34 research outputs found
Continuum-particle hybrid coupling for mass, momentum and energy transfers in unsteady fluid flow
The aim of hybrid methods in simulations is to communicate regions with
disparate time and length scales. Here, a fluid described at the atomistic
level within an inner region P is coupled to an outer region C described by
continuum fluid dynamics. The matching of both descriptions of matter is made
across an overlapping region and, in general, consists of a two-way coupling
scheme (C->P and P->C) which conveys mass, momentum and energy fluxes. The
contribution of the hybrid scheme hereby presented is two-fold: first it treats
unsteady flows and, more importantly, it handles energy exchange between both C
and P regions. The implementation of the C->P coupling is tested here using
steady and unsteady flows with different rates of mass, momentum and energy
exchange. In particular, relaxing flows described by linear hydrodynamics
(transversal and longitudinal waves) are most enlightening as they comprise the
whole set of hydrodynamic modes. Applying the hybrid coupling scheme after the
onset of an initial perturbation, the cell-averaged Fourier components of the
flow variables in the P region (velocity, density, internal energy, temperature
and pressure) evolve in excellent agreement with the hydrodynamic trends. It is
also shown that the scheme preserves the correct rate of entropy production. We
discuss some general requirements on the coarse-grained length and time scales
arising from both the characteristic microscopic and hydrodynamic scales.Comment: LaTex, 12 pages, 9 figure
The liquid-vapor interface of an ionic fluid
We investigate the liquid-vapor interface of the restricted primitive model
(RPM) for an ionic fluid using a density-functional approximation based on
correlation functions of the homogeneous fluid as obtained from the
mean-spherical approximation (MSA). In the limit of a homogeneous fluid our
approach yields the well-known MSA (energy) equation of state. The ionic
interfacial density profiles, which for the RPM are identical for both species,
have a shape similar to those of simple atomic fluids in that the decay towards
the bulk values is more rapid on the vapor side than on the liquid side. This
is the opposite asymmetry of the decay to that found in earlier calculations
for the RPM based on a square-gradient theory. The width of the interface is,
for a wide range of temperatures, approximately four times the second moment
correlation length of the liquid phase. We discuss the magnitude and
temperature dependence of the surface tension, and argue that for temperatures
near the triple point the ratio of the dimensionless surface tension and
critical temperature is much smaller for the RPM than for simple atomic fluids.Comment: 6 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Prevalence of Frailty in European Emergency Departments (FEED): an international flash mob study
Introduction
Current emergency care systems are not optimized to respond to multiple and complex problems associated with frailty. Services may require reconfiguration to effectively deliver comprehensive frailty care, yet its prevalence and variation are poorly understood. This study primarily determined the prevalence of frailty among older people attending emergency care.
Methods
This cross-sectional study used a flash mob approach to collect observational European emergency care data over a 24-h period (04 July 2023). Sites were identified through the European Task Force for Geriatric Emergency Medicine collaboration and social media. Data were collected for all individuals aged 65 + who attended emergency care, and for all adults aged 18 + at a subset of sites. Variables included demographics, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), vital signs, and disposition. European and national frailty prevalence was determined with proportions with each CFS level and with dichotomized CFS 5 + (mild or more severe frailty).
Results
Sixty-two sites in fourteen European countries recruited five thousand seven hundred eighty-five individuals. 40% of 3479 older people had at least mild frailty, with countries ranging from 26 to 51%. They had median age 77 (IQR, 13) years and 53% were female. Across 22 sites observing all adult attenders, older people living with frailty comprised 14%.
Conclusion
40% of older people using European emergency care had CFS 5 + . Frailty prevalence varied widely among European care systems. These differences likely reflected entrance selection and provide windows of opportunity for system configuration and workforce planning