Search

Recent studies of TWINS Lyman-α observations have reported an increase in geocoronal column brightness during geomagnetic storms, indicating enhanced exospheric hydrogen atom density (NH). This suggests a complex role of exospheric neutrals in determining storm-time magnetosphere dynamics and their energy release through charge-exchange processes. We developed a Model for Analyzing Terrestrial Exosphere (MATE) to investigate storm-time exospheric behaviors and their physical drivers. MATE traces test hydrogen atoms backward in time from locations in the exosphere to a nominal exobase altitude of 500 km, employing Newtonian mechanics with gravitational force. The model then calculates the phase-space densities (PSDs) of test hydrogen atoms at the exobase using the Maxwellian distribution with physics-based exobase conditions from the TIMEGCM upper atmosphere model. MATE maps PSDs at the exobase to the exosphere using Liouville’s Theorem under collisionless assumptions and derives NH by integrating the PSDs across velocity space. We conducted MATE simulation before, during, and after a minor geomagnetic storm from 12 to 18 June 2008, and compared the model results with NH estimates from the TWINS geocorona data. MATE reproduces storm-time density enhancements soon after the minimum Dst is reached, matching well with a general trend of TWINS NH estimates. The results suggest that upper atmospheric heating during a geomagnetic storm increases the number of ballistic and escaping hydrogen atoms entering the exosphere from the exobase, thereby boosting NH. However, the magnitude of modeled NH mismatches the TWINS NH estimates. The potential mechanisms of this density discrepancy include the physics excluded in the MATE model — such as neutral-neutral collisions, neutral-plasma charge exchange, solar radiation pressure, and photoionization — as well as the higher exobase hydrogen density of TIMEGCM compared to typical empirical values, which will be addressed in future.

Variability in the location and shape of the dayside magnetopause is attributed to magnetic reconnection, a fundamental process that enables the transfer of mass, energy, and momentum from the solar wind into the magnetosphere. The spatial and temporal properties of the magnetopause, under varying solar and magnetospheric conditions, remain largely unknown because empirical studies using in-situ observations are challenging to interpret. Global wide field-of-view (FOV) imaging is the only means to simultaneously observe the spatial distribution of the plasma properties over the vast dayside magnetospheric region and, subsequently, quantify the energy transport from the interplanetary medium into the terrestrial magnetosphere. Two upcoming missions, ESA/CAS SMILE and NASA’s LEXI will provide wide-field imagery of the dayside magnetosheath in soft X-rays, an emission generated by charge exchange interactions between high charge-state heavy ions of solar wind origin and exospheric neutral atoms. High-cadence two-dimensional observations of the magnetosheath will allow the estimation of dynamic properties of its inner boundary, the magnetopause, and enable studies of its response to changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field orientation. This work introduces a statistically-based estimation approach based on inverse theory to estimate the spatial distribution of magnetosheath soft X-ray emissivities and, with this, identify the location of the magnetopause over the Sun−Earth line. To do so, we simulate the magnetosheath structure using the MHD-based OpenGGCM model and generate synthetic soft X-ray images using LEXI’s orbit and attitude information. Our results show that 3-D estimations using the described statistically-based technique are robust against Poisson-distributed shot noise inherent to soft X-ray images. Also, our proposed methodology shows that the accuracy of both three-dimensional (3-D) estimation and the magnetopause standoff distance calculation highly depends on the observational point.

The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) and Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) missions will image the Earth’s dayside magnetopause and cusps in soft X-rays after their respective launches in the near future, to specify global magnetic reconnection modes for varying solar wind conditions. To support the success of these scientific missions, it is critical to develop techniques that extract the magnetopause locations from the observed soft X-ray images. In this research, we introduce a new geometric equation that calculates the subsolar magnetopause position (\begin{document}$ {R}_{\mathrm{s}} $\end{document}) from a satellite position, the look direction of the instrument, and the angle at which the X-ray emission is maximized. Two assumptions are used in this method: (1) The look direction where soft X-ray emissions are maximized lies tangent to the magnetopause, and (2) the magnetopause surface near the subsolar point is almost spherical and thus \begin{document}$ {R}_{\mathrm{s}} $\end{document} is nearly equal to the radius of the magnetopause curvature. We create synthetic soft X-ray images by using the Open Geospace General Circulation Model (OpenGGCM) global magnetohydrodynamic model, the galactic background, the instrument point spread function, and Poisson noise. We then apply the fast Fourier transform and Gaussian low-pass filters to the synthetic images to remove noise and obtain accurate look angles for the soft X-ray peaks. From the filtered images, we calculate \begin{document}$ {R}_{\mathrm{s}} $\end{document} and its accuracy for different LEXI locations, look directions, and solar wind densities by using the OpenGGCM subsolar magnetopause location as ground truth. Our method estimates \begin{document}$ {R}_{\mathrm{s}} $\end{document} with an accuracy of \begin{document}$ {10\;\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{-3} $\end{document}. The accuracy improves for greater solar wind densities and during southward interplanetary magnetic fields. The method captures the magnetopause motion during southward interplanetary magnetic field turnings. Consequently, the technique will enable quantitative analysis of the magnetopause motion and help reveal the dayside reconnection modes for dynamic solar wind conditions. This technique will support the LEXI and SMILE missions in achieving their scientific objectives.

Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) and Solar wind−Magnetosphere−Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) will observe magnetosheath and its boundary motion in soft X-rays for understanding magnetopause reconnection modes under various solar wind conditions after their respective launches in 2024 and 2025. Magnetosheath conditions, namely, plasma density, velocity, and temperature, are key parameters for predicting and analyzing soft X-ray images from the LEXI and SMILE missions. We developed a user-friendly model of magnetosheath that parameterizes number density, velocity, temperature, and magnetic field by utilizing the global Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model as well as the pre-existing gas-dynamic and analytic models. Using this parameterized magnetosheath model, scientists can easily reconstruct expected soft X-ray images and utilize them for analysis of observed images of LEXI and SMILE without simulating the complicated global magnetosphere models. First, we created an MHD-based magnetosheath model by running a total of 14 OpenGGCM global MHD simulations under 7 solar wind densities (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm\begin{document}$^{-3}$\end{document}) and 2 interplanetary magnetic field \begin{document}$B_z$\end{document} components (± 4 nT), and then parameterizing the results in new magnetosheath conditions. We compared the magnetosheath model result with THEMIS statistical data and it showed good agreement with a weighted Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.77, especially for plasma density and plasma velocity. Second, we compiled a suite of magnetosheath models incorporating previous magnetosheath models (gas-dynamic, analytic), and did two case studies to test the performance. The MHD-based model was comparable to or better than the previous models while providing self-consistency among the magnetosheath parameters. Third, we constructed a tool to calculate a soft X-ray image from any given vantage point, which can support the planning and data analysis of the aforementioned LEXI and SMILE missions. A release of the code has been uploaded to a Github repository.

Upcoming heliophysics missions utilize state-of-the-art wide field-of-view (FOV) imaging technology to measure and investigate the space plasma environment on a global scale. At Earth, remote sensing of soft X-ray emissions, which are generated via the charge exchange interaction between heavy solar wind ions and exospheric neutral atoms, is a promising means to investigate the global magnetosheath structure, its response to varying solar wind conditions, and the spatiotemporal properties of the dayside magnetic reconnection. Data analysis techniques such as optical tomography can provide additional structural and time-varying information from the observed target and thus enhance the mission’s scientific return. In this work, we simulate multiple and simultaneous observations of the dayside magnetosphere using soft X-ray imagers located at long-distance vantage points to reconstruct the time-dependent, three-dimensional (3-D) structure of the magnetosheath using a dynamic tomographic approach. The OpenGCCM MHD model is used to simulate the time-varying response of the magnetosheath to solar wind conditions and, subsequently, generate synthetic soft X-ray images from multiple spacecraft vantage points separated along a common orbit. A detailed analysis is then performed to identify the nominal set of spacecraft that produces the highest fidelity tomographic reconstruction of the magnetopause. This work aims to (i) demonstrate, for the first time, the use of dynamic tomography to retrieve the time-varying magnetosheath structure and (ii) identify a nominal mission design for multi-spacecraft configurations aiming for optical tomography.

In this work, we present a compact four-direction beamforming 5G antenna based on a stacked $4\times4$ Butler matrix and a microstrip patch array antenna. The proposed beamforming antenna is a stacked-up structure using the low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) process and thus its size can be significantly reduced by compared to a conventional beamforming antenna with a single-layer $4\times4$ Butler matrix. Moreover, spurious radiation generated from the Butler matrix can be effectively suppressed due to shielding effects inherent to the multilayer substrate. The fabricated beamforming antenna is composed the stacked $4\times4$ Butler matrix with striplines and the $4\times1$ array microstrip patch antenna. The overall size of the fabricated antenna system is 22.02 mm $\times5.93$ mm $\times1.20$ mm. The beam steering angles are measured to be −16°, 45°, −45° and 16°.

The mortality scoring systems for patients with end-stage liver disease have evolved from the Child-Turcotte-Pugh score to the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, affecting the wait list for liver allocation. There are inherent weaknesses in the MELD score, with the gradual decline in its accuracy owing to changes in patient demographics or treatment options. Continuous refinement of the MELD score is in progress; however, both advantages and disadvantages exist. Recently, attempts have been made to introduce artificial intelligence into mortality prediction; however, many challenges must still be overcome. More research is needed to improve the accuracy of mortality prediction in liver transplant recipients.

