Experimental and Numerical Study on the Flow Ripple of Circular-arc Gear Pumps Considering the Center Distance Deviation

Novel circular-arc gear pumps effectively solve the problems of oil trapping and flow pulsation experienced with traditional gear pumps. However, the center distance deviation associated with assembly and installation during gear pump processing has an important influence on the outlet pressure pulsation characteristics of circular-arc gear pumps. First, the circular-arc tooth profile equation, conjugate curve equation and meshing line equation were derived to design the circular-arc gear meshing and center distance deviation functions. Second, the circular-arc gear tooth profile was accurately obtained. Then, a pressure pulsation characteristic simulation model for the novel circular-arc gear pumps considering the center distance deviation was established. The results show that with the increase of center distance deviation, the outlet flow rate of the arc gear pump increases first and then decreases greatly. Moreover, the center distance deviation has little effect on the independent tooth cavity pressure. Finally, the proposed fluid dynamic model is used to simulate a commercial circular-arc gear pump, which was tested within this research for modeling validation purposes. The comparisons highlight the validity of the proposed simulation approach.

A de novo protein structure prediction by iterative partition sampling, topology adjustment, and residue-level distance deviation optimization

Motivation With the great progress of deep learning-based inter-residue contact/distance prediction, the discrete space formed by fragment assembly cannot satisfy the distance constraint well. Thus, the optimal solution of the continuous space may not be achieved. Designing an effective closed-loop continuous dihedral angle optimization strategy that complements the discrete fragment assembly is crucial to improve the performance of the distance-assisted fragment assembly method. Results In this article, we proposed a de novo protein structure prediction method called IPTDFold based on closed-loop iterative partition sampling, topology adjustment and residue-level distance deviation optimization. First, local dihedral angle crossover and mutation operators are designed to explore the conformational space extensively and achieve information exchange between the conformations in the population. Then, the dihedral angle rotation model of loop region with partial inter-residue distance constraints is constructed, and the rotation angle satisfying the constraints is obtained by differential evolution algorithm, so as to adjust the spatial position relationship between the secondary structures. Lastly, the residue distance deviation is evaluated according to the difference between the conformation and the predicted distance, and the dihedral angle of the residue is optimized with biased probability. The final model is generated by iterating the above three steps. IPTDFold is tested on 462 benchmark proteins, 24 FM targets of CASP13, and 20 FM targets of CASP14. Results show that IPTDFold is significantly superior to the distance-assisted fragment assembly method Rosetta_D (Rosetta with distance). In particular, the prediction accuracy of IPTDFold does not decrease as the length of the protein increases. When using the same FastRelax protocol, the prediction accuracy of IPTDFold is significantly superior to that of trRosetta without orientation constraints, and is equivalent to that of the full version of trRosetta. Availability The source code and executable are freely available at https://github.com/iobio-zjut/IPTDFold. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Efficacies of preoperative prism adaptation test and monocular occlusion for detecting the maximum angle of deviation in intermittent exotropia

Background The efficacies of prism adaptation test (PAT) and monocular occlusion (MO) and their optimal test durations to detect the maximum angles of deviation at near and distance in eyes with intermittent exotropia (IXT) were assessed and compared. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 72 patients with IXT. All the patients had undergone the initial strabismus surgery between April 2015 and October 2018 and had been preoperatively tested by both PAT and MO performed on different days for 30 and 60 min. Near and distance deviations after 30 and 60 min of PAT and MO were compared to their baseline measurements obtained immediately after prism wear and before occlusion by alternate prism cover test. The near/distance measurements and required test duration to reveal the maximum deviation angle were also compared between PAT and MO. Results Compared with the baseline, the near deviation by PAT significantly increased after 30 (P < 0.05) and 60 (P < 0.01) minutes but not the distance deviation. However, the increase after 30 min was not significant. By MO, neither near nor distance deviation showed a significant difference from the baseline after 30 and 60 min. PAT showed a significantly larger near deviation than MO at 30 and 60 min, but a larger distance deviation by PAT was only observed at 30 min. Conclusions In patients with basic and convergence insufficiency types of IXT, a 30-minute PAT appears to be more effective than MO in revealing the maximum angle of deviation before strabismus surgery.

