Towards the modeling of mucus draining from human lung: role of airways deformation on air-mucus interaction

Chest physiotherapy is an empirical technique used to help secretions to get out of the lung whenever stagnation occurs. Although commonly used, little is known about the inner mechanisms of chest physiotherapy and controversies about its use are coming out regularly. Thus, a scientific validation of chest physiotherapy is needed to evaluate its effects on secretions. We setup a quasi-static numerical model of chest physiotherapy based on thorax and lung physiology and on their respective biophysics. We modeled the lung with an idealized deformable symmetric bifurcating tree. Bronchi and their inner fluids mechanics are assumed axisymmetric. Static data from the literature is used to build a model for the lung's mechanics. Secretions motion is the consequence of the shear constraints apply by the air flow. The input of the model is the pressure on the chest wall at each time, and the output is the bronchi geometry and air and secretions properties. In the limit of our model, we mimicked manual and mechanical chest physiotherapy techniques. We show that for secretions to move, air flow has to be high enough to overcome secretion resistance to motion. Moreover, the higher the pressure or the quicker it is applied, the higher is the air flow and thus the mobilization of secretions. However, pressures too high are efficient up to a point where airways compressions prevents air flow to increases any further. Generally, the first effects of manipulations is a decrease of the airway tree hydrodynamic resistance, thus improving ventilation even if secretions do not get out of the lungs. Also, some secretions might be pushed deeper into the lungs; this effect is stronger for high pressures and for mechanical chest physiotherapy. Finally, we propose and tested two adimensional numbers that depend on lung properties and that allow to measure the efficiency and comfort of a manipulation

Line positions and intensities for the gamma 1 + gamma 2 and gamma 2 + gamma 3 bands of (16)O3

Using 0.005 cm-resolution Fourier transform spectra of (16)O3, generated by electric discharge from a greater than 99.98 percent pure sample of (16)O3, an extensive analysis of the gamma 1 + gamma 2 and the gamma 2 + gamma 3 bands in the 5.7 micron region was performed. The rotational energy levels of the upper (110) and (011) vibrational states of (16)O3 were reproduced within their experimental uncertainties using a Hamiltonian which takes explicitly into account the Coriolis-type interaction occurring between the rotational energy levels of both states. Improved vibrational energies and rotational and coupling constants were also derived for the (110) and (011) states. Precise transition moment constants for these two bands were deduced from analysis of 220 measured line intensities. Finally, a complete list of line positions, intensities, and lower state energies for both bands has been generated

Infrared measurements of atmospheric constituents

The objective of this program is to obtain data concerning the concentration versus altitude of various constituents of interest in the photochemistry of the stratospheric ozone layer. Data pertinent to this objective are obtained using balloon-borne instruments to measure the atmospheric transmission and emission in the mid infrared. In addition to obtaining constituent profile information, the spectral data obtained are also used to identify absorption or emission features which may interfere with the retrieval of constituent data from satellite instruments using lower spectral resolution. The spectral resolution obtained with the solar spectral system is 0.0025 cm(exp -1) and represents about a factor of 5 greater resolution than any solar spectra previously obtained in this spectral region. As a result of the increase in spectral resolution, a large number of features are observed in these spectra which were not observed in previous studies. Identification and analysis of these features is in progress. The results of this analysis to date shows a number of HNO3 features which have not been observed before, and these occur where they will interfere with the retrieval of other constituents. An example of the interference is the occurrence of features in the 780.2 cm(exp -1) region which overlap the ClONO2 feature which will be used for retrieval of ClONO2 by the CLAES instrument on UARS. A number of features due to COF2 were also identified in the 1250 cm(exp -1) region which may interfere with retrieval of N2O5

Rheological Changes After Stenting of a Cerebral Aneurysm: A Finite Element Modeling Approach

