Axial length and anterior chamber indices in elderly population: Tehran Geriatric Eye Study

AIM:To determine the normative distribution of axial length(AL),anterior chamber depth(ACD),anterior chamber volume(ACV),anterior chamber angle(ACA),and some of their associated factors in subjects aged 60 and over.METHODS:In this cross-sectional study,160 clusters were sampled using multi-stage cluster sampling in Tehran,Iran.After a preliminary interview,the participants underwent optometric examinations including visual acuity and refraction measurement followed by slit lamp biomicroscopy.Finally,ocular imaging was done using the Pentacam AXL to measure AL,ACD,ACV,and ACA.RESULTS:A total of 4519 eyes of 2436 participants were evaluated,of whom 58.0%(n=1412)were female.The mean age of the subjects was 67.32±6.05y(range:60-95y).The mean AL,ACD,ACV,and ACA was 23.22 mm(23.18-23.27 mm),2.61 mm(2.59-2.62 mm),126.56 mm3(125.08-128.04 mm3),and 30.61°(30.3°-30.92°),respectively.In the multivariable model,after adjusting for the effect of both eyes,the longest and shortest AL was seen in myopic and hyperopic subjects,respectively.AL,ACD,ACV and ACA were significantly larger in men compared to women(P<0.001).Except ACA,other evaluated parameters showed an inverse correlation with age(P<0.001),however,this correlation was insignificant for AL(P=0.623).CONCLUSION:Normative value of AL,and other biometric parameters are specific for each ethnicity,age and sex group.Any alteration in these parameters and their effect on refraction should be considered in this age group,especially in case of cataract surgery.

A heterogeneous double chamber electro-Fenton with high production of H_(2)O_(2) using La–CeO_(2) modified graphite felt as cathode

Hydrogen peroxide synthesis by electro-reduction of O_(2) to substitute the current anthraquinone process has attracted a great deal of attention. Low oxygen utilization rate and low hydrogen peroxide production remain obstacles to electro-Fenton application. In situ H_(2)O_(2) generated by electrochemical reaction depends on the electrochemical performance of the cathode and the structure of the reactor. Here, novel graphite felt(GF) modified by La-doped CeO_(2)(La-CeO_(2)) was developed as a cathode. A new double chamber electro-Fenton reactor was proposed, where an organic ultrafiltration membrane was used to prevent H_(2)O_(2) from spreading to the anode. The effects of hydrothermal temperature, time and urea concentration on the electrochemical properties of graphite felt were investigated. The accumulated concentration of H_(2)O_(2) on the modified cathode reached 218.4 mg·L^(-1)in 1 h when the optimal conditions of hydrothermal temperature 120 ℃ and urea concentration 0.55%(mass) in 24 h. The degradation rate of methyl orange reached 98.29%. The new electro-Fenton reactor can efficiently produce hydrogen peroxide to degrade various organic substances and has a high potential for treating wastewater in the chemical industry.

Axial length,vitreoretinal pathology,and anterior chamber depth can predict postoperative refractive outcomes in phacovitrectomy/silicone oil removal

AIM:To evaluate the postoperative refractive prediction error(PE)and determine the factors that af fect the refractive outcomes of combined pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)or silicone oil removal(SOR)with cataract surgery.METHODS:The study is a retrospective,case-series study.Totally 301 eyes of 301 patients undergoing combined PPV/SOR with cataract surgery were enrolled.Eligible individuals were separated into four groups according to their preoperative diagnoses:silicone oil-filled eyes after PPV(group 1),epiretinal membrane(group 2),macular hole(group 3),and primary retinal detachment(RD;group 4).The variables af fecting postoperative refractive outcomes were analyzed,including age,gender,preoperative best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),axial length(AL),keratometry average,anterior chamber depth(ACD),intraocular tamponade,and vitreoretinal pathology.The outcome measurements include the mean refractive PE and the proportions of eyes with a PE within±0.50 diopter(D)and±1.00 D.RESULTS:For all patients,the mean PE was-0.04±1.17 D,and 50.17%of patients(eyes)had a PE within±0.50 D.There was a significant difference in refractive outcomes among the four groups(P=0.028),with RD(group 4)showing the least favorable refractive outcome.In multivariate regression analysis,only AL,vitreoretinal pathology,and ACD were strongly associated with PE(all P<0.01).Univariate analysis revealed that longer eyes(AL>26 mm)and a deeper ACD were correlated with hyperopic PE,and shorter eyes(AL<26 mm)and a shallower ACD were correlated with myopic PE.CONCLUSION:RD patients have the least favorable refractive outcome.AL,vitreoretinal pathology,and ACD are strongly associated with PE in the combined surgery.These three factors affect refractive outcomes and thus can be used to predict a better postoperative refractive outcome in clinical practice.

