This paper presents information flow model and a novel artificial life grid model to construct artificial life computer ecosystem environment. The life grid model is a three-dimensional information space: (time, artificial life node, and location). The former two dimensions identify the contents or function of artificial life systems, and the third-dimension identifies the location where an art...

We have been developing a pulmonary circulatory assist device using shape memory alloy fibres for Fontan circulation. It consisted of several shape memory alloy fibres, which covered the ePTFE conduit circumferentially. We designed the sequential motion control system for pulsatile flow generation for sophisticated pulmonary hemodynamics. In order to achieve physiological pulsatile flow assista...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of pulsatility of venous flow waveform in the inferior and superior caval vessels on the performance of functional and "failing" Fontan patients based on two primary performance measures - the conduit power loss and the distribution of inferior caval flow (hepatic factors) to the lungs. METHODS Doppler angiography flows were acquired from two typical extra-...

A thorough data analysis combined with groundwater modelling was conducted in an Austrian binary karst aquifer to better understand changes in the hydrological behaviour observed at a karst spring. During a period of 4 years after a major flood event the spring hydrograph appears to be more damped with lower peak flow and higher baseflow than in the years before. The analysis of the hydrograph ...

BACKGROUND Endothelial dysfunction is associated with atherosclerosis and may contribute to ischemic syndromes. We assessed the contribution of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and vasodilator prostanoids to resting blood flow, metabolic vasodilation, and flow reserve in the human coronary circulation. METHODS AND RESULTS Coronary hemodynamics were assessed before and after inhibition of...

Naylor, Louise H., Cara J. Weisbrod, Gerry O’Driscoll, and Daniel J. Green. Measuring peripheral resistance and conduit arterial structure in humans using Doppler ultrasound. J Appl Physiol 98: 2311–2315, 2005. First published February 3, 2005; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01047.2004.— The purpose of this study was to establish valid indexes of conduit and resistance vessel structure in humans by u...

Micropumping is difficult to design and control as compared to their macro-scale counterparts due to the size limitation. The first part of this dissertation focuses on micropumping with surface tension forces. A simple, single-action, capillary pump/valve consisting of a bi-phase slug confined in a non-uniform conduit is described. At low temperatures, the slug is solid and seals the conduit. ...

On-chip continuous-flow polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) generally require peripheral apparatus such as a pump for injecting a sample liquid into the fluidic channel. This makes the overall instrumentation bulky, limiting integration. In this study, we propose a new scheme for injecting a sample employing a hand-held syringe as a portable plastic pump, and apply it to an on-chip continuous-flo...

OBJECTIVES The sinuses of Valsalva are known to contribute to the normal function of the aortic valve. Little is known about their role in promoting coronary artery blood flow. The aim of this study was to compare coronary artery flow characteristics among patients undergoing a Bentall operation by means of a conventional cylindrical Dacron conduit or with a new conduit with pseudosinuses of Va...

[1] Simple mathematical models often allow an intuitive grasp of the function of physical systems. We develop a mathematical framework to investigate reactive or dissipative transport processes within karst conduits. Specifically, we note that for processes that occur within a characteristic timescale, advection along the conduit produces a characteristic process length scale. We calculate char...