Geometric Effects of Horizontal Branching T-junction on Phase Separation of Refrigerant

Separation technology has been widely developed to improve the performance of thermodynamic cycles, such as refrigeration, heat pump and power cycle. As a promising separator, T-junction has attracted widespread attention, due to the characteristics of simple geometry, low cost and compact size. Previous researches on the phase separation of air-water and steam-water have indicated that the separation performance depends heavily on the T-junction geometry. Therefore, in this work, geometric effects on phase separation of refrigerant were experimentally studied with different configurations of branching T-junction. In this study, all of the T-junctions had horizontal inlet and outlet tubes. The internal diameter of inlet tube was fixed at 8.0 mm, and the diameter ratio of the branch to the inlet was set to be 0.75 and 1.0. Furthermore, three branch angles, 45°, 90° and 135°, were considered. More than 156 experimental runs were conducted using refrigerant R-600a with inlet mass flux and vapor quality being varied from 200 to 300 kg·m−2·s−1 and from 0.1 to 0.9, respectively. Meanwhile, the mass flux of the branch was regulated by keeping the mass flow ratios in three levels: 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7. Flow regimes prior to the T-junction were identified and characterized. Based on these generated data, phase separation performance was analyzed in terms of mass flow ratio under given inlet vapor quality and mass flux. Effects of diameter ratio and branch angle were also investigated. From the test results, it can be concluded that the outlet quality of branch is always higher than the inlet quality. The fraction of vapor extracted into the branch decreases with the increase of inlet vapor quality. Under the same experimental conditions, the higher the mass flow ratio is, the larger the vapor fraction, while the inlet mass flux has little influence on the phase separation of refrigerant. As for the geometric effects, more vapors usually prefer to flow into the branch with the smaller diameter, when the mass flow ratio is relatively large. For the effect of branch angle, at low vapor quality, vapor fraction for the angle 45° is lower than those for angle 90° and 135° under the mass flow ratio of 0.5 and 0.7

Cultural and clinical factors associated with antihypertensive medication adherence in Vietnamese policemen

The purpose of this study is to characterize Vietnamese policemen with hypertension, to report the proportion of hypertension control and medication adherence in Vietnamese policemen, and to explore cultural and clinical factors related to antihypertensive medication adherence. A cross-sectional study design was used. A convenience sample of 100 policemen with hypertension was recruited in Vietnam. A total score of 80% or more on the Medication Adherence scale was defined as medication adherence. Medication adherence was reported in 64% of the participants, but hypertension control was found in only 53%. Medication adherence was higher in the participants with higher perceived susceptibility to hypertension-related complications, higher perceived benefit of Western anti-hypertensive medications, longer duration of time since diagnosis, and fewer prescribed blood pressure lowering medications. Vietnamese policemen are at high risk for poor medication adherence and hypertension management. Culturally and clinically appropriate nursing interventions for hypertension management in Vietnamese policemen are needed

Effects of typhoons on gelatinous carnivore zooplankton off Northern Taiwan

We examine the effect of typhoons, as potential drivers of nutrient pulse events, on gelatinous carnivore zooplankton. The period investigated spanned from 2007 to 2010, where seasonal abundance and taxonomic composition of the gelatinous zooplankton community was recorded off North Taiwan. Typhoon effects were assessed in the abundance, diversity and species richness of the gelatinous carnivore populations. Significant associations between typhoons and gelatinous carnivores were found in time delays varying from 3 to 25 days, but no association was identified for longer time intervals. Generally, a decrease in species richness occurred during the summer season, and this was accentuated in 2008, shortly after typhoons events. We hypothesize that typhoons might act as resource pulse triggers probably enhancing open niches for opportunistic carnivore zooplankton groups

Outgroup Attitudes as a Function of East Asian Religiousness: Marked by High or Low Prejudice?

Research on religion and prejudice has mostly been limited to Western Christian participants and beliefs. Evidence, overall, favors the idea of a religion-prejudice link. Does this also hold for East Asian religions, usually perceived as tolerant, and cultures, characterized by holistic thinking and tolerance of contradictions? We review here four recent studies and provide meta-analytic estimation of the East Asian interreligious prejudice. East Asian religiosity was associated with low explicit prejudice against religious outgroups in general (Study 1; adults from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan) and three specific religious outgroups, i.e. Christians, Jews, and Muslims, but not atheists (Study 2; Taiwanese students), and low implicit prejudice against ethnic (Africans) and religious (Muslims) outgroups (Study 3; Taiwanese students). The mean effect size of the East Asian religious (low) prejudice was r = -.21. Moreover, Westerners from a Christian background primed with Buddhist pictures showed higher prosociality and, those valuing universalism, lower ethnic prejudice compared to the control, no pictures, condition (Study 4). Thus, the general idea that religion promotes prejudice lacks cross-cultural sensitivity: East Asian religion seems to be followed by low prejudice with regard to many, though not all, kinds of outgroups

Hydrogenation of Magnesium Nickel Boride for Reversible Hydrogen Storage

We report that a ternary magnesium nickel boride (MgNi_(2.5)B_2) mixed with LiH and MgH_2 can be hydrogenated reversibly forming LiBH_4 and Mg_2NiH_4 at temperatures below 300 °C. The ternary boride was prepared by sintering a mechanically milled mixture of MgB_2 and Ni precursors at 975 °C under inert atmosphere. Hydrogenation of the ternary, milled with LiH and MgH_2, was performed under 100 to 160 bar H_2 at temperatures up to 350 °C. Analysis using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and ^(11)B magic angle spinning NMR confirmed that the ternary boride was hydrogenated forming borohydride anions. The reaction was reversible with hydrogenation kinetics that improved over three cycles. This work suggests that there may be other ternary or higher order boride phases useful for reversible hydrogen storage

