Droplet Self-Driven Characteristics on Wedge-Shaped Surface with Composite Gradients:A Molecular Dynamics Study

The self-driven behavior of droplets on a functionalized surface,coupled with wetting gradient and wedge patterns,is systematically investigated using molecular dynamics(MD)simulations.The effects of key factors,including wedge angle,wettability,and wetting gradient,on the droplet self-driving effect is revealed from the nanoscale.Results indicate that the maximum velocity of droplets on hydrophobic wedge-shaped surfaces increases with the wedge angle,accompanied by a rapid attenuation of driving force;however,the average velocity decreases with the increased wedge angle.Conversely,droplet movement on hydrophilic wedge-shaped surfaces follows the opposite trend,particularly in terms of average velocity compared to the hydrophobic case.Both wedge-shaped and composite gradient wedge-shaped surfaces are found to induce droplet motion,with droplets exhibiting higher speeds and distances on hydrophobic surfaces compared to hydrophilic surfaces,regardless of surface type.Importantly,the inclusion of wettability gradients significantly influences droplet motion,with hydrophobic composite gradient wedge-shaped surfaces showing considerable improvements in droplet speed and distance compared to their hydrophilic counterparts.By combining suitable wettability gradients with wedge-shaped surfaces,the limitations inherent in the wettability gradient range and wedge-shaped configuration can be mitigated,thereby enhancing droplet speed and distance.The findings presented in this paper offer valuable insights for the design of advanced functional surfaces tailored for manipulating droplets in real-world applications.

Choledocholithiasis Complicated by Cholangitis and Cholecystitis in A Patient with Anomalies of the Biliary Ducts (Case Report)

Background: Rapid development and broad implementation of modern imaging methods and diagnostic techniques have greatly contributed to more precise appreciation of the anomalous conditions and pathologies of the extrahepatic biliary system—one of the parts of the human body characterized with significant anatomical variability. Case Report: A 73-year-old female patient was admitted to The First Medical Center of Tbilisi with complaints of pain and a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium, fever (38ºC), nausea, weakness, jaundice. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an enlarged gallbladder with thickened walls and a large stone incarcerated in the gallbladder neck. The diameter of the CBD was increased up to 4 cm, and large size stones present within the lumen. A CT scan has also revealed a cholecysto-duodenal fistula. Open cholecystectomy was decided as a treatment of choice. Intraoperatively was found a fistula between the fundus of the gallbladder and the duodenum, a gallbladder with thickened walls, and stones wedged into the neck, a common bile duct of significantly enlarged diameter (4 cm) with large size stones, and an accessory small diameter duct between the gallbladder and the CBD. After choledochotomy, 4 × 2 cm and 3 × 2 cm size stones were removed from CBD. During cholecystectomy, the Luschka duct was found within the gallbladder bed. Conclusion: We report on a rare case of anomaly presented in the form of an accessory bile duct between the gallbladder and the common bile duct, as well as with an accessory duct of Luschka. Additionally, significantly enlarged extrahepatic bile ducts with giant intraductal stones and cholecystoduodenal fistula were revealed. The combination of these pathologies and anomalies is extremely rare.

Ultrastructural Study on Development of Needle Resin Ducts in Pinus elliottii Engel.

The development of needle resin ducts of Pinus elliottii was studied using electron microscope. The results indicate that the resin duct development encompasses at least three distinctive development stages: the stage of initial cells, the stage of middle lamellae expansion and intercellular space appearance, and the stage of cavity enlargement and the resin duct formation. During the whole development stages, all kinds of organells in the duct cells show different ultrastructural features and regularity, among them the plastids' changing is the most striking one. On the basis of analysing the ultrastructural features of developing resin duct cells, the pattern of duct cavity formation, possible sites of resin synthesis, the manner and way of the resin elimination from the protoplast are discussed.

