Comparison of synthetic jet actuators based on sharp-edged and round-edged nozzles

Axisymmetric synthetic jet actuators based on a loudspeaker and on two types of flanged nozzles were tested and compared experimentally. The first type of the nozzle was a sharp-edged circular hole. The second one had a special design with fillets at inner and outer nozzle exit and with a small step in the middle of the nozzle. The function of the step was to prevent the flow reattachment during the extrusion stroke. The actuators with the two types of nozzles were operated at resonance and were compared first qualitatively using a simple phase locked flow visualization. Then the hot-wire anemometer was used to measure velocity distributions along nozzle axis and velocity profiles at the nozzle exit. Comparison of the nozzles was based on evaluation of the characteristic velocity and integral quantities (volumetric, momentum, and kinetic energy fluxes). It was found out that these quantities, which were evaluated at the nozzle exit, differ substantially for both nozzles. On the other hand the velocity flow field in farther distances from the nozzle exit area did not exhibit such prominent differences

Association between naturally occurring lithium in drinking water and suicide rates: systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological studies

Background The prevalence of mental health conditions and national suicide rates are increasing in many countries. Lithium is widely and effectively used in pharmacological doses for the treatment and prevention of manic/depressive episodes, stabilising mood and reducing the risk of suicide. Since the 1990s, several ecological studies have tested the hypothesis that trace doses of naturally occurring lithium in drinking water may have a protective effect against suicide in the general population. Aims To synthesise the global evidence on the association between lithium levels in drinking water and suicide mortality rates. Method The MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases were searched to identify eligible ecological studies published between 1 January 1946 and 10 September 2018. Standardised regression coefficients for total (i.e. both genders combined), male and female suicide mortality rates were extracted and pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016041375). Results The literature search identified 415 articles; of these, 15 ecological studies were included in the synthesis. The random-effects meta-analysis showed a consistent protective (or inverse) association between lithium levels/concentration in publicly available drinking water and total (pooled β = −0.27, 95% CI −0.47 to −0.08; P = 0.006, I2 = 83.3%), male (pooled β = −0.26, 95% CI −0.56 to 0.03; P = 0.08, I2 = 91.9%) and female (pooled β = −0.13, 95% CI −0.24 to −0.02; P = 0.03, I2 = 28.5%) suicide mortality rates. A similar protective association was observed in the six studies included in the narrative synthesis, and subgroup meta-analyses based on the higher/lower suicide mortality rates and lithium levels/concentration. Conclusions This synthesis of ecological studies, which are subject to the ecological fallacy/bias, supports the hypothesis that there is a protective (or inverse) association between lithium intakes from public drinking water and suicide mortality at the population level. Naturally occurring lithium in drinking water may have the potential to reduce the risk of suicide and may possibly help in mood stabilisation, particularly in populations with relatively high suicide rates and geographical areas with a greater range of lithium concentration in the drinking water. All the available evidence suggests that randomised community trials of lithium supplementation of the water supply might be a means of testing the hypothesis, particularly in communities (or settings) with demonstrated high prevalence of mental health conditions, violent criminal behaviour, chronic substance misuse and risk of suicide