Accuracy of digital impressions versus conventional impressions for 2 implants: an in vitro study evaluating the effect of implant angulation

Background Accurate implant impression is an essential requirement for the fabrication of implant prosthesis. This in vitro study evaluated the accuracy of digital impressions by intraoral scanner (IOS) systems in comparison to conventional impressions for recording the position of 2 parallel implants and 2 divergent implants. Materials and methods In vitro 3-unit prosthesis master models with 2 tissue level implants were fabricated; one model had parallel implants, and the other model had one 15° tilted implant. The conventional open-tray impressions were obtained with non-splinted (NSP) and splinted (SP) impression copings. Trios 4 (TS), Medit i500 (MT), and True Definition (TD) were used to make digital impressions with scan bodies. A total of 10 impressions were obtained with every technique. The virtual test images of the conventional and digital impressions were converted to 2 virtual implant images. For each group, trueness, precision, inter-implant distance deviation, and angle deviation were measured. Results There was a general tendency for digital impressions to provide a more accurate outcome for trueness, precision, and angle deviation. The 2 conventional impressions showed similar accuracy, except for the angle deviation, where the NSP was significantly inferior than SP (p < 0.01) for the divergent implants model. The TD was generally the least accurate among all the IOS systems, especially for the inter-implant distance deviation (p < 0.05). Conclusions Within the limitations of the laboratory set-up of the present study and the limited clinical resemblance, the digital impressions appeared to have sufficient accuracy for 2 implants and were least affected by the presence of angle between implants. The most inferior outcome was observed for the NSP technique.

Efficacies of preoperative prism adaptation test and monocular occlusion for detecting the maximum angle of deviation in intermittent exotropia

Purpose: The efficacies of prism adaptation test (PAT) and monocular occlusion (MO) and their optimal test durations to detect the maximum angles of deviation at near and distance in eyes with intermittent exotropia (IXT) were assessed and compared. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 72 patients with IXT, who had undergone the initial strabismus surgery between April 2015 and October 2018 and had been preoperatively tested by PAT and MO. The near and distance deviations measured after 30- and 60-minute PAT and MO were compared with the baseline measurements obtained immediately after prism wear and before occlusion. The measurements and the required durations for obtaining the maximum deviation angle were also compared between PAT and MO. Results: Compared with the baseline, the near deviation by PAT significantly increased after 30 (p < 0.05) and 60 (p < 0.01) minutes but not the distance deviation. Besides, the increase in the near deviation after 30 minutes was not significant. By MO, neither near nor distance deviation showed a significant difference from the baseline after 30 and 60 minutes. While the near deviations by PAT were significantly greater than those by MO at 30 and 60 minutes, a similar result was only observed at 30 minutes in the distance deviation. Conclusion: A 30-minute PAT appears to be more effective than MO in revealing the maximum angle of deviation before strabismus surgery.

A de novo protein structure prediction by iterative partition sampling, topology adjustment, and residue-level distance deviation optimization

Motivation: With the great progress of deep learning-based inter-residue contact/distance prediction, the discrete space formed by fragment assembly cannot satisfy the distance constraint well. Thus, the optimal solution of the continuous space may not be achieved. Designing an effective closed-loop continuous dihedral angle optimization strategy that complements the discrete fragment assembly is crucial to improve the performance of the distance-assisted fragment assembly method. Results: In this article, we proposed a de novo protein structure prediction method called IPTDFold based on closed-loop iterative partition sampling, topology adjustment and residue-level distance deviation optimization. First, local dihedral angle crossover and mutation operators are designed to explore the conformational space extensively and achieve information exchange between the conformations in the population. Then, the dihedral angle rotation model of loop region with partial inter-residue distance constraints is constructed, and the rotation angle satisfying the constraints is obtained by differential evolution algorithm, so as to adjust the spatial position relationship between the secondary structures. Lastly, the residue distance deviation is evaluated according to the difference between the conformation and the predicted distance, and the dihedral angle of the residue is optimized with biased probability. The final model is generated by iterating the above three steps. IPTDFold is tested on 462 benchmark proteins, 24 FM targets of CASP13, and 20 FM targets of CASP14. Results show that IPTDFold is significantly superior to the distance-assisted fragment assembly method Rosetta_D (Rosetta with distance). In particular, the prediction accuracy of IPTDFold does not decrease as the length of the protein increases. When using the same FastRelax protocol, the prediction accuracy of IPTDFold is significantly superior to that of trRosetta without orientation constraints, and is equivalent to that of the full version of trRosetta.