Histological and immunocytochemical study of deferens ducts in the Chinese rat snake (Zaocys dhumnades)

To investigate the relationship between structure and function of the deferens ducts in the Chinese rat snake （Zaocys dhumnades）, morphological changes within an annual cycle were observed by routine histological techniques. Also, the correlation of androgen receptor （AR）, estrogen receptor （ER）, progesterone receptor （PR） and aromatase （Ar） expressions in the vas deferens and testis were studied immunohistochemically. To confh＇m that the sperm and the spherical structure existed in deferens ducts, we also used routine histological technique observed deferens ducts in the Striped-tailed rat-snake （Elaphe taeniura）, Red-banded snake （Dinodon rufozonatum）, and Tiger-spotted neck- troughed snake （Rhabdophis tigrina lateralis）. The results showed that the deferens ducts of the Chinese Rat Snake were composed of efferent duct, epididymal duct and vas deferens. Efferent duct contained sperm from August-October, and the sperm were observed in the epididymal duct from August-the following January. Throughout the year （except July） a large number of sperm were present in the vas deferens where a previously unreported spherical structure formed by spermatids was observed, which showed no significant differences in the IOD values of AR-, ER-, PR- and Ar- immunoreactivities. Since the spermatids in the spherical structure were undergoing spermatogenesis and this phenomenon also existed in the Striped-tailed rat-snake and Red-banded snake, the term, seminiferous spherule, was named for this spherical structure This study demonstrated that the testis was the main site for snake spermiogenesis, and the seminiferous spherule in vas deferens was the other Both the epididymis and vas deferens stored sperm; however, the vas deferens was the main organ for sperm storage.

Distribution and engulfment behavior of TiB_2 particles or clusters in wedge-shaped copper casting ingot

Wedge-shaped copper casting experiment was conducted to study the engulfment behavior of TiB2 particle and the interaction between particle or cluster and the solid/liquid front in commercial pure aluminum matrix. The experimental results show that the particle size distribution obeys two separate systems in the whole wedge-cast sample. Furthermore, it is found that the big clusters are pushed to the center of the wedge shaped sample and the single particle or small clusters consisting of few particles are engulfed into the α-Al in the area of the sample edge. The cluster degree of particles varies in different areas, and its value is 0.2 and 0.6 for the cluster fraction in the edge and in the center of the wedge sample, respectively. The cluster diameter does not obey the normal distribution but approximately obeys lognormal distribution in the present work. More importantly, in the whole sample, the particle size obeys two separate log-normal distributions.

Statistical characteristics of the surface ducts over the South China Sea from GPS radiosonde data

Based on the global position system （GPS） radiosonde data near the sea surface, the surface duct characteristics over the South China Sea （SCS） were statistically analyzed. The annual surface duct occurrence over the SCS was about 64%. Of the observed surface ducts, duct heights mainly distributed between 18 and 42 m, with M slopes in the range of -0.3 to -0.2 M units/m. Those ducts accounted for about 80% of the ducting cases. For the total profiles, the duct occurrences in a day changed slowly and were more than 60% in all times. The surface ducts formed more easily in the daytime than in the nighttime and most of the duct height were at bellow about 32 m. Additionally, The seasonal variation of the SCS ducts appeared to be evident, except that the mean duct thickness was almost constant, about 33 m for all seasons. The highest occurrence was about 71% in the autumn, followed by in the summer, spring and winter. In spring, their top-height existed more often at a height of more than 48 m. Their mean duct strength became stronger trend from spring to winter, with the M-slope in the range between -0.26 and -0.18 M units/m. Those results agreed well with other studies, provided considering the data resolution. The statistical analysis was reliable and gave the duct estimation for the SCS. Such duct climatology not only has important implications for communication systems and the reliability of the radar observation, but also can provide useful information to improve the accuracy of the meteorological radar measurements.