Associations of exposure to noise with physiological and psychological outcomes among post‐cardiac surgery patients in ICUs

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to study the associations of noise with heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived psychological and physiological responses among post-cardiac surgery patients in ICUs. METHODS: Forty patients participated in this study after recovering from anesthesia. A sound-level meter was placed at bedsides to measure noise level for 42 hours, and patients' heart rate and blood pressure were recorded every 5 minutes. Patients were also interviewed for their perceived psychological/physiological responses. RESULTS: The average noise level was between 59.0 and 60.8 dB(A) at the study site. Annoyance and insomnia were the respective psychological and physiological responses reported most often among the patients. Although noise level, irrespective of measures, was not observed to be significantly associated with the self-assessed psychological and physiological responses, it was significantly associated with both heart rate and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the noise in ICUs may adversely affect the heart rate and blood pressure of patients, which warrants the attention of hospital administrators and health care workers

Sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma patients beyond Milan criteria after orthotopic liver transplantation: a case control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is one of the most effective treatments for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria. However, for patients beyond these criteria, the recurrence rate is higher and the prognosis is worse. Sorafenib is the only drug showing survival benefits in advanced HCC patients; however, its role in patients beyond the Milan criteria after OLT remains unclear and requires further investigation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>As a case-control study, we retrospectively analyzed 17 Chinese patients beyond Milan criteria undergoing OLT for HCC. These patients were stratified into adjuvant (n = 5), palliative (n = 6), and control groups (n = 6).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nine of 11 patients who received sorafenib after OLT needed dose reduction due to more than grade 2 side effects. The disease-free survival rates for patients with or without adjuvant sorafenib were 100% versus 37.5% (p = 0.034) at 6 months, 66.7% versus 9.4% (p = 0.026) at 12 months, and 66.7% versus 0.0% (p = 0.011) at 18 months, respectively. The overall survival rates for patients in palliative and control groups were 66.7% versus 40.0% (p = 0.248) at 6 months, 66.7% versus 40.0% (p = 0.248) at 12 months, and 50.0% versus 20.0% (p = 0.17) at 18 months, respectively. Patients in the adjuvant group had better overall survival rates than those in the palliative and control groups (p = 0.031) at 24-month follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Adjuvant sorafenib could possibly extend both disease-free and overall survival for HCC patients beyond Milan criteria after OLT.</p

A Microwave-Assisted Extraction Method for Determining Hot Water Solubility of Wood

A microwave-assisted extraction method is proposed as an alternative to the conventional method for determining the hot water solubility of wood. In this alternative method, microwave heating substitutes for the boiling water to extract part of the extraneous components as well as starches in wood tissues. Experimental results indicate that 100 mL water can be heated to boiling in only 75 s under the microwave radiation. Hence, only 15-20 min are required to complete the extraction procedure for Liquidambar formosana Hance and Swietenia mahagoni Jacq., 10 min and 5 min for Taiwania cryptomerioides and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb) Hook, respectively. In general, a 15-min microwave heating has the potential to be an alternative to the conventional method, which requires 3 h for the hot water solubility determination

Wnts Enhance Neurotrophin-Induced Neuronal Differentiation in Adult Bone-Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Canonical and Noncanonical Signaling Pathways

Wnts were previously shown to regulate the neurogenesis of neural stem or progenitor cells. Here, we explored the underlying molecular mechanisms through which Wnt signaling regulates neurotrophins (NTs) in the NT-induced neuronal differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). NTs can increase the expression of Wnt1 and Wnt7a in hMSCs. However, only Wnt7a enables the expression of synapsin-1, a synaptic marker in mature neurons, to be induced and triggers the formation of cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons. Human recombinant (hr)Wnt7a and general neuron makers were positively correlated in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of synaptic markers and neurites was induced by Wnt7a and lithium, a glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibitor, in the NT-induced hMSCs via the canonical/β-catenin pathway, but was inhibited by Wnt inhibitors and frizzled-5 (Frz5) blocking antibodies. In addition, hrWnt7a triggered the formation of cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons via the non-canonical/c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, and the formation of these neurons was inhibited by a JNK inhibitor and Frz9 blocking antibodies. In conclusion, hrWnt7a enhances the synthesis of synapse and facilitates neuronal differentiation in hMSCS through various Frz receptors. These mechanisms may be employed widely in the transdifferentiation of other adult stem cells

Facile Solvent-Free Synthesis of Anhydrous Alkali Metal Dodecaborate M_2B_(12)H_(12) (M = Li, Na, K)

Metal dodecaborate, widely regarded as an obstacle of the rehydrogenation of high-density hydrogen storage materials metal borohydrides M(BH_4)_n, is generally synthesized using liquid-phase process followed by a careful dehydration process. In this study, we propose a new and facile solvent-free synthesis process of dodecaborates using B_(10)H_(14) with a low melting point of 99.6 °C as a boron source. As a case study, our first challenge focused on the syntheses of anhydrous M_2B_(12)H_(12) (M = Li, Na, and K) by heat treatment of starting materials (a) 2MH + 1.2B_(10)H_(14) or (b) 2MBH_4 + B_(10)H_(14) at 200–450 °C conditions, which have been proved to be successful for the first time by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and NMR analysis. Starting materials (b) 2MBH_4 + B_(10)H_(14) shows better reactivity than that of (a) 2MH + 1.2B_(10)H_(14), which demonstrates that synthesis of anhydrous M_2B_(12)H_(12) by heat treatment of 2MBH_4 + B_(10)H_(14) is a feasible solvent-free process