Damage patterns of retinal nerve fiber layer in acute and chronic intraocular pressure elevation in primary angle closure glaucoma

AIMTo observe the differences of damage patterns of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) between acute and chronic intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Collision off-axis position dependence of relativistic nonlinear Thomson inverse scattering of an excited electron in a tightly focused circular polarized laser pulse

This paper presents a novel view of the impact of electron collision off-axis positions on the dynamic properties and relativistic nonlinear Thomson inverse scattering of excited electrons within tightly focused, circularly polarized laser pulses of varying intensities. We examine the effects of the transverse ponderomotive force, specifically how the deviation angle and speed of electron motion are affected by the initial off-axis position of the electron and the peak amplitude of the laser pulse. When the laser pulse intensity is low, an increase in the electron's initial off-axis distance results in reduced spatial radiation power, improved collimation, super-continuum phenomena generation, red-shifting of the spectrum's harmonic peak, and significant symmetry in the radiation radial direction. However, in contradiction to conventional understandings,when the laser pulse intensity is relatively high, the properties of the relativistic nonlinear Thomson inverse scattering of the electron deviate from the central axis, changing direction in opposition to the aforementioned effects. After reaching a peak, these properties then shift again, aligning with the previous direction. The complex interplay of these effects suggests a greater nuance and intricacy in the relationship between laser pulse intensity, electron position, and scattering properties than previously thought.

Integrated design optimization of composite frames and materials for maximum fundamental frequency with continuous fiber winding angles

Fiber reinforced composite frame structure is an ideal lightweight and large-span structure in the fields of aerospace,satellite and wind turbine.Natural fundamental frequency is one of key indicators in the design requirement of the composite frame since structural resonance can be effectively avoided with the increase of the fundamental frequency.Inspired by the concept of integrated design optmization of composite frame structures and materials,the design optimization for the maximum structural fundamental frequency of fiber reinforced frame structures is proposed.An optimization model oriented at the maximum structural fundamental frequency under a composite material volume constraint is established.Two kinds of independent design variables are optimized,in which one is variables represented structural topology,the other is variables of continuous fiber winding angles.Sensitivity analysis of the frequency with respect to the two kinds of independent design variables is implemented with the semi-analytical sensitivity method.Some representative examples in the manuscript demonstrate that the integrated design optimization of composite structures can effectively explore coupled effects between structural configurations and material properties to increase the structural fundamental frequency.The proposed integrated optimization model has great potential to improve composite frames structural dynamic performance in aerospace industries.

Effect of fiber angle on LYP steel shear walls behavior

Steel shear wall(SSW) was properly determined using numerical and experimental approaches.The properties of SSW and LYP(low yield point) steel shear wall(LSSW) were measured.It is revealed that LSSW exhibits higher properties compared to SSW in both elastic and inelastic zones.It is also concluded that the addition of CFRP(carbon fiber reinforced polymers) enhances the seismic parameters of LSSW(stiffness,energy absorption,shear capacity,over strength values).Also,stress values applied to boundary frames are lower due to post buckling forces.The effect of fiber angle was also studied and presented as a mathematical equation.

Pressure Angle Effect of Concave Cylinder Surface on Motion Characteristics of Fiber Placement Machine

There are amounts of issues to be resolved in the process of designing the fiber placement trajectory of the cylindrical component,such as the interference between the machine and the component and the over-travel of the axis of rotation on the fiber placement head.When the pressure on the cylinder surface inclines in a certain direction or at an angle within the normal plane,the motion characteristics of the rotation axis will be different.This paper analyzes the pressure angle effect of the concave cylinder surface on the motion features of a fiber placement machine.The placement area is enlarged by tilting pressure with the same lifting stroke,which is significant in preventing interference and selecting post-processing algorithm.

IGA Based Bi-Layer Fiber Angle Optimization Method for Variable Stiffness Composites

This paper presents a topology optimization method for variable stiffness composite panels with varying fiber orientation and curvilinear fiber path.Non-uniform rational B-Splines(NURBS)based Isogeometric analysis(IGA)is utilized for the numerical computation of the general minimum compliance problem.The sensitivity analysis of the structure compliance function for the density and bi-layer orientation is conducted.The bi-layer fiber paths in the design domain are generated using streamline method and updated by divided pieces reselection method after the optimization process.Several common examples are tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.The results show that the proposed method can generate more manufacturable fiber paths than some typical topology optimization methods.

