Clinical Value of the Quantitative Flow Ratio to Predict Long-term Target Vessel Failure in Patients with In-stent Restenosis after Drug-coated Balloon Angioplasty

Objective The study sought to investigate the clinical predictive value of quantitative flow ratio(QFR)for the long-term target vessel failure(TVF)outcome in patients with in-stent restenosis(ISR)by using drug-coated balloon(DCB)treatment after a long-term follow-up.Methods This was a retrospective study.A total of 186 patients who underwent DCB angioplasty for ISR in two hospitals from March 2014 to September 2019 were enrolled.The QFR of the entire target vessel was measured offline.The primary endpoint was TVF,including target vessel-cardiac death(TV-CD),target vessel-myocardial infarction(TV-MI),and clinically driven-target vessel revascularization(CD-TVR).Results The follow-up time was 3.09±1.53 years,and 50 patients had TVF.The QFR immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)was significantly lower in the TVF group than in the no-TVF group.Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that the QFR immediately after PCI was an excellent predictor for TVF after the long-term follow-up[hazard ratio(HR):5.15×10−5(6.13×10−8−0.043);P<0.01].Receiver-operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis demonstrated that the optimal cut-off value of the QFR immediately after PCI for predicting the long-term TVF was 0.925(area under the curve:0.886,95%confidence interval:0.834–0.938;sensitivity:83.40%,specificity:88.00;P<0.01).In addition,QFR≤0.925 post-PCI was strongly correlated with the TVF,including TV-MI and CD-TVR(P<0.01).Conclusion The QFR immediately after PCI showed a high predictive value of TVF after a long-term follow-up in ISR patients who underwent DCB angioplasty.A lower QFR immediately after PCI was associated with a worse TVF outcome.

Determination of optimal blowing-to-suction flow ratio in mechanized excavation face with wall-mounted swirling ventilation using numerical simulations

Wall-mounted swirling ventilation is a new type of system in mechanized excavation faces with a dust sup-pression performance that is closely related to the blowing-to-suction flow ratio.Physical and simulation models were developed according to the No.C103 mechanized excavation face in the Nahe Coal Mine of the Baise Mining Bureau,Guangxi Province to optimize the blowing-to-suction flow ratio for wall-mounted swirling ventilation.Both the k-εturbulence model and the discrete phase model were utilized to simulate airflow field structures and dust concentration distribution patterns at various blowing-to-suction flow ratios.The results suggest that higher blowing-to-suction flow ratios increase the airflow field disturbance around the working face and weaken the intensity of the axial air curtain.On the other hand,both the intensity of the radial air curtain and the dust suppression effect are enhanced.At a blowing-to-suction flow ratio of 0.8,the wall-mounted swirling ventilation system achieved the most favorable dust suppression performance.Both the total dust and respirable dust had their lowest concentrations with maximum efficiencies of reducing both types at 90.33%and 87.16%,respectively.

Quantitative flow ratio and intravascular ultrasound guided percutaneous coronary intervention of left anterior descending lesion concomitant with severe coronary myocardial bridge

Severe coronary stenosis concomitant with congenital coronary myocardial bridge(MB)is a tough scenario for cardiologist to perform revascularization,for which the complication rates including in-stent restenosis,stent fracture,stent thrombosis and even coronary perforation are still high.[1,2]Meanwhile,the necessity of revascularization in such patients is worth prudent evaluation.Cardiac imaging modalities are crucial and helpful in making revascularized decisions and strategies.Herein,we report a case using quantitative flow ratio(QFR)and intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)to facilitate accurate revascularization in a patient with both severe coronary stenosis and deep coronary MB.

