Air Bubbles (air + bubble)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Measuring the Interaction Forces between Protein Inclusion Bodies and an Air Bubble Using an Atomic Force Microscope

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2001
N. D. Wangsa-Wirawan
Interaction forces between protein inclusion bodies and an air bubble have been quantified using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The inclusion bodies were attached to the AFM tip by covalent bonds. Interaction forces measured in various buffer concentrations varied from 9.7 nN to 25.3 nN (± 4,11%) depending on pH. Hydrophobic forces provide a stronger contribution to overall interaction force than electrostatic double layer forces. It also appears that the ionic strength affects the interaction force in a complex way that cannot be directly predicted by DLVO theory. The effects of pH are significantly stronger for the inclusion body compared to the air bubble. This study provides fundamental information that will subsequently facilitate the rational design of flotation recovery system for inclusion bodies. It has also demonstrated the potential of AFM to facilitate the design of such processes from a practical viewpoint. [source]


Microleakage along Glassix glass fibre posts cemented with three different materials assessed using a fluid transport system

INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 5 2006
-Barbi, M. Rogi
Abstract Aim, To evaluate the microleakage along Glassix fibre posts cemented with three different materials. Methodology, The root canals of maxillary central incisor teeth were filled and restored with Glassix posts (Harald Nordin sa, Chailly/Montreux, Switzerland) cemented with either a zinc-phosphate Harvard cement (Richter & Hoffmann, Harvard Dental GmbH, Berlin, Germany), Fuji PLUS cement (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) or Variolink II cement (Vivadent, Schaan, Lichtenstein) in three groups of 15 canals each. Twenty unrestored canals served as a control group, 10 filled with gutta-percha and sealer (negative control group), the remaining 10 with gutta-percha only (positive control group). Coronal microleakage was evaluated using a fluid transport system. The movement of an air bubble in a capillary glass tube connected to the apex of the experimental root section was measured over 5-min periods. Measurements were performed four times for each specimen and the mean values recorded. anova and Duncan's test were performed. Results, The positive control group had the highest values of microleakage. Amongst experimental groups, the highest values of microleakage occurred in the group with the posts cemented with Harvard cement, followed by Fuji PLUS and Variolink II cements. Groups with Fuji PLUS, Variolink II and the negative control group had significantly (P < 0.00001) less microleakage compared with the Harvard cement group and the positive control group. Conclusion, Canals with Glassix posts cemented with Variolink II and Fuji PLUS cement had the least leakage when assessed using a fluid transport system. [source]


Following the path of hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles in a Denver Cell using positron emission particle tracking

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2009
K. E. Waters
Abstract Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) has been used to track the movement of single particles of galena and quartz in a Denver Cell batch flotation system. The particles were labeled with a radionuclide, 18F, and using an ADAC Forte positron camera the positions of the particles were determined during mixing, and once air was added to the cell at a constant rate. The hydrophobic galena particle entered the froth readily, attached to air bubbles, and overflowed the weir. Detachment from an air bubble in the froth was also observed, and this is presumed to be due to coalescence events occurring. The hydrophilic quartz particle did not overflow the weir when the air flow was on. When the particle did enter the froth, it was along the sides of the vessel following the flow of the water. This gives a potential indication of one of the methods of the entrainment of gangue minerals in froth flotation. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Measuring the Interaction Forces between Protein Inclusion Bodies and an Air Bubble Using an Atomic Force Microscope

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2001
N. D. Wangsa-Wirawan
Interaction forces between protein inclusion bodies and an air bubble have been quantified using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The inclusion bodies were attached to the AFM tip by covalent bonds. Interaction forces measured in various buffer concentrations varied from 9.7 nN to 25.3 nN (± 4,11%) depending on pH. Hydrophobic forces provide a stronger contribution to overall interaction force than electrostatic double layer forces. It also appears that the ionic strength affects the interaction force in a complex way that cannot be directly predicted by DLVO theory. The effects of pH are significantly stronger for the inclusion body compared to the air bubble. This study provides fundamental information that will subsequently facilitate the rational design of flotation recovery system for inclusion bodies. It has also demonstrated the potential of AFM to facilitate the design of such processes from a practical viewpoint. [source]