Design and Characterization of an Aerosol Test Chamber for Emergency Response Patient Contamination Control Simulation and Research

Contaminated or infected patients present a risk of cross-contamination for emergency responders, attending medical personnel and medical facilities as they enter a treatment facility. The controlled conditions of an aerosol test chamber are required to examine factors of contamination, decontamination, and cross-contamination. This study presents the design, construction, and a method for characterizing an aerosol test chamber for a full-sized manikin on a standard North Atlantic Treaty Organization litter. The methodology combined air velocity measurements, aerosol particle counts and size distributions, and computational fluid dynamics modeling to describe the chamber’s performance in three dimensions. This detailed characterization facilitates future experimental design by predicting chamber performance for a variety of patient-focused research.

Current Status of Rn-220 Chamber Carrier Aerosol Modulation Research

Radon is the most important source of natural radiation to human beings and the second major causative agent of lung cancer other than smoking. In recent years, the hazards of human exposure to thoron (Rn-220), another isotope of radon, and its progeny have gained consensus. To accurately evaluate the dose level and hazards of Rn-220 and its progeny, a standard Rn-220 chamber with strong regulation ability for Rn-220 and its progeny needs to be established for the scale or calibration of measurement instruments. This paper describes the hazards, sources, behavioral characteristics of Rn-220 and its progeny, and some representative Rn-220 chambers established in various countries.

Anterior Chamber Depth Changes in Narrow Iridocorneal Angles after Phacoemulsification

Background: The burden of cataract and glaucoma has been increasing. Primary angle closure occurs as a result of crowded anterior segment anatomy causing appositional contact between peripheral iris and trabecular meshwork. Lens extraction has been proposed as a method of deepening anterior chamber and managing intraocular pressure. Purpose: To assess changes in anterior chamber depth after phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in narrow angle eyes. Design: Prospective controlled trial (before-after) study. Method: The study was conducted from March 2015 to August 2017 among the patients of department of Ophthalmology of BSMMU who were diagnosed as cataract with narrow angles. Anterior chamber angle grading of 2 or less (Shaffer grading) in 3 or more quadrants was considered narrow angle (NA). The purposive type sampling technique was applied to collect sample from the study population, as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Complete clinical evaluation including history, physical examination, relevant ocular examinations and systemic examinations were performed. In this prospective study, subjects underwent phacoemulsification with foldable lens implantation. A scan ultrasonography was performed preoperatively and 10th and 30th postoperative days of surgery. Results: Thirty eyes of 29 patients included in the study, male: female ratio was 1:1, with an overall mean age of 62.03 ± 8.95 years. The mean preoperative central ACD was 2.95 ± 0.35 mm. At 10th and 30th POD mean central ACD were 3.94 ± 0.32, and 3.92 ± 0.28 mm respectively. Mean of increase in central ACD at final follow-up was 0.96 mm (p Conclusion: Phacoemulsification with posterior chamber in bag lens implantation can deepen the anterior chamber depth in patients with narrow angles. Based on these findings, it is concluded that phacoemulsification with foldable intraocular lens implantation is an effective tool in deepening the anterior chamber.

Effect of low dose laser cycloplasty on deepening anterior chamber in chronic angle-closure glaucoma

AIM:To describe the outcome of using low-dose laser cycloplasty(LCP)in chronic angle-closure glaucoma(CACG).METHODS:A retrospective case series.Medical charts of CACG patients who underwent LCP in the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University were reviewed.The main outcomes included intraocular pressure(IOP),the number of glaucoma medication,anterior segment parameters and surgery-related complications.RESULTS:A total of 7 eyes of 7 CACG patients(age 38.9±11.0y)underwent LCP with a mean follow-up of 27.1±13.7mo(range 16-48mo).Following LCP,mean IOP and glaucoma medications decreased from 26.1±6.1 mm Hg with 3.1±1.1 glaucoma medications pre-treatment to 14.9±3.1 mm Hg(P=0.027)with 0.4±1.1 glaucoma medications(P=0.001)at final follow-up.The anterior chamber depth(ACD),angle opening distance500 and trabecular-iris angle increased from 1.65±0.33 mm,0.05 mm(range 0-0.30 mm)and 5.1°(range,0-31.97°)at baseline to 1.98±0.43 mm(P=0.073),0.53 mm(range 0.42-0.91 mm,P=0.015),45.9°(range,40.2°-59.4°),(P=0.015)in the long-term follow-up,respectively.The deepening of ACD and reopening of anterior chamber angle(ACA)was observed in 6 eyes(85.7%).CONCLUSION:LCP is a promising treatment option for patients with CACG via reducing IOP and glaucoma medication without serious complications.In addition,LCP can bring a significant deepening in ACD and reopening of ACA.

