Airway to Lung Volume Ratio on CT is Associated with Pulmonary Function Transition from Obstructive to Restrictive Pattern in Obesity

Background: Obesity is associated with excessive airway collapse and reduced lung volume; it is unknown whether it affects airway-lung interactions. We sought to compare the airway tree to lung volume ratio, assessed by CT, in obese individuals with and without ventilation disorders.Methods: Participants underwent inspiratory chest CT and pulmonary function. The percentage ratio of the whole airway tree to lung volume, automatically segmented via deep learning, was defined as CT airway volume percent (AWV%). Total airway count (TAC), airway wall area percent (WA%), and other CT indexes were also measured. Results: We evaluated 88 participants including adolescents(age: 14-18, n= 12) and adults (age: 19-25, n= 17; age: 26-35, n= 39; age> 35, n= 20). Obese adolescents had higher forced vital capacity (FVC) (P = 0.001) and lower AWV% (P = 0.008) than obese adults (age >35). Among obese adults, participants with restrictive disorders had larger AWV% (P < 0.001) and those with obstructive disorders showed smaller AWV% (P < 0.001) compared to participants with normal ventilation. AWV% was positively correlated with age and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/FVC and adversely related to FVC (P< 0.05 for all), and in multivariate models, AWV% independently predicted FEV1/FVC (R2 = 0.49, P < 0.001) and FVC (R2 = 0.60, P < 0.001).Conclusion: Transitions in lung function patterns between obese adolescents and adults are associated with airway to lung ratios. The obesity-induced disproportion between the airway tree and lung volume may adversely affect and complicate lung ventilation.

Location of eosinophils in the airway wall is critical for specific features of airway hyperresponsiveness and T2 inflammation in asthma

Eosinophils are implicated as effector cells in asthma but the functional implications of the precise location of eosinophils in the airway wall is poorly understood. We aimed to quantify eosinophils in the different compartments of the airway wall and associate these findings with clinical features of asthma and markers of airway inflammation.In this cross-sectional study, we utilised design-based stereology to accurately partition the numerical density of eosinophils in both the epithelial compartment and the subepithelial space (airway wall area below the basal lamina including the submucosa) in individuals with and without asthma and related these findings to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and features of airway inflammation.Intraepithelial eosinophils were linked to the presence of asthma and endogenous AHR, the type of AHR that is most specific for asthma. In contrast, both intraepithelial and subepithelial eosinophils were associated with type-2 (T2) inflammation, with the strongest association between IL5 expression and intraepithelial eosinophils. Eosinophil infiltration of the airway wall was linked to a specific mast cell phenotype that has been described in asthma. We found that IL-33 and IL-5 additively increased cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT) production by eosinophils and that the CysLT LTC4 along with IL-33 increased IL13 expression in mast cells and altered their protease profile.We conclude that intraepithelial eosinophils are associated with endogenous AHR and T2 inflammation and may interact with intraepithelial mast cells via CysLTs to regulate airway inflammation.

Simplified Algorithm Model for Explosion Shockwave Load in the Cabin

In order to obtain the shockwave load simplified algorithm model for the semiarmored projectile internal explosion in the cabin, this research made use of AUTODYN to provide a numerical modeling method for explosion in the cabin and verified the accuracy of the method via the experiment. Internal explosion simulation calculation was conducted on the operating condition numerical model with different cabin structural dimensions and different explosive loads. The cabin internal explosion space was divided into the noncorner central area, near-wall area, two-sided corner area, and three-sided corner area. Through regression of the abovementioned calculation results, an engineering model to calculate the shockwave load was obtained. It is hoped that the model can offer some references to the antiexplosion design for the ship cabin and for damage assessment of the internal explosion.