The Damage Patterns of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Acute and Chronic Intraocular Pressure Elevation in Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma

Purpose:To observe the differences of damage patterns of retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) between acute and chronic intraocular pressure(IOP) elevation in primary angle closure glaucoma.(PACG).using optical coherence tomography(OCT).Methods:Twenty four patients(48 eyes) with unilateral acute PACG(APACG) attack in the 6 months after remission and 36 patients(64 eyes) with chronic PACG(CPACG) were included in this prospective study.For all cases,IOP has been controlled less than 21 mmHg after treatment.Using stratus OCT,the RNFL thickness was assessed in eyes with PACG within 3 days,2 weeks,1,3 and 6 months after IOP controlled.Repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the time course of changes after IOP controlled in RNFL thickness in both acute attack and unaffected fellow eyes of APACG and eyes with CPACG.Results:The mean RNFL thickness(μm) for the APACG-attacked eyes increased significantly within 3 days.(121.49±23.84).after acute strike and then became thinner along with time.(107.22±24.72 at 2 week,93.58±18.37 at 1 month,84.10±19.89 at 3 months and 78.98±19.17 at 6 months).In APACG-attacked eyes,there were significant differences of average RNFL thickness among 5 different times after IOP was controlled(P<0.001).In the APACG unaffected fellow eyes and CPACG eyes,there were no significant differences in mean RNFL thickness among 5 different times(F=0.450,P=0.104 in APACG unaffected fellow eyes and F=1.558,P=0.200 in CPACG eyes).There was significant difference for interaction between time periods and groups(F=1.912,P= 0.003).Conclusion:RNFL damage patterns are different under different IOP elevated courses.In APACG,RNFL was found to be swollen and thickening right after acute attack and then becomes thinning and atrophy along with the time,while RNFL was found to be diffused thinness in CPACG.

Optical coherence tomography evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and primary open angle glaucoma:a systematic review and Meta-analysis

AIM:To assess the differences in average and sectoral peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(p RNFL)thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic neuropathy(NAION)compared with those with primary open angle glaucoma(POAG).METHODS:A comprehensive literature search of the Pub Med,Cochrane Library,and Embase databases were performed prior to October,2021.Studies that compared the p RNFL thickness in NAION eyes with that in POAG eyes with matched mean deviation of the visual fields were included.The weighted mean difference(WMD)with 95%confidence interval(CI)was used to pool continuous outcomes.RESULTS:Ten cross-sectional studies(11 datasets)comprising a total of 625 eyes(278 NAION eyes,347 POAG eyes)were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses.The pooled results demonstrated that the superior p RNFL was significantly thinner in NAION eyes than in POAG eyes(WMD=-6.40,95%CI:-12.22 to-0.58,P=0.031),whereas the inferior p RNFL was significant thinner in POAG eyes than in NAION eyes(WMD=11.10,95%CI:7.06 to 15.14,P≤0.001).No difference was noted concerning the average,nasal,and temporal p RNFL thickness(average:WMD=1.45,95%CI:-0.75 to 3.66,P=0.196;nasal:WMD=-2.12,95%CI:-4.43 to 0.19,P=0.072;temporal:WMD=-1.24,95%CI:-3.96 to 1.47,P=0.370).CONCLUSION:SD-OCT based evaluation of inferior and superior p RNFL thickness can be potentially utilized to differentiate NAION from POAG,and help to understand the different pathophysiological mechanisms between these two diseases.Further longitudinal studies and studies using eight-quadrant or clock-hour classification method are required to validate the obtained findings.

Quantitative evaluation of equatorial small-angle X-ray scattering for cylindrical fibers

Elongated microvoids, internal fibrillar structure, and edge scattering from both surface refraction cause an equatorial streak in small angle X-ray scattering. A model for analyzing the edge scattering of fibers is proposed. Simulation results indicate that the intensity of edge scattering from surface refraction of a cylindrical fiber is strong and makes an important contribution to the equatorial streak. Two factors influence edge scattering intensity. One is the sample-to-detector distance （D）; edge scattering intensity increases with increasing D. The equatorial streak becomes weak when D is shortened. The other factor is the refraction index. Edge scattering intensity increases as the real component of the refraction index decreases. In experiment, weak or even no equatorial streaks were found for samples measured in a roughly index-matching fluid. Edge scattering can be eliminated or weakened, and it can be calculated by comparing the intensities of a cylindrical fiber when it is measured in air and in index-matching fluid. The simulation data are basically in agreement with the experimental data.

