Retinal thickness and fundus blood flow density changes in chest pain subjects with dyslipidemia

AIM:To assess the retinal thickness and fundus blood flow density changes in chest pain patients with dyslipidemia using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA).METHODS:All subjects with chest pain as the main symptom accepted a comprehensive ophthalmological examination.According to the serum lipid levels,the participants were divided into the control group and the dyslipidemia group.The retina thickness and fundus blood flow density were determined using OCTA.RESULTS:The study enrolled 87 left eyes from 87 adults with dyslipidemia and 87 left eyes from age-and sexmatched participants without dyslipidemia.The retina of dyslipidemia subjects was significantly thinner than that of the controls in the inferior(P=0.004 and P=0.014,respectively)and temporal(P=0.015 and P=0.019,respectively)regions,both inner and outer layers.In terms of blood flow density in the macula or optic disk,there was a decreasing trend in the dyslipidemia group compared with the control group,especially in the inferior and temporal regions.CONCLUSION:Dyslipidemia may contribute to the decrease in retinal thickness and fundus blood flow density.Further validation of the association between abnormal lipid metabolism and fundus microcirculation alterations needs to be carried out in chest pain patients.

Density distribution in a heavy-medium cyclone

Heavy-medium cyclones are widely used to upgrade run-of-mine coal.But the understanding of flow in a cyclone containing a dense medium is still incomplete.By introducing turbulent diffusion into calculations of centrifugal settling a theoretical distribution function giving the density field can be deduced.Qualitative analysis of the density field in every part of a cylindrical cyclone suggests an optimum design that has exhibited good separation effectiveness and anti-wear performance when in commercial operation.

Experimental study on the energy dissipation characteristics of debris flow deceleration baffles

Debris flow can cause serious damages to roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructures.Arranging several rows of deceleration baffles in the significant influence on the mobility and deposition characteristic of debris flow. The deposit amount first increased then decreased when the flow density rises,flow path can reduce the flow velocity and ensure better protection of life and property. In debris flow prevention projects, deceleration baffles can effectively reduce the erosion of the debris flow and prolong the running time of the drainage channel.This study investigated the degree to which a 6 m long flume and three rows of deceleration baffles reduce the debris flow velocity and affect the energy dissipation characteristics. The influential variables include channel slope, debris flow density, and spacing between baffle rows. The experimental results demonstrated that the typical flow pattern was a sudden increase in flow depth and vertical proliferation when debris flow flows through the baffles. Strong turbulence between debris flow and baffles can contribute to energy dissipation and decrease the kinematic velocity considerably. The results showed that the reduction ratio of velocity increased with the increase in debris flow density,channel slope and spacing between rows. Tests phenomena also indicated that debris flow density hasand the deposit amount of debris flow density of 1500kg/m^3 reached the maximum when the experimental flume slope is 12°.

Numerical simulation of the flow field of a flat torque converter

A flexible flat torque converter was proposed to fulfill the requirement of miniaturization and power density maximization for automobiles.Constructed by two arcs joined by lines,the torus was designed directly from design path.The influence of flatness on the performance of the torque converter was evaluated.The software CFX and standard k-ε model were adopted to simulate the internal flow fields of the torque converter under different flatness ratios.The results indicated that the performance of the torque converter got worse as the flatness declined,but the capacity of pump increased.The efficiency and the torque ratio dropped slightly as the flatness ratio decreased.So the torque converter could be squashed appropriately to get high power density without too much efficiency sacrifice.But when the flatness ratio was below 0.2,there was a significant drop in the efficiency.

INVESTIGATION OF DOMINANT FREQUENCIES IN TRANSITION REYNOLDS NUMBER RANGE OF FLOW AROUND A CIRCULAR CYLINDER PARTⅡ: THEORETICAL DETERMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VORTEX SHEDDING AND TRANSITION FREQUENCIES AT DIFFERENT REYNOLDS NUMBERS

An attempt has been made to explore whether the power relation can be obtained from theoretical considerations. The classical laminar and turbulent boundary layer concepts have been employed to determine appropriate values of the scaling lengths associated with vortex shedding and shear layer frequencies to predict the power law relationship with Reynolds number. The predicted results are in good agreement with experimental results. The findings will provide a greater insight into the overall phenomenon involved.