The accuracy and safety of CT-guided iodine-125 seed implantation assisted by 3D non-coplanar template for retroperitoneal recurrent carcinoma

Purpose To investigate the accuracy, dosimetric parameters, and safety of 3D-printing non-coplanar template (3D-PNCT)-assisted CT guidance for radioactive iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation brachytherapy (RSI-BT) for retroperitoneal recurrent carcinomas Methods and materials We enrolled 15 patients with 17 retroperitoneal recurrent carcinomas after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). All patients received CT-guided 125I RSI-BT assisted by 3D-PNCT successfully. We compared the original needle insertion position, angular, and the needle tip distance deviations of preoperative plan with that of intraoperative in brachytherapy treatment planning system (B-TPS). The dosimetric parameters of RSI-BT were evaluated on preoperative plan, intraoperative real-time plan, and postoperative plan, including D90, D100 (the dose to 90% and 100% of the target volume), V100, V150, and V200 (the volume receives 100%, 150%, and 200% of the prescribed doses). The quality assurance of RSI-BT evaluated on conformal index (CI), external index (EI), and homogeneity index (HI) of the targets were compared among preoperative plan, intraoperative real-time plan, and postoperative plan. The perioperation complications and RSI-BT-related toxicity were assessed. Results The median follow-up was 8.2 months (range 1–18.5 months). One patient was lost to follow-up after RSI-BT. Fourteen patients were assessed for response rate and toxicity. The mean entrance point distance deviation for all 165 needles was 4.50 ± 4.10 mm (range, 0–30). The mean angular deviation was 2.70 ± 3.00° (range, 0–20). The needle tip distance deviation was 6.90 ± 6.00 mm (range, − 30–28). D90 for preoperative plan, intraoperative plan, and postoperative plan were 140.55 ± 23.93, 124.25 ± 28.04, and 128.98 ± 22.75, respectively. There was significant difference between D90 of preoperative plan with that of intraoperative plan (p = 0.036). Four lesions reached CR, six lesions reached PR, three lesions were SD, and three lesions were PD. Four patients with moderate pain became mild, and two with mild pain relieved completely after RSI-BT. The other parameters showed no differences among preoperative plan, intraoperative plan, and postoperative plan. The perioperative complications were observed in four patients, including three patients of grade 1 and one patient of grade 2. No ≥ grade 3 side effects were observed. Conclusion CT-guided 125I RSI-BT assisted by 3D-PNCT was a safe, accurate, and feasible strategy for recurrent carcinomas located in the retroperitoneal regions.

An Improved MABAC Group Decision-Making Method Using Regret Theory and Likelihood in Probability Multi-Valued Neutrosophic Sets

Probability multi-valued neutrosophic set (PMVNS) is a preferable tool to capture the preference and hesitancy of decision makers (DMs) and to depict inconsistent and ambiguous information. In this paper, we improve the multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) method under the PMVNS environment and establish a three-phase multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) method. Firstly, some concepts of PMVNS, traditional MABAC method and regret theory (RT) are reviewed. Then, the similarity measure for PMVNSs is defined and utilized to derive the important degree of DMs, and the likelihood of preference relations expressed by the probability multi-valued neutrosophic numbers (PMVNNs) is first presented and employed to replace the distance deviation in traditional MABAC method. Furthermore, a novel MAGDM method where the performance of alternatives is expressed by the PMVNN is established by combining the likelihood-based MABAC method and RT which considered given DMs’ behavior psychology. Finally, a case study is implemented to demonstrate the feasibility and applicability of our proposed approach.

Comparison of two different on-shelf femoral stems for Crowe type IV developmental dysplasia of the hip

Objective This study was performed to evaluate the proximal anatomical compatibility of stems for treatment of Crowe IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) using a previously developed three-dimensional comparison technique. Methods Patients with Crowe IV DDH who underwent computed tomography were retrospectively analyzed. The femoral medullary canals were three-dimensionally reconstructed, and models of cementless modular (S-ROM; DePuy Synthes) and conical (Wagner Cone; Zimmer Biomet) implants were used for virtual implantation. The negative point percentages (NPPs) were applied to verify fitting. The average distance (deviation) and the root mean square of the distance (RMSd) were used to quantify geometric compatibilities. Results Four (16.7%) and 12 (50.0%) femoral medullary canals could not be fitted properly with either the modular or conical implant. The NPPs in the distal comparison region were significantly greater in the conical than modular group. The deviation was significantly smaller in the modular than conical group. The RMSd was also significantly smaller in the modular than conical group. Conclusions Compared with conical implants, modular implants might be more effectively used in patients with Crowe type IV DDH. However, some Crowe IV DDH femurs with severe deformity cannot be fitted with either of these two on-shelf implants.