Bulletin of the American Physical Society
69th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics
Volume 61, Number 20
Sunday–Tuesday, November 20–22, 2016; Portland, Oregon
Session L1: Disgust: The Fluid Dynamics of the GrossFocus
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Chair: Megan Leftwich, George Washington University Room: A105 |
Monday, November 21, 2016 4:30PM - 4:43PM |
L1.00001: A numerical investigation of a simplified human birth model Roseanna Gossmann, Alexa Baumer, Lisa Fauci, Megan C. Leftwich This work uses a simplified model to explore the forces experienced by the fetus during human birth. Numerical results are compared with the results of a physical model representing the fetus moving through the birth canal using a rigid cylinder (fetus) that moves at a constant velocity through the center of a passive elastic tube (birth canal). The entire system is immersed in a highly viscous fluid. Numerical simulations are run at low and zero Reynolds numbers. In each case, the pulling force necessary to move the rigid inner cylinder at a constant velocity through the tube is measured. The discrete elastic tube through which the rigid cylinder passes has macroscopic elasticity matched to the tube used in the physical experiment. The buckling behavior of the elastic tube is explored by varying velocity, length, and diameter of the rigid cylinder, and length of the elastic tube. More complex geometries as well as peristaltic activation of the elastic tube can be added to the model to provide more insight into the relationship between force and velocity during human birth. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 4:43PM - 4:56PM |
L1.00002: An experimental study of human birth models Alexa Baumer, Roseanna Gossmann, Lisa J Fauci, Megan C. Leftwich The laboring uterus is a complex and dynamic fluid system. Relatively little is known about the fluid properties in this system. However, the two primary fluids of interest, amniotic fluid and vernix caseosa, likely play integral roles in the force transferred to the fetus during the final stages of parturition. This investigation probes the role of fluid in the force transfer during delivery by considering physical models that determine the role of various components of the full system. The first experimental model represents the fetus passing through the birth canal as concentric cylinders with a fluid filled gap. The rigid, inner cylinder moves through the highly flexible outer cylinder at a prescribed velocity. The geometry of the inner cylinder is varied by aspect ratio and length. A total of five different inner geometries are used to fully investigate the parameter space. As the inner cylinder moves through the outer cylinder, strain measurements are taken. These measurements are converted to force measurements as a function of time and position in the outer cylinder. The results of these experiments are compared with numerical results to form a more complete picture of force transfer. This model can be used as the foundation for predicting the force needed to deliver a fetus in the final stages of parturition. Additionally, more complex models, that incorporate uterine contraction forces, are being developed. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 4:56PM - 5:09PM |
L1.00003: Urethral anatomy and semen flow during ejaculation Diane Kelly Ejaculation is critical for reproductive success in many animals, but little is known about its hydrodynamics. In mammals, ejaculation pushes semen along the length of the penis through the urethra. Although the urethra also carries urine during micturition, the flow dynamics of micturition and ejaculation differ: semen is more viscous than urine, and the pressure that drives its flow is derived primarily from the rhythmic contractions of muscles at the base of the penis, which produce pulsatile rather than steady flow. In contrast, Johnston et al. (2014) describe a steady flow of semen through the crocodilian urethral groove during ejaculation. Anatomical differences of tissues associated with mammalian and crocodilian urethral structures may underlie these differences in flow behavior. Ref$: $Johnston SD et al. Aquaculture 422: 25-35. (2014) [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 5:09PM - 5:22PM |
L1.00004: Sperm navigation in complex environments Sarah Olson Sperm can swim in a variety of environments, interacting with chemicals and other proteins in the fluid. Some of these extra proteins or cells may act as friction, possibly preventing or enhancing forward progression of swimmers. The homogenized fluid flow is assumed to be governed by the incompressible Brinkman equation, where a friction term with a resistance parameter represents a sparse array of obstacles. Representing the swimmers with a centerline approximation, we employ regularized fundamental solutions to investigate swimming speeds, trajectories, and interactions of swimmers. Asymmetric waveforms due to an increase in flagellar calcium is known to be important for sperm to reach and fertilize the egg. The trajectories of hyperactivated swimmers are found to have a decreased path curvature. Although attraction of two swimmers is more efficient in the Stokes regime, we find that attraction does not occur for larger resistance. Additionally, we study interactions of swimmers in a channel. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 5:22PM - 5:35PM |
L1.00005: On the need for a biomimetic breast device Nicole Danos, Rebecca German The function of the mammary gland, a key anatomical innovation that led to the rise of mammals, is governed by solid-fluid mechanics. There is strong evidence that these mechanical interactions regulate the production of milk and the transport of milk through the lactiferous ducts and into the infant’s mouth. Solid-fluid mechanics determine the rate of milk flow and therefore may affect the safe coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing in the infant. Additionally, links between breastfeeding, the material properties of the gland and breast cancer have been shown repeatedly. However, there is to date no direct way of characterizing breast mechanics during the physiological function for which it has evolved: infant feeding. We are developing an engineered biomimetic breast in which we can experimentally manipulate both structural and material properties of the gland. The device will be tested with an animal model of infant feeding, the pig, to measure the direct effect of gland mechanics on infant feeding. Data from these studies may lead to better designed feeding bottles for infants, milk pumps for both humans and agricultural mammals, and will provide the control mechanical environmental for studies of breast cancer mechanobiology. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 5:35PM - 5:48PM |
