Characterization of optoacoustic surgical devices

Describes a measurement technique specially developed to characterize optoacoustic sources. The technique provides a convenient baseline for a comparison of different surgical ultrasonic systems utilizing optoacoustic and ultrasonic transducers. In addition, it provides a well-defined tool to optimize the performance of a variety of designs. Attention is focused on the laser-assisted devices in which appropriately delivered light energy is converted into acoustic shock wave. A meaningful comparison of such devices with other therapeutic equipment designed for a direct interaction with tissue requires knowledge of energy needed for a successful surgical treatment. It is demonstrated that knowledge of the key shock wave parameters allows the total acoustic energy associated with the shock wave to be determined. The procedure developed to calculate this energy is discussed and it is shown that the value of this energy can be conveniently used as an indicator of efficacy of an optoacoustic converter in a clinical environment. The influence of the performance of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hydrophone probes on the measurement results was also analyzed. It was determined that when appropriately selected, the wide-band PVDF probes are well suited for characterization of the optoacoustic devices in the frequency range 1-100 MHz. The characterization procedure developed is applicable to surgical ultrasonic systems including conventional and laser-assisted phacoemulsifiers     

两个同心施转圆柱间的Taylor问题

本文推导了在修正双极坐标系下的Ｎａｖｉｅｒ－Ｓｔｏｋｅｓ方程和讨论了它的基本流的扰动解     

Surgical treatment of unilateral alveolar cleft

In this study, 16 cases of unilateral alveolar cleft with cleft lip and palate were repaired with autografts of cancellous bone (13 cases) or hydroxyapatite (3 cases). The grafts were covered by reflected mucoperiosteal flaps and a mucosal flap from the upper lip. Twelve of the thirteen cases were followed up for 1-5 years. Nine of whom using cancellous bone had bony continuity of the maxilla and 7 cases erupted permanent maxillary canines within the area of autografts. None of the 3 cases using hydroxyapatite erupted a canine tooth. The results showed that autograft was better than hydroxyapatite in terms of maxillary canine eruption.     

The effect of prior austenite grain size on the transformation behaviour of C-Mn-Ni weld metal

The influence of prior austenite grain size on the transformation behaviour and microstructural development of C-Mn-Ni weld metals was investigated. It was found that increasing the grain size depressed the start temperature of grain-boundary ferrite and slightly increased the acicular ferrite start temperature. The microstructural products also changed from a boundary-dominated effect in the small grain sizes, to an intragranular-dominated effect in the large grain sizes, and at the same time, the morphology of the acicular ferrite was seen to change to a larger aspect ratio.     

Experimental studies of new ductile coupling beams and multi-storey shear walls

The span-depth ratios of coupling beams to interconnect shear walls are generally small, so that brittle shear failure may occur and lead to reduced ductility. In order to improve the ductility of coupling beams for earthquake loading, a new type of ductile coupling beam is proposed in this paper. Along the middle depth of this beam, a slit through the entire thickness (a narrow hole) near each end and two lateral keyways along the remaining middle part of the span are made. The reductions of the stiffness under service load and the ultimate carrying capacity of the beam due to the weakening mentioned above are small and the ductility is greatly increased. Tests of 4-storey walls interconnected by coupling beams in three different constructions (monolithic beams, beams with a through-slit and new-type beams) indicated that shear walls with the new coupling beams possess the best aseismic behaviours under cyclic loading. The proposed new coupling beam has been used in a high-rise building.     

Keratin 17 gene expression during the murine hair cycle

Treatment of rats with phenytoin (DPH), an anti-epileptic drug, results in lower tissue thyroid hormone (TH) levels and interferes with the metabolic pathway of TH. To test the hypothesis that DPH affects the enterohepatic cycle of TH and, thus, the kinetics of TH turnover, we performed a kinetic experiment (three-compartment analysis) and a steady-state, double-isotope equilibrium experiment in rats treated for 3 weeks with DPH (50 mg/kg body weight per day) and in untreated controls. This included measurements of TH and TH metabolite levels, as well as the activities of enzymes involved in the TH metabolic pathway. DPH treatment resulted in a decrease in the production of thyroxine (T4) (by 25%) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) (by 37%), a decrease in the T3 concentration in all three pools, and a redistribution of T4 from the fast to the slow pool. The amount of T4 increased in intestinal contents and feces by 66% and 71% respectively. Expressed as a fraction of daily TH disposal, fecal loss of T4 was enhanced from 10 to 23% and that of T3 from 16 to 21%. An increase in T4 and T3 UDP-glucuronyltransferase activities was observed, suggesting that the increased fecal loss of T4 and T3 is secondary to an increased biliary output of their glucuronides. The reduced secretion of TH and increased fecal clearance during DPH treatment can lead in the long run to depletion of TH stores.     

Development of temperature compensated high elongation resistance strain gauges for use up to 250°C

The paper describes the development and evaluation of temperature compensated high elongation resistance strain gauges for use from room temperature to 250°C. These gauges could be temperature-compensated on steels with coefficient of thermal expansion α = 11 ppm/°C. Thermal output within 250°C was about 1 μm/m/°C and maximum standard deviation of 5 gauges was 34 μm/m. Strain limit was > 4% at room temperature and at 250°C. Gauge factors of different strain ranges at R.T. and at 250°C are tabulated. Some applications are stated.     

Experimental Study on Energy Consumption of Combined Conventional and Dehumidification Drying

Conventional drying, dehumidification drying, and combined conventional-dehumidification drying of wood were experimentally studied in this article. The results showed that the energy consumption in the dehumidification drying is the least but its drying time is the longest. The energy consumption in the combined drying is more than that in the dehumidification drying but less than that in the conventional drying, and the drying time is half of that in the dehumidification drying. The advantages of the combined conventional and dehumidification drying are discussed from the experiments results.