This paper articulates a way of the hearer's bodily experience of God in preaching by understanding it as a ritual knowledge that gained through the hearers' bodily practices in preaching and worship. In the application of ritual theory, embodied cognition theory, and social memory theory, this essay suggests ritual knowledge can be described as an embodied, imaginative, and social knowledge. On the basis of this concept of ritual knowledge, this paper will discuss how the hearer's experience in preaching can be understood in terms of ritual knowledge. As a result, it argues that the divine encounter in preaching is not merely a result of a cerebral intellectual understanding of the preaching contents but an event that may occur when the lived bodies of the hearers meet the Spirit in words and actions.

Abstract Thin-film devices made of room-temperature liquid metals (LMs) have contributed to the development of electronic skin for human-robot/machine interfaces but still have limitations, including degradations of performance and robustness under repeated deformations. In this paper, we describe an interesting phenomenon of the formation of LM microscale networks (LMMNs) and propose to use the LMMNs for fabricating thin-film conductors. A simple layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition process enables the growth of a hierarchical structure of LM microdroplets that forms a conductive network (i.e., LMMN) when stretched. The strain-history behavior of LMMNs allows conductivity enhancement up to 2.37 × 106 S m−1 in response to increased tensile strains. By adjusting the number of LM layers in LBL deposition, the gauge factor (0.2 ≤ GF ≤ 1), the linearity, and the sheet resistance of LMMN films can be easily controlled, providing high potentials in various applications, including skin-mountable circuits, energy harvesters, and soft artificial skin.

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful tool, but it can be difficult to perform in those with claustrophobia as it requires being enclosed in a noisy cylindrical space. Being in the prone position is essential to spread breast tissue. However, sedation in a prone position is challenging because of the possibility of respiratory depression and the difficulty in manipulating the airway. Case Four patients with claustrophobia were sedated using dexmedetomidine, has minimal effect on respiration. Dexmedetomidine also enables the patient’s cooperation in assuming the prone position while infusing loading time. But dexmedetomidine requires a longer time to reach moderate sedation, an intermittent bolus of midazolam was required for rapid induction of moderate sedation. All exams were conducted successfully without any complications. Conclusions Administering dexmedetomidine and a midazolam bolus at the appropriate dose and timing will render MRI examinations in the prone position safe and satisfactory, without respiratory complications.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) assists blood circulation and gas exchange via a heart–lung machine. ECMO is used mainly in intensive care units as bridging therapy until heart and respiratory failure can be addressed or until transplantation can be performed. ECMO is sometimes used during surgery under general anaesthesia, depending on the patient’s underlying diseases and the nature of the operation. If the oxygen supply and carbon dioxide removal capacity are limited, venovenous (VV)-ECMO can be helpful. Here, we describe the use of VV-ECMO for surgical resection of an endotracheal mass through rigid bronchoscopy in a patient who developed decompensating dyspnoea due to central airway obstruction (CAO).

Compared with invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) improves patient comfort and neurocognitive function; and reduces the likelihood of nosocomial infections and the need for sedation. NIV can also be used perioperatively to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications. This current report describes a case of a 64-year-old female patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic respiratory failure that underwent spinal anaesthesia during surgery. She was sedated with propofol. She brought her home ventilator equipment to the operating room and it was used in biphasic-positive airway pressure mode for immediate treatment of respiratory depression.

Background Transnasal Humidified Rapid Insufflation Ventilatory Exchange (THRIVE) is used to improve oxygenation, with the added benefit of a smaller increase in CO2 if self-respiration is maintained with THRIVE. Despite these advantages, the use of THRIVE through a nasal cannula is limited in situations such as epistaxis or a basal skull fracture. Case We successful used THRIVE, through the oral route under general anesthesia with spontaneous breathing in a morbidly obese patient (weight, 148 kg; height, 183 cm; body mass index, 44.2 kg/m2) who received transnasal steroid injections due to subglottic stenosis. Conclusions THRIVE through the oral route may be an effective novel option, although further studies are needed.

General anaesthesia with a muscle relaxant is usually performed for rigid bronchoscopy (RB), but ventilation is challenging due to large amounts of leakage. Optiflow™ supplies 100% humidified, warmed oxygen at a rate of up to 70 l/min and this high flow rate may overcome the leakage problem. This case report describes four patients that were scheduled for RB. The lung lesions were all located below the carina, so a bronchial tube was inserted under general anaesthesia. Once a large amount of leakage was confirmed by manual ventilation, Optiflow™ was connected to the bronchial tube (flow rate, 70 l/min). All of the ports of the bronchoscopy were left open to prevent the risk of outlet obstruction. Oxygenation was well maintained with stable vital signs throughout the procedures, which took up to 34 min without airway intervention. There were no occurrences of cardiac arrhythmia or changes in the electrocardiograms. Respiratory acidosis recovered after emergence, which was confirmed by arterial blood gas analysis in all cases. Apnoeic oxygenation using Optiflow™ was applied successfully during RB. Applying Optiflow™ could make cases of difficult ventilation during RB much easier for the anaesthetist. Larger studies need to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of this technique.

