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The article presents a study which aims to understand the processes leading to the hollow morphology of the particles and the influence of the main operating conditions. The first modeling study of spray pyrolysis (SP) using yttrium nitrate as a precursor salt has been performed. A 1D modeling study of the pure step then of the evaporation/precipitation stage will be detailed and the phenomena will be investigated at the scale of the drying column and at the scale of the individual droplet. The article also discusses the phenomena occurring during the thermolysis step on the basis of theoretical and experimental data.

Aims To compare passive and active mechanical properties in the pelvic floor as a function of tissue length in continent and incontinent parous women. Materials and Methods Twenty-four parous continent and 21 parous incontinent women were examined with an intravaginal device. Passive and active force/stiffness were measured by increasing the transverse diameter of the vagina. To allow a more accurate comparison between groups, measured forces were normalized with respect to bodyweight, that is, force/bodyweight. Results In both groups passive and active forces increased as a function of the increase in length of the pelvic floor tissues. No difference was found between the groups according to passive forces ( P = 0.646), but active force was significantly higher ( P = 0.030) in the continent group when normalized for bodyweight. There was an almost linear increase in normalized passive stiffness in the range tested. No differences were found between the groups ( P = 0.855). Normalized active stiffness was significantly reduced in the incontinent group ( P = 0.021). Conclusions This study indicates that both active force development and active stiffness in the pelvic floor tissues are significantly reduced in incontinent women, whereas the passive resting mechanical forces in the pelvic floor tissues in both groups are not different. Neurourol. Urodynam. 26:852-857, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between changes in the diameter of the urogenital hiatus and force developed in pelvic floor musculature. In addition, we wanted to examine the reliability of the method that measures force development in the pelvic floor in the transverse direction of the urogenital hiatus. Materials and Methods Passive and total force in the pelvic floor was measured with an intra-vaginal device in 20 healthy parous volunteers. The measurements were done with a consecutively increasing diameter in the transverse plane of the urogenital hiatus. The procedure was repeated with a few days interval. Results The measurements show an increase in force with an increasing device-diameter. The results are reliable at all the diameters tested, estimated by the within-subject day-to-day variability which was non-significant. The 40 mm diameter device is most favourable, estimated by Bland Altman plots of the test-retest measurements. Conclusions Force development in pelvic floor muscles increased as a function of vaginal diameter when measured in the frontal plane. The measurements were reliable at all the different diameters chosen. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate whether there is a difference between a continent versus a stress urinary incontinent group of women regarding: (i) fatigue in pelvic floor muscles, and (ii) pre-activation times between pelvic floor and abdominal muscles during coughing. Methods Twenty-six continent and 20 stress urinary incontinent parous women were examined. Fatigue was measured with an intravaginal device. Time to 10% decline of the initial reference force (RF) was defined as time-to-fatigue. Simultaneous recordings of force developed in levator ani muscle and electromyographic activity in the external oblique abdominal muscle were performed to determine whether contraction of pelvic floor muscles precedes activity in abdominal muscles during coughing. Results Time-to-fatigue was identical in the two groups (10.5 sec in the continent and 11.5 sec in the incontinent group, median values). Normalized force was significantly reduced in the incontinent group. The pelvic floor muscles contracted 160 msec before the abdominal muscles in both groups. In 24% of the continent and in 30% of the incontinent women, however, abdominal muscle activity preceded activity of pelvic floor muscles. Conclusions Muscular fatigue, defined as rate of force loss, does not seem to be associated with urinary stress incontinence. Moreover, muscular activity recruitment patterns were equal in both groups suggesting that other factors than disturbances of ordered muscle recruitment, that is, pelvic floor followed by abdominal muscles, may be responsible for stress urinary incontinence. It is likely that reduced normalized force, as found in the incontinent group, is an important contributing factor. Neurourol. Urodynam. 23:143-147, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]