Design and Structure Optimization of Plenum Chamber with Airfoil Baffle to Improve Its Outlet Velocity Uniformity in Heat Setting Machines

The plenum chamber of a heat setting machine is a key structure for distributing hot air to different air channels.Its outlet velocity uniformity directly determines the heating uniformity of textiles,significantly affecting the heat setting performance.In a traditional heat setting machine,the outlet airflow maldistribution of the plenum chamber still exists.In this study,a novel plenum chamber with an airfoil baffle was established to improve the uniformity of the velocity distribution at the outlet in a heat setting machine.The structural influence of the plenum chamber on the velocity distribution was investigated using a computational fluid dynamics program.It was found that a chamber with a smaller outlet partition thickness had a better outlet velocity uniformity.The structural optimization of the plenum chamber was conducted using the particle swarm optimization algorithm.The outlet partition thickness,the transverse distance and the longitudinal distance of the optimized plenum chamber were 20,686.2 and 274.6 mm,respectively.Experiments were carried out.The experimental and simulated results showed that the optimized plenum chamber with an airfoil baffle could improve the outlet velocity uniformity.The air outlet velocity uniformity index of the optimized plenum chamber with an airfoil baffle was 4.75%higher than that of the plenum chamber without an airfoil baffle and 5.98%higher than that of the conventional chamber with a square baffle in a commercial heat setting machine.

Measuring^(222)Rn in aquatic environment via Pulsed Ionization Chamber Radon Detector

Radon(Rn)is a naturally occurring radioactive inert gas in nature,and^(222)Rn has been routinely used as a powerful tracer in various aquatic environmental research on timescales of hours to days,such as submarine groundwater discharge.Here we developed a new approach to measure^(222)Rn in discrete water samples with a wide range of^(222)Rn concentrations using a Pulsed Ionization Chamber(PIC)Radon Detector.The sensitivity of the new PIC system is evaluated at 6.06 counts per minute for 1 Bq/L when a 500 mL water sample volume is used.A robust logarithmic correlation between sample volumes,ranging from 250 mL to 5000 mL,and system sensitivity obtained in this study strongly suggests that this approach is suitable for measuring radon concentration levels in various natural waters.Compared to the currently available methods for measuring radon in grab samples,the PIC system is cheaper,easier to operate and does not require extra accessories(e.g.,drying tubes etc.)to maintain stable measurements throughout the counting procedure.

Biophysical warming patterns of an open-top chamber and its short-term influence on a Phragmites wetland ecosystem in China

Passive-warming, open-top chambers(OTCs) are widely applied for studying the effects of future climate warming on coastal wetlands. In this study, a set of six OTCs were established at a Phragmites wetland located in the Yellow River Delta of Dongying City, China. With data collected through online transmission and in-situ sensors, the attributes and patterns of realized OTCs warming are demonstrated.The authors also quantified the preliminary influence of experimental chamber warming on plant traits.OTCs produced an elevated average air temperature of 0.8°C(relative to controls) during the growing season(June to October) of 2018, and soil temperatures actually decreased by 0.54°C at a depth of 5 cm and 0.46°C at a depth of 30 cm in the OTCs. Variations in diel patterns of warming depend greatly on the heat sources of incoming radiation in the daytime versus soil heat flux at night. Warming effects were often larger during instantaneous analyses and influenced OTCs air temperatures from-2.5°C to 8.3°C dependent on various meteorological conditions at any given time, ranging from cooling influences from vertical heat exchange and vegetation to radiation-associated warming. Night-time temperature depressions in the OTCs were due to the low turbulence inside OTCs and changes in surface soilatmosphere heat transfer. Plant shoot density, basal diameter, and biomass of Phragmites decreased by23.2%, 6.3%, and 34.0%, respectively, under experimental warming versus controls, and plant height increased by 4.3%, reflecting less carbon allocation to stem structures as plants in the OTCs experienced simultaneous wind buffering. While these passive-warming OTCs created the desired warming effects both to the atmosphere and soils, pest damages on the plant leaves and lodging within the OTCs were extensive and serious, creating the need to consider control options for these chambers and the replicated OTCs studies underway in other Chinese Phragmites marshes(Panjin and Yancheng).