Cut-off values of lesion and vessel quantitative flow ratio in de novo coronary lesion post-drug-coated balloon therapy predicting vessel restenosis at mid-term follow-up

Background:Drug-coated balloons(DCBs)have emerged as potential alternatives to drug-eluting stents in specific lesion subsets for de novo coronary lesions.Quantitative flow ratio(QFR)is a method based on the three-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography and contrast flow velocity during coronary angiography(CAG),obviating the need for an invasive fractional flow reserve procedural.This study aimed to assess the serial angiographic changes of de novo lesions post-DCB therapy and further explore the cut-off values of lesion and vessel QFR,which predict vessel restenosis(diameter stenosis[DS]≥50%)at mid-term follow-up.Methods:The data of patients who underwent DCB therapy between January 2014 and December 2019 from the multicenter hospital were retrospectively collected for QFR analysis.From their QFR performances,which were analyzed by CAG images at follow-up,we divided them into two groups:group A,showing target vessel DS≥50%,and group B,showing target vessel DS<50%.The median follow-up time was 287 days in group A and 227 days in group B.We compared the clinical characteristics,parameters during DCB therapy,and QFR performances,which were analyzed by CAG images between the two groups,in need to explore the cut-off value of lesion/vessel QFR which can predict vessel restenosis.Student's t test was used for the comparison of normally distributed continuous data,Mann-Whitney U test for the comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves for the evaluation of QFR performance which can predict vessel restenosis(DS≥50%)at mid-term follow-up using the area under the curve(AUC).Results:A total of 112 patients with 112 target vessels were enrolled in this study.Group A had 41 patients,while group B had 71.Vessel QFR and lesion QFR were lower in group A than in group B post-DCB therapy,and the cut-off values of lesion QFR and vessel QFR in the ROC analysis to predict target vessel DS≥50%post-DCB therapy were 0.905(AUC,0.741[95%confidence interval,CI:0.645,0.837];sensitivity,0.817;specificity,0.561;P<0.001)and 0.890(AUC,0.796[95%CI:0.709,0.882];sensitivity,0.746;specificity,0.780;P<0.001).Conclusions:The cut-off values of lesion QFR and vessel QFR can assist in predicting the angiographic changes post-DCB therapy.When lesion/vessel QFR values are<0.905/0.890 post-DCB therapy,a higher risk of vessel restenosis is potentially predicted at follow-up.

An online method to determine chlorine stable isotope composition by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS) coupled with a Gasbench Ⅱ

An online method using continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry （CF-IRMS） interfaced with a Gasbench Ⅱ was presented to determine chlorine stable isotope composition. Silver chloride （AgCl） was quantitatively derived from chloride by using silver nitrate （AgNO3）, and then was reacted with iodomethane （CH3Ⅰ） to produce methyl chloride （CH3Cl）. A GasBench Ⅱ equipped with a PoraPlot Q column was used to separate CH3Cl from any other gas species. Finally, chlorine stable isotope analysis was carried out on CH3Cl introduced to the IRMS in a helium stream via an active open split. The minimum amount of Cl used in this method is of the order of 1.4 μmol. Inter-laboratory and inter-technique comparisons show that the total uncertainty incorporating both the precision and accuracy of this method is better than 0.007%. Furthermore, ten seawaters sampled from different locations have a narrow δ37Cl value range from -0.008% to 0.010%, with a mean value of （0.000±0.006）%. This supports the assumption that any seawater can be representative of standard mean ocean chloride （SMOC） and used as an international reference material.

Gravel Accumulation in Deposits of Viscous Debris Flows with Hyper-concentration

According to the observational data of viscous debris flows with hyper-concentration, debris flows can be classified into three types:high-viscous, viscous, and sub-viscous debris flows.Distinct formation mechanism of different graded bedding structures in deposits of viscous debris flows was analyzed in this paper by using their yield-stress ratio and flow plug ratio.This paper specially analyzed the effect of Weissenberg which the gravels in squirm condition of hyper-concentration viscous flows would tend to move vertically, and the formation mechanism of the gravels accumulated at surface was also studied.The analysis in this paper can establish a foundation for the studies on differentiation of bedding structures of debris flow deposits and studies on dynamic parameters of debris flows.

