Endoscopic Anatomy of the Zygomatic Nerve: Implications for the Endoscopic Transmaxillary Approach

Background Understanding the anatomic features of the zygomatic nerve is critical for performing the endoscopic transmaxillary approach properly. Injury to the zygomatic nerve can result in facial numbness and corneal problems. Objective To evaluate the surgical anatomy of the zygomatic nerve and its segments from an endoscopic endonasal perspective for clinical implications of performing the endoscopic transmaxillary approach. Methods The origin, course, length, and segments of the zygomatic nerve were studied in four specimens from an endonasal perspective. Results The zygomatic nerve arises 4.1 ± 1.7 mm from the foramen rotundum of the maxillary nerve in the superolateral pterygopalatine fossa (PPF). According to its anatomic region in endonasal endoscopic surgery, we divided the zygomatic nerve into two segments: the PPF segment, from origin to the point of entry under Muller's muscle, which runs superolaterally to the inferior orbital fissure (IOF) (length, 4.6 ± 1.3 mm), and the IOF segment, starting at the entry point in Muller's muscle and terminating at the exit point in the IOF, which travels between Muller's muscle and the great wing of the sphenoid bone (length, 19.6 ± 3.6 mm). In the transmaxillary approach, the zygomatic nerve is a critical landmark in the superolateral PPF. Conclusion The zygomatic nerve travels in the PPF and the IOF; better visualization and preservation of this nerve during endonasal endoscopic surgery are crucial for successful outcomes.

Basalt - fluid interactions at subcritical and supercritical conditions: An experimental study

<p><b>To investigate the interaction between fluids and basalt at subcritical, near-supercritical, and supercritical hydrothermal conditions (350-400˚C/500 bar), eight experiments have been conducted. These used a continuous-flow, high temperature and pressure hydrothermal apparatus. The basalt was reacted with three fluids: distilled water; geothermal brine; and natural seawater. Two further experiments used only seawater as a control to determine its behaviour without the influence of basalt.</b></p> <p> With distilled water, the fluid chemistry results show elevated SiO2, K, Cl, SO4, and H2S in solution for the first 12 days of both experiments. This is due to volcanic glass dissolution. After glass was removed, fluid composition was controlled by the remaining rock minerals. At 400˚C, the secondary mineral assemblage at the bottom of the Reactor (fluid entry point) is composed of grossular, wollastonite, anorthite, and chlorite. These results show the effectiveness of distilled water, which lacks any alkali cations, at removing Na and K rapidly from the rock. At the top of the Reactor (fluid exit point) the secondary minerals are anorthite and celadonite. At 350˚C, the secondary mineral assemblage at the bottom is anorthite and chlorite, while celadonite is the dominant secondary mineral at the top. In both experiments, celadonite replaces solely olivine. The formation of celadonite through reaction with distilled water shows that it can be formed by the interaction of deuteric water and basalt without addition of other components.</p> <p> The geothermal brine contains high concentrations of SiO2, K, SO4, Na, Cl and has an acidic pH. At 400˚C, fluid chemistry displays elevated SiO2 concentrations for approximately two weeks due to glass dissolution. At 350˚C, SiO2 concentration is initially high after temperature increase, but decreases gradually over the remainder of the experiment. At 400˚C, the secondary mineral assemblage at the bottom of the Reactor is composed of anhydrite and biotite, while at the top of the Reactor, smectite is the only secondary mineral. At 350˚C, anhydrite and smectite are found at the bottom, while only smectite is found at the top. The lack of biotite at 350˚C suggests this mineral’s precipitation kinetics are too slow to outcompete chlorite precipitation.</p> <p> The seawater-only experiments were conducted as controls to determine its behaviour during heat-up and provide the input solution composition for the seawater-basalt experiments. Both seawater-only experiments (377˚C and 342˚C) show the precipitation of anhydrite, caminite and brucite due to their retrograde solubilities. The effluent solutions are greatly depleted in Ca, Mg and SO4.</p> <p> In the seawater-basalt experiments at near-supercritical (400˚C) and subcritical conditions (350˚C), elevated SiO2 concentrations due to glass dissolution are not observed. This is attributed to rapid secondary mineral precipitation. Fluid chemistry and mass balance calculations show almost complete removal of SO4, and in particular, Mg, from the seawater while Ca shows a considerable loss from the rock. Three mineralization fronts were identified: (1) glass dissolution; (2) chloritization; and (3) anhydrite precipitation. In both experiments, there is a switch from chloritization to smectitization. This is accompanied by a decrease in Mg/Fe ratio in smectite. This mineral was also found at the top of both experiments, but its composition was more reflective of the rock.</p> <p>In terms of reactivity, the order of phases from most to least reactive is glass – olivine – clinopyroxene – plagioclase – Fe-Ti oxide. For the aluminosilicate phases this is attributed their respective Al contents. The seawater-basalt experiments also emphasise the fast rate of reaction at which Mg is fixed by the rock, which is conjectured to take less than a few hours.</p> <p>Considering all experiments, the distilled water results show a rock control on fluid chemistry while in the remaining basalt experiments, the chemistry is largely controlled by the fluid.</p> <p>Temperatures calculated using standard Na/K geothermometer did not estimate, in most cases, values close to the experimental temperature. This is due to the inability of the rock to sufficiently adjust the Na/K ratio given the secondary mineral assemblages that form.</p> <p> </p>

