Flexible bronchoscopy for foreign body aspiration in children:A single-centre experience

BACKGROUND The technological evolution of bronchoscopy has led to the widespread adoption of flexible techniques and their use for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.Currently,there is an active debate regarding the comparative efficacy and safety of rigid vs flexible bronchoscopy in the treatment of foreign body aspiration.AIM To evaluate our experience with tracheobronchial foreign body extraction using flexible bronchoscopy and provide a literature overview.METHODS This was a single-centre retrospective study.Twenty-four patients were enrolled between January 2017 and January 2023.Medical records of patients aged below 18 years who were admitted to authors’affiliated institution with a suspected diagnosis of foreign body aspiration were collected from hospital’s database to Microsoft Excel 2019.Data were analysed using MedCalc Statistical Software.RESULTS Patient ages varied from 9 months to 11 years.The median age was 23.5 months,95%confidence interval(CI)19.49-44.77.We observed age clustering in children with foreign body aspiration at our institution with three age subgroups:(1)0-25 months;(2)40-60 months;and(3)120-140 months.We expectancy of an organic tracheobronchial foreign body was significantly higher in 0-25 months subgroup than that in older ones when subgroups 40-60 and 120-140 months were combined together(odds ratio=10.0,95%CI:1.44-29.26,P=0.0197).Successful foreign body extraction was performed in all cases.Conversion to a rigid bronchoscope was not required in any of the cases.No major complications(massive bleeding,tracheobronchial tree perforation,or asphyxia)were observed.CONCLUSION Flexible bronchoscopy is an effective and safe method for tracheobronchial foreign body extraction in children.

Dynamic analysis of spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible couplings

The dynamics of spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links is explored. Firstly, a spatial beam element model for finite element analysis is established. Then, the differential equation of motion of beam element is derived based on finite element method. The kinematic constraints of parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links are obtained by analyzing the motive parameters of moving platform and the relationships of movements of kinematic chains, and the overall kinetic equation of the parallel mechanism with rigid and flexible links is derived by assembling the differential equations of motion of components. On the basis of abovementioned analyses, the dynamic mechanical analysis of the spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links is conducted. After obtaining the method for force analysis and expressions for the calculation of dynamic stress of flexible components, the dynamic analysis and simulation of spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links is performed. The result shows that because of the elastic deformation of flexible components in the parallel mechanism with rigid and flexible links, the force on each component in the mechanism fluctuates sharply, and the change of normal stress at the root of drive components is also remarkable. This study provides references for further studies on the dynamic characteristics of parallel mechanisms with rigid and flexible links and for the optimization of the design of the mechanism.

A Study of Dynamic Analysis Method for the Rigid-Flexible Coupled Bar Linkage System

In order to present a dynamic analysis method for the rigid-flexible coupled bar linkage system(RFCBLS),the flexible element motion equation was gotten by Lagrange Equation and the rigid element motion equation was gotten based on rigid constraint conditions.The multi-body system(MBS) is a complex mechanism and its components have quite different rigidities.If it is considered as a rigid MBS(RMBS) to do its dynamic analysis,elastic deformation's ignorance will lead to inaccurate analysis.If it is considered as a flexible MBS(FMBS) to establish,analyze,and solve the model,quite large system equations make it difficult to solve.The better method is as follows:the complex mechanism system is regarded as a rigid-flexible coupled system(RFCS) to make dynamic characteristic of rigid components be equivalent,system equation is established by FMBS' way,and system equation dimensions are reduced by transition matrices' introduction.A dynamic analysis method for rigid element and flexible element coupling was presented based on the FMBS.The analyzed crank slide-block mechanism results show that the dynamic analysis method for RFCBLS is quick and convenient.