Crustal Composition of China Continent Constrained from Heat Flow Data and Helium Isotope Ratio of Underground Fluid

Based on conservation of energy principle and heat flow data in China continent, the upper limit of 1.3 μW/m3 heat production is obtained for continental crust in China. Furthermore, using the data of heat flow and helium isotope ratio of underground fluid, the heat productions of different tectonic units in China continent are estimated in range of 0.58-1.12 μW/m3 with a median of 0.85 μW/m3. Accordingly, the contents of U, Th and K20 in China crust are in ranges of 0.83-1.76 μg/g, 3.16-6.69 μg/g, and 1.0%-2.12%, respectively. These results indicate that the abundance of radioactive elements in the crust of China continent is much higher than that of Archean crust; and this fact implies China＇s continental crust is much evolved in chemical composition. Meanwhile, significant lateral variation of crustal composition is also exhibited among different tectonic units in China continent. The crust of eastern China is much enriched in incompatible elements such as U, Th and K than that of western China; and the crust of orogenic belts is more enriched than that of platform regions. It can also be inferred that the crusts of eastern China and orogenic belts are much felsic than those of western China and platform regions, respectively, derived from the positive correlation between the heat production and SiO2 content of bulk crust. This deduction is consistent with the results derived from the crustal seismic velocity data in China. According to the facts of the lower seismic velocity of China than the average value of global crust, and the higher heat production of China continent compared with global crust composition models published by previous studies, it is deduced that the average composition models of global continent crust by Rudnick and Fountain （1995）, Rudnick and Gao （2003）, Weaver and Tarney （1984）, Shaw et al. （1986）, and Wedepohl （1995） overestimate the abundance of incompatible elements such as U, Th and K of continental crust.

Yield ratios and directed flows of light particles from proton-rich nuclei-induced collisions

The neutron-to-proton and3 H-to-3 He yield ratios, and the directed flows of particles dependent on a reduced rapidity, the transverse momentum per nucleon,and a reduced impact parameter are investigated for ^(28)S+^(28)Si and ^(32)S+^(28)Si systems at 50 and 400 MeV/u using an isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model.The results show that these yield ratios of projectile-like fragments are approximately equal to the constituent neutron-to-proton ratio of the projectile. There are clear differences of the directed flows for isospin-related fragments neutron and proton,~3H and ~3He from ^(28)S+^(28)Si collisions.The differences in directed flows for neutrons and protons and ~3H–~3He from a proton-rich nucleus ^(28)S- induced collisions are noticeably larger than those from a stable nucleus ^(32)S- induced reactions under medium impact parameters. Thus, the yield ratios and differences in directed flows for the neutrons and protons and ~3H–~3He under medium impact parameters are proposed as possible observable items for studying isospin physics.

Debris flow impact on flexible barrier: effects of debrisbarrier stiffness and flow aspect ratio

Conventionally,flexible barriers are rated based on their ability to resist a free-falling boulder with a particular input energy.However,there is still no well-accepted approach for evaluating performance of flexible barrier under debris flow impact.In this study,a large-nonlinear finite-element model was used to back-analyze centrifuge tests to discern the effects of impact material type,barrier stiffness,and flow aspect ratio(flow height to flow length)on the reaction force between the impacting medium and flexible barrier.Results show that,in contrast to flexible barriers for resisting rockfall,the normal impact force induced by the highly frictional and viscous debris is insensitive to barrier stiffness.This is because the elongated distributions of kinetic energy are mainly dissipated by the internal and boundary shearing,and only a small portion is forwarded to the barrier.Furthermore,a new stiffness number is proposed to characterize the equivalent stiffness between a debris flow or a boulder,and a flexible barrier.Under the circumstance of an extremely elongated debris flow event,i.e.,low aspect ratio,the load on a barrier is dominated by the static component and thus not sensitive to the barrier stiffness.

Air flow control based on optimal oxygen excess ratio in fuel cells for vehicles

Air flow control is one of the most important control methods for maintaining the stability and reliability of a fuel cell system, which can avoid oxygen starvation or oxygen saturation. The oxygen excess ratio （OER） is often used to indicate the air flow condition. Based on a fuel cell system model for vehicles, OER performance was analyzed for different stack currents and temperatures in this paper, and the results show that the optimal OER was affected weakly by the stack temperature. In order to ensure the system working in optimal OER, a control scheme that includes an optimal OER regulator and a fuzzy control was proposed. According to the stack current, a reference value of air flow rate was obtained with the optimal OER regulator and then the air compressor motor voltage was controlled with the fuzzy controller to adjust the air flow rate provided by the air compressor. Simulation results show that the control method has good dynamic and static characteristics.

