Linking mould filling and structural simulations

Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) is common standard in the development process within the automotive industry. For thermoplastic components, for example, the manufacturing process is commonly simulated with injection moulding simulation software and passive safety with explicit crash software. Currently both disciplines are only linked within the simulation of fibre reinforced thermoplastics to take into account the fibre orientation from injection moulding simulation within crash simulation due to the significant influence of the fibre orientation on mechanical part properties. This work proposes a methodology that allows consideration of moulding conditions on the mechanical behaviour of unreinforced injection moulded components by coupling injection moulding simulation (Moldflow) and crash simulation (LS-DYNA (R)/RADIOSS (R)). A newly developed dedicated computer application allows to directly consider results from injection simulation within crash simulations. The manufacturing boundary conditions that most influence the mechanical behaviour are combined within the thermomechanical indices (TMI) methodology, and mapped onto each finite element within the crash simulation. Mathematical functions have been used to correlate the TMI to important mechanical properties of the moulded polymer. A user defined material model can read those indices and translate them to local mechanical properties.This work is funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 program and National Funds through FCT under project UID/CTM/50025/2013, and grant SFRH/BD/51570/2011

Harmonised Portrayal of e-Navigation-related Information

A Guideline on the Harmonised Portrayal of e-Navigation-related Information was recently completed by IALA. The purpose of this Guideline is to provide guidance regarding the presentation and display of e-Navigation-related information. The basic, over-riding premise of this Guideline is that shipborne and shore-based equipment, systems, and services should portray e-Navigation-related information to all users (both onboard and ashore) in a consistent manner. However, since e-Navigation is an evolutionary process, this goal-based guideline describes over-arching objectives to be achieved, while freedom to innovate is left to both developers and users. An explanation is provided about key aspects of the Guideline. In particular, a website has been established to show examples of useful ways to portray e-Navigation information for current as well as some future types of equipment, systems, and services

Biology and distribution of chafers (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) living in hollow trees in Sweden.

We review the ecology and distributions of the chafers Liocola marmorata (F.), Gnorimus nobilis (L.) and Gnorimus variabilis (L.) in Sweden based on museum and several large private collections. These species live in hollow deciduous trees, in Sweden especially in oaks. The former and recently documented localities are shown on maps. More than 100 years ago, all the species as well as their habitats were more common in Sweden than today. One problem when interpreting old finds is that hollow trees do not seem to have been examined by entomologists, except during the last 50 years. However, Gnorimus nobilis, which often visits flowers, was frequently found in former times. In the province of Skane, which has been most intensively studied among Swedish provinces, the number of known localities for Gnorimus nobilis has decreased from 13 before 1975 to 6 after that year, despite more intensive studies during the last 25 years. Of the studied species, Liocola marmorata has had the largest contraction of its range in Sweden. It has disappeared from the southwestern part, but occurs still in many localities in the provinces of Ostergotland and Uppland. In Uppland, the absence of Osmoderma eremita, which has a similar niche, may decrease the competition in tree hollows and favour L. marmorata. Gnorimus varibilis has a preference for sun-exposed oaks, and can live in downed dead trees long after the trunk has fallen. It has been found at about 30 localities in Sweden during the last 25 years. We suggest that Gnorimus variabilis is a globally threatened species and that Sweden has a strong responsibility to preserve this species. There are still seven localities in southeastern Sweden where all three species as well as Osmoderma eremita occur. All these localities harbour a high number of threatened saproxylic beetles. We discuss the chafers living in hollow trees as indicator species and propose conservation measures for them. The highest priority should be given to increase the survival rate and number of very old trees, especially oaks, in and near stands which inhabit the species and contains a large number of suitable hollow trees

Low expression of IL-18 and IL-18 receptor in human skeletal muscle is associated with systemic and intramuscular lipid metabolism:Role of HIV lipodystrophy

Interleukin (IL)-18 is involved in regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism. Mice lacking whole-body IL-18 signalling are prone to develop weight gain and insulin resistance, a phenotype which is associated with impaired fat oxidation and ectopic skeletal muscle lipid deposition. IL-18 mRNA is expressed in human skeletal muscle but a role for IL-18 in muscle has not been identified. Patients with HIV-infection and lipodystrophy (LD) are characterized by lipid and glucose disturbances and increased levels of circulating IL-18. We hypothesized that skeletal muscle IL-18 and IL-18 receptor (R) expression would be altered in patients with HIV-lipodystrophy.Twenty-three HIV-infected patients with LD and 15 age-matched healthy controls were included in a cross-sectional study. Biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were obtained and IL-18 and IL-18R mRNA expression were measured by real-time PCR and sphingolipids (ceramides, sphingosine, sphingosine-1-Phosphate, sphinganine) were measured by HPLC. Insulin resistance was assessed by HOMA and the insulin response during an OGTT.Patients with HIV-LD had a 60% and 54% lower level of muscular IL-18 and IL-18R mRNA expression, respectively, compared to age-matched healthy controls. Patients with HIV-LD had a trend towards increased levels of ceramide (18.3±4.7 versus 14.8±3.0,p = 0.06) and sphingosine (0.41±0.13 versus 0.32±0.07, and lower level of sphinganine (p = 0.06). Low levels of muscle IL-18 mRNA correlated to high levels of ceramides (r = -0.31, p = 0.038) and sphingosine-1P (r = -0.29, p = 0.046) in skeletal muscle, whereas such a correlation was not found in healthy controls. Low expression of IL-18 mRNA in skeletal muscle correlated to elevated concentration of circulating triglycerides (Rp = -0.73, p<0.0001). Neither muscle expression of IL-18 mRNA or ceramide correlated to parameters of insulin resistance.IL-18 (mRNA) in skeletal muscle appears to be involved in the regulation of intramuscular lipid metabolism and hypertriglyceridemia