Ride comfort evaluation for road vehicle based on rigid-flexible coupling multibody dynamics

In the present research two different whole vehicle multibody models are established respectively, including rigid and rigid-flexible coupling multibody vehicle models. The former is all composed by rigid bodies while in the later model, the flexible rear suspension is built based on the finite element method （FEM） and mode superposition method, in which the deformations of the components are considered. The ride simulations with different speeds are carried out on a 3D digitalized road, and the weighted root mean square （RMS） of accelerations on the seat surface,backrest and at the feet are calculated. The comparison between the responses of the rigid and rigid-flexible coupling multibody models shows that the flexibility of the vehicle parts significantly affects the accelerations at each position, and it is necessary to take the flexibility effects into account for the assessment of ride comfort. C 2013 The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. [doi： 10.1063/2.1301304]

Stable Li storage in micron-sized SiO_(x) particles with rigid-flexible coating

Micrometre-sized electrode materials have distinct advantages for battery applications in terms of energy density,processability,safety and cost.For the silicon monoxide anode that undergoes electrochemical alloying reaction with Li,the Li(de)intercalation by micron-sized active particles usually accompanies with a large volume variation,which pulverizes the particle structure and leads to rapidly faded storage performance.In this work,we proposed to stabilize the electrochemistry vs.Li of the micron-SiO_(x) anode by forming a rigid-flexible bi-layer coati ng on the particle surface.The coati ng consists of pyrolysis carbon as the inner layer and polydopamine as the outer layer.While the inner layer guarantees high structural rigidity at particle surface and provides efficient pathway for electron conduction,the outer layer shows high flexibility for maintaining the integrity of micrometre-sized particles against drastic volume variation,and together they facilitate formation of stable solid electrolyte interface on the SiO_(x) particles.A composite an ode prepared by mixing the coated micron-SiOx with graphite delivered improved Li storage performance,and promised a high-capacity,long-life LiFePO_(4)/SiO_(x)-graphite pouch cell.Our strategy provides a general and feasible solution for building high-energy rechargeable batteries from micrometre-sized electrode materials with significant volume variation.

Stress and buckling analysis of a thick-walled micro sandwich panel with a flexible foam core and carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) face sheets

In this paper,the stresses and buckling behaviors of a thick-walled mi-cro sandwich panel with a flexible foam core and carbon nanotube reinforced composite(CNTRC)face sheets are considered based on the high-order shear deformation theory(HSDT)and the modified couple stress theory(MCST).The governing equations of equi-librium are obtained based on the total potential energy principle.The effects of various parameters such as the aspect ratio,elastic foundation,temperature changes,and volume fraction of the canbon nanotubes(CNTs)on the critical buckling loads,normal stress,shear stress,and deflection of the thick-walled micro cylindrical sandwich panel consider-ing different distributions of CNTs are examined.The results are compared and validated with other studies,and showing an excellent compatibility.CNTs have become very use-ful and common candidates in sandwich structures,and they have been extensively used in many applications including nanotechnology,aerospace,and micro-structures.This paper also extends further applications of reinforced sandwich panels by providing the modified equations and formulae.

Rigid-Flexible Coupling Dynamic Analysis of Sub-Launched Vehicle During the Vertical Tube-Exit Stage

During the launching stage,hydrodynamic pressure and adapters' reaction loads can influence the vehicle's rigid motion as well as cause its structural vibration,which is a typical rigid-flexible coupling dynamic problem. This paper presents a 2-D rigid-flexible coupling model to calculate the vehicle's dynamic responses in that period.The vehicle was equivalent to a flexure beam with axial deformation. Hybrid coordinate and modal superposition methods were used to describe its large rigid displacement and small deformation. By the second Lagrange equation,the vehicle centroid's displacements,rotational angle and modal coordinates were chosen as generalized coordinates and then the vehicle 's rigid-flexible coupling dynamic equations were obtained. By numerical simulation,the results of vehicle's motion parameters and transverse internal loads were acquired.The calculation results showed that differences of the vehicle's motion parameters between the rigid-flexible coupling model and the rigid body assumption are noticeable and the peak magnitude of the vehicle's transverse internal loads in the rigid-flexible coupling model is higher remarkably than that in the rigid body assumption.

