Patients who are critically ill and receiving invasivemechanical ventilation are at increased risk for accumula-tion of secretions in the lower airways. Such accumula-tion of airway mucus can induce atelectasis and contributeto ventilator-associated pneumonia. Preventive airwaycare interventions, including humidification, endotrachealsuctioning, and pharmacologic interventions, are thereforefrequently initiated during invasive ventilation. However,evidence for the efficacy of these interventions is scarce,and the absence of guidelines enhances variation in indica-tions for their use. Currently, the choice and timing of interventions aremainly driven by clinical assessment of mucus viscosity based on a mucus classification scale or preference by thetreating physician. Alternatively, airway mucus proper-ties can be measured through rheology, a more objectiveparameter, which characterizes its biophysical properties(eg, viscoelasticity). Previously, studies reported that rhe-ology of airway secretions may help classify chronic muco-obstructive respiratory diseases and serve as a marker ofdisease progression. In this study, we tested the hypoth-esis that airway mucus viscoelastic properties, as measuredby rheology in patients who are critically ill and receivinginvasive mechanical ventilation, correlates with its clinicalmucus classification score.
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Understanding sludge rheology and optimizing equipment performance is crucial for energy efficiency in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study examined sludge rheology after thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) at 60, 80, and 120 ◦C for 2 h, followed by anaerobic digestion (AD) at 37 ◦C for 20 days, and assessed impacts on pump and agitator performance. Post-treatment, sludge showed reduced viscosity and improved flowability, indicated by changes in Herschel-Bulkley parameters, enhancing pump and agitator efficiency, particularly at 120 ◦C. These rheological improvements were correlated to the solubilization of sludge components after THP and solids reduction after AD, highlighting the interconnectedness of rheology and treatment outcomes. Despite high heat demands, an energy balance showed that THP scenarios, especially at 120 ◦C, had lower energy requirements for pumps and agitators, leading to energy savings without increased heat consumption. These findings underscore the influence of rheological changes in improving energy efficiency in WWTPs.
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This study investigates the effect of position on build-plate on the dimensional deviations for stainless steel 316 L samples made by laser powder-bed fusion. To understand the effect of sample position on the build-plate (substrate) with respect to shrinkage and dimensional deviation, 36 samples in a 6 × 6 array were printed with three repetitions. The value of the diameter was measured at 10 points along the vertical axis in the perpendicular and parallel directions to the flow of the assisted gas. The results of the experiment show that there is shrinkage in both directions with respect to the gas flow. However, the extent of deviation in the perpendicular direction to the gas flow is greater compared to the parallel diameters for the samples. This can be related to the pressure of assisted gas and the difference in cooling rate corresponding to the position of the samples on the building substrate. The hypothesis is proved by conducting further experiments regulating the amount of gas flow by adjusting the individual nozzle for the gas flow to the build chamber. The reason for these deviations is speculated to be related to the rheology of the melt pool. This research could lay a solid foundation for the future development of a compensation strategy to nullify the effect of shrinkage and dimensional deviations on parts made using the laser powder-bed fusion technique. The results of shrinkage of the columns appear to suggest that there is an effect on the circularity from the assisting gas.
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