The number of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is increasing. These patients have a reduced cardiorespiratory reserve. Therefore, preoperative evaluation is essential to determine the best type of anaesthesia to use in patients with HFrEF. A 70-year-old man with HFrEF was scheduled to undergo debridement of skin necrosis due to thrombotic occlusion of the right common iliac artery. He had undergone wound dressing changes under local anaesthesia every other day for several months, and treatment for heart failure was on-going. A sciatic nerve and fascia iliaca compartment block was performed under ultrasound guidance because of the patient’s cardiopulmonary function. After confirming adequate sensory blockage, surgery was performed without any haemodynamic instability or complications. Thereafter, debridement was performed twice more using the same block technique, and a skin autograft was also successfully performed. We successfully performed an ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve and fascia iliaca compartment block in a patient with HFrEF who was scheduled to undergo lower limb surgery. Peripheral nerve block is an alternative option for patients with HFrEF.

Twelfth rib syndrome is a rare condition that causes severe pain in the loin. The diagnosis of this phenomenon is based on the patient’s medical history and physical examination findings. However, many clinicians still lack an understanding of the disease; this delays an accurate diagnosis, causing patients to experience prolonged pain without proper treatment. We herein describe a 72-year-old woman and a 47-year-old woman with loin pain. They had undergone various imaging tests, but the cause of the pain remained unknown. Their pain was reproduced by the hooking maneuver, and twelfth rib syndrome was diagnosed. Both patients were immediately relieved of pain after a twelfth intercostal nerve block. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are needed for pain relief in patients with twelfth rib syndrome.

Recent studies of TWINS Lyman-α observations have reported an increase in geocoronal column brightness during geomagnetic storms, indicating enhanced exospheric hydrogen atom density (NH). This suggests a complex role of exospheric neutrals in determining storm-time magnetosphere dynamics and their energy release through charge-exchange processes. We developed a Model for Analyzing Terrestrial Exosphere (MATE) to investigate storm-time exospheric behaviors and their physical drivers. MATE traces test hydrogen atoms backward in time from locations in the exosphere to a nominal exobase altitude of 500 km, employing Newtonian mechanics with gravitational force. The model then calculates the phase-space densities (PSDs) of test hydrogen atoms at the exobase using the Maxwellian distribution with physics-based exobase conditions from the TIMEGCM upper atmosphere model. MATE maps PSDs at the exobase to the exosphere using Liouville's Theorem under collisionless assumptions and derives N[sub H] by integrating the PSDs across velocity space. We conducted MATE simulation before, during, and after a minor geomagnetic storm from 12 to 18 June 2008, and compared the model results with N[sub H] estimates from the TWINS geocorona data. MATE reproduces storm-time density enhancements soon after the minimum Dst is reached, matching well with a general trend of TWINS N[sub H] estimates. The results suggest that upper atmospheric heating during a geomagnetic storm increases the number of ballistic and escaping hydrogen atoms entering the exosphere from the exobase, thereby boosting NH. However, the magnitude of modeled N[sub H] mismatches the TWINS N[sub H] estimates. The potential mechanisms of this density discrepancy include the physics excluded in the MATE model -- such as neutral-neutral collisions, neutral-plasma charge exchange, solar radiation pressure, and photoionization -- as well as the higher exobase hydrogen density of TIMEGCM compared to typical empirical values, which will be addressed in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erector spinae plane block has emerged as an effective analgesic technique. Sacral multifidus plane block (SMPB), a more appropriate term than sacral erector spinae plane block, is used to provide analgesia or anesthesia during various surgeries. However, SMPB has not been reported in high-risk patients. We describe the use of SMPB as an anesthetic technique for high-risk patients requiring anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy during perianal surgery. SMPB was performed during perianal surgery in two patients: an advanced-age woman with severe aortic stenosis and heart failure and a man with heart failure and a history of sudden cardiac arrest. With the patient in the jackknife position, 10 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine was administered at the S2 and S4 levels after confirming both sacral intermediate crests. After confirming the absence of perineal pain, the surgery was successfully completed under sedation. Neither patient required additional analgesics on the day of surgery. Based on the absence of pain during the perioperative period, SMPB appears to provide effective anesthesia during perianal surgery in high-risk patients. However, further investigations are needed to confirm the mechanism of SMPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]