Structure, Conductivity, and Sensor Properties of Nanosized ZnO-In2O3 Composites: Influence of Synthesis Method.

The influence of the method used for synthesizing ZnO-In2O3 composites (nanopowder mixing, impregnation, and hydrothermal method) on the structure, conductivity, and sensor properties is investigated. With the nanopowder mixing, the size of the parent nanoparticles in the composite remains practically unchanged in the range of 50-100 nm. The impregnation composites consist of 70 nm In2O3 nanoparticles with ZnO nanoclusters < 30 nm in size located on its surface. The nanoparticles in the hydrothermal composites have a narrow size distribution in the range of 10-20 nm. The specific surface of hydrothermal samples is five times higher than that of impregnated samples. The sensor response of the impregnated composite to 1100 ppm H2 is 1.3-1.5 times higher than the response of the mixed composite. Additives of 15-20 and 85 wt.% ZnO to mixed and impregnated composites lead to an increase in the response compared with pure In2O3. In the case of hydrothermal composite, up to 20 wt.% ZnO addition leads to a decrease in response, but 65 wt.% ZnO addition increases response by almost two times compared with pure In2O3. The sensor activity of a hydrothermal composite depends on the phase composition of In2O3. The maximum efficiency is reached for the composite containing cubic In2O3 and the minimum for rhombohedral In2O3. An explanation is provided for the observed effects.

Synthesis, Structural and Sensor Properties of Nanosized Mixed Oxides Based on In2O3 Particles.

The paper considers the relationship between the structure and properties of nanostructured conductometric sensors based on binary mixtures of semiconductor oxides designed to detect reducing gases in the environment. The sensor effect in such systems is determined by the chemisorption of molecules on the surface of catalytically active particles and the transfer of chemisorbed products to electron-rich nanoparticles, where these products react with the analyzed gas. In this regard, the role is evaluated of the method of synthesizing the composites, the catalytic activity of metal oxides (CeO2, SnO2, ZnO), and the type of conductivity of metal oxides (Co3O4, ZrO2) in the sensor process. The effect of oxygen vacancies present in the composites on the performance characteristics is also considered. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the synthesis procedure for preparing sensitive layers based on CeO2-In2O3 on the structure of the resulting composites, as well as their conductive and sensor properties.

A computational model of upper airway respiratory function with muscular coupling.

A two dimensional finite element model of upper airway respiratory function was developed emphasizing the effects of dilator muscular activation on the human retro-lingual airway. The model utilized an upright mid-sagittal computed tomography of the human head and neck to reconstruct relevant structures of the tongue, mandible, and the hyoid-related soft tissues, along with the retro-lingual airway. The reconstructed geometry was divided into fluid and solid domains and discretized into finite element (FE) meshes used for the computational model. Three cases were investigated: standing position; supine position; and supine position coupled with dilator muscle activation. Computations were performed for the inspiration stage of the breathing cycle, utilizing a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method to couple structural deformation with airflow dynamics. The spatio-temporal deformation of the structures surrounding the airway wall were predicted to be in general agreement with known changes from upright to supine posture on luminal opening, as well as the distribution of airflow. The model effectively captured the effects of muscular stimulation on the upper airway anatomical changes, the flow characteristics relevant to airway reduction in the supine position and airway enlargement with muscle activation. The smallest airway opening in the retro-lingual section is predicted to occur at the epiglottic region in all the three cases considered, an unexpected vulnerable location of airway obstruction. The model also predicted that hyoid displacement would be associated with recovery from airway collapse. This information may be useful for building more complex models relevant to mechanisms and clinical interventions for obstructive sleep apnea.

Segmentation and Pore Structure Estimation in SEM Images of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Using Genetic Algorithm.

A python computer package is developed to segment and analyze scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. The method requires only a portion of an SEM image to be labeled and used for training. The algorithm is then able to detect the pore characteristics for other SEM images acquired at different ambient conditions from different scaffolds with the same material as the labeled image. The quality of SEM images is first enhanced using histogram equalization. Then, a global thresholding method is used to perform the image analysis. The thresholding values for the SEM images are obtained using genetic algorithm (GA). The image analysis results include pore distributions of pore size, pore elongation and pore orientation. The results agree satisfactorily with the experimental data for the chitosan-alginate porous scaffolds considered. Applications of the method developed for image segmentation is not limited to scaffold pore structure analysis. The method can also be used for any SEM image containing multiple objects such as different types of cells and subcellular components.

Effect of Mold Geometry on Pore Size in Freeze-Cast Chitosan-Alginate Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering.