Intraocular retinal thickness asymmetry in early stage of primary open angle glaucoma and normal tension glaucoma

AIM： To investigate the intraocular retinal thickness asymmetry of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer（pR NFL） and macular layers measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography（SD-OCT） in patients with early stage of primary open angle glaucoma（POAG） and normal tension glaucoma（NTG）.METHODS： A total of 117 patients with early stage of glaucoma（54 patients with POAG and 63 patients with NTG） and 32 normal subjects were recruited for the study. The pR NFL thickness, total macular layer（TML） thickness, and isolated inner macular layer（IML） thickness were measured by SD-OCT. Hemisphere TML thickness asymmetry measured by the posterior pole asymmetry scan was evaluated. Thickness differences of pR NFL and IML between superior and inferior quadrants were calculated. Asymmetry indices（AIs） of the p RNFL, TML and isolated IML were also computed. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves（AROCs） were generated to determine the diagnostic capabilities of different parameters. RESULTS： Intraocular p RNFL thickness differences and AIs between the superior and inferior quadrants were significantly different between normal and NTG groups（P=0.009 and P〈0.001, respectively）. Intraocular p RNFL thickness differences and AIs between the temporal-superior and temporal-inferior sectors were also significantly different between normal and NTG groups（P=0.035 and P〈0.001, respectively）. The thickness differences and AIs of TML between superior and inferior hemispheres were significantly different between normal and NTG groups（P=0.001 and P=0.001, respectively） and between normal and POAG groups（P=0.032 and P=0.020, respectively）. The thickness differences and AIs of macular ganglion cell layer（mG CL） between superior and inferior quadrants were significantly different between normal and NTG groups（P=0.013 and P=0.004, respectively）, and between NTG and POAG groups（P=0.015 and P=0.012, respectively）. The thickness difference of TML between superior and inferior hemispheres showed the highest diagnostic capability for early NTG eyes（AROC=0.832）.CONCLUSION： Intraocular retinal thickness asymmetry in pR NFL, TML and mG CL are found in early stage of NTG. Hemisphere TML thickness asymmetry is also found in POAG eyes. Asymmetry analysis of retinal thickness can be an adjunctive modality for early detection of glaucoma.

Parametric study on supersonic flutter of angle-ply laminated plates using shear deformable finite element method

The influence of fiber orientation,flow yaw angle and length-to-thickness ratio on flutter characteristics of angle-ply laminated plates in supersonic flow is studied by finite element approach.The structural model is established using the Reissner-Mindlin theory in which the transverse shear deformation is considered.The aerodynamic pressure is evaluated by the quasi-steady first-order piston theory.The equations of motion are formulated based on the principle of virtual work.With the harmonic motion assumption,the flutter boundary is determined by solving a series of complex eigenvalue problems.Numerical study shows that （1） The flutter dynamic pressure and the coalescence of flutter modes depend on fiber orientation,flow yaw angle and length-to-thickness ratio;（2） The laminated plate with all fibers aligned with the flow direction gives the highest flutter dynamic pressure,but a slight yawing of the flow from the fiber orientation results in a sharp decrease of the flutter dynamic pressure;（3） The angle-ply laminated plate with fiber orientation angle equal to flow yaw angle gives high flutter dynamic pressure,but not the maximum flutter dynamic pressure;（4） With the decrease of length-to-thickness ratio,an adverse effect due to mode transition on the flutter dynamic pressure is found.

Image Motion Compensation of Off-Axis TMA Three-Line ArrayAerospace Mapping Cameras

To enhance the image motion compensation accuracy of off-axis three-mirror anastigmatic( TMA)three-line array aerospace mapping cameras,a new method of image motion velocity field modeling is proposed in this paper. Firstly,based on the imaging principle of mapping cameras,an analytical expression of image motion velocity of off-axis TMA three-line array aerospace mapping cameras is deduced from different coordinate systems we established and the attitude dynamics principle. Then,the case of a three-line array mapping camera is studied,in which the simulation of the focal plane image motion velocity fields of the forward-view camera,the nadir-view camera and the backward-view camera are carried out,and the optimization schemes for image motion velocity matching and drift angle matching are formulated according the simulation results. Finally,this method is verified with a dynamic imaging experimental system. The results are indicative of that when image motion compensation for nadir-view camera is conducted using the proposed image motion velocity field model,the line pair of target images at Nyquist frequency is clear and distinguishable. Under the constraint that modulation transfer function( MTF) reduces by 5%,when the horizontal frequencies of the forward-view camera and the backward-view camera are adjusted uniformly according to the proposed image motion velocity matching scheme,the time delay integration( TDI) stages reach 6 at most. When the TDI stages are more than 6,the three groups of camera will independently undergo horizontal frequency adjustment. However, when the proposed drift angle matching scheme is adopted for uniform drift angle adjustment,the number of TDI stages will not exceed 81. The experimental results have demonstrated the validity and accuracy of the proposed image motion velocity field model and matching optimization scheme,providing reliable basis for on-orbit image motion compensation of aerospace mapping cameras.