The interaction between a screw dislocation and a wedge-shaped crack in one-dimensional hexagonal piezoelectric quasicrystals

Based on the fundamental equations of piezoelasticity of quasicrystal material,we investigated the interaction between a screw dislocation and a wedge-shaped crack in the piezoelectricity of one-dimensional hexagonal quasicrystals.Explicit analytical solutions are obtained for stress and electric displacement intensity factors of the crack,as well as the force on dislocation.The derivation is based on the conformal mapping method and the perturbation technique.The influences of the wedge angle and dislocation location on the image force are also discussed.The results obtained in this paper can be fully reduced to some special cases already available or deriving new ones.

Involvement of pancreatic and bile ducts in autoimmune pancreatitis

AIM：To examine the involvement of the pancreatic and bile ducts in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis. METHODS： Clinical and cholangiopancreatographic findings of 28 patients with autoimmune pancreatitis were evaluated. For the purposes of this study, the pancreatic duct system was divided into three portions： the ventral pancreatic duct, the head portion of the dorsal pancreatic duct; and the body and tail of the dorsal pancreatic duct. RESULTS： Both the ventral and dorsal pancreatic ducts were involved in 24 patients, while in 4 patients only the dorsal pancreatic duct was involved. Marked stricture of the bile duct was detected in 20 patients and their initial symptom was obstructive jaundice. Six patients showed moderate stenosis to 30%-40% of the normal diameter, and the other two patients showed no stenosis of the bile duct. Although marked stricture of the bile duct was detected in 83% （20/24） of patients who showed narrowing of both the ventral and dorsal pancreatic ducts, it was not observed in the 4 patients who showed involvement of the dorsal pancreatic duct alone （P = 0.0034）. CONCLUSION： Both the ventral and dorsal pancreatic and bile ducts are involved in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis.

TIME-PERIODIC ISENTROPIC SUPERSONIC EULER FLOWS IN ONE-DIMENSIONAL DUCTS DRIVING BY PERIODIC BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

We show existence of time-periodic supersonic solutions in a finite interval, after certain start-up time depending on the length of the interval, to the one space-dimensional isentropic compressible Euler equations, subjected to periodic boundary conditions. Both classical solutions and weak entropy solutions, as well as high-frequency limiting behavior are considered. The proofs depend on the theory of Cauchy problems of genuinely nonlinear hyperbolic systems of conservation laws.

Observed characteristics of atmospheric ducts over the South China Sea in autumn

The observed characteristics of lower atmospheric ducts over the South China Sea(SCS) were analyzed based on Global Position Systerm(GPS) radiosonde data collected four times daily during autumn open cruises from 2006 to 2012.Duct occurrence,thickness,and strength over the SCS were about 40%,150-m thick,and 8 M units,respectively,which were larger than during the summer monsoon period.Most ducts occurred at heights <1 500 m and these ducts easily trap electromagnetic wave clusters with wavelengths <2 m.Diurnal variation of the SCS ducts appeared evident.They occurred more often at midnight at higher altitudes(about 1 100 m),with a thickest layer of about 145 m and less frequently during the evening at lower altitudes(about 800 m),with a thinnest layer of about 125 m.Moreover,ducts during the daytime at a mean height of about 900 m,with the greatest strength of about 10 M units.Furthermore,all duct variables observed over the SCS in autumn decreased from north to south.These findings are useful not only in the design of radar and communication systems,but also for evaluating possible effects of anomalous propagation on meteorological radar and military applications.

Investigation of long-range sound propagation in surface ducts

Understanding the effect of source-receiver geometry on sound propagation in surface ducts can improve the performance of near-surface sonar in deep water. The Lloyd-mirror and normal mode theories are used to analyze the features of surface-duct propagation in this paper. Firstly, according to the Lloyd-mirror theory, a shallow point source generates directional lobes, whose grazing angles are determined by the source depth and frequency. By assuming a part of the first lobe to be just trapped in the surface duct, a method to calculate the minimum cutoff frequency （MCF） is obtained. The presented method is source depth dependent and thus is helpful for determining the working depth for sonar. Secondly, it is found that under certain environments there exists a layer of low transmission loss （TL） in the surface duct, whose thickness is related to the source geometry and can be calculated by the Lloyd-mirror method. The receiver should be placed in this layer to minimize the TL. Finally, the arrival angle on a vertical linear array （VLA） in the surface duct is analyzed based on normal mode theory, which provides a priori knowledge of the beam direction of passive sonar.

