Background and aimsCompulsive sexual behaviors (CSBs) are an important clinical and social issue. Despite the increasing number of studies, some of CSB’s aspects remain under-investigated. Here, we explore the nature of CSB, such as binge pornography use and masturbation (PuM), and verify the correspondence between self-perceived factors leading to such behavior with its measures obtained in a diary assessment.MethodsSemi-structuralized interviews with nine treatment-seeking males aged 22–37 years (M = 31.7, SD = 4.85) were followed by a questionnaire and a 10-week-long diary assessment, allowing us to acquire real-life daily patterns of CSB.ResultsSix out of nine subjects experienced binge (multiple hours or times a day) PuM. All subjects presented a high level of anxiety and perceived PuM as a way to regulate mood and stress. Data collected in the diary assessment uncovered a high diversity in the patterns of sexual behaviors (such as frequency of regular and binge PuM) and its correlates. Binge PuM was related to decreased mood and/or increased stress or anxiety. The causal relation between these correlates remains undetermined.Discussion and conclusionsBinge PuM seems to be one of the most characteristic behavior among males who are seeking treatment for CSB and is related to the feeling of losing control over one’s sexual activity. CSB individuals indicate a variety of binge triggers. Also, diary assessment data indicate that specific correlates of binge PuM (decreased mood, increased stress, and anxiety) differ between subjects. It suggests the existence of significant individual differences in binge PuM behaviors, and a need to study these differences, as it may help guide personalized treatment.

One of possibilities of reduction of F-gas emission is application of low grade heat to drive the refrigeration systems as well as application of natural or low warming impact working fluids. The own experimental investigation of the ejection refrigeration system operating with refrigerant R-1234zeE are presented and discussed. The system is driven with low grade heat source of temperature below 70°C and thermal capacity approximately 90 kW. The experiments covered the effect of condensation, evaporation and generation temperatures on the capacity and thermal efficiency of the ejection refrigeration system operating for the air-conditioning purposes. Obtained results demonstrated that the proposed system may be thought as the promising heat driven refrigeration system with application of low grade motive heat sources.

This paper provides the results of experimental investigations of the exemplary mini-channel heat exchanger in its application as a condenser and an evaporator in a compressor refrigeration system with propane as a working fluid. The aim of the investigations was to identify the mean heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant side for the entire operating range of the tested heat exchanger. The experiments covered a mass velocity range from 50 to 160 kg/(m2 × s). The experiments covered a range of liquid subcooling in the condenser from 3 to 15 K and a range of vapour superheating at the outlet of the evaporator from 3 up to 15 K. The experiments on the condenser were conducted at the saturation temperature of 34 °C, and in the case of the evaporator, at the saturation temperature of 8 °C. The average heat transfer coefficients as well as pressure drops in the case of the operation of the tested heat exchanger as an evaporator and condenser were calculated. The heat transfer coefficient was calculated by means of the separated thermal resistance method with the application of the Wilson plot technique. The experiments confirmed the increase in the heat transfer coefficient with the increase in the refrigerant mass flow rate for the tested mini-channel heat exchanger. A dimensionless correlation was proposed for the pressure drop based on the modified Müller-Steinhagen correlation in the case of the operation of the mini-channel heat exchanger as a condenser and as an evaporator.

This paper provides the practical implementation of the single blow technique as an effective approach of average convective heat transfer coefficient measurement for a packed bed of horticultural products. The measurement approach was positively validated for the case of a packed bed of balls. The presented results cover heat transfer coefficient results for carrots stored in packed beds for two various arrangements (regular and irregular) and bed of apples under conditions of various turbulent intensity at the inlet to the bed. The turbulent intensity (defined as the ratio of the root mean square of the turbulent fluctuation of the air velocity to the mean air velocity) varied from 0.02 to 0.14. The applied velocity ranges for the tests refers to the conventional storage conditions. The heat transfer correlations were proposed based on the obtained results for each arrangement. It was demonstrated that due to flow laminarization inside the bed, the turbulence intensity has no significant effect on heat transfer inside the bed. Heat transfer enhancement of up to 25% was demonstrated for the case of the irregular carrot arrangement in the tested bed. The flow resistance correlations were additionally proposed for the tested beds. It was demonstrated that the product arrangement does not produce an important effect on the pressure drop.

No abstract