Experimental and simulation research on thermal stamping of carbon fiber composite sheet

To improve the manufacture efficiency and promote the application of composites in the automobile industry, a new composite forming method, thermal stamping, was discussed to form composite parts directly. Experiments on two typical stamping processes, thermal bending and thermal deep drawing, were conducted to investigate the forming behavior of composite sheets and analyze the influence of forming temperature on the formed composite part. Experimental results show that the locking angle for woven composite is about 30°. The bending load is smaller than 5 N in the stamping process and decreases with the increase of temperature. The optimal temperature to form the carbon fiber composite is 170 ℃. The die temperature distribution and the deformation of composite sheet were simulated by FEA software ABAQUS. To investigate the fiber movement of carbon woven fabric during stamping, the two-node three-dimension linear Truss unit T2D3 was chosen as the fiber element. The simulation results have a good agreement to the experimental results.

Effects of Fibers on the Dynamic Properties of Asphalt Mixtures

The dynamic characteristics of fiber-modified asphalt mixture were investigated. Cellulose fiber, polyester fiber and mineral fiber were used as additives for asphalt mixture, and the dosage was 0.3%, 0.3%, 0.4%, respectively. Dynamic modulus test using SuperPave simple performance tester （SPT） was conducted to study the dynamic modulus （E＇） and phase angle （δ） for the control asphalt mixture and fiber-modified ones at various temperatures and frequencies. Experimental results show that all fiber-modified asphalt mixtures have higher dynamic modulus compared with control mixture. The dynamic modulus master curves of each type of asphalt mixtures are determined based on nonlinear least square regression in accordance with the time- temperature superposition theory at a control temperature （21.1℃）. The fatigue parameter E^＊×sinδ and rutting parameter E^＊/sinδ of asphalt mixture are adopted to study the fatigue and rutting-resistance properties, and experimental results indicate that such properties can be improved by fiber additives.

Analysis of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and inner macular layers by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography for detection of early glaucoma

AIM： To analyze the diagnostic capabilities of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer（p RNFL） thickness and segmented inner macular layer（IML） thickness measured by spectraldomain optical coherence tomography for detection of early glaucoma. METHODS： Fifty-three patients with primary open angle glaucoma（POAG）, 60 patients with normal tension glaucoma（NTG） and 32 normal control subjects were enrolled. Thicknesses of p RNFL, total macular layers（TML）, and the IML, including macular RNFL（m RNFL） and macular ganglion cell layer（m GCL） were assessed. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves（AROC） were calculated to compare the diagnostic power of different parameters. RESULTS： There were no differences in the parameters of p RNFL, TML, and IML between POAG and NTG groups. The thicknesses of superior and inferior m GCL showed significant correlation with mean deviation of visual field（R2=0.071, P=0.004; R2=0.08, P=0.002）. The m GCL thickness significantly correlated with the p RNFL thickness in the superior and inferior quadrants（R2=0.156, P〈0.001; R2=0.407, P〈0.001）. The thickness of the inferior-outer sector of macula had greater AROCs than those in the inferior-inner sector of macula. The AROCs for superior（0.894） and inferior（0.879） p RNFL thicknesses were similar with the AROCs for superior（0.839） and inferior m GCL（0.864） thicknesses. Sensitivities at 80% specificity for global p RNFL, inferior-outer m GCL and inferior-outer m RNFL thicknesses were 0.938, 0.867, and 0.725, respectively. CONCLUSION： The diagnostic capability of the m GCL thickness is comparable to that of the p RNFL thickness in patients with early glaucoma. The inferior-outer sector of IML has a better diagnostic capability than the inferiorinner sector of IML for detection of early glaucoma.

Evaluation of stiffness in a cellulose fiber reinforced epoxy laminates for structural applications:Experimental and finite element analysis

Natural fiber composites have been proved to have the ability to replace the synthetic fiber composites in many structural applications. Unprecedented growth in the field of computational techniques has opened the doors of analysis and simulation of composite materials under various environment.Modelling and simulation using various available softwares saves a lot of time and resources. In the present work, an attempt has been made to analyze the tensile behavior of jute fiber reinforced epoxy based polymer composite materials using the student version of commercially available finite element code Siemens PLM NX 10.0. In most of the structural applications, materials are required to have enough stiffness to resist the shape deformation under normal loading conditions. Therefore, emphasis is given to the load-deformation behavior of the developed composites. A 3-dimensional model of the test specimen was developed using ply-stacking method and the strain-stress values were verified by the available literature. The model showed a good agreement between the experimental and software results. Effect of ply angle, fiber percentage, fiber type, number of layers and weft fiber angle on the stiffness of laminate have been studied.