Mechanism of Dynamic Near-infrared Fluorescence Cholangiography of Extrahepatic Bile Ducts and Applications in Detecting Bile Duct Injuries Using Indocyanine Green in Animal Models

Fluorescence intraoperative cholangiography（IOC） is a potential alternative for identifying anatomical variation and preventing iatrogenic bile duct injuries by using the near-infrared probe indocyanine green（ICG）. However, the dynamic process and mechanism of fluorescence IOC have not been elucidated in previous publications. Herein, the optical properties of the complex of ICG and bile, dynamic fluorescence cholangiography and iatrogenic bile duct injuries were investigated. The emission spectrum of ICG in bile peaked at 844 nm and ICG had higher tissue penetration. Extrahepatic bile ducts could fluoresce 2 min after intravenous injection, and the fluorescence intensity reached a peak at 8 min. In addition, biliary dynamics were observed owing to ICG excretion from the bile ducts into the duodenum. Quantitative analysis indicated that ICG-guided fluorescence IOC possessed a high signal to noise ratio compared to the surrounding peripheral tissue and the portal vein. Fluorescence IOC was based on rapid uptake of circulating ICG in plasma by hepatic cells, excretion of ICG into the bile and then its interaction with protein molecules in the bile. Moreover, fluorescence IOC was sensitive to detect bile duct ligation and acute bile duct perforation using ICG in rat models. All of the results indicated that fluorescence IOC using ICG is a valid alternative for the cholangiography of extrahepatic bile ducts and has potential for measurement of biliary dynamics.

Extrahepatic bile duct reconstruction in pigs with heterogenous animal-derived artificial bile ducts:A preliminary experience

BACKGROUND Extrahepatic biliary duct injury(BDI)remains a complicated issue for surgeons.Although several approaches have been explored to address this problem,the high incidence of complications affects postoperative recovery.As a nonimmunogenic scaffold,an animal-derived artificial bile duct(ada-BD)could replace the defect,providing good physiological conditions for the regeneration of autologous bile duct structures without changing the original anatomical and physiologic conditions.AIM To evaluate the long-term feasibility of a novel heterogenous ada-BD for treating extrahepatic BDI in pigs.METHODS Eight pigs were randomly divided into two groups in the study.The animal injury model was developed with an approximately 2 cm segmental defect of various parts of the common bile duct(CBD)for all pigs.A 2 cm long novel heterogenous animal-derived bile duct was used to repair this segmental defect(group A,ada-BD-to-duodenum anastomosis to repair the distal CBD defect;group B,ada-BD-to-CBD anastomosis to repair the intermedial CBD defect).The endpoint for observation was 6 mo(group A)and 12 mo(group B)after the operation.Liver function was regularly tested.Animals were euthanized at the above endpoints.Histological analysis was carried out to assess the efficacy of the repair.RESULTS The median operative time was 2.45 h(2-3 h),with a median anastomosis time of 60.5 min(55-73 min).All experimental animals survived until the endpoints for observation.The liver function was almost regular.Histologic analysis indicated a marked biliary epithelial layer covering the neo-bile duct and regeneration of the submucosal connective tissue and smooth muscle without significant signs of immune rejection.In comparison,the submucosal connective tissue was more regular and thicker in group B than in group A,and there was superior integrity of the regeneration of the biliary epithelial layer.Despite the advantages of the regeneration of the bile duct smooth muscle observed in group A,the effect on the patency of the ada-BD grafts in group B was not confirmed by macroscopic assessment and cholangiography.CONCLUSION This approach appears to be feasible for repairing a CBD defect with an ada-BD.A large sample study is needed to confirm the durability and safety of these preliminary results.