Dynamic Simulation for Rigid-Flexible Coupling Model of Gear Transmission System Based on ADAMS

The influence of the flexible body for the motion of gear transmission system is analyzed and the foundation for a more accurate assessment of gear transmission system is established when it has battle damage faults. By using Pro / E software,the virtual prototype model of gear transmission system in the speed reducer is established,and the rigid model and rigid-flexible coupling model are simulated respectively in ADAMS to obtain the data of gear meshing force. It can be concluded that rigid-flexible coupling model can reflect the real motion better than rigid model by comparing the simulation data of two models.

Dynamic Study on Rigid and Flexible Coupling System for Terminally Sensitive Submunition

A kinetic model of the rigid and flexible coupling system for terminally sensitive submunition is set up with Kane's method. The parachute is considered as a flexible body, the flexible displacement is expressed with modal spread method, the position of the parachute is expressed with a hybrid coordinate method, and the kinematics of the terminally sensitive submunition is analyzed. Ten generalized coordinates relative to the attitude of the terminally sensitive submunition are chosen, and the correlative generalized active forces, the generalized inertial forces, the generalized internal forces are calculated in turn. On the base of the Kane's method, the ten degrees of freedom dynamic equations for the coupled terminally sensitive submunition are finally set up. This model can be used to expediently simulate and analyze accurately the exterior ballistic trajectory of terminally sensitive submunition, and provide the overall design of the terminally sensitive submunition with some helpful references.

Dynamic modeling and simulation for the rigid flexible coupling system with a non-tip mass

The rigid flexible coupling system with a mass at non-tip position of the flexible beam is studied in this paper. Using the theory about mechanics problems in a non-inertial coordinate sys- tem, the dynamic equations of the rigid flexible coupling system with dynamic stiffening are estab- lished. It is clearly elucidated for the first time that, dynamic stiffening is produced by the coupling effect of the centrifugal inertial load distributed on the beam and the transverse vibration deformation of the beam. The modeling approach in this paper successfully solves problems of popular modeling methods nowadays： the derivation process is too complex by using only one dynamic principle; a clearly theoretical mechanism for dynamic stiffening can＇ t be offered. First, the mass at non-tip po- sition is incorporated into the continuous dynamic equations of the system by use of the Dirac lunch tion and the Heaviside function. Then, based on the conclusions of orthogonalization about the nor- mal constrained modes, the finite dimensional state space equations suitable for controller design are obtained. The numerical simulation results show that： dynamic stiffening is included in the first-or- der model established in this paper, which indicates the dynamic responses of the rigid flexible cou- pling system with large overall motion accurately. The results also show that the mass has a soften- ing effect on the dynamic behavior of the flexible beam, and the effect would be more obvious when the mass has a larger mass, or lies closer to the tip of the beam.

Out-of-plane (SH) soil-structure interaction： a shear wall with rigid and flexible ring foundation

Soil-structure interaction （SSI） of a building and shear wall above a foundation in an elastic half-space has long been an important research subject for earthquake engineers and strong-motion seismologists. Numerous papers have been published since the early 1970s; however, very few of these papers have analytic closed-form solu- tions available. The soil-structure interaction problem is one of the most classic problems connecting the two dis- ciplines of earthquake engineering and civil engineering. The interaction effect represents the mechanism of energy transfer and dissipation among the elements of the dynamic system, namely the soil subgrade, foundation, and super- structure. This interaction effect is important across many structure, foundation, and subgrade types but is most pro- nounced when a rigid superstructure is founded on a rela- tively soft lower foundation and subgrade. This effect may only be ignored when the subgrade is much harder than a flexible superstructure： for instance a flexible moment frame superstructure founded on a thin compacted soil layer on top of very stiff bedrock below. This paper will study the interaction effect of the subgrade and the super- structure. The analytical solution of the interaction of a shear wall, flexible-rigid foundation, and an elastic half- space is derived for incident SH waves with various angles of incidence. It found that the flexible ring （soft layer） cannot be used as an isolation mechanism to decouple asuperstructure from its substructure resting on a shaking half-space.