A spring-driven press device for hot embossing and thermal bonding of PMMA microfluidic chips

ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 15 2010
Zhi Chen
Abstract A novel spring-driven press device was designed and manufactured for hot embossing and thermal bonding of PMMA microfluidic chips in this work. This simple device consisted of two semi-cylinder silicone rubber press heads, three steel clamping plates, and three compression springs that were assembled together using two screw bolts and two butterfly nuts. The three springs were clamped between the upper and the middle clamping plates, whereas the two press heads were assembled between the middle and the lower clamping plates. After an epoxy template covered by a PMMA plate or a PMMA channel plate together with a cover were sandwiched between two microscopic glass slides for embossing or bonding, respectively, they were clamped between the two elastic press heads of the press device by fastening the screw nuts on the upper clamping plate. Because the convex press heads applied pressure along the middle line of the glass slides, they would deform resulting in a negative pressure gradient from the middle to the sides so that air bubbles between the sandwiched parts could be squeezed out during embossing and bonding processes. High-quality PMMA microfluidic chips were prepared by using this unique device and were successfully applied in the electrophoretic separation of several cations. [source]


Hydrodynamic considerations on optimal design of a three-phase airlift bioreactor with high solids loading

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2003
Jaroslav Klein
Abstract The hydrodynamic study of a three-phase airlift (TPAL) bioreactor with an enlarged gas,liquid dual separator was carried out. Different lengths and diameters of the draft tube were tested to show how the design of the separator zone affects the hydrodynamic performance of the TPAL reactor. Ca-alginate beads with entrapped yeast biomass at different loadings (0, 7, 14 and 21% v/v) were used in order to mimic the solid phase of conventional high cell density systems, such as those with cells immobilized on carriers or flocculating cells. Important information on multiphase flow and distribution of gas and solid phases in the internal-loop airlift reactor (ALR) with high solids loading was obtained, which can be used for suggesting optimal hydrodynamic conditions in a TPAL bioreactor with high solids loading. It is finally suggested that the ALR with a dual separator and a downcomer to riser cross-sectional area ratio (AD/AR) ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 can be successfully applied to batch/continuous high cell density systems, where the uniform distribution of solid phase, its efficient separation of particles from the liquid phase, and an improved residence time of air bubbles inside the reactor are desirable. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Venous air embolism induces both platelet dysfunction and thrombocytopenia

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2009
S. T. SCHÄFER
Background: In vitro, air bubbles can induce platelet activation and platelet to air bubble binding. We therefore tested in vivo the hypothesis that venous air embolism (VAE) induces (1) platelet dysfunction and (2) thrombocytopenia. Methods: Adult swine (60.8±3.9 kg; n=8) were anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and placed in a semi-upright position. Air boli (0.5,80 ml) were injected randomly via an ear vein, and arterial blood was sampled after cumulative air dosages of 0, 80, 160, and 240 ml. Coagulation was assessed by impedance aggregometry, rotational thrombelastometry, whole blood count, plasmatic coagulation variables, and fibrinogen, d -dimer, protein C, and antithrombin plasma concentrations, respectively. Results: VAE induced a 47% decrease in platelet count (303 vs. 160 nl,1; P<0.001) over the dose range assessed, with haematocrit being unaltered. Furthermore, VAE-impaired platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate, arachidonic acid, collagen, and the thromboxan analogue U46619 over the dose range assessed independent of thrombocytopenia. (P<0.05 vs. baseline). In contrast, rotational thrombelastometry alone was quite insensitive in detecting VAE-induced coagulation changes, showing only at near lethal air dosages a prolonged clot formation time following activation with tissue factor, contact activator, and during spontaneous coagulation (P<0.05 vs. baseline). Conclusions: VAE induces both a dose-dependent decrease in platelet count and a marked decrease in platelet aggregation, independent of thrombocytopenia (P<0.05 vs. baseline). [source]


