Defining Dry Eye from a Clinical Perspective

Over the past decades, the number of patients with dry eye disease (DED) has increased dramatically. The incidence of DED is higher in Asia than in Europe and North America, suggesting the involvement of cultural or racial factors in DED etiology. Although many definitions of DED have been used, discrepancies exist between the various definitions of dry eye disease (DED) used across the globe. This article presents a clinical consensus on the definition of DED, as formulated in four meetings with global DED experts. The proposed new definition is as follows: “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease characterized by a persistently unstable and/or deficient tear film (TF) causing discomfort and/or visual impairment, accompanied by variable degrees of ocular surface epitheliopathy, inflammation and neurosensory abnormalities.” The key criteria for the diagnosis of DED are unstable TF, inflammation, ocular discomfort and visual impairment. This definition also recommends the assessment of ocular surface epitheliopathy and neurosensory abnormalities in each patient with suspected DED. It is easily applicable in clinical practice and should help practitioners diagnose DED consistently. This consensus definition of DED should also help to guide research and clinical trials that, to date, have been hampered by the lack of an established surrogate endpoint.     

液-液水力旋流器中的液滴破碎

在总结前人研究成果的基础上,分析了液-液水力旋流嚣中液滴破碎产生的原因,指出流场的湍流特性是产生液滴破碎的主要原因。对水力旋流器中的湍流度、雷诺切应力及颗粒的湍动能进行了分析,给出了水力旋流器中液滴破碎可能性较大的几个部位,并对旋流器边壁液滴破碎的可能性进行了讨论。分析了水力旋流器中液滴破碎的机理,阐明了液滴破碎判据——临界Weber数的表达式,并对理想球形液滴的破碎进行了分析。     

Transient and steady-state deformations and breakup of dispersed-phase droplets of immiscible polymer blends in steady shear flow

Transient and steady-state deformations and breakup of viscoelastic polystyrene droplets dispersed in viscoelastic high-density polyethylene matrices were observed in a simple steady shear flow between two transparent parallel disks. By separately varying the elasticities of the individual blend components, the matrix shear viscosity, and the viscosity ratio, their effects on the transient deformation, steady-state droplet size, and the breakup sequence were determined. After the startup of a steady shear flow, the viscoelastic droplet initially exhibits oscillations of its length in the flow direction, but eventually stretches preferentially in the vorticity direction. We find that at fixed capillary number, the oscillation amplitude decreases with increasing droplet elasticity, while the oscillation period depends primarily on, and increases with, the viscosity ratio. At steady-state, the droplet length along the vorticity direction increases with increasing capillary number, viscosity ratio, and droplet elasticity. Remarkably, at a viscosity ratio of unity, the droplets remain in a nearly undeformed state as the capillary number is varied between 2 and 8, apparently because under these conditions a tendency for the droplets to widen in the vorticity direction counteracts their tendency to stretch in the flow direction. When a critical capillary number, Ca_c, is exceeded, the droplet finally stretches in the vorticity direction and forms a string which becomes thinner and finally breaks up, provided that the droplet elasticity is sufficiently high. For a fixed matrix shear stress and droplet elasticity, the steady-state deformation along the vorticity direction and the critical capillary number for breakup both increase with increasing viscosity ratio.     

In situ visualization of drop deformation,erosion, and breakup in high viscosity ratio polymeric systems under high shearing stress conditions

In this paper, deformation and breakup under simple shear of single molten polymer drops in a polymer matrix were investigated. Flow visualization was carried out in a Couette‐Flow apparatus under relatively high shear rates and temperatures up to 230°C. Drop/Matrix combinations were composed of polystyrene drops of 0.5–0.6 mm in diameter in polyethylene matrix, and ethylene–propylene copolymer drops of approximately the same size in polypropylene matrix. The deformation and breakup processes were studied under steady state and time‐dependent shearing conditions. Either for steady state or time‐dependant shearing conditions, drop elasticity generated at relatively high shear rates helped the drops to align perpendicular to the flow direction, i.e., parallel to vorticity axis. Also, the most striking non‐Newtonian effects for the high viscosity ratio systems were the surface erosion and the drop splitting mechanisms. The particles eroded off the main droplet surface were very fine, in the range of 10–50 μm, and led to a significant reduction in main drop size before its final breakup. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2582–2591, 2006     

MACROPROCESS OF PARTICLE FORMATION IN SUSPENSION POLYMERIZATION OF STYRENE WITH INORGANIC STABILIZER SYSTEM

The macroprocess of particle formation from suspension droplets of styrene in a pdymerizationsystem was investigated.Inorganic hydroxyapatite or its mixture with polyvinyl alcohol as thepolymerization system was used.Those items such as the effects of the Weight fraction of dispersed-phase,the amount of the inorganic stabilizer and the agitation speed on the breakup and coalescence of thetransient dispersed drops etc.Were examined.Results showd that the dynamic behavior of the transi-ent polymer droplets changed in the presence of the suspension stabilizer during the reaction.     

