Effect of Pre-Swirling Flow on Performance and Flow Fields in Semi-Opened Axial Fan

In this study, we tried to improve the performance by giving a pre-swirling flow to the radial inflow that occurred in the semi-opened axial fan. In addition, the flow fields of rotor outlet were clarified experimentally, and the effect of pre-swirling flow was considered. The experiment was carried out using a performance test wind tunnel with a square cross section of 880 mm. Three types of casings were prepared, in which the blade tip protruded 0%, 20%, and 40% of the meridional chord length. They were called R25, R15, and R05, respectively, in the casing bellmouth model code. Guide blades for generating a pre-swirling flow were installed on the vertical wall surface of the casing. In addition, a vertical wall was installed 60% upstream of the meridional chord length as an obstacle to prevent axial inflow. The velocity fields of the rotor outlet were measured using a hot-wire anemometer. From the results, the pre-swirling flow did not significantly affect the fan performance. When there was no obstacles wall upstream, there was a partial increase in efficiency, but the difference was not so large. When there was an obstacle wall upstream, the efficiency increased overall in the case of R15, but in the case of R05, the efficiency increased only in the low flow rate region, and conversely decreased in the high flow rate region. By observing the blade outlet flow fields when the performance was improved, it was confirmed that the influence of the tip leakage vortex was weakened.

Creating a semi-opened micro-cavity ovary through sacrificial microspheres as an in vitro model for discovering the potential effect of ovarian toxic agents

The bio-engineered ovary is an essential technology for treating female infertility.Especially the development of relevant in vitro models could be a critical step in a drug study.Herein,we develop a semi-opened culturing system(SOCS)strategy that maintains a 3D structure of follicles during the culture.Based on the SOCS,we further developed micro-cavity ovary(MCO)with mouse follicles by the microsphere-templated technique,where sacrificial gelatin microspheres were mixed with photo-crosslinkable gelatin methacryloyl(GelMA)to engineer a micro-cavity niche for follicle growth.The semi-opened MCO could support the follicle growing to the antral stage,secreting hormones,and ovulating cumulus-oocyte complex out of the MCO without extra manipulation.The MCO-ovulated oocyte exhibits a highly similar transcriptome to the in vivo counterpart(correlation of 0.97)and can be fertilized.Moreover,we found that a high ROS level could affect the cumulus expansion,which may result in anovulation disorder.The damage could be rescued by melatonin,but the end of cumulus expansion was 3h earlier than anticipation,validating that MCO has the potential for investigating ovarian toxic agents in vitro.We provide a novel approach for building an in vitro ovarian model to recapitulate ovarian functions and test chemical toxicity,suggesting it has the potential for clinical research in the future.

SEMI-OPENNESSAND ALMOST-OPENNESS OF INDUCED MAPPINGS

Given a mapping f between continua.Let 2f and C(f) mean the induced mappings between hyperspaces.Relations are studied under the conditions:f is semi-open(almost open,respectively),2f is semi-open(almost open,respectively) and C(f) is semi-open(almost open,respectively).

A typological,environmental and socio-cultural study of semi-open spaces in the Eastern Mediterranean vernacular architecture:The case of Cyprus

Semi-open spaces-largely incorporated in vernacular dwellings in Cyprus during the 19th and 20th centuries-formed diachronically significant socio-cultural, functional and environmental features of the vernacular architecture of the area. The climate of the Eastern Mediterranean region, i.e., hot summers and mild winters, encouraged the use of open weather protected spaces, thus leading to the widespread incorporation of such spaces in the vernacular architecture of the region. This paper focuses on the interconnections between architectural forms and human comfort, convenience or pleasure in relation to the semiopen spaces found in the vernacular architecture of Cyprus-an island in the Eastern Mediterranean region. For the purpose of this research, characteristic traditional settlements found in the coastal, lowland and mountainous areas-which represent three different climatic regions and topographies of the island-were selected for an in-depth investigation. The findings confirm a high frequency of semi-open spaces, as well as the existence of a remarkable richness of typologies. Although semi-open spaces constitute a fundamental part of the structure of these vernacular dwellings in all climatic regions examined, they dominate in the lowland regions due to the particularly hot climate, as well as the specific activities of the inhabitants of these areas. The prevailing architectural forms and constructions of these spaces in each climatic region under investigation was found to be closely adapted to the local resources, terrain and climate, while also being related to the social, household and agricultural needs of the inhabitants, thus underlining their sustainable and locus-specific conception. Research findings can contribute towards critically re-thinking semi-open spaces and their inherent value in rehabilitation projects, as well as in contemporary residential architecture.