Freeze-casting is a popular method to produce biomaterial scaffolds with highly porous structures. The pore structure of freeze-cast biomaterial scaffolds is influenced by processing parameters but has mostly been controlled experimentally. A mathematical model integrating Computational Fluid Dynamics with Population Balance Model was developed to predict average pore size (APS) of 3D porous chitosan-alginate scaffolds and to assess the influence of the geometrical parameters of mold on scaffold pore structure. The model predicted the crystallization pattern and APS for scaffolds cast in different diameter molds and filled to different heights. The predictions demonstrated that the temperature gradient and solidification pattern affect ice crystal nucleation and growth, subsequently influencing APS homogeneity. The predicted APS compared favorably with APS measurements from a corresponding experimental dataset, validating the model. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the response of the APS to the three geometrical parameters of the mold: well radius; solution fill height; and spacing between wells. The pore size was most sensitive to the distance between the wells and least sensitive to solution height. This validated model demonstrates a method for optimizing the APS of freeze-cast biomaterial scaffolds that could be applied to other compositions or applications.

Computational Modelling of Cough Function and Airway Penetrant Behavior in Patients with Disorders of Laryngeal Function.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Patients with laryngeal disorders often exhibit changes to cough function contributing to aspiration episodes. Two primary cough variables (peak cough flow: PCF and compression phase duration: CPD) were examined within a biomechanical model to determine their impact on characteristics that impact airway compromise. STUDY DESIGN: Computational study. METHODS: A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique was used to simulate fluid flow within an upper airway model reconstructed from patient CT images. The model utilized a finite-volume numerical scheme to simulate cough-induced airflow, allowing for turbulent particle interaction, collision, and break-up. Liquid penetrants at 8 anatomical release locations were tracked during the simulated cough. Cough flow velocity was computed for a base case and four simulated cases. Airway clearance was evaluated through assessment of the fate of particles in the airway following simulated cough. RESULTS: Peak-expiratory phase resulted in very high airway velocities for all simulated cases modelled. The highest velocity predicted was 49.96 m/s, 88 m/s, and 117 m/s for Cases 1 and 3, Base case, and Cases 2 and 4 respectively. In the base case, 25% of the penetrants cleared the laryngeal airway. The highest percentage (50%) of penetrants clearing the laryngeal airway are observed in Case 2 (with -40% CPD, +40% PCF), while only 12.5% cleared in Case 3 (with +40% CPD, -40% PCF). The proportion that cleared in Cases 1 and 4 was 37.5%. CONCLUSION: Airway modelling may be beneficial to the study of aspiration in patients with impaired cough function including those with upper airway and neurological diseases. It can be used to enhance understanding of cough flow dynamics within the airway and to inform strategies for treatment with "cough-assist devices" or devices to improve cough strength. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.

Analytic Intermodel Consistent Modeling of Volumetric Human Lung Dynamics.

Human lung undergoes breathing-induced deformation in the form of inhalation and exhalation. Modeling the dynamics is numerically complicated by the lack of information on lung elastic behavior and fluid-structure interactions between air and the tissue. A mathematical method is developed to integrate deformation results from a deformable image registration (DIR) and physics-based modeling approaches in order to represent consistent volumetric lung dynamics. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation assumes the lung is a poro-elastic medium with spatially distributed elastic property. Simulation is performed on a 3D lung geometry reconstructed from four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) dataset of a human subject. The heterogeneous Young's modulus (YM) is estimated from a linear elastic deformation model with the same lung geometry and 4D lung DIR. The deformation obtained from the CFD is then coupled with the displacement obtained from the 4D lung DIR by means of the Tikhonov regularization (TR) algorithm. The numerical results include 4DCT registration, CFD, and optimal displacement data which collectively provide consistent estimate of the volumetric lung dynamics. The fusion method is validated by comparing the optimal displacement with the results obtained from the 4DCT registration.

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of airflow inside lungs using heterogenous anisotropic lung tissue elastic properties.

The aim of this paper is to model the airflow inside lungs during breathing and its fluid-structure interaction with the lung tissues and the lung tumor using subject-specific elastic properties. The fluid-structure interaction technique simultaneously simulates flow within the airway and anisotropic deformation of the lung lobes. The three-dimensional (3D) lung geometry is reconstructed from the end-expiration 3D CT scan datasets of humans with lung cancer. The lung is modeled as a poro-elastic medium with anisotropic elastic property (non-linear Young's modulus) obtained from inverse lung elastography of 4D CT scans for the same patients. The predicted results include the 3D anisotropic lung deformation along with the airflow pattern inside the lungs. The effect is also presented of anisotropic elasticity on both the spatio-temporal volumetric lung displacement and the regional lung hysteresis.