Hemodynamic changes in intracranial aneurysms after stent placement include the appearance of areas with stagnant flow and low shear rates. We investigated the influence of stent placement on blood flow velocity and wall shear stress of an intracranial aneurysm using a finite element modeling approach. To assess viscosity changes induced by stent placement, the rheology of blood as non-Newtonian fluid was taken into account in this model. A two-dimensional model with a parent artery, a smaller branching artery, and an aneurysm located at the bifurcation, before and after stent placement, was used for simulation. Flow velocity plots and wall shear stress before and after stent placement was calculated over the entire cardiac circle. Values for dynamic viscosity were calculated with a constitutive equation that was based on experimental studies and yielded a viscosity, which decreases as the shear rate increases. Stent placement lowered peak velocities in the main vortex of the aneurysm by a factor of at least 4 compared to peak velocities in the main artery, and it considerably decreased the wall shear stress of the aneurysm. Dynamic viscosity increases after stent placement persisted over a major part of the cardiac cycle, with a factor of up to 10, most pronounced near the dome of the aneurysm. Finite element modeling can offer insight into rheological changes induced by stent treatment of aneurysms and allows visualizing dynamic viscosity changes induced by stent placemen

Phosgene in the UTLS: seasonal and latitudinal variations from MIPAS observations

Abstract. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) is a Fourier transform spectrometer that measured mid-infrared atmospheric limb emission spectra from July 2002 to April 2012 on board the polar-orbiting satellite ENVISAT. We have used MIPAS data to study the latitudinal variations of phosgene (COCl2 or carbonyl chloride) and, for the first time, its seasonal variation in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere region (UTLS). Retrievals of phosgene were made using the 830–860 cm−1 region, corresponding to the ν5 bands of COCl2. Unfortunately, in that region, the ν4 band of CFC-11, which is much stronger than COCl2 ν5, hides the phosgene emission. In order to evaluate seasonality and latitudinal distribution of phosgene we have analysed all the measurements made by MIPAS on days 18 and 20 of each month of 2008 with the optimized retrieval model (ORM) recently upgraded with the multi-target retrieval technique and with the optimal estimation functionality to apply external constraints to the state vector. Average seasonal profiles of phosgene show an evident latitudinal variability with the largest values observed in the tropical regions (maximum  ≈  35 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) at about 300 hPa). In the midlatitude and polar regions, the volume mixing ratio (VMR) values do not exceed 30 pptv and the vertical distributions are less peaked. Our analysis highlights that COCl2 seasonal variability is fairly low, apart from the polar regions

On the feasibility of retrieving 16O 18O 16O ozone from high resolution ground-based FTIR spectra

We present evidence of the 16O 18O 16O ozone isotope in the 5 micron region from FTIR solar occultation spectra obtained from the Jungfraujoch Solar Observatory (47°N, 8°E, 3580 m) in Switzerland at a spectral resolution of 0,0025 cm-1 (res. = 1/2L). These spectra clearly show numerous unblended lines of the 16O 18O 16O ozone isotope. Laboratory spectra in the 5 micron region of 16O 18O 16O have been measured and have yielded line positions of the nu1 + nu3 isotopic bands which can eventually lead to their retrieval from measured ground-based solar occultation spectra

Facile synthesis of high-surface area platinum-doped ceria for low temperature CO oxidation

International audienceUsing a simple slow decomposition method of nitrate precursors, high-surface area platinum-doped ceria with a crystallite size of 9 nm can be prepared. The catalytic performance of the compound can be tuned by changing the reduction temperature under hydrogen (300°C, 500°C and 700°C). The catalyst treated at 300°C shows the best catalytic performance, being active at room temperature. The materials were analysed using a combination of structural characterization methods (X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen physisorption, high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM)), surface sensitive methods (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H 2-chemisorption and H 2-temperature-programmed reduction (TPR)) and X-ray absorption fluorescence spectroscopy (XAFS). HAADF-STEM and XAFS analysis suggests successful doping of platinum in the ceria lattice. After pretreatment at 300°C, the situation is slightly different. While no defined platinum nanoparticles can be identified on the surface, some platinum is in a reduced state (XPS, H 2-chemisorption)