THERMOHYDRAULIC DISTRIBUTION IN TWISTED MICRO HEAT EXCHANGERS MOUNTED IN ANNULAR CHANNELS

The design of twisted heat exchangers provides a possibility to compensate for temperature and mechanical stresses thus ensuring continuous and failsafe operation of the equipment. The authors use fins and multiturn pipe bundles to reduce the mass and size characteristics of the heat exchangers. Such design significantly complicates the calculating method. The main aspect of swirling flows is the presence of radial and axial pressure gradients. When vapor or gas flows swirl, the flow velocity near the walls is much higher than the average values, while at the axis the flow is significantly slower and in some cases its values can become negative. The liquid flowing near the axis has a notably lower pressure, which can cause it to boil. Considerable radial gradients of axial and rotational speed, as well as static pressure contribute to turbulent pulsations. Given that the working fluid flows along a helical line, the flow in the near-wall area is similar to the flow around curved surfaces. The study analyses how the pipe bundle geometry impacts hydraulic distribution and scrutinizes the main components of pressure loss in the twisted heat exchanger. The analysis allowed simplifying the method of hydraulic calculation of the multiturn twisted heat exchanger. Solving the outer heat transfer and hydrodynamics problem for the twisted heat exchanger allowed determining the effect of the main factors and the relationship between the parameters of the coolant and the working mass on the distribution values. The paper presents the equations for determining geometry of the pipes with different coiling diameters, as well as the equation for finding hydraulic distribution in individual pipes in the layers of the pipe bundle. The obtained results can help increase the accuracy of thermal calculation. The authors propose to use sectioning of twisted heat exchangers as a way to reduce hydraulic distribution. Bibl. 12, Fig. 1.

Increasing Value of Façade at Green Hotel Building Based on Value Engineering

Background: Of a total of 180 countries in the world, Indonesia is ranked 116th in the EPI ranking. This paper describes the innovative design of a high-rise hotel building that carries a green building concept. which utilizes the outer wall area of the hotel building as an object in this study. Objective: The main design of this project is the creation of an innovative high-rise hotel building with attention to architectural, structural, and lighting system aspects as well as energy efficiency from direct sunlight, which will be processed into a source of electrical energy. Materials and Methods: Application of analysis through value engineering case studies and application of green building methods, with qualitative methods. This paper focuses on factors related to energy sources and environmental sustainability and calculates life cycle costs concerning case study designs. The goal is to reduce the use of electrical energy sources from PLN which have an impact on nature preservation, by carrying out the concept of environmentally friendly buildings, by utilizing the facade wall area with the application of Photovoltaic. Results: The results obtained a percentage of ≤ 6.21%, with the use of Photovoltaic material as much as 100%. Conclusion: The facades (east and west) generate ± 1,050 KVA of electricity from the Solar Power Plant and reduce the use of electricity from PLN by 991 KVA, out of a total of 2,041 KVA. It can be concluded that the decrease obtained is 47.32%.

Window View Access in Architecture: Spatial Visualization and Probability Evaluations Based on Human Vision Fields and Biophilia

This paper presents a computational method for spatial visualization and probability evaluations of window view access in architecture based on human eyes’ vision fields and biophilic recommendations. Window view access establishes occupants’ visual connections to outdoors. Window view access has not, yet, been discussed in terms of the typical vision fields and related visual experiences. Occupants’ views of outdoors could change from almost blocked and poor to good, wide, and immersive visions in relation to the binocular focus to monocular (far-) peripheral sights of human eyes. The proposed methodological framework includes spatial visualizations and cumulative distribution functions of window view access based on visual experiences of occupants. The framework is integrated with biophilic recommendations and existing rating systems for view evaluations. As a pilot study, the method is used to evaluate occupants’ view access in a space designed with 15 different configurations of windows and overhangs. Results characterize likelihood of experiencing various field of views (FOVs) in case studies. In particular, window-to-wall-area ratios of between 40% and 70% offer optimum distributions of view access in space by offering 75% likelihoods of experiencing good to wide views and less than 25% probabilities of exposing to poor and almost blocked views. Results show the contribution of the proposed method to informative decision-making processes in architecture.

The effect of microtexture on the liquid flow over the sheets

This work considers the method of the corrugated sheet arrangement near the column wall with the aim to limit liquid fall on the wall and increase liquid concentration in the near-wall area. Experiments were carried out at the corrugated Koch 1Y packing sheets for various liquid flow rates. This report presents experimental results on the character of liquid flow near the edge of corrugated sheets and the effect of the middle sheet shift from the edge of the packing. The ribs of this sheet are directed downward to the edge of the packing. Test was performed for two positions of the middle sheet: to study the effect of microtexture orientation at the sheet, whose ribs are directed downward to the packing edge, on liquid distribution under the packing. Experiments were carried out for liquid flow rates of 1-12 ml/s.