Basalt - fluid interactions at subcritical and supercritical conditions: An experimental study

<p><b>To investigate the interaction between fluids and basalt at subcritical, near-supercritical, and supercritical hydrothermal conditions (350-400˚C/500 bar), eight experiments have been conducted. These used a continuous-flow, high temperature and pressure hydrothermal apparatus. The basalt was reacted with three fluids: distilled water; geothermal brine; and natural seawater. Two further experiments used only seawater as a control to determine its behaviour without the influence of basalt.</b></p> <p> With distilled water, the fluid chemistry results show elevated SiO2, K, Cl, SO4, and H2S in solution for the first 12 days of both experiments. This is due to volcanic glass dissolution. After glass was removed, fluid composition was controlled by the remaining rock minerals. At 400˚C, the secondary mineral assemblage at the bottom of the Reactor (fluid entry point) is composed of grossular, wollastonite, anorthite, and chlorite. These results show the effectiveness of distilled water, which lacks any alkali cations, at removing Na and K rapidly from the rock. At the top of the Reactor (fluid exit point) the secondary minerals are anorthite and celadonite. At 350˚C, the secondary mineral assemblage at the bottom is anorthite and chlorite, while celadonite is the dominant secondary mineral at the top. In both experiments, celadonite replaces solely olivine. The formation of celadonite through reaction with distilled water shows that it can be formed by the interaction of deuteric water and basalt without addition of other components.</p> <p> The geothermal brine contains high concentrations of SiO2, K, SO4, Na, Cl and has an acidic pH. At 400˚C, fluid chemistry displays elevated SiO2 concentrations for approximately two weeks due to glass dissolution. At 350˚C, SiO2 concentration is initially high after temperature increase, but decreases gradually over the remainder of the experiment. At 400˚C, the secondary mineral assemblage at the bottom of the Reactor is composed of anhydrite and biotite, while at the top of the Reactor, smectite is the only secondary mineral. At 350˚C, anhydrite and smectite are found at the bottom, while only smectite is found at the top. The lack of biotite at 350˚C suggests this mineral’s precipitation kinetics are too slow to outcompete chlorite precipitation.</p> <p> The seawater-only experiments were conducted as controls to determine its behaviour during heat-up and provide the input solution composition for the seawater-basalt experiments. Both seawater-only experiments (377˚C and 342˚C) show the precipitation of anhydrite, caminite and brucite due to their retrograde solubilities. The effluent solutions are greatly depleted in Ca, Mg and SO4.</p> <p> In the seawater-basalt experiments at near-supercritical (400˚C) and subcritical conditions (350˚C), elevated SiO2 concentrations due to glass dissolution are not observed. This is attributed to rapid secondary mineral precipitation. Fluid chemistry and mass balance calculations show almost complete removal of SO4, and in particular, Mg, from the seawater while Ca shows a considerable loss from the rock. Three mineralization fronts were identified: (1) glass dissolution; (2) chloritization; and (3) anhydrite precipitation. In both experiments, there is a switch from chloritization to smectitization. This is accompanied by a decrease in Mg/Fe ratio in smectite. This mineral was also found at the top of both experiments, but its composition was more reflective of the rock.</p> <p>In terms of reactivity, the order of phases from most to least reactive is glass – olivine – clinopyroxene – plagioclase – Fe-Ti oxide. For the aluminosilicate phases this is attributed their respective Al contents. The seawater-basalt experiments also emphasise the fast rate of reaction at which Mg is fixed by the rock, which is conjectured to take less than a few hours.</p> <p>Considering all experiments, the distilled water results show a rock control on fluid chemistry while in the remaining basalt experiments, the chemistry is largely controlled by the fluid.</p> <p>Temperatures calculated using standard Na/K geothermometer did not estimate, in most cases, values close to the experimental temperature. This is due to the inability of the rock to sufficiently adjust the Na/K ratio given the secondary mineral assemblages that form.</p> <p> </p>