Schamel equation in an inhomogeneous magnetized sheared flow plasma with q-nonextensive trapped electrons

An investigation is carried out for understanding the properties of ion–acoustic（IA） solitary waves in an inhomogeneous magnetized electron-ion plasma with field-aligned sheared flow under the impact of q-nonextensive trapped electrons. The Schamel equation and its stationary solution in the form of solitary waves are obtained for this inhomogeneous plasma. It is shown that the amplitude of IA solitary waves increases with higher trapping efficiency（β）, while the width remains almost the same. Further, it is found that the amplitude of the solitary waves decreases with enhanced normalized drift speed, shear flow parameter and the population of the energetic particles. The size of the nonlinear solitary structures is calculated to be a few hundred meters and it is pointed out that the present results are useful to understand the solar wind plasma.

Effect of injection angle,density ratio,and viscosity on droplet formation in a microfluidic T-junction

The T-junction microchannel device makes available a sharp edge to form micro-droplets from biomaterial solutions. This article investigates the effects of injection angle, flow rate ratio, density ratio,viscosity ratio, contact angle, and slip length in the process of formation of uniform droplets in microfluidic T-junctions. The governing equations were solved by the commercial software. The results show that contact angle, slip length, and injection angles near the perpendicular and parallel conditions have an increasing effect on the diameter of generated droplets, while flow rate, density and viscosity ratios, and other injection angles had a decreasing effect on the diameter.

Evaluation of childhood developing via optical coherence tomography-angiography in Qamdo,Tibet,China:A prospective cross-sectional,school-based study

BACKGROUND Optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)is a new and reliable machine used to evaluate retinal structure and macular perfusion in children.The use of OCTA under bad condition such as high altitude,low atmospheric oxygen,and low humidity,in children is rarely.AIM To quantify the macular micro-vasculature in healthy children of various ages using OCTA in Qamdo.METHODS Design:Prospective cross-sectional,school-based study.Three hundred and fortyseven normal students from 9 schools in 4 different areas in Qamdo were included.OCTA was performed on a 3 mm×3 mm area centered on the macular region and macular cube 512×128 showed details in macular.Early treatment of diabetic retinopathy study Vessel Flow Density(VD)of the macular central vascular plexus density(CVD),inner vascular plexus density(IVD),full vascular plexus density(FVD),and the size of the foveal avascular zone(FAZ)were measured.All these results corrected by t/s=3.382×0.01306×(axial length-1.82).The differences were compared among various ages,sexes and living environments.RESULTS The mean FAZ area in all eyes was 0.27 mm^(2)±0.12 mm^(2).The mean foveal thickness(MFT)in the macular cube was 227.64μm±23.51μm.Compared with girls,boys had a lager FAZ(P=0.0029).Among the different age groups,MFT(P<0.001)and FVD(P<0.0001),IVD(P<0.0001),and CVD(P=0.0050)increased with age.FAZ areas were not correlated with age(P=0.8853)or others(MFT,area).CONCLUSION OCTA can use to evaluate macular perfusion in children.Our data bridge the gap between structural OCT and perfusion density in children in high altitude.Even though these were not a longitudinal study,it may provide us with hints about retina development during puberty and clinical implications of OCTA in children.

A TURBULENCE MODEL FOR VARYING DENSITY FLOW IN GENERAL CURVILINEAR COORDINATES

In this paper a three-dimensional turbulence model equation with irregular domain and variable density of incompressible flow in general curvilinear coordinates is developed by the tensor analysis. The equations can be conveniently and wildly used to solve problems in the field of hydraulics, environment and ocean engineering.