Modeling Airflow Using Subject-Specific 4DCT-Based Deformable Volumetric Lung Models.

Lung radiotherapy is greatly benefitted when the tumor motion caused by breathing can be modeled. The aim of this paper is to present the importance of using anisotropic and subject-specific tissue elasticity for simulating the airflow inside the lungs. A computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD) based approach is presented to simulate airflow inside a subject-specific deformable lung for modeling lung tumor motion and the motion of the surrounding tissues during radiotherapy. A flow-structure interaction technique is employed that simultaneously models airflow and lung deformation. The lung is modeled as a poroelastic medium with subject-specific anisotropic poroelastic properties on a geometry, which was reconstructed from four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scan datasets of humans with lung cancer. The results include the 3D anisotropic lung deformation for known airflow pattern inside the lungs. The effects of anisotropy are also presented on both the spatiotemporal volumetric lung displacement and the regional lung hysteresis.

Visualization of 3D volumetric lung dynamics for real-time external beam lung radiotherapy.

This paper reports on the usage of physics-based 3D volumetric lung dynamic models for visualizing and monitoring the radiation dose deposited on the lung of a human subject during lung radiotherapy. The dynamic model of each subject is computed from a 4D Computed Tomography (4DCT) imaging acquired before the treatment. The 3D lung deformation and the radiation dose deposited are computed using Graphics Processing Units (GPU). Additionally, using the dynamic lung model, the airflow inside the lungs during the treatment is also investigated. Results show the radiation dose deposited on the lung tumor as well as the surrounding tissues, the combination of which is patient-specific and varies from one treatment fraction to another.

Collaborative engineering: 3-D optical imaging and gas exchange simulation of in-vitro alveolar constructs.

This paper reports on the computational simulation and modeling of an in vitro alveolar construct system along the optical coherence microscopy (OCM) methods for visualizing engineered tissue. The optical imaging methods will be compared to immunohistochemical light microscopy samples of engineered alveolar constructs. Results show depth images of the alveolar tissue construct for a bilayer construct, as well as predictions of the gas exchange process in a simple model of a bio-reactor hosting the construct.

Assessment of potential relationship between wall shear stress and arterial wall response after bare metal stent and sirolimus-eluting stent implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Wall shear stress (WSS) has been associated with neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) following bare metal stent (BMS) implantation. Drug-eluting stents (DES) almost abolish NIH. Conversely, diabetes mellitus amplifies NIH response. The association between WSS and arterial wall response following DES and BMS implantation in diabetic patients remains to be evaluated. METHODS: The study involved 20 diabetic patients randomized to BMS (n = 9) or sirolimus-eluting stent (SES; n = 11) implantation in native coronary arteries. A computational fluid dynamic model applied 3D intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and two-plane angiographic to measure WSS (Pa). IVUS assessments were performed post-procedure and at 9-months follow-up. The target segment encompassed the stent plus 5 mm distal and proximal edges. A total of 93 subsegments were evaluated: in-stent segments divided in three subsegments (proximal, mid and distal; n = 60) and proximal and distal edges (n = 33). RESULTS: Stent length was similar between BMS (17.4 +/- 7.3 mm) and SES (19.8 +/- 6.8 mm) groups. NIH was observed in all BMS subsegments (n = 27) versus one subsegment in the SES group (n = 33). WSS ranged from 0.52 to 4.20 Pa in the BMS and from 0.42 to 3.06 Pa in the SES group. There was no correlation between WSS and NIH in either stent group. In addition, there were no correlation between the change of external elastic membrane (EEM) or plaque growth at the edges and WSS. CONCLUSION: WSS was not associated with NIH after implantation of SES or BMS in diabetic patients. Plaque growth or the change of EEM at the edges were not associated with WSS either.

A hybrid rheological model for particulate suspension in zeolite crystal growth.

A hybrid constitutive model is developed to represent the thixotropic behavior of particulate suspension during zeolite crystallization from solution. This model is valid over the complete solid fraction range typical for such a process. It employs two internal variables, agglomeration and contiguity, to describe the degree to which the gel particles form short- and long-range networks. The contiguity is used to weigh the effects of hydrodynamic to chain-like network deformation on the suspension viscosity. Heterogeneous nucleation and surface reaction-controlled crystal growth are assumed to describe the evolution of microstructure and solid fraction of gel and crystals. Such a model successfully captures the thixotropic behavior of zeolite particulate suspension by comparison of the predictions with a set of experimental data.

