Study of Residual Wall Thickness and Multiobjective Optimization for Process Parameters of Water-Assisted Injection Molding

Residual wall thickness is an important indicator for water-assisted injection molding (WAIM) parts, especially the maximization of hollowed core ratio and minimization of wall thickness difference which are significant optimization objectives. Residual wall thickness was calculated by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The response surface methodology (RSM) model, radial basis function (RBF) neural network, and Kriging model were employed to map the relationship between process parameters and hollowed core ratio, and wall thickness difference. Based on the comparison assessments of the three surrogate models, multiobjective optimization of hollowed core ratio and wall thickness difference for cooling water pipe by integrating design of experiment (DOE) of optimized Latin hypercubes (Opt LHS), RBF neural network, and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was studied. The research results showed that short shot size, water pressure, and melt temperature were the most important process parameters affecting hollowed core ratio, while the effects of delay time and mold temperature were little. By the confirmation experiments for the best solution resulted from the Pareto frontier, the relative errors of hollowed core ratio and wall thickness are 2.2% and 3.0%, respectively. It demonstrated that the proposed hybrid optimization methodology could increase hollowed core ratio and decrease wall thickness difference during the WAIM process

Screening for congenital heart defects: diversified strategies in current China

Background Congenital heart defects (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect and a leading cause of infant mortality in China. Detection of CHD during newborn is still challenging. The contradiction between the increasingly mature technology of diagnosis and treatment and the inability of early detection is the biggest current dilemma. A few pilot studies attempt to establish the universal screening for CHD in newborns; however, the rate of misdiagnosis is still high in most Chinese hospitals, especially in some undeveloped middle-western regions.Data sources Based on the recent publications on screening of congenital heart diseases in China. We reviewed the use of diversified screening strategies in current China.Results Prenatal diagnosis by fetal echocardiography and postnatal detection by pulse oximetry combined with clinical assessment are the useful methods for CHD screening in most areas. The altitude should be taken into account when using pulse oximetry in the middle-western areas of China, where the incidence of CHD maybe higher. Echocardiography is suitable for CHD screening in almost all areas but it could add to financial burden in the developing regions. Genetic analysis could assist clinical doctors to perform more earlier screening and give better counseling regarding the outcome. Due to disparities in economic and medical resources, the screening system should be carried out from multiple perspectives according to the present economic development. Notably, follow-up is an important issue in the screening of CHD, especially for the asymptomatic babies who discharged home. Policies should be formulated to address the epidemiology of CHD in deprived areas to better allocate medical resources and to develop local training programmes to screen and diagnose CHD.Conclusions Diversified strategies are available in current China. The two-indicator method for CHD screening is recommended to be implemented in routine postnatal care. We can do more in screening for CHD in the future

The Effects of Organically Modified Lithium Magnesium Silicate on the Rheological Properties of Water-Based Drilling Fluids

To address the problem of insufficient temperature and salt resistance of existing polymer viscosity enhancers, we designed an organic–inorganic hybrid composite as a viscosity enhancer for water-based drilling fluids, named LAZ, and it was prepared by combining a water-soluble monomer and lithium magnesium silicate (LMS) using an intercalation polymerization method. The composite LAZ was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transformed target X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The rheological properties of the composite LAZ were evaluated. The composite LAZ was used as a water-based drilling fluid viscosity enhancer, and the temperature and salt resistance of the drilling fluid were evaluated. The results showed that the composite LAZ presented a complex reticulation structure in an aqueous solution. This reticulation structure intertwined with each other exhibited viscosity-enhancing properties, which can enhance the suspension properties of water-based drilling fluids. The aqueous solution of the composite LAZ has shear dilution properties. As shear rate increases, shear stress becomes larger. The yield stress value of the aqueous solution increases as the composite LAZ’s concentration increases. The aqueous solution of the composite LAZ exhibits strong elastic characteristics with weak gel properties. The addition of the composite LAZ to 4% sodium bentonite-based slurry significantly increased the apparent viscosity and dynamic shear of the drilling fluid. The drilling fluids containing the composite LAZ had good temperature resistance at 150 °C and below. The rheological properties of brine drilling fluids containing the composite LAZ changed slightly before and after high-temperature aging at 150 °C

