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This investigation employed the diffused back-illumination (DBI) technique to analyze the spray characteristics of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel at three injection pressures and compared them with conventional diesel fuel. The results showed that as the injection pressure increased, the peak injection rates of both the HVO and diesel increased. At injection pressures above 120 MPa, the injection rates of both fuels were nearly identical, though differences were observed at lower pressures. Increasing the injection pressure reduced the injection delay. The HVO fuel exhibited a shorter spray tip penetration, lower equivalence ratio, larger spray angle, and spray volume, but its spray angle stability was lower than that of diesel. The ambient gas entrainment rate primarily occurred in two stages, significantly influenced by the spray breakup development stage. For diesel sprays, the injection pressure mainly affected the equivalence ratio near the nozzle with minimal downstream impact. Dent's model provided better predictions of the penetration distance for diesel, while Hiroyasu's model was more accurate in predicting the penetration distance of the HVO at 120 MPa and 180 MPa. Inagaki's model performed better in predicting the spray angle for diesel, whereas Hiroyasu's model was more accurate for the HVO spray angle predictions. Through this research, a better understanding of the spray characteristics of green fuels will be achieved, providing a reference for the design and optimization of new generation engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: SARS-CoV-2 can invade the thyroid gland. This study was to delineate the risk of thyroid dysfunction amidst the prevalence of the Omicron variant, and to investigate the correlation between thyroid function and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. The study also aimed to ascertain whether thyroid dysfunction persisted during COVID-19 recovery phase., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. COVID-19 patients from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China during the epidemic of Omicron variants were included, and their thyroid function were analyzed in groups., Results: A history of thyroid disease was not associated with COVID-19 outcomes. COVID-19 can lead to a bimodal distribution of thyroid dysfunction. The severity of COVID-19 was inversely proportional to the levels of thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4), leading to a higher prevalence of thyroid dysfunction. Severe COVID-19 was a risk factor for euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) (OR=22.5, 95% CI, 12.1 - 45.6). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio mediated the association between severe COVID-19 and ESS (mediation effect ratio = 41.3%, p < 0.001). ESS and decreased indicators of thyroid function were associated with COVID-19 mortality, while high levels of FT3 and FT4 exhibited a protective effect against death. This effect was more significant in women (p < 0.05). During the recovery period, hyperthyroidism was quite uncommon, while a small percentage of individuals (7.7%) continued to exhibit hypothyroidism., Conclusion: COVID-19 severity was linked to thyroid dysfunction. Severe COVID-19 increased the risk of ESS, which was associated with COVID-19 mortality. Post-recovery, hyperthyroidism was rare, but some individuals continued to have hypothyroidism., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Zhang, Liu, Wang, Chen, Hao, Zha, Zhang, He, Zhou and Hu.)