Design and Kinematics Analysis of Support Structure for Multi-Configuration Rigid-Flexible Coupled Modular Deployable Antenna

In order to meet the urgent need for diversified and multi-functional deployable antennas in many major national aerospace projects,such as interstellar exploration,the fourth phase of lunar exploration project,and the industrial application of Bei Dou,a deployable antenna structure composed of hexagonal prism and pentagonal prism modules is proposed.Firstly,the arrangement and combination rules of pentagonal prism and hexagonal prism modules on the plane were analyzed.Secondly,the spatial geometric model of the deployable antenna composed of pentagonal prism and hexagonal prism modules was established.The influence of module size on the antenna shape was then analyzed,and the kinematic model of the deployable antenna established by coordinate transformation.Finally,the above model was verified using MATLAB software.The simulation results showed that the proposed modular deployable antenna structure can realize accurate connection between modules,complete the expected deployment and folding functional requirements.It is hoped that this research can provide reference for the basic research and engineering application of deployable antennas in China.

Syntheses,Structures,and Properties of Three New Polymers Based on Flexible and Rigid Ligands

Three new supramolecular polymers, [（IP）（H2SO4）（H2O）]（1）, [（H2SDC）（BPA）]（2） and [Mn（SDC）（IP）2]n （3）, have been constructed by three modes（rigid IP, rigid SDC ＋ flexible BPA, rigid IP ＋ rigid SDC）. Polymers 1 and 2 are supramolecular structures, assembled by hydrogen bonds and π···π interactions. X-ray structure analysis of 3 shows waved 1D chains which form a 3D supramolecular network by hydrogen bonds and π···π interactions. Solid-state properties of thermal stability, luminescent properties, and X-ray powder diffractions for these crystalline materials have also been investigated, and polymer 3 is considered to be a good stable luminescence material.

MODEL OF CENTRIFUGAL EFFECT AND ATTITUDEMANEUVER STABILITY OF A COUPLEDRIGID-FLEXIBLE SYSTEM

The influences of nonlinear centrifugal force to large overall attitude motion of coupled rigid-flexible system was investigated. First the nonlinear model of the coupled rigid-flexible system was deduced from the idea of “centrifugal potential field', and then the dynamic effects of the nonlinear centrifugal force to system attitude motion were analyzed by approximate calculation; At last, the Lyapunov function based on energy norm was selected, in the condition that only the measured values of attitude and attitude speed are available, and it is proved that the PD feedback control law can ensure the attitude stability during large angle maneuver.

MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF A COUPLED RIGID_FLEXIBLE SYSTEM

Correct predictions of the behavior of flexible bodies undergoing large rigid-body motions and small elastic vibrations is a subject of major concern in the field of flexible multibody system dynamics. Because of failing to account for the effects of dynamic stiffening, conventional methods based on the linear theories can lead to erroneous results in many practical applications. In this paper, the idea of 'centrifugal potential field', which induced by large overall rotation is introduced, and the motion equation of a coupled rigid-flexible system by employing Hamilton's principle is established. Based on this equation, first it is proved that the elastic motion of the system has periodic property, then by using Frobenius' method its exact solution is obtained. The influences of large overall rigid motion on the elastic vibration mode shape and frequency are analysed through the numerical examples.

Nonlinear dynamic analysis on rigid-flexible coupling system of an elastic beam

Previous work examined the effect of the attached stiffness matrix terms on stability of an elastic beam undergoing prescribed large overall motion. The aim of the present work is to extend the nonlinear formulations to an elastic beam with free large overall motion. Based on initial stress method, the nonlinear coupling equations of elastic beams are obtained with free large overall motion and the attached stiffness matrix is derived by solving sub-static formulation. The angular velocity and the tip deformation of the elastic pendulum are calculated. The analytical results show that the simulation results of the present model are tabled and coincide with the one-order approximate model. It is shown that the simulation results accord with energy conservation principle.

A DYNAMIC MODEL FOR ROCKET LAUNCHER WITHCOUPLED RIGID AND FLEXIBLE MOTION

The dynamics of a coupled rigid-flexible rocket launcher is reported. The coupled rigid-flexible rocket launcher is divided into two subsystems, one is a system of rigid bodies, the other a flexible launch tube which can undergo large overall motions spatially. First, the mathematical models for these two subsystems were established respectively. Then the dynamic model for the whole system was obtained by considering the coupling effect between these two subsystems. The approach, which divides a complex system into several simple subsystems first and then obtains the dynamic model for the whole system via combining the existing dynamic models for simple subsystems, can make the modeling procedure efficient and convenient.