太阳成像仪镜筒舱内压力控制技术研究

文章阐述了太阳成像仪镜筒舱内压力控制技术研究,主要包括限流小孔机械尺寸理论分析、慢速泄压阀设计、镜筒压力控制模拟测试等内容。目前,所研制的慢速泄压阀已顺利交付使用,并随46.5 nm极紫外太阳成像仪在中科院空间新技术试验卫星上进行了搭载,实现了在轨顺利开机,验证了太阳成像仪镜筒舱内压力控制手段的正确性。

燃烧系统参数对商用车发动机燃烧和排放特性的影响研究

为改善商用车发动机性能,采用计算流体力学(computational fluid dynamics,CFD)模拟、正交设计等方法,针对某商用车的燃烧室结构参数设计了4种新方案,并选取油束夹角、喷雾锥角、主喷正时等3个喷油参数开展多因素影响研究。结果表明:燃烧室形状曲线向内收缩且最大半径增大的方案1燃烧室可提升缸内湍流特性,改善燃油浓度分布,使燃烧速度加快,油气混合更好,为最优方案。在喷油参数研究方案中,以碳烟(soot)排放为优化指标时,油束夹角对排放特性影响最大,最优匹配方案是油束夹角147°、喷雾锥角15°、主喷正时-1°,其缸内碳烟排放较原机下降13.91%,且NOx排放减少13.98%;以氮氧化物(nitrogen oxides,NOx)排放为优化指标时,主喷正时对排放特性影响最大,最优匹配方案是油束夹角160°、喷雾锥角25°、主喷正时-1°,其缸内NOx排放较原机降低37.79%。

姿控推力室隔热框断裂故障分析及改进

针对某姿控动力系统推力室在力学环境试验过程中发生的隔热框断裂故障,对故障部位进行断口分析和结构强度分析,发现在高量级随机振动条件下隔热框支撑肋根部存在严重的应力集中,导致发生疲劳断裂。通过改进隔热框支撑肋结构,经强度分析和推力室力学环境试验验证,隔热框未再发生类似故障,表明改进措施方案可靠有效。

大缸径柴油机燃烧系统优化模拟

为提高某缸径200 mm船用发电柴油机的燃油经济性,本文设计了活塞燃烧室和燃油喷射系统的升级方案并进行了模拟优化。升级方案提高了压缩比和燃油喷射压力,采用大径深比浅ω燃烧室配合158°喷油夹角喷油嘴。对不同方案下发动机的缸内工作过程进行了计算流体力学模拟,计算了高压指示功和放热率相位,分析了缸内温度、反应过量空气系数和速度分布及演化。模拟结果表明:升级方案能够提高发动机热效率。增加喷孔数并减小孔径,可以在保持NOx排放基本不变的条件下提高高压指示功4.5%,降低碳烟排放约60%。采用“平顶”浅ω燃烧室与158°喷油夹角喷雾配合,油气混合气快速进入余隙并形成逆时针的漩涡流动,能够加速油气混合和燃烧过程,提高热效率。

埋头弹步枪导轨曲线槽的设计分析

为研究不同导轨曲线槽形状对埋头弹步枪导轨-弹膛机构运动特性以及弹膛突耳与导轨曲线槽接触力的影响,以某中口径埋头弹步枪为对象,基于一次函数、二次函数、三次函数和五次多项式函数设计了4种导轨曲线槽,建立了相应的导轨-弹膛机构的三维模型,采用Adams建立了导轨-弹膛机构的虚拟样机模型,利用Abaqus建立了导轨-弹膛机构有限元模型,并进行了仿真研究与分析。仿真结果表明:选用不同导轨曲线槽时,活动弹膛升降速度、导轨曲线槽与突耳间的接触力、以及导轨曲线槽的接触应力明显不同,最大接触应力主要分布在导轨曲线槽起始位置和终止位置;选择五次多项式函数作为导轨轮廓曲线时,导轨曲线槽起始位置和终止位置的接触应力较其他导轨曲线槽的接触应力小。

舰载机前起落架缓冲性能参数敏感性研究

为了同时满足缓冲和突伸性能,舰载机前起落架常采用双腔缓冲器设计。以某型机前起落架为研究对象,建立前起落架缓冲性能分析动力学模型,并将仿真计算结果与试验结果进行验证对比,验证理论模型的有效性和正确性。对缓冲器高、低压腔初始压力以及体积占比进行参数敏感性分析。结果表明,高、低压腔初始充填压力和体积占比对起落架缓冲性能的影响有别于它们对突伸性能的影响,所以对舰载机前起落架缓冲器的设计需不断优化,同时兼顾缓冲和突伸性能。