Reproducibility of coronary lumen, plaque, and vessel wall reconstruction and of endothelial shear stress measurements in vivo in humans.

The purpose of this study was to assess the reproducibility of an in vivo methodology to reconstruct the lumen, plaque, and external elastic membrane (EEM) of coronary arteries and estimate endothelial shear stress (ESS). Ten coronary arteries without significant stenoses (five native and five stented arteries) were investigated. The 3D lumen and EEM boundaries of each coronary artery were determined by fusing end-diastolic intravascular ultrasound images with biplane coronary angiograms. Coronary flow was measured. Computational fluid dynamics was used to calculate local ESS. Complete data acquisition was then repeated. Analysis was performed on each data set in a blinded manner. The intertest correlation coefficients for all arteries for the two measurements of lumen radius, EEM radius, plaque thickness, and ESS were r = 0.96, 0.96, 0.94, 0.91, respectively (all P values < 0.0001). The 3D anatomy and ESS of human coronary arteries can be reproducibly estimated in vivo. This methodology provides a tool to examine the effect of ESS on atherogenesis, remodeling, and restenosis; the contribution of arterial remodeling and plaque growth to changes in the lumen; and the impact of new therapies.

Effect of endothelial shear stress on the progression of coronary artery disease, vascular remodeling, and in-stent restenosis in humans: in vivo 6-month follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Native atherosclerosis and in-stent restenosis are focal and evolve independently. The endothelium controls local arterial responses by transduction of shear stress. Characterization of endothelial shear stress (ESS) may allow for prediction of progression of atherosclerosis and in-stent restenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using intracoronary ultrasound, biplane coronary angiography, and measurement of coronary blood flow, we represented the artery in accurate 3D space and determined detailed characteristics of ESS and arterial wall/plaque morphology. Patients who underwent stent implantation and who had another artery with luminal obstruction <50% underwent intravascular profiling initially and after 6-month follow-up. Twelve arteries in 8 patients were studied: 6 native and 6 stented arteries. In native arteries, regions of abnormally low baseline ESS exhibited a significant increase in plaque thickness and enlargement of the outer vessel wall, such that lumen radius remained unchanged (outward remodeling). Regions of physiological ESS showed little change. Regions with increased ESS exhibited outward remodeling with normalization of ESS. In stented arteries, there was an increase in intima-medial thickness, a decrease in lumen radius, and an increase in ESS at all levels of baseline ESS. CONCLUSIONS: The present study represents the first experience in humans relating ESS to subsequent outcomes in native and stented arteries. Regions of low ESS develop progressive atherosclerosis and outward remodeling, areas of physiological ESS remain quiescent, and areas of increased ESS exhibit outward remodeling. ESS may have a limited role in in-stent restenosis. This technology can predict areas of minor plaque likely to exhibit progression of atherosclerosis.

Determination of in vivo velocity and endothelial shear stress patterns with phasic flow in human coronary arteries: a methodology to predict progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Although the coronary arteries are equally exposed to systemic risk factors, coronary atherosclerosis is focal and eccentric, and each lesion evolves in an independent manner. Variations in shear stress elicit markedly different humoral, metabolic, and structural responses in endothelial cells. Areas of low shear stress promote atherosclerosis, whereas areas of high shear stress prevent atherosclerosis. Characterization of the shear stresses affecting coronary arteries in humans in vivo may permit prediction of progression of coronary disease, prediction of which plaques might become vulnerable to rupture, and prediction of sites of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: To determine endothelial shear stress, the 3-dimensional anatomy of a segment of the right coronary artery was determined immediately after directional atherectomy by use of a combination of intracoronary ultrasound and biplane coronary angiography. The geometry of the segment was represented in curvilinear coordinates and a computational fluid dynamics technique was used to investigate the detailed phasic velocity profile and shear stress distribution. The results were analyzed with several conventional indicators and one novel indicator of disturbed flow. RESULTS: Our methodology identified areas of minor flow reversals, significant swirling, and large variations of local velocity and shear stress--temporally, axially, and cirumferentially--within the artery, even in the absence of significant luminal obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: We have described a system that permits, for the first time, the in vivo determination of pulsatile local velocity patterns and endothelial shear stress in the human coronary arteries. The flow phenomena exhibit characteristics consistent with the focal nature of atherogenesis and restenosis.