Stability and nonlinear vibrations of a flexible pipe parametrically excited by an internal varying flow density

Pipes are often used to transport multiphase flows in many engineering applications.The total fluid flow density inside a pipe may vary with time and space.In this paper,a simply supported pipe conveying a variable density flow is modeled theoretically,and its stability and nonlinear vibrations are investigated in detail.The variation of the flow density is simulated using a mathematical function.The equation governing the vibration of the pipe is derived according to Euler-Bernoulli beam theory.When the internal flow density varies with time,the pipe is excited parametrically.The stability of the pipe is determined by Floquet theory.Some simple parametric and combination resonances are determined.For a higher mass ratio(mean flow mass/pipe structural mass),higher flow velocity,or smaller end axial tension,the pipe becomes unstable more easily due to wider parametric resonance regions.In the subcritical flow velocity regime,the vibrations of the pipe are periodic and quasiperiodic for simple and combination resonances,respectively.However,in the supercritical regime,the vibrations of the pipe exhibit much richer dynamics including periodic,multiperiodic,quasiperiodic,and chaotic behaviors.

A growth kinetics model of rate decomposition for Si_(1-x)Ge_x alloy based on dimer theory

According to the dimer theory on semiconductor surface and chemical vapor deposition(CVD) growth characteristics of Si1-xGex, two mechanisms of rate decomposition and discrete flow density are proposed. Based on these two mechanisms, the Grove theory and Fick's first law, a CVD growth kinetics model of Si1-xGex alloy is established. In order to make the model more accurate, two growth control mechanisms of vapor transport and surface reaction are taken into account. The paper also considers the influence of the dimer structure on the growth rate. The results show that the model calculated value is consistent with the experimental values at different temperatures.

Gas-solid flow in a high-density circulating fluidized bed riser with Geldart group B particles

We carried out experiments to explore and characterize the gas-solid flow dynamics of Geldart group B particles in a dense circulating fluidized bed riser. By reducing the pressure drop across the solid control valve and increasing the solid inventory in the storage tank, a high solid circulation rate and a solid holdup above 0.075 throughout the riser were simultaneously achieved. At a solid-to-gas mass flux ratio of approximately 105, flow transitioned from fast fluidization to a dense suspension upflow. In the axial direction of the riser, solid holdup had an exponential profile, increasing with increasing solid circulation rate and Jot decreasing superficial gas velocity. From the riser＇s center to its wall, the solid holdup increased markedly, exhibiting a steep parabolic profile. Increasing the solid circulation rate increased the radial non-uniformity of the solid concentration, while increasing the superficial gas velocity had the opposite effect, In our dense circulating fluidized bed riser, Geldart group B particles had similar slip characteristics to Geldart group A particles,

Wind tunnel test on the effect of metal net fences on sand flux in a Gobi Desert, China

The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway runs through an expansive windy area in a Gobi Desert, and sand-blocking fences were built to protect the railway from destruction by wind-blown sand. However, the shielding effect of the sand-blocking fence is below the expectation. In this study, effects of metal net fences with porosities of 0.5 and 0.7 were tested in a wind tunnel to determine the effectiveness of the employed two kinds of fences in reducing wind velocity and restraining wind-blown sand. Specifically, the horizontal wind velocities and sediment flux densities above the gravel surface were measured under different free-stream wind velocities for the following conditions： no fence at all, single fence with a porosity of 0.5, single fence with a porosity of 0.7, double fences with a porosity of 0.5, and double fences with a porosity of 0.7. Experimental results showed that the horizontal wind velocity was more significantly decreased by the fence with a porosity of 0.5, especially for the double fences. The horizontal wind velocity decreased approximately 65% at a distance of 3.25 m（i.e., 13 H, where H denotes the fence height） downwind the double fences, and no reverse flow or vortex was observed on the leeward side. The sediment flux density decreased exponentially with height above the gravel surface downwind in all tested fences. The reduction percentage of total sediment flux density was higher for the fence with a porosity of 0.5 than for the fence with a porosity of 0.7, especially for the double fences. Furthermore, the decreasing percentage of total sediment flux density decreased with increasing free-stream wind velocity. The results suggest that compared with metal net fence with a porosity of 0.7, the metal net fence with a porosity of 0.5 is more effective for controlling wind-blown sand in the expansive windy area where the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway runs through.

