In this study, the effect of JZ-GX1 on Cinnamomum camphora under different salt concentrations (0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl) was investigated to reveal the mechanism by which JZ-GX1 improves salt tolerance in C. camphora. The results showed that JZ-GX1 promoted plant growth and root development. The relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production of inoculated C. camphora plants were reduced by 37.38% and 21.90%, respectively, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the leaves was enhanced by 321.57% under a 100 mM NaCl treatment. It was observed by transmission electron microscopy that under 100 mM salt concentration conditions, the inoculated C. camphora leaf cells showed a significant reduction in plasma membrane–cell wall separation and intact chloroplast structures, with tightly packed thylakoids. Importantly, inoculation reduced Na+ accumulation and promoted K+ accumulation in the seedlings, and these changes were consistent with the upregulated expression of the K+ channel SKOR and the vesicular membrane (Na+, K+)/H+ reverse cotransporter NHX1 in the plant roots. This study revealed the mechanism of the Rahnella aquatilis JZ-GX1 enhancing salt tolerance of C. camphora.

Image guidance and interfractional anatomical variation in paediatric abdominal radiotherapy.

To identify variables predicting interfractional anatomical variations measured with cone-beam CT (CBCT) throughout abdominal paediatric radiotherapy, and to assess the potential of surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) to monitor these changes. Metrics of variation in gastrointestinal (GI) gas volume and separation of the body contour and abdominal wall were calculated from 21 planning CTs and 77 weekly CBCTs for 21 abdominal neuroblastoma patients (median 4 years, range: 2 - 19 years). Age, sex, feeding tubes, and general anaesthesia (GA) were explored as predictive variables for anatomical variation. Furthermore, GI gas variation was correlated with changes in body and abdominal wall separation, as well as simulated SGRT metrics of translational and rotational corrections between CT/CBCT. GI gas volumes varied 74 ± 54 ml across all scans, while body and abdominal wall separation varied 2.0 ± 0.7 mm and 4.1 ± 1.5 mm from planning, respectively. Patients < 3.5 years (p = 0.04) and treated under GA (p < 0.01) experienced greater GI gas variation; GA was the strongest predictor in multivariate analysis (p < 0.01). Absence of feeding tubes was linked to greater body contour variation (p = 0.03). GI gas variation correlated with body (R = 0.53) and abdominal wall (R = 0.63) changes. The strongest correlations with SGRT metrics were found for anterior-posterior translation (R = 0.65) and rotation of the left-right axis (R = -0.36). Young age, GA, and absence of feeding tubes were linked to stronger interfractional anatomical variation and are likely indicative of patients benefiting from adaptive/robust planning pathways. Our data suggest a role for SGRT to inform the need for CBCT at each treatment fraction in this patient group. This is the first study to suggest the potential role of SGRT for the management of internal interfractional anatomical variation in paediatric abdominal radiotherapy.

How Dimensionality Affects the Structural Anomaly in a Core-Softened Colloid

The interaction between hard core–soft shell colloids are characterized by having two characteristic distances: one associated with the penetrable, soft corona and another one corresponding to the impenetrable core. Isotropic core-softened potentials with two characteristic length scales have long been applied to understand the properties of such colloids. Those potentials usually show water-like anomalies, and recent findings have indicated the existence of multiple anomalous regions in the 2D limit under compression, while in 3D, only one anomalous region is observed. In this direction, we perform molecular dynamics simulations to unveil the details about the structural behavior in the quasi-2D limit of a core-softened colloid. The fluid was confined between highly repulsive solvophobic walls, and the behavior at distinct wall separations and colloid densities was analyzed. Our results indicated a straight relation between the 2D- or 3D-like behavior and layer separation. We can relate that if the system behaves as independent 2D-layers, it will have a 2D-like behavior. However, for some separations, the layers are connected, with colloids hopping from one layer to another, thus having a 3D-like structural behavior. These findings fill the gap in the depiction of the anomalous behavior from 2D to 3D.

Predicting Escherichia coli levels in manure using machine learning in weeping wall and mechanical liquid solid separation systems.

An increased understanding of the interaction between manure management and public and environmental health has led to the development of Alternative Dairy Effluent Management Strategies (ADEMS). The efficiency of such ADEMS can be increased using mechanical solid-liquid-separator (SLS) or gravitational Weeping-Wall (WW) solid separation systems. In this research, using pilot study data from 96 samples, the chemical, physical, biological, seasonal, and structural parameters between SLS and WW of ADEM systems were compared. Parameters including sodium, potassium, total salts, volatile solids, pH, and E. coli levels were significantly different between the SLS and WW of ADEMS. The separated solid fraction of the dairy effluents had the lowest E. coli levels, which could have beneficial downstream implications in terms of microbial pollution control. To predict effluent quality and microbial pollution risk, we used Escherichia coli as the indicator organism, and a versatile machine learning, ensemble, stacked, super-learner model called E-C-MAN (Escherichia coli-Manure) was developed. Using pilot data, the E-C-MAN model was trained, and the trained model was validated with the test dataset. These results demonstrate that the heuristic E-C-MAN ensemble model can provide a pilot framework toward predicting Escherichia coli levels in manure treated by SLS or WW systems.