基于深度学习的盾构机土舱压力场预测方法

土舱压力是盾构机受力状态和掌子面稳定等核心问题中的关键因素。土舱压力具有显著的空间变异性,其形成演化机制源于装备与岩土之间的复杂耦合作用,与地质特征、掘进参数等多源参数相关。然而,现有土舱压力预测方法一般未考虑空间分布特征或地质参数影响。针对该问题,提出了一种基于空间分布物理特征函数导引深度学习的盾构机土舱压力场预测方法。该方法构建物理特征函数用于解耦土舱压力空间分布特征,采用卷积神经网络和门控循环单元分别提取多源参数历史信息的空间特征和特征系数的时序特征,结合多源参数实时信息对特征系数进行预测,从而实现土舱压力场的预测。以长沙地铁四号线某区段为案例,利用该方法准确预测了土舱压力空间分布实测数据,准确率高达0.98,验证了所提方法的有效性。敏感性分析表明,不同地层中土舱压力空间分布特征系数的主要敏感参数基本一致,但其敏感度随地层地质条件的变化规律差异显著,可为复杂地层盾构机土舱压力精细化调控提供参考。

半密闭腔室内冲击闪络电弧观测及弧后气体逸散过程研究

多腔室灭弧装置可保护绝缘子、抑制故障电弧存续,具有成为配电网线路防护增补措施的潜力。半密闭腔室作为多腔室灭弧装置的基本单元,腔室内冲击闪络电弧演变进程尚缺乏完备的观测手段和针对不同电极结构的直观对比,以及弧后气体状态的量化分析。为进一步完善半密闭腔室内电弧演变过程观测方法,优化结构设计,该文搭建了用于观测半密闭腔室电弧及弧后气体演变的高速纹影系统,对比分析了开放气隙与半密闭腔室气隙、U型电极和球形电极下半密闭腔室内冲击闪络电弧演变过程,根据纹影图像数据定义密度恢复率,并采用光流法探讨了弧后气体逸散过程中气体密度恢复和速度场分布。电弧演变过程的纹影图像表明,半密闭腔室较开放气隙具有主动“吹弧”作用,由于自感应磁场的分布差异,U型电极较球形电极加速腔室内电弧运动;弧后气体演变为近似涡环结构,促使腔室出口邻近区域气体密度率先恢复,空气自恢复能力得到提升。

社交媒体时代“回音室”与“过滤泡”之辨析

在国内研究对信息茧房、回音室、过滤泡三者概念常常混用的情况下,相较于信息茧房较高的关注度,国内对后两者的研究还远远不够,二者的异同也未得到细致辨析。经过对回音室、过滤泡相关研究进行文献计量分析,并从概念提出的背景、概念的内涵、操作化和研究结论方面深入辨析,发现二者概念的相同点在于:它们所描述的信息环境是相似的,即在网络技术的支持之下,一个由与个体喜好/倾向相匹配的同质化信息构成的信息环境。而不同之处在于:回音室强调受众主动选择与己具有相同倾向的个体进行交流互动,从而陷入只能听到自己声音的回音室中,其实质是观点同质化,所导致的后果是受众观点的极化,受众本身常被视为是主动性的;过滤泡强调算法推荐导致受众陷入同质化信息环境之中,其实质是信息接触单一化,导致的主要后果包括受众认知的窄化和观点的极化,受众往往被视为是被动性的。

民营企业家商会任职与连续慈善捐赠行为

商会作为典型的社会网络组织,能够通过企业家商会任职的方式对企业决策行为产生影响。本文以我国证券市场2004—2021年A股民营上市公司为研究对象,实证检验了民营企业家(董事长或CEO)商会任职与企业连续慈善捐赠行为之间的关系。实证结果发现:企业家商会任职会促使民营企业从事连续慈善捐赠活动且捐赠规模更大,而且企业家任职商会种类越多,这一促进效应越明显;在分析师关注度较低、企业家兼职较少以及非国有企业等改制而来的民营企业中,企业家商会任职对连续慈善捐赠行为的促进作用更明显;企业家在工商联或行业协会、国家级或市县级及以下商会中担任关键职位,更可能进行连续慈善捐赠且捐赠规模更大。渠道分析表明,民营企业家商会任职通过将商会会规和宗旨融入企业经营活动以及维护企业声誉两个渠道促进企业连续慈善捐赠行为。本研究揭示了企业家商会关系网络对民营企业连续慈善捐赠行为的积极影响,提供了企业非功利性连续慈善捐赠行为驱动机制的经验证据,同时为我国商会组织有效地参与公司治理提供了政策启示。