L1.00006: Flow and active mixing have a strong impact on bacterial growth dynamics in the proximal large intestine Jonas Cremer, Igor Segota, Chih-yu Yang, Markus Arnoldini, Alex Groisman, Terence Hwa More than half of fecal dry weight is bacterial mass with bacterial densities reaching up to $10^{12}$ cells per gram. Mostly, these bacteria grow in the proximal large intestine where lateral flow along the intestine is strong: flow can in principal lead to a washout of bacteria from the proximal large intestine. Active mixing by contractions of the intestinal wall together with bacterial growth might counteract such a washout and allow high bacterial densities to occur. As a step towards understanding bacterial growth in the presence of mixing and flow, we constructed an in-vitro setup where controlled wall-deformations of a channel emulate contractions. We investigate growth along the channel under a steady nutrient inflow. Depending on mixing and flow, we observe varying spatial gradients in bacterial density along the channel. Active mixing by deformations of the channel wall is shown to be crucial in maintaining a steady-state bacterial population in the presence of flow. The growth-dynamics is quantitatively captured by a simple mathematical model, with the effect of mixing described by an effective diffusion term. Based on this model, we discuss bacterial growth dynamics in the human large intestine using flow- and mixing-behavior having been observed for humans. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 5:48PM - 6:01PM |
L1.00007: Sticky Saliva Louise McCarroll, Michael Solomon, William Schultz Oral and even systemic health begins with healthy saliva by maintaining antibacterial activity, lubricating hard and soft oral tissues, healing, tasting, chewing, and swallowing. Saliva functionality is intimately linked to its rheology. Alterations in saliva rheology may indicate or cause unhealthy biological function. One imprecise pathological designation is “sticky saliva”, usually self-reported or qualitatively described by health professionals. Saliva is 99\% water and therefore behaves like water in shear. Saliva also contains mucins, electrolytes, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. These additional constituents enable saliva to form a long-lasting filament with a “beads-on-a-string” morphology in extension. Therefore, the main kinematic feature that distinguishes the coupling between the oral cavity and saliva elongational mechanics. We investigate the effect of pH and salinity on saliva filament formation with preliminary experiments and compare to 1D unsteady viscoelastic models. We discuss the results in the context of saliva functionality and in generating more satisfactory saliva substitutes for those suffering from xerostomia. We will discuss when beads-on-a-string are likely to occur. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 6:01PM - 6:14PM |
L1.00008: Cat tongue Velcro Alexis Noel, Andrea Martinez, Hyewon Jung, Ting-Wen Tsai, David Hu A cat's tongue is covered in an array of spines called papillae. These spines are thought to be used in grooming and rasping meat from bones of prey, although no mechanism has been given. We use high-speed video to film a cat removing cat food deeply wedged into a 3-D printed fur mat. We show that the spines on the tongue act as Velcro for particles. The tongue itself is highly elastic. As the cat presses it against a substrate, the tongue flattens and the spines separate. When the tongue is removed from the substrate the spines come together, wedging particles between them. This elasticity-driven entrapment permits the surface of the tongue to act as a carrier for hard to reach particles, and to increase the efficacy of grooming and feeding. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 6:14PM - 6:27PM |
L1.00009: Self-mixing of fly larvae during feeding Olga Shishkov, Christopher Johnson, Bryan Zhang, David Hu How do we sustainably feed a growing world population? One solution of increasing interest is the use of black solider fly larvae, pea-sized grubs envisioned to transform hundreds of tons of food waste into a sustainable protein source. Although startups across the world are raising these larvae, a physical understanding of how they should be raised and fed remains missing. In this study, we present experiments measuring their feeding rate as a function of number of larvae. We show that larger groups of larvae have greater mixing which entrains hungry larvae around the food, increasing feeding rate. Feeding of larvae thus differs from feeding of cattle or other livestock which exhibit less self-mixing. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 21, 2016 6:27PM - 6:40PM |
L1.00010: Boys who pee the farthest have a large hollow head, a thin skin, and medium-size manhood. Daniel Attinger, Vincent Lee Following a recent trend of scientific studies on artwork, we study here the thermodynamics of a jetting thermometer made of ceramic, related to the Chinese tea culture. The thermometer represents a boy who ``urinates'' shortly after hot water is poured onto his head. Long jetting distance indicates if the water temperature is hot enough to brew tea. Here, a thermofluid model describes the jetting phenomenon of that pee-pee boy. The study demonstrates how thermal expansion of an interior air pocket causes jetting. The validity of assumptions underlying the Hagen-Poiseuille flow is discussed for urethra of finite length. A thermodynamic potential is shown to define maximum jetting velocity. Seven optimization criteria to maximize jetting distance are provided, including two dimensionless numbers. The dimensionless numbers are obtained by comparing the time scales of the internal pressure buildup due to heating, with that of pressure relief due to jetting. Optimization results show that longer jets are produced by large individuals, with low body mass index, with a boyhood of medium size inclined at an angle $\pi $/4. Analogies are drawn with pissing contests among humans and lobsters. The study ends by noting similitudes of working principle between that politically incorrect thermometer and Galileo Galilei's thermoscope. [1] V. Lee and D. Attinger, "Thermodynamics and historical relevance of a jetting thermometer made of Chinese zisha ceramic," Sci Rep, vol. 6, p. 28609, 2016. [Preview Abstract] |
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