Comparative Parametric Analysis of Opening Area Usage of Shear Wall in Different Percentages Relating to Wall Area Used for Multistorey Building

It is highly recommend that the structure should be efficient in terms of the cost in diverse manner. To reduce the overall cost of the project, the cost cutting should be done in every construction stages. The dual systems in building structure consist of structural walls and moment resisting frames. The structural wall members are made up of RCC, which is a costly structural member. The purpose of current study is to explore the reduction in shear wall area in multi-storey building for reduction of overall project cost. Total 5 buildings abbreviated as SOA, SOB, SOC, SOD and SOE framed in analytical software supposed to be situated at Seismic Zone III. After the comparative result analysis, it proves that, the reduction in shear wall area should be adapted to a certain limit due to load transfer criteria of the members 20 % wall deduction is sufficient. Building SOD with 80% coverage performs best of all. Keywords: Deduction Area, Earthquake Effects, Opening Area, Shear Wall, Response spectrum, Wall Area Reduction, Wall Deduction Ratio.

Checking the Stability Criteria of Multi-Storied Building by Varying Opening Area Percentages in Shear Wall Used in Periphery with Seismic Zone III

To decrease the overall cost of the project, it is highly recommended dropping the cost in different manners. To make economic structure, structure without losing the stiffness standards and the cost cutting should be done at every construction stages. The dual systems in building structure consist of structural walls and moment resisting frames. The walls are made up of RCC, which is expensive material. The purpose of current study is to discover the effect of reducing shear wall area in multistorey building to decrease cost. The buildings are provided with shear walls to improve the lateral load resistance. Post parametric analysis results shows that, the reduction in shear wall area should be modified to a certain limit up to 20 % for cost cutting. But in this study, the opening areas of shear wall are increased above 20% to 36.75% and verify the results of post analysis. In this study 8 cases are analysed with 0%, 11%, 14.20%, 20%, 33.20%, 29.05%, 35%, & 36.75% opening in shear wall and analysis is perform by Response Analysis Method of dynamic analysis using Staad.pro V8i software in Zone III of multistorey building (G+18). The effects of opening in the wall are studied by considering the moments, shear, and torsion, and axial forces in the beams and columns. It is observed that after a certain percentage of shear opening in walls the building fails in the drift at a certain height. To resolve this problem the flared area of height 0.5 m at the height of failure is provided to counteract the effect of drift. It was observed that by the introduction of shear belt the drift reduces which made the structure stable. Finally in this study, the opening of shear wall area is increased up to 35% and concrete area is reduced 1170.20 m2 , which is 534.2m2 more than the previous studies. Keywords: Shear Wall, Opening Area, Multi-storeyed Building, Seismic effects, Response Spectrum Method

Development of a novel tool for automation of the contamination measurement

Considering that about 100 000 m2 of wall area per nuclear facility must be decontaminated (Hübner et al., 2017), the automation of mechanical decontamination work offers high potential to support people in performing their work and reduce errors in the decommissioning process. Furthermore, the exposure potential for people in contaminated environments is reduced and they are protected from health hazards (Petereit et al., 2019). In the ROBDEKON project, a competence center is being established in Germany to develop practical robotic systems for decontamination work in hazardous environments. To this end, four research institutions are working with industrial partners on the development of (partially) autonomous robotic systems for the decommissioning and decontamination of nuclear facilities, the handling of waste, and the remediation of landfills and contaminated sites (Petereit et al., 2019). At the Institute for Technology and Management in Construction (KIT-TMB), the focus is on development of an automated solution for the (clearance) measurement of near-surface contaminations. A mobile elevating working platform is used as the robotic platform with a contamination array as the tool. The array measures the surface activity on the wall areas and verifies compliance with the thresholds. The contamination array is based on two sensor concepts: measurement and localization. Up to four hand-held contamination-measuring devices are attached to the array to parallelize the measurement. In order to avoid damaging the sensitive detector window foil of the contamination probes, the wall surface to be measured is first examined for imperfections with the help of a laser scanner. For localization of the array, up to four laser sensors are used for distance measurements. Measurement results are automatically saved after each measurement in a table specific to the measurement method and are available to users for documentation purposes at any time. In the further course of the project, the measurement results depending on the radiation level will be overlaid with a geometric 3D environment mapping.