Analysis of Blood Glucose Distribution Characteristics and Its Risk Factors among a Health Examination Population in Wuhu (China)

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) represent serious threats to human health, and as a result, this study was aimed at understanding the blood glucose distribution characteristics and the risk factors among a large health examination population in China. Methods: An investigation with physical and biochemical examinations and questionnaires was conducted in the physical examination center from 2011 to 2014 and as a result 175,122 physical examination attendees were enrolled in this study. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the factors influencing blood sugar levels. Results: The rates of IFG and DM were 6.0% and 3.8%. Prevalence were 7.6%/5.1% in males and 5.1%/2.8% in females for IFG and DM, respectively. The prevalence of IFG and DM were thus higher in males than in females. In the normal group, except high density lipoprotein (HDL) that was significantly higher than in the IFG and DM group, the other indexes (age, body mass index (BMI), glucose (Glu), total cholesterol (TC) and total glycerides (TG) were lower than those in the IFG and DM group. The proportion of IFG and DM also increased with the increases in proportion of abnormal blood pressure, smoking and alcohol consumption. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increasing age, high BMI, high TC, high TG and low HDL increased the risk of diabetes, while in males, in addition to the above factors, the smoking and drinking factors also increased the risk of diabetes. After the age of 65, the blood glucose level reached a peak in males, while in females, the increasing trends was on the rise. The inflexion age of the fast rise was younger in males than in females. Conclusion: The study population showed a high prevalence of DM and IFG among the adults. Regular physical examination for the early detection of diabetes is recommended in the high-risk population

A Novel Cuticular Protein-like Cpr21L Is Essential for Nymph Survival and Male Fecundity in the Brown Planthopper

Cuticular proteins (CPs) are a large family and perform a variety of functions. However, the physiological roles of cuticle protein 21-like (Cpr21L) in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens, BPH), one of the most destructive insect pests of rice, are largely unclear. In this study, Cpr21L was revealed to be expressed in both BPH nymphs and adults, and the mRNA expression level was much higher in male adults than female adults. Spatially, the expression of Cpr21L in the testis was higher than in the ovary. The RNA interference (RNAi) of Cpr21L seriously decreased nymph survival, and no individual survived 8 days post-dsCpr21L injection. The RNAi of Cpr21L in adults also decreased the fertility of males, especially in the dsCpr21L♂ × dsGFP♀ group. The average number of eggs laid by one female in this group significantly decreased by 50.1%, and the eggs’ hatchability decreased from 76.5% to 23.8% compared with the control (dsGFP♂ × dsGFP♀). Furthermore, observations under a stereomicroscope showed that the RNAi of Cpr21L severely impaired the development of the testes. Therefore, Cpr21L is essential for the nymphal survival and male fecundity of BPH, thus providing a possible target for pest control

A Novel Cuticular Protein-like Cpr21L Is Essential for Nymph Survival and Male Fecundity in the Brown Planthopper

Cuticular proteins (CPs) are a large family and perform a variety of functions. However, the physiological roles of cuticle protein 21-like (Cpr21L) in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens, BPH), one of the most destructive insect pests of rice, are largely unclear. In this study, Cpr21L was revealed to be expressed in both BPH nymphs and adults, and the mRNA expression level was much higher in male adults than female adults. Spatially, the expression of Cpr21L in the testis was higher than in the ovary. The RNA interference (RNAi) of Cpr21L seriously decreased nymph survival, and no individual survived 8 days post-dsCpr21L injection. The RNAi of Cpr21L in adults also decreased the fertility of males, especially in the dsCpr21L male x dsGFP female group. The average number of eggs laid by one female in this group significantly decreased by 50.1%, and the eggs' hatchability decreased from 76.5% to 23.8% compared with the control (dsGFP male x dsGFP female). Furthermore, observations under a stereomicroscope showed that the RNAi of Cpr21L severely impaired the development of the testes. Therefore, Cpr21L is essential for the nymphal survival and male fecundity of BPH, thus providing a possible target for pest control