A comprehensive study on the droplet formation processes and its influencing factors of a tubular piezoelectric print head

Abstract

Various inks with different properties are widely used in the printed electronic industry. In order to obtain high quality inkjet printing, it is necessary to study the droplet formation process and its influencing factors comprehensively. Only in this way, the incentive conditions and liquid physical parameters of droplet ejection can be obtained and optimized. Firstly, the calculation model of the droplet ejection process is established for a tubular print head and the boundary conditions are set according to the driving characteristics. Secondly, the free surface flow is calculated in the simulation software and sequential pictures of the droplet formation processes are captured to validate the availability of the numerical algorithm. Finally, the droplet formation processes of the tubular piezoelectric print head are simulated under different incentive conditions, different viscosities and different surface tensions. Too small a driving energy is insufficient to cause the head to eject droplets. Excessive excitation energy will result in larger or multiple satellite droplets. Additionally, the thinning process of the liquid neck is examined carefully in this paper. Results show that surface tension and viscosity have a significant effect on the thinning speed of the liquid neck, but the effect is not as significant as previous studies.     

Development of Karst Formation in Area 4 of Tahe Oil field

The main oil-bearing formation of Area 4 of Tahe oilfield is in Yingshan Group of Ordovician consisted of thick pure limestone. The types of the pore space contain the pore, fissure, cave as well as fracture formed by solution collapse. The primary porosity and tectonic fracture are of poor growth. Therefore, the formation growth is mainly controlled by hydraulic units of the palaeo-karst. There are three palaeo-hydraulic zones: vadose zone (including infiltration sub-zone and percolation sub-zone), phreatic zone and tranquil zone. They are identified by retrieving the palaeo-geographical karst environment. The pore space of the infiltration zone is mainly solution fissures, small solution cavities and solution pores. The growth and lateral connection of the formation are favorable. The reservoir/formation ratio is 0.54. The pore space of the phreatic zone developed large size cavities and fractures related to cave collapse. The height of the cavity can reach 71m. The fractures by collapse have a influencing range of more than 100m, and its reservoir/formation ratio is 0. S1. But the lateral connection is unfavorable. The percolation subzone and the tranquil zone are of relatively poor growth with the reservoir/formation ratio less than 0.3.     

Agreement and repeatability of four different devices to measure non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT)

PurposeSince tear film stability can be affected by fluorescein, the Dry Eye Workshop (DEWSII) recommended non-invasive measurement of tear breakup time (NIBUT). The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement and repeatability of four different instruments in the measurement of NIBUT.Methods72 participants (mean 24.2 ± 3.6 years) were recruited for this multi-centre, cross-sectional study. NIBUT was measured three times from one eye using each of the instruments in randomized order on two separate sessions during a day, separated by at least 2 h. NIBUT was performed at three sites (Switzerland, Germany and UK) using three subjective instruments, Tearscope Plus (Keeler, Windsor, UK) (TS), Polaris (bon Optic, Lübeck, Germany) (POL), EasyTear Viewplus (Easytear, Rovereto, Italy) (ET) and the objective Keratograph 5 M (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) (KER). As the latter instrument only analyses for 24 s, all data was capped at this value.ResultsNIBUT measurements (average of both sessions) between the four instruments were not statistically significantly different: TS (median 10.4, range 2.0–24.0 s), POL (10.1, 1.0–24.0 s), ET (10.6, 1.0–24.0 s) and KER (11.1, 2.6–24.0 s) (p = 0.949). The objective KER measures were on average (1.2 s ± 9.6 s, 95 % confidence interval) greater than the subjective evaluations of NIBUT with the other instruments (mean difference 0.4 s ± 7.7 s, 95 % confidence interval), resulting in a higher limits of agreement. The slope was -0.08 to 0.11 indicating no bias in the difference between instruments with the magnitude of the NIBUT. Repeated measurements from the two sessions were not significantly different for TS (p = 0.584), POL (p = 0.549), ET (p = 0.701) or KER (p = 0.261).ConclusionsThe four instruments evaluated for their measurement of tear stability were reasonably repeatable and give similar average results.     

Bubble breakup with permanent obstruction in an asymmetric microfluidic T‐junction

Bubble breakup with permanent obstruction in an asymmetric microfluidic T‐junction is investigated experimentally. The breakup process of bubbles can be divided into three stages: squeezing, transition, and pinch‐off stages. In the squeezing stage, the thinning of the bubble neck is mainly controlled by the velocity of the fluid flowing into the T‐junction, and the increase of the liquid viscosity can promote this process. In the transition stage, the minimum width of bubble neck decreases linearly with time. In the pinch‐off stage, the effect of the velocity of the fluid flowing into the T‐junction on the thinning of the bubble neck becomes weaker, and the increase of the liquid viscosity would delay this process. The evolution of the minimum width of the bubble neck with the remaining time before the breakup can be scaled by a power–law relationship. The bubble length has little influence on the whole breakup process of bubbles. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 1081–1091, 2015     

A review of the statistical turbulence theory required extending the population balance closure models to the entire spectrum of turbulence

The models for fluid particle breakage and coalescence due to turbulence are generally limited to the inertial subrange of isotropic turbulence and infinite Reynolds numbers. A rigorous procedure for extending the fluid particle breakage and coalescence closures to the entire spectrum of isotropic turbulence and for a wider range of Reynolds numbers can be established based on statistical turbulence theory. The modeling procedure consists of a three‐dimensional (3‐D) literature model energy spectrum for the dissipation, inertial, and energy containing subranges of isotropic turbulence, and an exact literature integral relation for determining the second‐order longitudinal structure function from the 3‐D energy spectrum. A review of the requisite statistical turbulence theory and the use of the model energy spectrum is provided, because the necessary details are not easily accessible in the chemical engineering literature and misconceptions are found in the publications of the previous modeling attempts. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 1795–1820, 2016