Effect of mixing method on rheological properties of alginate impression materials

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 7 2002
K. Inoue
The apparent viscosity of alginate impression paste prepared by three mixing methods (hand-mixing technique (HM), semiautomatic instrument (SM) and automatic mixing instrument (AM)), and the gel strength and surface depression of the respective set materials were measured. The materials used were eight commercially available products mixed at a temperature of 23 ± 0.5 °C and allowed to set. The AM had a high mixing speed, which reduced the working time 4.4,31.5%, compared with HM. This was the result of an increase in paste temperature during mixing. In the case of impression materials mixed with the AM, the gel strength and the surface depression at the gel fracture increased significantly, in accordance with Fisher's protected least significant difference (PLSD) analysis. This phenomenon is caused by a decrease of air bubbles in the set material. [source]


RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF WET FOOD FOAMS

JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 2 2007
B. EDGAR CHÁVEZ-MONTES
ABSTRACT Incorporating air bubbles into foods is a technical challenge, and in all cases, the fabrication of a foam goes through a "wet foam" stage, where bubbles are diluted in the food matrix and require stabilization. Sometimes, the end product is itself a wet foam, and a popular example is ice cream. This article describes a study of structural aspects of wet foams, where the continuous phase is a fluid, by means of dynamic rheological tests. The effects of formulation and processing conditions on aerated food foams are studied, and an example is presented for ice cream mix. The incorporation of gas bubbles at volume fractions of 50% or less modifies moderately the bulk rheological properties, and their effect can be predicted by the foam limit case. The continuous phase dominates to a great part the bulk's rheological behavior, and in the case of food systems, it stems from the presence of polysaccharide thickeners. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This work presents an alternative approach to study the rheological properties of short life and difficult-to-sample products, such as wet food foams, in a rheo-reactor. Through the analysis of mechanical properties in oscillatory regime, the structure and stability of wet food foams can be characterized immediately after being fabricated in situ. This work presents new insights on the foaming step of ice cream mix (decoupled from the freezing step), and shows how the mechanical properties are affected by the incorporation ofbubbles, by process conditions and by the presence of thickeners and emulsifiers. This work can be a valuable guide to decide on optimal process and formulation to fabricate wet food foams (e.g., ice cream, aerated desserts) with specific mechanical properties and stability. [source]


Surface roughness effects on thermo-hydrodynamic lubrication of journal bearings lubricated with bubbly oil

LUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2006
A. M. A. El-Butch
In this paper, the combined effect of surface roughness and bubbles content on the hydrodynamic performance of journal bearings is studied. In the analysis, it is assumed that the bearing and shaft surfaces are covered with homogeneous isotropic roughness, the air bubbles are evenly distributed through the lubricant and the bubble size is very small. The modified Reynolds equation governing the pressure generation in the bearing gap for compressible fluid is solved simultaneously with the energy equation. Temperature and pressure distributions, coefficient of friction, bearing load capacity and attitude angle as affected by surface roughness, bubble content and some bearing parameters are presented. Results showed that the bearing load carrying capacity is higher at higher values of average roughness and higher bubble content as a direct consequence of the higher pressure values attained, and the average roughness and the bubbles content had no significant effect on the attitude angle. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


On Different Approaches to Estimate the Mass Fractal Dimension of Coal Aggregates