Radial Orientation Mechanism and Experimental Research of Short Fiber in Tread Compound

Combining with Jeffery ：quation and mechanics model of fixed point of Euler rigid btdy, the mechanism and method of short fiber radial orientrion and characteristics of movement in tread extrusion process were studied. The influences of tension flow field and shear flow field in flow channel on short fiber orientation trove been systemically analyzed. The extrusion die, which had a hinder dam by adopting such principle, was designed. The results show that the expansion ratio and expanding angle of cross section are the key factors to determine the radial orientation of short fiber. Mathematical model of short fiber radial orientation was established. The results also show that the best expansion ratio is 3 - 4, the expanding angle is 75°, obtaining the average orientation angle between 70°- 80°, and the rationality of the radial oriented mechanism and the mathematical model are verified.

Properties,Morphology and Structure of BPDA/PPD/TFMB Polyimide Fibers

The mechanical properties of fibers were notably improved by incorporating 2,2＇-bis（trifluoromethyl）benzidine（TFMB） into 3,3＇,4,4＇-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride（s-BPDA） and p-phenylenediamine（PPD） backbone.The best strength and modulus of BPDA/PPD/TFMB polyimide（PI） fiber（diamine molar ratio of PPD/TFMB= 90/10） were 1.60 and 90 GPa,respectively,which was over two times that of BPDA/PPD PI fiber.SEM image showed that the cross-section of fibers at each stage was round and voids free.Besides,the ＂skin-core＂ and microfibrillar structure were not observed.The thermal properties of PI fibers were also investigated.The results showed that the fibers owned excellent thermal stability,moreover,the structural homogeneity of fibers were significantly improved by heat-drawn stage.The T g values were found to be around 300 °C by dynamic mechanical analysis（DMA）.Wide angle X-ray diffraction（WAXD） and small angle X-ray scattering（SAXS） experiments indicated that the order degree of longitudinal and lateral stacks,the molecular orientation and the structural homogeneity of fibers were improved in the preparation process of fibers.

Toughness and Fracture Mechanism of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The fracture toughness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite(CFRP)was investigated through mode I and mode II shaped fracture system in this paper.A novel polyimide with trifluoromethyl groups and grafted nanosilica were used to modify epoxy resin.Effect of modified resin and unmodified resin on fracture toughness of CFRP was compared and discussed.Lay-up angles and thicknesses effects on fracture toughness of composites were also investigated.The fracture toughness of CFRP was obtained through double cantilever beam(DCB)and end notched flexure(ENF)tests.The results showed that the composites prepared by modified resin exhibited high fracture toughness compared with unmodified composites.The fracture toughness value of mode I increased from 1.83 kJ/m2 to 4.55 kJ/m2.The fracture toughness value of mode II increased from 2.30 kJ/m2 to 6.47 kJ/m2.

Effect of electropolymer sizing of carbon fiber on mechanical properties of phenolic resin composites

Carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites were reinforced by the carbon fiber sized with the polymer films of phenol, m-phenylenediamine or acrylic acid, which was electropolymerized by cyclic voltammetry or chronopotentiometry. The contact angles of the sized carbon fibers with deionized water and diiodomethane were measured by the wicking method based on the modified Washburn equation, to show the effects of the different electropolymer film on the surface free energy of the carbon fiber after sizing by the electropolymerization. Compared with the unsized carbon fiber, which has 85.6°of contact angle of water, 52.2°of contact angle of diiodomethane, and 33.1 mJ/m2 of surface free energy with 29.3 mJ/m2 of dispersive components (γL) and 3.8 mJ/m2 of polar components (γsp), respectively. It is found that the electropolymer sized carbon fiber tends to reduce the surface energy due to the decrease of dispersiveγL with the increase of the polymer film on the surface of the carbon fiber that plays an important role in improving the mechanical properties of carbon/phenolic resin composites. Compared with the phenolic resin composites reinforced by the unsized carbon fiber, the impact, flexural and interlaminar shear strength of the phenolic resin composites were improved by 44 %, 68% and 87% when reinforced with the carbon fiber sized by the electropolymer of m-phenylenediamine, 66%, 100%, and 112% by the electropolymer of phenol, and 20%, 80 %, 100% by the electropolymer of acrylic acid. The results indicate the skills of electropolymerization may provide a feasible method for the sizing of carbon fiber in a composite system, so as to improve the interfacial performance between the reinforce materials and the matrix and to increase the mechanical properties of the composites.