A Novel Cuticular Protein-like <i>Cpr21L</i> Is Essential for Nymph Survival and Male Fecundity in the Brown Planthopper

Cuticular proteins (CPs) are a large family and perform a variety of functions. However, the physiological roles of cuticle protein 21-like (Cpr21L) in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens, BPH), one of the most destructive insect pests of rice, are largely unclear. In this study, Cpr21L was revealed to be expressed in both BPH nymphs and adults, and the mRNA expression level was much higher in male adults than female adults. Spatially, the expression of Cpr21L in the testis was higher than in the ovary. The RNA interference (RNAi) of Cpr21L seriously decreased nymph survival, and no individual survived 8 days post-dsCpr21L injection. The RNAi of Cpr21L in adults also decreased the fertility of males, especially in the dsCpr21L♂ × dsGFP♀ group. The average number of eggs laid by one female in this group significantly decreased by 50.1%, and the eggs’ hatchability decreased from 76.5% to 23.8% compared with the control (dsGFP♂ × dsGFP♀). Furthermore, observations under a stereomicroscope showed that the RNAi of Cpr21L severely impaired the development of the testes. Therefore, Cpr21L is essential for the nymphal survival and male fecundity of BPH, thus providing a possible target for pest control

Mechanism of activity enhancement of the Ni based hydrotalcite-derived materials in carbonyl sulfide removal

In this paper, a series of Ni based hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTLCs) were prepared by co-precipitation method. Carbonyl sulfide (COS) removal was investigated over the hydrotalcite-derived oxides (HTO). The properties of desulfurizer and its changes in the desulfurization process were systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, CO2-TPD, XPS, XAFS and In-situ DRIFTS. The results showed that the activity series for removal of COS decrease in the following sequence: Ni3A1-HTO &gt; Ni3Fe-HTO &gt; Ni3Cr-HTO. In situ DRIFTS and quantum chemistry study implied that carbonate and sulfate was formed on the desulfurizer surface. Lewis basic sites and hydroxyl was determined to play a pivotal role for the COS removal. The enhanced activity after trivalent cations substitution is attributed to their high ability to provide electrons as evidenced by results of CO2-TPD, XPS and XAFS. This work is useful to explore feasible routes to improve the performance of desulfurization material for the feed gas purification. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Plasma levels of alarmin HNPs 1–3 associate with lung dysfunction after cardiac surgery in children

Abstract Background Early onset of lung injury is considerable common after cardiac surgery and is associated with increasing in morbidity and mortality, but current clinical predictors for the occurrence of this complication always have limited positive warning value. This study aimed to evaluate whether elevated plasma levels of human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) 1–3 herald impaired lung function in infants and young children after cardiac surgery necessitating cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods Consecutive children younger than 3 years old who underwent cardiac surgery were prospectively enrolled. Plasma concentrations of HNPs 1–3 and inflammatory cytokines were measured before, and immediately after CPB, as well as at 1 h, 12 h, and 24 h after CPB. Results Thirty patients were enrolled, 18 (60%) of whom were infants. Plasma levels of HNPs 1–3 and the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) significantly increased immediately after CPB (P < 0.001), while IL-8 increased 1 h after the CPB operation (P = 0.002). The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels were also significantly elevated immediately after CPB compared with the baseline (P < 0.001). The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that the plasma HNPs 1–3 levels immediately after CPB was independent correlated with the declined lung function, as reflected by the PaO2/FiO2 ratio on the first 2 days after operation (for the first day: OR, −1.067, 95% CI, −0.548 to −1.574; P < 0.001; for the second day: OR, −0.667, 95% CI, −0.183 to −1.148; P = 0.009) and prolonged mechanical ventilation time (OR, 0.039, 95% CI, 0.005 to 0.056; P = 0.011). Plasma levels of HNPs 1–3 and IL-10 returned to the baseline values, while IL-6 and IL-8 levels remained significantly higher than baseline 24 h after CPB (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusions Elevated HNPs 1–3 levels immediately after CPB correlate with impaired lung function, and HNPs 1–3 could serve as a quantifiable early alarmin biomarker for onset of lung injury in infants and young children undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB