Vitamin D status in women with dichorionic twin pregnancies and their neonates:a pilot study in China

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health issue in women and children and is associated with adverse impacts on child growth, such as rickets. However, prior studies have mainly focused on measuring vitamin D levels in singleton pregnant women and their offspring, and very limited studies have revealed the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in twin pregnant women and their offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate vitamin D levels in twin-pregnant women and their neonates. We also explored the correlation of maternal vitamin D levels with neonatal outcomes and infant growth. Methods: A prospective subcohort investigation was carried out among 72 dichorionic, diamniotic twin-pregnant mothers and their twin offspring from the Longitudinal Twin Study. Peripheral blood was collected from the mothers in the third trimester, and cord blood was collected from neonates at birth to identify 25[OH]D levels. Data on the characteristics of the mothers and neonates were collected. Infant growth data and food sensitivities were also collected. Results: The average maternal 25[OH]D level was 31.78 ng/mL, with 19.4% being deficient and 20.8% insufficient, while the average neonatal 25[OH]D level was 15.37 ng/mL, with 99.3% being deficiency or insufficient. A positive correlation was found between maternal and neonatal 25[OH]D levels (beta-value: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.49). Interestingly, the higher the maternal 25[OH]D level was, the smaller the cotwin birthweight discordance (beta-value: -2.67, 95% CI: − 5.11, − 0.23). In addition, the infants of mothers with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to be allergic to foods at 6 months than those of mothers with vitamin D sufficiency. Conclusions: Twin neonates were at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, although their mothers’ vitamin D deficiency partially improved. Higher maternal vitamin D levels were associated with smaller discordance of cotwin birthweight. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-OOC-16008203, 1st April 2016

Crack propagation analysis and fatigue life assessment of high-strength bolts based on fracture mechanics

Abstract To investigate the effect of initial cracks on the fatigue performance of high-strength bolts for high-speed train brake discs, the fatigue crack propagation behavior of high-strength bolts under the coupling action of preload and dynamic fatigue load was investigated experimentally and numerically based on the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics. Firstly, fatigue tests of high-strength bolts with initial crack defects were carried out, and then a three-dimensional accurate numerical model with the hexahedral mesh for a bolt-nut was established by MATLAB, and the fatigue crack propagation behaviors were investigated using ABAQUS-FRANC3D interactive technology. In this paper, the effects of the initial crack state, the bolt preload, the axial excitation load, and the friction coefficient of the screw pair on crack propagation life were emphatically studied, and the simulated crack propagation trajectory and crack propagation life agreed well with the experimental results. The findings indicated that 0°-oriented cracks beginning at the maximum principal stress were predicted to have the shortest fatigue life. The crack propagation life was sensitive to the initial crack size, the coefficient of initial crack geometry, and the bolt preload, but not to the friction coefficient of the screw pair. Furthermore, when evaluating the effect of fatigue load on crack propagation, the load ratio, the mean load, and the load range should all be considered

Life-cycle deliquification techniques and their application for deep shale gas reservoirs

Deep shale gas resources in the Sichuan Basin have great potential, and this is a major area for future shale gas exploration and development. Deep shale gas wells face problems with liquid loading throughout the production cycle. Regarding deliquification techniques, it is necessary to consider the requirements of gas wells over the full life cycle, as well as the main form of artificial lift used at different stages, to achieve economically efficient development. This paper divides the life cycle of a deep shale gas well into two stages: early production and middle/late production. Pressure-control production is conducted in the early stage of production, whereas investigations on critical liquid-carrying models, the flow distribution in the wellbore, and the main form of artificial lift are conducted in the middle and late stages of production. A recommended scheme of deliquification techniques over the full life cycle has been developed to guide the development and enhancement of artificial lift methods in deep shale gas reservoirs. As of March 2022, in the PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company managed-pressure production has been implemented in 14 wells in the early stage of deep shale gas production. In eight wells, plunger gas lift has been implemented in the middle and late stages of production. In seven wells, foam lift has been implemented. The abovementioned techniques are effective in increasing and stabilizing production and achieving deliquification in deep shale gas reservoirs

Combustion Characteristics of a Swirl-Radial-Injection Composite Fuel Grain with Applications in Hybrid Rockets

The combustion characteristics of a swirl-radial-injection composite fuel grain were experimentally and numerically investigated. This composite grain permits swirl-radial oxidizer injection based on three hollow helical blades, each having a constant hollow space allowing uniform oxidizer injection into the main chamber along the axial direction. The oxidizer enters from channel inlets located along a hollow outer wall. This wall, together with the three blades, is fabricated as one piece from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene using three-dimensional printing. Paraffin-based fuel is embedded in the spaces between adjacent blades. Firing tests were conducted with gaseous oxygen as the oxidizer, using oxidizer mass flow rates ranging from 7.45 to 30.68 g/s. Paraffin-based fuel grains using conventional fore-end injection were used for comparison. Regression rate boundaries were determined taking into account the erosion of the oxidizer channels. The data show that the regression rate was significantly increased even at the lower limit. Images of the combustion chamber flame and of the exhaust plume were also acquired. The flame was found to be concentrated in the main chamber and a smoky plume was observed, consistent with the high regression rate. A three-dimensional simulation was employed. The present design was found to improve fuel/oxidizer mixing and combustion efficiency compared with a fuel grain using fore-end injection. Both the experimental results and numerical simulations confirmed the potential of this swirl-radial-injection fuel grain

Enhancing milk quality and modulating rectal microbiota of dairy goats in starch-rich diet: the role of bile acid supplementation

Abstract Background Diets rich in starch have been shown to increase a risk of reducing milk fat content in dairy goats. While bile acids (BAs) have been used as a lipid emulsifier in monogastric and aquatic animals, their effect on ruminants is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of BAs supplementation on various aspects of dairy goat physiology, including milk composition, rumen fermentation, gut microbiota, and BA metabolism. Results We randomly divided eighteen healthy primiparity lactating dairy goats (days in milk = 100 ± 6 d) into two groups and supplemented them with 0 or 4 g/d of BAs undergoing 5 weeks of feeding on a starch-rich diet. The results showed that BAs supplementation positively influenced milk yield and improved the quality of fatty acids in goat milk. BAs supplementation led to a reduction in saturated fatty acids (C16:0) and an increase in monounsaturated fatty acids (cis-9 C18:1), resulting in a healthier milk fatty acid profile. We observed a significant increase in plasma total bile acid concentration while the proportion of rumen short-chain fatty acids was not affected. Furthermore, BAs supplementation induced significant changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, favoring the enrichment of specific bacterial groups and altering the balance of microbial populations. Correlation analysis revealed associations between specific bacterial groups (Bacillus and Christensenellaceae R-7 group) and BA types, suggesting a role for the gut microbiota in BA metabolism. Functional prediction analysis revealed notable changes in pathways associated with lipid metabolism, suggesting that BAs supplementation has the potential to modulate lipid-related processes. Conclusion These findings highlight the potential benefits of BAs supplementation in enhancing milk production, improving milk quality, and influencing metabolic pathways in dairy goats. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and explore the broader implications of these findings

Effects of swirl injection on the combustion of a novel composite hybrid rocket fuel grain

The combustion characteristics obtained from the coupling effect between swirl injection and a novel composite hybrid rocket fuel grain were investigated. The novel composite fuel grain was composed of a three-dimensional printed acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) helical substrate with an embedded paraffin-based fuel. Two swirl flow injectors with opposite injection directions were designed: one with the same injection direction as the swirling direction induced by the ABS helical substrate and the other having the opposite direction. Axial injection trials were also performed as a baseline for comparison. Firing tests were carried out using a lab-scale hybrid rocket engine with oxygen as the oxidizer at average mass flux values in the range of 2.1-4.5 g/ (s.cm(2)). When combined with either swirl flow injector, the novel composite fuel grain exhibited excellent combustion properties. Compared with the axial flow injector, both swirl injectors greatly improved the regression rate of the novel composite fuel grain, by 82.4% and 50.6% respectively, at an oxygen mass flux of approximately 4.25 g/(s.cm(2)). Three-dimensional imaging of the inner surface of the novel composite fuel grain and cold flow numerical simulations were employed to assess the mechanism by which the regression rate was increased. The results of these analyses elucidated the effects of different injection methods on the oxidizer-tofuel ratio distribution during combustion of the novel composite fuel grain

Three-dimensional printed metal-nested composite fuel grains with superior mechanical and combustion properties

The mechanical and combustion properties of metal-nested composite hybrid rocket fuel grains composed of spiral aluminium (Al) frameworks fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing with an embedded paraffin-based fuel were investigated. The mechanical properties of the resulting grains were evaluated by compression tests. In addition, the combustion characteristics of the Al composite grains were examined in a lab-scale hybrid rocket engine with gaseous oxygen as the oxidizer at an initial mass flow rate of 17.9 g/s. Pure paraffin-based (PP) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composite grains were also tested as baseline fuels for comparison. The Al-A composite grain exhibited superior mechanical and combustion properties, with Young modulus, yield stress, and regression rate increased by 757.1%, 381.3% and 52.5% compared with the PP grain. The Young modulus and combustion efficiency were also further improved, by 51.0% and 14.9%, respectively, by including perforations in the spiral blades. These improvements are discussed in detail herein based on experimental data together with numerical simulations. Emission spectra of the engine plumes were also acquired and used to qualitatively analyze the combustion characteristics of the Al blades

Insufficient sleep during infancy is correlated with excessive weight gain in childhood:a longitudinal twin cohort study

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine total sleep duration in infancy and the associations of insufficient sleep duration with later weight gain and the risk of overweight in a longitudinal twin cohort study. METHODS: The data for this study are from the Longitudinal Twin Study (LoTiS), a twin-pregnancy birth cohort study that was carried out in China (n = 186 pairs). The sleep data were collected at 6 months using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire that was completed by parents with the assistance of a research assistant. Anthropometric data were obtained from the children’s health clinic records at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between infants with insufficient sleep and those with sufficient sleep in terms of height, weight, body mass index, incidence of overweight, and body fat mass, while infants with insufficient sleep duration were predisposed to gain excessive weight from 6 to 12 and 6 to 18 months of age (all P < .05). After adjusting for confounding variables, insufficient sleep duration was found to be correlated with excessive weight gain from 6 to 18 months of age (odds ratio: 3.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.23–9.78). The relationship was more pronounced in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient total sleep duration at the age of 6 months is correlated with the risk of excessive weight gain at 18 months of age in twins, particularly in monozygotic twins. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: Chinese Clinical Trial Register; Name: Unraveling the complex interplay between genes and environment in specifying early life determinants of illness in infancy: a longitudinal prenatal study of Chinese Twins. URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=13839; Identifier: ChiCTR-OOC-16008203. CITATION: Yu J, Jin H, Wen L, et al. Insufficient sleep during infancy is correlated with excessive weight gain in childhood: a longitudinal twin cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(11):2147–2154