PARTICLE & PARTICLE SYSTEMS CHARACTERIZATION, Issue 5 2005
Jimmy Y. H. Liao
Abstract Several methods to measure the structures of coal aggregates are compared. Loose and compact coal aggregates were generated through flocculation of ultrafine coal particles (mean volume diameter of 12,,m) under specific shearing conditions. Aggregate structure in terms of mass fractal dimension, Df, was determined using various methods; namely 2D and 3D image analysis, interpretation of intensity patterns from small angle light scattering, changes in aggregation state through light obscuration, and settling behavior. In this study, the measured values of Df ranged from 1.84,2.19 for coal aggregates with more open structures, and around 2.27,2.66 for the compact ones. All of these approaches could distinguish structural differences between aggregates, albeit with variation in Df values estimated by the different techniques. The discrepancy in the absolute values for fractal dimension is due to the different physical properties measured by each approach, depending on the assumptions used to infer Df from measurable parameters. In addition, image analysis and settling techniques are based on the examination of individual aggregates, such that a large number of data points are required to yield statistically representative estimations. Light scattering and obscuration measure the aggregates collectively to give average Df values of the particulate systems; consequently ignoring any structural variation between the aggregates, and leaving possible small contaminations undetected (e.g. by dust particles or air bubbles). Appropriate utilization of a particular method is thus largely determined by system properties and required data quality. [source]


Printing of protein microarrays via a capillary-free fluid jetting mechanism

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 16 2005
J. A. Barron
Abstract Current proteomics experiments rely upon printing techniques such as ink jet, pin, or quill arrayers that were developed for the creation of cDNA microarrays. These techniques often do not meet the requirements needed for successful spotting of proteins to perform high-throughput, array-based proteomic profiling. Biological laser printing (BioLP) is a spotting technology that does not rely on solid pins, quill pins, or capillary-based fluidics. The non-contact mechanism of BioLP utilizes a focused laser pulse to transfer protein solutions, thereby eliminating the potential for orifice clogging, air bubbles, and unnecessary volume loss potentially encountered in commercially available spotting technologies. The speed and spot-to-spot reproducibility of BioLP is comparable to other techniques, while the minimum spot diameter and volume per printed droplet is significantly less at 30,µm and ,500,fL, respectively. The transfer of fluid by BioLP occurs through a fluid jetting mechanism, as observed by high-speed images of the printing process. Arraying a solution of BSA with subsequent immunodetection demonstrates the reproducible spotting of protein in an array format with CVs of <3%. Printing of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase followed by a positive reaction with a colorimetric substrate demonstrates that functional protein can be spotted using this laser-based printer. [source]


Binary coalescence of air bubbles in viscous liquids in presence of non-ionic surfactant

THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2008
K. Giribabu
Abstract Coalescence of air bubbles is important in gas,liquid reactors and food processing operations. Bubbles can be stabilized by using non-ionic surfactants. Binary coalescence of air bubbles in ethylene glycol and aqueous glycerol solutions were studied in this work in presence of Span 80. A novel set-up was developed to study long coalescence times. Coalescence time was observed to follow broad stochastic distributions in all systems. The distributions were fitted with a stochastic model developed earlier. The surface tension of ethylene glycol and glycerol solutions was measured at various concentrations of Span 80. These data were fitted using a surface equation of state derived from the Langmuir isotherm. The effect of surfactant concentration on coalescence time was explained in terms of the surface excess of the surfactant and the repulsive force generated at the air,liquid interface. The results from this work illustrate the stochastic nature of bubble coalescence in viscous liquids. This work also demonstrates how non-ionic surfactants can stabilize bubbles in such liquids. La coalescence des bulles d'air est importante dans les réacteurs gaz-liquide et les opérations de l'industrie alimentaire. Les bulles peuvent être stabilisées en utilisant des surfactants non ioniques. La coalescence binaire de bulles d'air dans des solutions aqueuses d'éthylène glycol et de glycérol a été étudiée dans ce travail en présence de Span 80. Un nouveau montage a été mis au point pour caractériser les temps de coalescence longs. Le temps de coalescence a été observé afin de suivre les distributions de modèle stochastique dans tous les systèmes. Les distributions ont été calées à un modèle stochastique mis au point antérieurement. La tension de surface des solutions d'éthylène glycol et de glycérol a été mesurée à différentes concentrations de Span 80. Ces données ont été calées à l'aide d'une équation d'état de surface calculée à partir de l'isotherme de Langmuir. L'effet de la concentration de surfactant sur le temps de coalescence est expliqué par l'excès de surface du surfactant et la force répulsive créée à l'interface air-liquide. Les résultats de ce travail illustrent la nature stochastique de la coalescence des bulles dans les liquides visqueux. Ce travail démontre également comment les surfactants non ioniques peuvent stabiliser les bulles dans de tels liquides. [source]


Effect of Dispersion on Particle Segregation Due to Sparged Air in a Hydrocyclone

THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 3-4 2003
Shijie Liu
Abstract Fractionation of kraft wood pulp fibres was carried out in a hydrocyclone. Long fibres tend to migrate to the low shear region and report to the overflow stream. Excellent fractionation was found at high pulp slurry feed rates with a split ratio between 0.07 and 0.3. However, when air bubbles are sparged, all the fibres are more uniformly distributed inside the hydrocyclone. When increasingly more bubbles are present, on the other hand, long fibres drain down slower because of rapidly rising air bubbles. Thus, more long fibres report to the overflow stream at extremely high air injection rates. On a effectué le fractionnement de fibres de pâte de papier kraft dans un hydrocyclone. Les fibres longues tendent à migrer vers la région de cisaillement fauble et à rejoindre le courant de surverse. Un excellent fractionnement a été trouvé à des vitesses d'alimentation des suspensions de pâte élevées avec un taux de division compris entre 0,07 et 0,3. Toutefois, lorsque les bulles d'air sont dispersées, toutes les fibres sont distribuées de manière plus uniforme dans l'hydrocyclone. Par ailleurs, à mesure que le nombre de bulles augmente, les fibres longues descendent plus bas à cause des bulles d'air qui montent rapidement. Ainsi, davantage de fibres longues se retrouvent dans le courant de sousverse à des vitesses d'injection de l'air extrêmement élevées. [source]


Intensive Imaging Assessment for Successful Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 5 2002
Masaya Kitamura
Abstract: To clarify special imaging assessment that is useful for minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS), we examined 141 cases of MICS operations with ministernotomy or minithoracotomy. In the 141 patients, 62 valve, 42 coronary, 37 congenital heart, and 2 other procedures were successfully completed without conversion to full sternotomy. Preoperative chest x-ray, computed tomography, and/or magnetic resonance imaging were necessary for determining the level of ministernotomy, especially in aortic valve operations. Transthoracic echocardiography was useful for selecting procedures of mitral valve or intracardiac repair through the MICS approach. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was essential for continuous monitoring of cardiac function, intracardiac flow, air bubbles, and so forth. The above results suggest that intensive imaging assessment might be very important for successful MICS operations with ministernotomy or minithoracotomy and that extensive indications for this technique exist for various cardiovascular diseases. [source]


Slot die coating of dilute suspensions

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2009
Yi-Tsun Lin
Abstract An experimental study was carried out to investigate slot die coating of dilute suspensions. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) particles of different sizes were added to glycerol solutions as test fluids. The coating flow experiment was performed on a lab coater. The operating window, which is a domain in which only a stable and uniform coating solution is possible, was determined experimentally. It was found that adding particles has little effect on the physical properties of glycerol solutions, as only the fluid viscosity increases slightly. Two coating defects are commonly observed; ribbing which is caused by flow instability refers to lateral waves on the coated surface, and air entrainment which implies that air bubbles are trapped in the coating solution. Adding particles has little effect on the operating window if the coating defect is ribbing. However, the operating window can be expanded substantially if the coating defect is air entrainment. Higher the particle concentration, or the smaller the particle size, more significant is the expansion of the operating window. The maximum coating speed may increase to 80% for high suspension particle density number. A previous study reported that there exists an optimal particle size which has the largest operating window for a given pure solution; this was not found in the present work. Copyright © 2008 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Continuous plug-flow bioreactor: Experimental testing with Pseudomonas putida culture grown on benzoate

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2005
Yury Voloshin
Abstract The goals of this work were to test the feasibility of a continuous plug-flow (PF) bioreactor and to compare the growth in the PF bioreactor to that in a batch bioreactor. A culture of Pseudomonas putida was pumped through a tube made of Teflon with varying residence times. The culture was aerated by pumping of air simultaneously with liquid medium to provide air bubbles along the tubular culture. When the residence time in the PF bioreactor was greater than the time needed to reach the stationary phase in batch mode, the maximum biomass density reached in PF mode was the same as the maximum density reached in the batch bioreactor, and benzoate (the only carbon and energy source) was completely consumed. The drawbacks for practical application of PF were found to be fluctuations of cell concentration in the outflow cultural liquid due to cell aggregation, significant cell adhesion to the inner wall of Teflon tubing, and inadequate aeration. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Phases Dispersion and Oxygen Transfer in a Simulated Fermentation Broth Containing Castor Oil and Proteins

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2004
Nancy Pulido-Mayoral
The sizes of air bubbles and castor oil drops were studied by image analysis as a function of the concentration of soluble protein (bovine serum albumin [BSA] and lipase, as model proteins) in a three-phase system using a simulated fermentation medium (aqueous salt solution, castor oil, and air). Small amounts of proteins (<0.02 g/L) caused an important decrease in oil drops and bubbles sizes, together with a pronounced decrease in surface tension. The extent and profiles of this decrease seem to be determined by the conformation of the protein at the interface. The kLa value increased considerably for increasing concentration (up to 0.02 g/L) of the two proteins but was very different (2-fold higher for the lipase) at the highest concentrations tested (0.5 g/L), a phenomenon that can be caused by the extent to which bubbles are trapped within oil drops. [source]


An evaluation of dermoscopy fluids and application techniques

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
A.J. Gewirtzman
SummaryBackground Dermoscopy, a noninvasive technique used to help physicians better visualize pigmented skin lesions, is becoming widely used by dermatologists. Yet despite its popularity, to our knowledge basic aspects such as the best immersion fluid (IF) to use and proper procedures for applying the IF and dermatoscope have never been the subject of a systematic investigation. Objectives To determine the best techniques for application of IF and the dermatoscope; to discover which IF results in the least amount of air inclusions; to determine which IF provides the best image quality. Methods and materials This study was divided into three phases. Phase I examined several techniques of taking digital dermoscopic photographs in an attempt to eliminate air bubbles. Phase II tested seven IFs to analyse quantitatively the number of air inclusions for each IF. Phase III investigated these same IFs to judge the image quality for each. Results Phase I: in our hands, the best technique to apply an IF is to use an eyedropper and place the IF directly onto the skin in combination with a ,roll-on technique': the dermatoscope's edge is placed on the skin first and is then rotated until the glass plate lies flat against the skin. Phase II: the alcoholic IF resulted in the least amount of air bubble inclusions (70% ethanol, 90% isopropanol and alcoholic disinfectant), while liquid paraffin (a mineral oil) resulted in the most air bubbles. Phase III: dermoscopic structures were equally clear with alcohols and liquid paraffin, but slightly blurry with ultrasound gel and water. Conclusions Although 90% isopropanol performed slightly better in terms of air inclusions, we prefer to use 70% ethanol in most circumstances because it has the advantage of being odourless, unlike its counterpart. Additionally, ethanol will not stain clothing, does not crystallize on the dermatoscope, disinfects and evaporates immediately (does not need to be wiped off). For certain local considerations, such as dermoscopy on mucosa or the nail, we prefer to use ultrasound gel because it will not flow. [source]


A Comparison of the Mixing Characteristics in Single- and Two-Phase Grid-Generated Turbulent Flow Systems