A General and Effective Method for Wall and Protrusion Separation from Facade Point Clouds

As a critical prerequisite for semantic facade reconstruction, accurately separating wall and protrusion points from facade point clouds is required. The performance of traditional separation methods is severely limited by facade conditions, including wall shapes (e.g., nonplanar walls), wall compositions (e.g., walls composed of multiple noncoplanar point clusters), and protrusion structures (e.g., protrusions without regularity, repetitive, or self-symmetric features). This study proposes a more widely applicable wall and protrusion separation method. The major principle underlying the proposed method is to transform the wall and protrusion separation problem as a ground filtering problem and to separate walls and protrusions using ground filtering methods, since the 2 problems can be solved using the same prior knowledge, that is, protrusions (nonground objects) protrude from walls (ground). After transformation problem, cloth simulation filter was used as an example to separate walls and protrusions in 8 facade point clouds with various characteristics. The proposed method was robust to the facade conditions, with a mean intersection over union of 90.7%, and had substantially higher accuracy compared with the traditional separation methods, including region growing-, random sample consensus-, multipass random sample consensus-based, and hybrid methods, with mean intersection over union values of 69.53%, 49.52%, 63.93%, and 47.07%, respectively. Besides, the proposed method was general, since existing ground filtering methods (including the maximum slope, progressive morphology, and progressive triangular irregular network densification filters) can also perform well.

Thermal transitions in domain wall AdS/QCD

We study thermal transitions in a Domain Wall AdS/QCD model. The model is based on the D5/probe D7 system with a discontinuous mass profile which restricts chiral fermions to 3+1 dimensional domain walls. Fluctuations on the domain wall are dual to the quark mass and condensate and reveal the relation between domain wall separation and the quark mass. The massive quarks exhibit a second order thermal, meson melting transition. Witten's multi-trace prescription can be used to interpret these configurations as having a dynamical mass from a Nambu-Jona-Lasinio interaction - here the transition is first order. Confinement can be introduced into the gauge sector by compactifying one direction of the D5. Compactification induces chiral symmetry breaking and there is a first order thermal restoration transition. If an NJL interaction is also introduced then the confinement and chiral symmetry breaking scales can be separated.

Toxicological Effects of Mercuric Chloride Exposure on Scenedesmus quadricauda

Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) is a common heavy-metal pollutant widely used in commercial products and industry, but its excessive use and uncontrolled discharge have caused great harm to aquatic environments and human health. To research the mechanisms of HgCl2 toxicity in aquatic organisms, this study cultured the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda in a gradient of HgCl2 concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 mg/L) for 9 days. The results showed that: (1) when the concentrations of HgCl2 were high (≥0.7 mg/L), the toxic effects completely inhibited the growth of algal cells, the culture liquid changed from green to light yellow, and cells aggregated and sank to the bottom. Submicroscopic structural imaging showed that at 0.9 mg/L HgCl2, the algal cells were seriously damaged and obvious plasma–wall separation occurred. Furthermore, the arrangement of photosynthetic lamellae became disordered and the nuclei and protein nuclei faded or even disappeared. (2) When the concentrations of HgCl2 were low and medium (≤0.5 mg/L), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in algal cells increased in the first five days, but the degree of increase was smaller than in the control group. However, under high HgCl2 concentrations (≥0.7 mg/L), the activity of SOD began to decrease sharply on the seventh day. The activity of peroxidase (POD) decreased more obviously than that of SOD. (3) Under medium and high HgCl2 concentrations (≥0.5 mg/L), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in algal cells increased over time, and had not decreased again by the last day of measurement. In contrast, the contents of total protein (TP) and soluble sugar (SS) both exhibited decreasing trends under high HgCl2 concentrations. (4) When the HgCl2 concentrations were ≥0.7 mg/L, the content of photosynthetic pigments in algal cells decreased, and the light quantum yield of PS Ⅱ decreased. At the same time, as culture time progressed, the photosynthetic electron transfer and energy-conversion efficiency were seriously damaged and photosynthesis never returned to normal levels. This research provides a reference for understanding the mechanism by which HgCl2 pollution affects aquatic ecosystems and may help with pollution management in the future.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of adhesions, quantification of uterine wall and managerial perspectives of uterine torsion in buffaloes.

The present study aimed to diagnose uterine adhesion using ultrasonography to decide the treatment approach for better survival of buffaloes suffering from uterine torsion. The peculiar visceral slide against the other abdominal organs induced by breathing was considered an absence of uterine adhesion, while the total absence of visceral slide was considered the presence of uterine adhesions on ultrasonographic examination. The 59 Mehsana buffaloes suffering from uterine torsion were divided into two groups based on the presence (Group I; n=27) or absence (group II; n=32) of adhesions. The mean pixel values (MPV) and thickness of uterine wall were also quantified in both the groups. In group I, severe type adhesions (n=16/27) were directly subjected to caesarean section (CS), while fibrinous adhesions (n=11/27) were subject to rolling by Sharma's modified Schaffer's method, and if rolling failed were further, subjected to CS and adhesions were confirm during CS. In Group II, 28 buffaloes were subjected to rolling by Sharma's modified Schaffer's method and 4 buffaloes were directly subjected to CS because of longer duration of illness (≥3 days), higher degree (≥180°) and previous field handling. The incidence of adhesions was 45.76 per cent (27/59) in buffaloes with uterine torsion. The degenerative changes such as oedematous (hyperoedema-hypoechoic with anechoic trabeculae) or thin (homogenous hypoechoic), sloughing of serosa and wall separation were observed in the uterine wall. The significantly thinner uterine wall (p=.017) and higher MPV (p=.001) were evident in group I than in group II. The weak negative non-significant correlation between uterine wall thickness and MPV was observed in group I (r=-.250, p=.147) and group II (r=-.235, p=.089). The dam survival rate was 48.15 per cent (13/27) in group I and 81.25% (26/32) in group II. There was a significant (p=.04) association between the treatment approach and dam survival. Ultrasonography has synergistic diagnostic value for uterine adhesions by evaluating uterine surfaces beyond the reach of obstetricians during a manual clinical examination. Thereby, avoiding futile efforts to relieve uterine torsion by rolling might help to improve dam survival by planning a better obstetrical manoeuvre to salvage buffaloes suffering from uterine torsion.