Plasma Model of Generation and Slip of Linear Defects in Crystalline Materials

In dielectrics and semiconductors, a plasma model of the generation and slip of dislocations is considered, where under shock loads in a generalized space of rectangular pulses an alternating field forms a distribution of pairs of photoelectrons and cations;these electrons with velocities Ve create δ-collisions with cold plasma from free electrons and holes with masses me and mh (mh ≫ me), they emit and absorb longitudinal electron plasma waves whose phase velocities wpw / kpw are close to or are equal to the velocities Ve, while the frequencies wpw and wave numbers kpw of the wave packet of plasma waves are complex, the short-wave components of this wave packet at kpw ⋅ ae ≫ 1 (ae -Debye screening radius) decay in the core linear defect, and its long-wavelength components propagate in the region of the medium surrounding the core of the defect at kpw ⋅ ae <≅ 1. When a defect is generated, the distribution of cations under the influence of the internal Coulomb field shifts to the region of the first peak (protrusion) of the electron plasma wave, thereby forming a vacancy valley. When sliding under the influence of an external electric field, a cationic plasma wave consisting of a vacancy valley and two cationic protrusions moves against the background of an additional potential relief created by an electron plasma wave near the core of the defect. It has been shown that δ-collisions create flows of dynamic large-scale correlations of plasma fluctuations in the form of asymptotics of different-time correlators of density and potential fluctuations as t → +∞.

A High-Order Direct Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Variable Density Incompressible Flows

In this work,we develop a novel high-order discontinuous Galerkin(DG)method for solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with variable density.The incompressibility constraint at cell interfaces is relaxed by an artificial compressibility term.Then,since the hyperbolic nature of the governing equations is recovered,the simple and robust Harten-Lax-van Leer(HLL)flux is applied to discrete the inviscid term of the variable density incompressible Navier-Stokes equations.The viscous term is discretized by the direct DG(DDG)method,the construction of which was initially inspired by the weak solution of a scalar diffusion equation.In addition,in order to eliminate the spurious oscillations around sharp density gradients,a local slope limiting operator is also applied during the highly stratified flow simulations.The convergence property and performance of the present high-order DDG method are well demonstrated by several benchmark and challenging numerical test cases.Due to its advantages of simplicity and robustness in implementation,the present method offers an effective approach for simulating the variable density incompressible flows.

Research for Optimizing Porosity of Porous Thermal-insulating Materials

With the energy crisis and ecological environment deterioration, porous thermal-insulating materials become an advanced research hotspot, and the influence of pore distribution cannot be ignored. The mathematical model is established basing on the heat transfor theory, regarding the minimum heat flux density as the objective function, the constant total porosity as a constraint condition, using the BFGS method to optimize the pore distribution. The results show that when the heat flux is the minimum, in the case of the fixed total porosity, the high temperature zone has high porosity, the low temperature zone has low porosity; the maximal fluctuating amplitude of porosity between the adjacent discrete points has great impact on the thermal insulating performanee, the greater the fluctuating amplitude, the better the thermal insulating ability. After calculating the temperature field of the corresponding physical model, it can be found that the temperature gradient is non-uniform, the temperature gradient of the high temperature zone is steep, and that of the low temperature zone is gentle. These results have guiding significance for preparation of porous thermal-insulating materials.