Geometric nonlinear formulation for thermal-rigid-flexible coupling system

This paper develops geometric nonlinear hybrid formulation for flexible multibody system with large deformation considering thermal effect. Different from the conventional formulation, the heat flux is the function of the rotational angle and the elastic deformation, therefore, the coupling among the temperature, the large overall motion and the elastic deformation should be taken into account. Firstly, based on nonlinear strain-displacement relationship, varia- tional dynamic equations and heat conduction equations for a flexible beam are derived by using virtual work approach, and then, Lagrange dynamics equations and heat conduction equations of the first kind of the flexible multibody system are obtained by leading into the vectors of Lagrange multiplier associated with kinematic and temperature constraint equations. This formulation is used to simulate the thermal included hub-beam system. Comparison of the response be- tween the coupled system and the uncoupled system has re- vealed the thermal chattering phenomenon. Then, the key parameters for stability, including the moment of inertia of the central body, the incident angle, the damping ratio and the response time ratio, are analyzed. This formulation is also used to simulate a three-link system applied with heat flux. Comparison of the results obtained by the proposed formulation with those obtained by the approximate nonlinear model and the linear model shows the significance of con- sidering all the nonlinear terms in the strain in case of large deformation. At last, applicability of the approximate non- linear model and the linear model are clarified in detail.

Analysis of the Rigidity of a Straight Beam Flexible Hinge with Different Geometrical Parameters

Flexible hinges are widely used in micro motion robotics. Its rigidity directly influences an organization＇s terminal localization. Its actual structure geometry size cannot satisfy the theoretical analysis completely in a theoretical supposition condition. In this paper, we analyzed the rotation rigidity of a corner-filleted straight beam flexible hinge in different parameters using finite element software ANSYS. The errors are discovered and compared with theoretical results. Through the graph of the flexible hinge parameters and its performance, an analysis of changes of parameters on the performance of a corner-filleted flexible hinge was carried out. The key manufacture parameters that affect the performance of a corner-filleted flexure hinge the most and rules of design are given, which can provide directions of design precision for the flexure hinge.

Research on Improving the Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Resin with Flexible Assisted Rigid Groups

Epoxy resins are cross-linked polymeric materials with typically low thermal conductivity.Currently,the introduction of rigid groups into epoxy resins is the main method to improve their intrinsic thermal conductivity.The researchers explored the relationship between the flexible chains of epoxy monomers and the thermal conductivity of the modified epoxy resins(MEP).The effect of flexible chain length on the introduction of rigid groups into the cross-linked structure of epoxy is worth investigating,which is of great significance for the improvement of thermal conductivity of polymers and related theories.We prepared a small molecule liquid crystal(SMLC)containing a long flexible chain via a simple synthesis reaction,and introduced rigid mesocrystalline units into the epoxy resin via a curing reaction.During high-temperature curing,the introduced mesocrystalline units underwent orientational stacking and were immobilized within the polymer.XRD and TGA tests showed that the ordering within the modified epoxy resin was increased,which improved the thermal conductivity of the epoxy resin.Crucially,during the above process,the flexible chains of SMLC provide space for the biphenyl groups to align and therefore affect the thermal conductivity of the MEP.Specifically,the MEP-Ⅵcured with SMLC-Ⅵcontaining six carbon atoms in the flexible chain has the highest thermal conductivity of 0.40W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),which is 125%of the thermal conductivity of SMLC-IV of 0.32 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),111%of the thermal conductivity of SMLC-Ⅷof 0.36W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),and 182%of the thermal conductivity of pure epoxy of 0.22 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1).The introduction of appropriate length flexible chains for SMLC promotes the stacking of rigid groups within the resin while reducing the occurrence of chain folding.This study will provide new ideas for the enhancement of thermal conductivity of cross-linked polymeric materials.