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 6 2004
J.S. Moghaddas
Abstract The mixing process is studied in grid-generated turbulent flow for single- and bubbly two-phase flow systems. Concentration and mixing characteristics in the liquid phase are measured with the aid of a PLIF/PLIF arrangement. A nearly isotropic turbulent flow field is generated at the center of the vertical pipe by using a honeycomb, three grids and a contraction. In two-phase flow experiments, air bubbles were injected into the flow from a rectangular grid, with mesh size M = 6 mm, which is placed midway between two circular grids each with a mesh size of M = 2 mm. For single-phase flow, the normalized mean concentration cross-stream profiles have rather similar Gaussian shapes, and the cross-stream profiles of the normalized root-mean-square (RMS) values of concentration were found to be quite similar. Cross-stream profiles of the mean concentration, for bubbly two-phase flow, were also found to be quite similar, but they did not have the Gaussian shape of the profiles for single-phase flow. Almost self-similar behavior was also found for the RMS values of the concentration in two-phase systems. The turbulent diffusion coefficient in the liquid phase was also calculated. At the center of the plume, the flow was found to have a periodic coherent structure, probably of vortex shedding character. Observations showed that the period of oscillation is higher in the case of two-phase flow than in single-phase flow. [source]


Comparison of the corneal endothelial protective effects of Healon-D and Viscoat

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
Carolee M Cutler Peck MD MPH
Abstract Background:, The use of dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs) has been shown to provide significant protection against air bubble damage to the corneal endothelium when compared with cohesive OVDs. We compared the corneal endothelial protective effects of a new dispersive OVD, Healon-D, with Viscoat. Methods:, Healon-D and Viscoat were used in a randomized and masked fashion in the anterior chamber of 40 rabbit eyes during a procedure where ultrasound at 70% continuous energy was delivered for 2 min. Two millilitres of air bubbles were injected into the anterior chamber during the first minute of the procedure on each eye. Corneas were then stained with trypan blue and alizarin red and evaluated via light microscopy for endothelial injury. Both denuding of the endothelial layer, as well as damage to endothelial cells were quantified by using the Evaluation of Posterior Capsule Opacification digital imaging system. Results:, The denuded area for eyes treated with Healon-D and Viscoat were not significantly different (medians of 0.004167and 0.003333, respectively, P = 0.8908). There was no significant difference in the area of endothelial cell damaged (medians of 0.02183 and 0.01433, respectively, P = 0.4565). When the denuded and damaged areas were calculated together, there was also no difference in the total injured area (medians of 0.05817 and 0.05821, respectively, P = 0.5740). Conclusion:, The new dispersive OVD Healon-D is equally as effective as Viscoat in protecting the corneal endothelial layer from denuding and damage from air bubbles during anterior segment surgery. [source]


Increased Cerebral Blood Flow And Cardiac Output Following Cerebral Arterial Air Embolism In Sheep

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2001
David J Williams
SUMMARY 1. The effects of cerebral arterial gas embolism on cerebral blood flow and systemic cardiovascular parameters were assessed in anaesthetized sheep. 2. Six sheep received a 2.5 mL injection of air simultaneously into each common carotid artery over 5 s. Mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide and an ultrasonic Doppler index of cerebral blood flow were monitored continuously. Cardiac output was determined by periodic thermodilution. 3. Intracarotid injection of air produced an immediate drop in mean cerebral blood flow. This drop was transient and mean cerebral blood flow subsequently increased to 151% before declining slowly to baseline. Coincident with the increased cerebral blood flow was a sustained increase in mean cardiac output to 161% of baseline. Mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and end-tidal carbon dioxide were not significantly altered by the intracarotid injection of air. 4. The increased cardiac output is a pathological response to impact of arterial air bubbles on the brain, possibly the brainstem. The increased cerebral blood flow is probably the result of the increased cardiac output and dilation of cerebral resistance vessels caused by the passage of air bubbles. [source]