Fluid-solid coupling numerical simulation of micro-disturbance grouting treatment for excessive deformation of shield tunnel

Micro-disturbance grouting is a recovery technique to reduce the excessive deformation of operational shield tunnels in urban areas.The grout mass behaves as a fluid in the ground before hardening to form a grout–soil mixture,which highlights the necessity of using fluid–solid coupling method in the simulation of grouting process.Within a discrete element modeling environment,this paper proposes a novel fluid-solid coupling method based on the pore density flow calculation.To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method,it is applied to numerical simulation of micro-disturbance grouting process for treatment of large transverse deformation of a shield tunnel in Shanghai Metro,China.The simulation results reveal the mechanism of recovering tunnel convergence by micro-disturbance grouting in terms of compaction and fracture of soil,energy analysis during grouting,and mechanical response of soil-tunnel interaction system.Furthermore,the influence of the three main grouting parameters(i.e.,grouting pressure,grouting distance,and grouting height)on tunnel deformation recovery efficiency is evaluated through parametric analysis.In order to efficiently recover large transverse deformation of shield tunnel in Shanghai Metro,it is suggested that the grouting pressure should be about 0.55 MPa,the grouting height should be in the range of 6.2–7.0 m,and the grouting distance should be in the range of 3.0–3.6 m.The results provide a valuable reference for grouting treatment projects of over-deformed shield tunnel in soft soil areas.

On the calculation of the electron temperature flowfield in the DSMC studies of ionized re-entry flows

Currently available procedures of electron temperature calculations in studying ionized flows around reentry spacecraft by the direct simulation Monte Carlo(DSMC)method are analyzed.It is shown that the heat conduction of electrons is not taken into account in these procedures.The contributions of various effects to the electron energy balance are calculated by an example of the RAM-C II capsule,and a numerical solution of the electron energy conservation equation is obtained,which refines the electron temperature distribution used in the DSMC computations.A method of coupled calculation of the electron temperature within the framework of the continuum approach and modelling of ionized gas flow by the DSMC method is proposed.

Glidant effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanosilica on a cohesive powder： Comparison of different flow characterization techniques

The methods used for flow characterization of a powder mass include the angle of repose （AOR）, Carr index （CI）, and powder flow tester （PFT）. The use of nanosilica as a flow modifier （glidant） is very common in industry. This study aims to compare the glidant effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica on a poorly flowable active pharmaceutical ingredient （ibuprofen） by different flow characterization techniques. Different percentages （0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt%） of both types of mixed silica–ibuprofen powders were evaluated by the AOR, CI, bulk density, and PFT. The flow factor, effective angle of friction, and cohesion were determined to explain the bulk powder properties. The results show that different types of silica show different levels of flow property improvement, but the techniques do not equally discriminate the differences. Hydrophobic silica results in better improvement of the flow property than hydrophilic silica, probably because of its better surface coverage of silica on the host particles. Change of the bulk density with applied pressure was significant for the different powders. This study demonstrates that combining several characterization methods provides a better understanding of bulk powder flow properties with respect to powder–process relationships than a single flow indicator.

Integrated Spacing Policy Considering Micro- and Macroscopic Characteristics

An appropriate spacing policy improves traffic flow and traffic efficiency while reducing commuting time and energy con-sumption.In this paper,the integrated spacing policy that combines the benefits of the constant time headway(CTH)and safety distance(SD)spacing policies is proposed in an attempt to improve traffic flow and efficiency.Firstly,the performance of the CTH and SD spacing policies is analyzed from the perspective of the microscopic characteristics of human-vehicle and the macroscopic characteristics of traffic flow.The switching law between CTH and SD spacing policies and the integrated spacing policy are then proposed to increase traffic efficiency according to the traffic conditions,and the critical speed for the proposed integrated spacing policy is derived.Using the proposed switching law,the integrated spacing policy utilizes the safety redundancy difference between the CTH and SD spacing policies in a flexible manner.Simulation tests demon-strate that the proposed integrated spacing policy increases traffic flow and that the traffic flow maintains string stability in a wider range of traffic flow density.