An Alternative Mode of Elimination of Resin from Epithelial Cells of Resin Ducts in Pinus sylvestris

The fine structure of resin secreting cells of the conical resin ducts in stem of Pinus sylvestris Carr.was studied with the help of high pressure freezing and freeze-substitution techniques. An unprecedented modeof resin elimination was observed. It seems that the hydrolase-contained Golgi vesicles take part in the dissolution of plasmalemma, and a passage is formed, through which resin material may quickly pass outside of theprotoplast. Then, the ruptured plasmalemma was repaired by some vesicles, possibly derived from Golgi bodies.

Elevated Ducts and Low Clouds over the Central Western Pacific Ocean in Winter Based on GPS Soundings and Satellite Observation

Both low clouds and elevated ducts are common phenomena in the oceanic atmosphere. Low clouds affect elevated ducts by changing the structure of atmospheric temperature and humidity. However, due to the limitation of met-ocean measurements, research on them is still scattered. This paper presents the distribution of elevated ducts and clouds over the central Western Pacific Ocean(WPO) based on Global Position System(GPS) sounding data and Himawari-8 satellite products from November 2015 to January 2016. Results show that the frequency of elevated ducts detected by ship-based GPS soundings was as high as 77% over the central WPO. The height and frequency of elevated ducts are closely related to the low clouds. If there are no clouds, the occurrence probability and mean base height of the elevated ducts are 14% and 730 m, respectively. By comparison, the occurrence probability and mean base height increase up to 24% and 1471 m, respectively, in the presence of cumulus(Cu) clouds, and 22% and 1511 m, respectively, in the presence of stratocumulus(Sc) clouds. Elevated ducts occur near the cloud top. The analysis of geopotential height and wind fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) reanalysis dataset(ERA-interim) shows that the study area is covered by a strong and stable subtropical high, and slowly sinking dry air masses inside the subtropical high are above the moist boundary-layer air mass. The appearance and evolution of low clouds will adjust the temperature and humidity structure of the lower troposphere. If there are no clouds, the marine boundary layer(MBL) is the classic mixed boundary layer. Humidity gradient and subsidence inversion are formed atop the mixed layer. When low clouds are present, long wave radiation and entrainment atop clouds form a strong temperature inversion and humidity gradient, which strengthen elevated ducts. However, when Sc clouds are decoupled, a weaker temperature inversion and humidity gradient may occur between the surface mixed layer and subcloud layer, leading to a weak elevated duct atop the mixed layer.

Cholangiojejunostomy for multiple biliary ducts in living donor liver transplantation: A case report

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy(LLDH)has been successfully carried out in several transplant centers.Biliary reconstruction is key in living donor liver transplantation(LDLT).Reliable biliary reconstruction can effectively prevent postoperative biliary stricture and leakage.Although preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and intraoperative indocyanine green cholangiography have been shown to be helpful in determining optimal division points,biliary variability and limitations associated with LLDH,multiple biliary tracts are often encountered during surgery,which inhibits biliary reconstruction.A reliable cholangiojejunostomy for multiple biliary ducts has been utilized in LDLT.This procedure provides a reference for multiple biliary reconstructions after LLDH.CASE SUMMARY A 2-year-old girl diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency required liver transplantation.Due to the scarcity of deceased donors,she was put on the waiting list for LDLT.Her father was a suitable donor;however,after a rigorous evaluation,preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography examination of the donor indicated the possibility of multivessel variation in the biliary tract.Therefore,a laparoscopic left lateral section was performed on the donor,which met the estimated graft-to-recipient weight ratio.Under intraoperative indocyanine green cholangiography,4 biliary tracts were confirmed in the graft.It was difficult to reform the intrahepatic bile ducts due to their openings of more than 5 mm.A reliable cholangiojejunostomy was,therefore,utilized:Suture of the jejunum to the adjacent liver was performed around the bile duct openings with 6/0 absorbable sutures.At the last follow-up(1 year after surgery),the patient was complication-free.CONCLUSION Intrahepatic cholangiojejunostomy is reliable for multiple biliary ducts after LLDH in LDLT.