Influence of Rotating Speed Ratio on the Annular Turbulent Flow between Two Rotating Cylinders

Rotating flows represent a very interesting area for researchers and industry for their extensive use in industrial and domestic machinery and especially for their great energy potential, annular flows are an example that draws the attention of researchers in recent years. The best design and optimization of these devices require knowledge of thermal, mechanical and hydrodynamic characteristics of flows circulating in these devices. An example of hydrodynamic parameters is the speed of rotation of the moving walls. This work is to study numerically the influence of the rotating speed ratio Γ of the two moving cylinders on the mean and especially on the turbulent quantities of the turbulent flow in the annular space. The numerical simulation is based on one-point statistical modeling using a low Reynolds number second-order full stress transport closure (RSM model), simulation code is not a black box but a completely transparent code where we can intervene at any step of the calculation. We have varied Γ from -1.0 to 1.0 while maintaining always the external cylinder with same speed Ω. The results show that the turbulence structure, profiles of mean velocities and the nature of the boundary layers of the mobile walls depend enormously on the ratio of speeds. The level of turbulence measured by the kinetic energy of turbulence and the Reynolds stresses shows well that the ratio Γ is an interesting parameter to exploit turbulence in this kind of annular flows.

INFLUENCES OF THE FISH-MOUTH PROJECT AND THE GROINS ON THE FLOW AND SEDIMENT RATIO OF THE YANGTZE RIVER WATERWAY

A depth_integrated two_dimensional numerical model of current, salinity and sediment transport was proposed and calibrated by the observation data in the Yangtze River Estuary. It was then applied to investigate the flow and sediment ratio of the navigation channel, i.e. the North Channel of the Yangtze River Estuary,before and after the first phase waterway project is implemented. Particularly, the influences of groin length and the orientation of the submerged dam on the flow ratio and sediment load discharging into the North Channel were discussed. The numerical results demonstrate that less sediment load discharges into the navigation channel, which unburdens the waterway dredging, but in the meantime the flow ratio is also decreased. The flow and sediment ratio can be adjusted by changing layout and dimensions of the hydro_structures, such as the groin length, the top height, etc. The effect of the orientation of the submerged dam is more obvious than the groin lengh.

Effects of aspect ratio on unsteady solutions through curved duct flow

The effects of the aspect ratio on unsteady solutions through the curved duct flow are studied numerically by a spectral based computational procedure with a temperature gradient between the vertical sidewalls for the Grashof number 100 ≤ Gr ≤ 2 000. The outer wall of the duct is heated while the inner wall is cooled and the top and bottom walls are adiabatic. In this paper, unsteady solutions are calculated by the time history analysis of the Nusselt number for the Dean numbers Dn = 100 and Dn = 500 and the aspect ratios 1≤γ≤ 3. Water is taken as a working fluid （Pr =7.0）. It is found that at Dn = 100, there appears a steady-state solution for small or large Gr. For moderate Gr, however, the steady-state solution turns into the periodic solution if γ is increased. For Dn = 500, on the other hand, it is analyzed that the steady-state solution turns into the chaotic solution for small and large Gr for any γ lying in the range. For moderate Gr at Dn = 500, however, the steady-state flow turns into the chaotic flow through the periodic oscillating flow if the aspect ratio is increased.

Effects of ratio of hydrogen flow on microstructure of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon films deposited by magnetron sputtering at 100 ℃

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon(μc-Si:H)films were prepared on glass and silicon substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at 100°C using a mixture of argon(Ar)and hydrogen(H2)gasses as precursor gas.The effects of the ratio of hydrogen flow(H2/(Ar+H2)%)on the microstructure were evaluated.Results show that the microstructure,bonding structure,and surface morphology of theμc-Si:H films can be tailored based on the ratio of hydrogen flow.An amorphous to crystalline phase transition occurred when the ratio of hydrogen flow increased up to 50%.The crystallinity increased and tended to stabilize with the increase in ratio of hydrogen flow from 40%to 70%.The surface roughness of thin films increased,and total hydrogen content decreased as the ratio of hydrogen flow increased.Allμc-Si:H films have a preferred(111)orientation,independent of the ratio of hydrogen flow.And theμc-Si:H films had a dense structure,which shows their excellent resistance to post-oxidation.