Dissolved oxygen determination in sewers using flow hydraulic parameters as part of a physical simulation model

This paper aims to develop a model for calculating the hydraulic and water quality parameters of wastewater within sewers. Information from the wastewater collection network and the transmission line in Birjand were used to verify the model performance. The parameters used for modelling quality changes include the yield constant for biomass (YH), the maximum specific growth rate (μH), the saturation constant for dissolved oxygen (KOG) and the saturation constant for readily biodegradable substrate within a biofilm (KSF), as well as the Gauckler–Manning–Strickler coefficient (n). They were selected from references and were verified at the calibration stage comparing measurements with the modelling values. Inputs of the created model are the average concentrations of dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand of the incoming wastewater, the flow rate of wastewater at the exit point of the network, physical characteristics of the pipes and the height of drops within the sewer network. The amount of dissolved oxygen at different positions of the sewer network was calculated. The acceptable calculated sum of squares of errors and the correlation coefficient (R2) of the calibrated model for dissolved oxygen were 1.6872 and 0.77, respectively.

Arthroscopic one-tunnel transosseous reconstruction of chronic triangular fibrocartilage complex foveal tears: outcomes in 12 patients

We report the surgical method and outcomes of a simple arthroscopic-assisted technique of repairing triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) foveal injuries in 12 patients with chronic distal radioulnar joint instability. An ulnar transosseous tunnel was created with its distal exit point located 3 to 4 mm radial to the fovea. A tendon graft was cut into two parts, and both were then passed through the bone tunnel to secure the radioulnar ligament remnants back to the fovea in a ‘V’ shape configuration. At the final follow-up of 13 to 26 months (average 21), all patients had a reduction of wrist pain, with the mean visual analogue scale dropped from 4.6 to 1.6 out of 10. The distal radioulnar joint was completely stable in nine patients and had improved stability in three patients. The mean Mayo modified wrist scores improved from 72 to 89, and the clinical outcomes were excellent in four patients, good in seven and fair in one. No major surgical complications occurred. This simple arthroscopic one-tunnel transosseous approach is effective for chronic foveal tears of the TFCC with intact radioulnar ligament remnants. Level of evidence: IV

Integrated data aggregation with fault-tolerance and lifetime energy-aware adaptive routing in coffee plantations using WSNs

The pest namely coffee white stem borer (CWSB) has harmed the economic progress of many emerging countries as a result of arabica coffee’s agricultural products. The boring activity causes the stem to shrink, fade in color, and acquire translucent margins across the stem. The pest multiplier can be controlled by capturing the location with the utilization of a wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and blocking its exit point at the user end. In this work, we propose an integrated data aggregation with faulttolerance and lifetime energy-aware adaptive routing (IDALAR) approach to transfer the sensed pest location data. The efficient packet format and statistical models based routing between clusterheads (CHs) and base station (BS) is proposed considering the availability of resources such as message overhead, algorithmic complexity, residual energy, and control overhead are all used to calculate its performance.

Advancement of Roll-Gap Control to Curb the Camber in Heavy-Plate Rolling Mills

The quality of steelwork products depends on the geometric precision of flat products. Heavy-plate rolling mills produce plates for large-diameter pipes and for use in shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, and construction. This is why the precision requirements are so stringent. Today’s Mills 5000 produce flat products of up to 5 m in width; the operation of these units shows ‘camber’ defects and axial shift of the roll at the stand exit point. This induces greater loss of metal due to edge trimming and involves a higher risk of accidents. These defects mainly occur due to the asymmetry in the roll gap, which is in turn caused by their misalignment in rolling. As a result, the feed varies in gauge, and the strip moves unevenly. The paper’s key contribution consists in theoretical and experimental substantiation and development of a set of control methods intended to address roll-gap asymmetry. The methods effectively compensate for the asymmetry resulting from the “inherited” wedge, which preexists before the strip enters the stand. They also compensate for the “ongoing” roll misalignment that is caused by the difference in force on the opposite side of the stand during rolling. This comprehensive approach to addressing camber and axial displacement of the feed has not been found in other sources. This paper presents a RAC controller connection diagram that ensures that the roll gap is even across the feed. The paper notes the shortcomings of the design configuration of the controller and shows how it could be improved. The authors have developed a predictive roll-gap asymmetry adjustment method that compensates for the deviations in gauge during the inter-passage pauses. They have also developed a method to control gap misalignment during rolling. The paper showcases the feasibility of a proportional-derivative RAC. The methods have been tested by mathematical modeling and experimentally. The paper further shows oscillograms sampled at Mill 5000 after implementing the developed solutions. Tests confirm far better precision of the screw-down mechanisms on the opposite sides of the stand. This reduces the variation in gauge across the feed and thus curbs the camber defect. As a result, the geometry of the flat improves, and less metal is lost in trimming. The paper further discusses how the RAC controller interacts with the automatic gauge control system. The conclusion is that these systems do not interfere with each other. The developed systems have proceeded to pilot testing.