The Extra-and Intra-Hepatic Ducts of Congenital Choledochal Cyst in Infants and Children

Congenital choledochal cyst is frequently seen ininfants and children in China. The extra-hepatic ductalchanges have been well described, but the changes in theintra-hepatic ducts in choledochal cyst are less well known.This report is composed of 2 groups of patients: thirty-four cases who were operated upon between 1971 and1982 were followed post-operatively by plain abdominalfilm and barium meal examination and a group of 26cases receiving PTC between 1982 and 1984. In this lattergroup, both extra-and intra-hepatic ducts were shownsatisfactorily by PTC. In 23 cases (88.5%) besides thedilatation of the extra-hepatic duct, there were differentdegree and different forms of dilatation of the intra-hepatic ducts. In 10 cases(38.5%)the branches peripheralto the dilated main intra-hepatic ducts were found to benormal, in the other 10 cases (38.5%) the more peripheralbranches abruptly narrowed or were obliterated. In one case(3.8%) the entire intra-hepatic ductal system were dilatedwith a bead-like appearance. In only 3 cases were theintra-hepatic ducts normal (11.5%). Moreover the dilata-tion of the intra-hepatic ducts were found to persist longafter the obstruction was relieved in 28 cases (82.3%) ofthe 34 post-operative cases. Due to the frequent associationof intra-hepatic ductal dilatation with choledochal cyst,the various forms of dilatation and persistance of dilata-tion after relief of the obstruction, the term congenital biliary dilatation is suggested for this disease.

Fully developed forced convection through semi-elliptic ducts

An exact solution of the problem of fully developed forced convection through semi-elliptic ducts is obtained under constant axial heat flux and peripherally uniform temperature. The solution is validated by comparing the local and average Nusselt numbers with the published approximate and asymptotic values.

The diagnostic value of 3D spiral CT imaging of cholangiopancreatic ducts on obstructive jaundice

Objective: Computerized tomography (CT) plays an important role in the diagnosis of diseases of biliary tract. Recently, three dimensions (3D) spiral CT imaging has been used in surgical diseases gradually. This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of 3D spiral CT imaging of cholangiopancreatic ducts on obstructive jaundice. Methods: Thirty patients with obstructive jaundice had received B-mode ultrasonography, CT, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and 3D spiral CT imaging of cholangiopancreatic ducts preoperatively. Then the diagnose accordance rate of these examinational methods were compared after operations. Results: The diagnose accordance rate of 3D spiral CT imaging of cholangiopancreatic ducts was higher than those of B-mode ultrasonography, CT, or single PTC or ERCP, which showed clear images of bile duct tree and pathological changes. As to malignant obstructive jaundice, this examinational technique could clearly display the adjacent relationship between tumor and liver tissue, biliary ducts, blood vessels, and intrahepatic metastases. Conclusion: 3D spiral CT imaging of cholangiopancreatic ducts has significant value for obstructive diseases of biliary ducts, which provides effective evidence for the feasibility of tumor-resection and surgical options.

Numerical prediction of thermo-hydrodynamics on the gas-lubricated film in wedge-shaped microchannel

One wedge-shaped microchannel was established,and the hydrodynamic properties of the wedge-shaped gas film were comprehensively investigated.The Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the full energy equation were adopted to mainly analyze the lubrication hydrodynamics of the gas film,as the horizontal plate was viewed as the adiabatic wall or the horizontal plate temperature was equal to the tilt plate temperature.A higher gas film temperature strengthened the rarefaction effect,and the more rarefied gas weakened the squeeze.Meanwhile,the vertical flow across the gas film could indicate the relation between the velocity vector and the gas film squeeze and expansion.The adiabatic horizontal plate could resist the heat conduction and enhance the rarefaction effect,and thus the direction of motion of the gas molecules was easier to be changed.