Numerical Study on the Effects of Contraction Ratio in a Two-Phase Flow Injection Nozzle

The Euler-Euler numerical method was used to investigate the effects of contraction ratio on twophase flow mixing with mass transfer in the flow injection nozzle. The geometric shape of the nozzle was modified to improve carbonation efficiency. A gas inlet hole was created to increase the flow mixing of CO2 with water. A nozzle throat was also introduced to increase the gas dissolution by increasing flow rates. Various contraction ratios of nozzle throat, inlet gas and liquid velocities, and gas bubble sizes were employed to determine their effects on gas hold-up, gas concentration, and mass transfer coefficient. Results revealed that the flow injection nozzle with high contraction ratios improved carbonation because of high gas hold-up. Gas concentration was directly related to contraction ratio and gas flow velocities. Carbonation reduced when high liquid velocities and large gas bubbles were employed because of inefficient flow mixing. This study indicated that flow injection nozzle with large contraction ratios were suitable for carbonation because of their ability to increase gas hold-up, gas concentration, and mass transfer coefficient.

Zonal flow energy ratio evolution during L-H and H-L transitions in EAST plasmas

The essential role of zonal flow in the L-H transition and the suppression of turbulence have been studied with a long range correlation technique using Langmuir probe arrays in EAST tokamak.Two toroidally localized probe arrays are used to measure the zonal flow during L-H transition and H-L back transition.The energy ratio of the low frequency zonal flow to the total drift wave turbulence is calculated.During ELM-free H mode,the energy ratio is higher than that in L mode,which reveals the important role of zonal flows in regulating turbulence amplitude in L-H transition.

Augmentation of Heat Transfer in Pipe Flow Using Plain Twisted Tape Inserts for Different Twist Ratios

The heat transfer augmentation of plain twisted tape inserts for different twist ratios has been studied in this study. The data are conducted using the plain twisted tape insert with five different twist ratios respectively. The range of Reynolds number is considered under a uniform heat flux condition. In the case of simulation, the tapes are made from a stainless steel strip with a thickness of 2 mm. A tubular pipe with 850mm U-loop length and twist length of 800 mm each is considered in our study for simulation. Water is used as working fluids inside the tube for our simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the important heat transfer parameters including Nusselt number (Nu), friction factor (f) and thermal performance index (η) are gradually increased with the increment of the twist ratio and reached at the saturated level while twist ratio is 3.5,?afterward the thermal properties are decreased.

Flow-Induced Stream-Wise Vibration of Circular Cylinders

Results from a series of studies on the stream-wise vibration of a circular cylinder verifying Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard S012-1998, Guideline for Evaluation of Flow-induced Vibration of a Cylindrical Structure in a Pipe, are summarized and discussed in this paper. Experiments were carried out in a water tunnel and in a wind tunnel using a two-dimensional cylinder model elastically supported at both ends of the cylinder and a cantilevered cylinder model with a finite span length that was elastically supported at one end. These cylinder models were allowed to vibrate with one degree of freedom in the stream-wise direction. In addition, we adopted a cantilevered cylinder model that vibrated with two degrees of freedom in both the stream-wise and cross-flow directions under the same vibration conditions as an actual thermocouple well. The value of the Scruton number (structural damping parameter) was changed over a wide range, so as to evaluate the value of the critical Scruton number that suppressed vibration of the cylinder. For the two-dimensional cylinder, two different types of stream-wise excitations appeared in the reduced velocity range of approximately half of the resonance-reduced velocity. For the stream-wise vibration in the first excitation region, due to a symmetric vortex flow, the response amplitudes were sensitive to the Scruton number, while the shedding frequency of alternating vortex flow was locked-in to half of the Strouhal number of vibrating frequency of a cylinder in the second excitation region. In addition, the effects of the aspect ratio of a cantilevered cylinder on the flow-induced vibration characteristics were clarified and compared with the results of a two-dimensional cylinder. When a cantilevered circular cylinder with a finite length vibrates with one degree of freedom in the stream-wise di-rection, it is found that acylinder with a small aspect ratio has a single excitation region, whereas a cylinder with a large aspect ratio has two excitation regions. Furthermore, the vibration mechanism of a symmetric vortex flow was investigated by installing a splitter plate in the wake to prevent shedding of alternating vortices. The vibration amplitude of acylinder with a splitter plate increased surprisingly more than the amplitude of a cylinder without a splitter plate. For a cantilevered cylinder vibrating with two degrees of freedom, the Lissajous figure of vibration of the first excitation region shows the trajectories of elongated elliptical shapes, and in the second excitation region, the Lissajous trajectories draw a figure “8”. The results and information from these experimental studies proved that Standard S012-1998 provides sufficient design methods for suppressing hazardous vibrations of cylinders in liquid flows.