An Advanced Proppant Depositional Study with Post-Production Flow Evaluation in a 10' X 20', Transverse Fracture, Slot Flow Configuration

While the shale revolution flourished prior to the pandemic, the increased supply bubble had already taken a toll on the profitability of horizontal wells with multiple transverse fractures. A significant shift previously occurred to reduce proppant costs by utilizing cheaper, smaller grained, lower strength, and broadly diverse grain sized sands. Due to the extremely low matrix permeability in active unconventional plays, the use of regional 40/70 and 100 mesh sands (50/140, 70/140, etc.) has become commonplace with adequate results. What remains is the need for enhanced conductivity near the wellbore to handle the radial flow convergence loss when the well is brought on-line. Research is being conducted to better understand how to efficiently increase near-wellbore conductivity using lead and tail-in stages with higher permeability (ceramic) proppant when frac sand is the majority of the material pumped into the well. A 10’x20’ Large Slot Flow (LSF) apparatus, equipped with multiple injection points, side-panel ports for leak-off and/or post-test injection, with the ability to be disassembled for sample analysis after testing, was utilized for this project. For this data, the inlet was moved to the centerline of the wall to allow for proppant and fluid to transport into an environment similar to a horizontal wellbore connecting with a transverse fracture. Various tests were conducted to study the depositional characteristics of lead and tail-in stages with ceramic proppant (15% BW-Lead, 5% BW-Tail) and a main stage of 100 mesh sand (80%). Three inlet positions were established in the lower, middle, and upper portion of the apparatus. Tests were recorded to visually capture the efficiency of placing the premium proppants near the wellbore for increased conductivity. A key addition to the study was the innovative, post-production analysis through the side-panel ports. Fluid was injected into the proppant pack to observe the effect of increased near-wellbore conductivity. To improve visibility, the fluid was colored with a fluorescent dye and observed under black lights. The injection front geometry was radial initially, but typically elongated toward the exit point after contacting the ceramic proppant. The amount of time and distance for the fluid to travel through the sand pack, as well as that for the fluid to reach the offtake point once the ceramic bed was reached, were monitored and recorded. The ratio of the velocities should represent a valid qualitative indication of the conductivity contrast of the two proppants. This paper will describe the unique experimental configuration, outline the testing program for both deposition and post-production assessments performed on the deposits, along with results that could provide better design practices leading to improved transverse fracture performance.

Anatomical Comparative Study of the External Nasal Nerve in Caucasian and Asian: Application for Minimizing Nerve Damage in Rhinoplasty

Background The numbness of the nasal tip is the main symptom of the external nasal nerve injury, especially after rhinoplasty. This postoperative syndrome can reduce the patient’s satisfaction with the operation. Having a better understanding of the anatomical structure and intraoperative protection can effectively avoid nerve injury. At present, the anatomical research on this nerve is all from Asia. This study aims to fill the gap in the anatomical study of this nerve in Caucasians and provides comparative results with Asians. Material and Methods A total of 20 Caucasian cadavers were embalmed using the Thiel method. On dissection, after complete exposure of the external nasal nerves, the distance between the exit point of the external nasal nerve and the nasal midline was measured, and the morphology of the nerves was compared with the Asian data. The nerves were classified into types based on their branching pattern. Results The nerve plane was the same as the Asian record. The distance ranged from 5.08 to 11.94 mm (mean, 8.31 ± 1.85 mm). This distance has statistical significant difference compared with the Asian population (P < 0.01). The average distance is larger, and the distribution range of the exit point is wider. On classification, 35 of 40 cases had the same type results as those previously reported, with the primary types I, II and III. Five new varieties were found which are classified as subtypes of the primary types and a new type IV. Furthermore, the bifurcation position in two-thirds of the type II cases and variations is proximal to that seen in the Asian population. Conclusions The anatomical structure of the external nasal nerve in Caucasians and Asians has obvious differences. This nerve in Caucasians is more likely to be damaged during rhinoplasty than Asians. Except the primary types, the classification of the external nasal nerve also includes subtypes and type IV. Level of Evidence III This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.