Effects of Span Length and Additional Structure on Flow-Induced Transverse Vibration Characteristic of a Cantilevered Rectangular Prism

We consider the effects of the aspect ratio L/H (where L is the length of a prism, and H is the height of a prism normal to the flow direction) and the size of additional structures (which are a plate and a fin on the surface of a prism) on a vibration characteristic of a cantilevered rectangular prism. The present research is intended to support the analysis of energy harvesting research on the flow-induced vibration in water flow using a magnetostrictive phenomenon. The prisms are constructed from stainless steel and mounted elastically to a plate spring attached to the ceiling wall of the water tunnel. The prisms with aspect ratios of L/H ≥ 5 have reasonably identical vibration characteristics. However, the difference in the vibration characteristic appears distinctly on a rectangular prism with an aspect ratio of L/H = 2.5. The rectangular prism with an aspect ratio of L/H = 10 and a side ratio of D/H = 0.2 has a stable and large response amplitude and oscillates with a lower velocity. The length of the added plate and the size of the added fin influence the velocity of vibration onset. If the length of the added plate and fin size on the rectangular prism with D/H = 0.2 becomes large, the curve of the response amplitude shifts to that of the rectangular prism with D/H= 0.5. The response amplitude of the rectangular prism with/without plate or fin is found to be related to the second moment of area of the prism.

上下游水深比对溃坝洪水最大波高演进影响

了解溃坝洪水演进过程中最大波高及其衰减过程,对水库下游洪水风险管理具有重要意义。研究基于大尺度水槽(长32 m、宽1 m、高1.2 m)实验,采用波高仪测量了溃坝波演进过程中波高随时间和空间的变化数据,以此研究不同上下游水深比α和坡度S对溃坝洪水最大波高演进形态、波速和衰减率的影响。此外,研究结合数值模拟对溃坝波波高进行了更深入的分析。研究结果表明:溃坝波的演进形态与上下游水深比α之间存在高度相关性,主要表现为两种典型形态:bore wave和undular wave。当上下游水深比α <0.4时,溃坝波以bore wave形式演进且溃坝波迅速爬升到稳定水位,此时溃坝波振幅小,且水面无显著波动;当上下游水深比α≥0.4时,溃坝波以undular wave形式演进且溃坝波会迅速爬升至最大值然后衰减,此时溃坝波振幅较大,且水面出现规则性波动。坡度S和上下游水深比α的变化影响波速和波速增长率。在相同α情况下,坡度S越大则波速和其增长率越大;在相同S情况下,上下游水深比α增大则波速变大且其增长率变小。对上下游水深比α=0.4~0.8的最大波高演进曲线采用Levenberg-Marquardt算法,进行非线性回归分析并构建最大波高衰减公式,同时通过数值模拟在x=21 m处进行验证,结果表明最大波高衰减公式和数值结果吻合良好。当上下游水深比α> 0.4时,溃坝波的最大波高衰减率都表现为首波的衰减率最大,然后衰减率逐渐减小为0。研究成果为深入理解溃坝洪水的演进过程提供重要支撑,同时为构建溃坝洪水灾害学提供理论依据。