Development of Space-Time-Controlled Multi-Stage Pulsed Magnetic Field Forming and Manufacturing Technology at the WHMFC*

In November 2011, the Project of Basic Research of Forming by Space-Time-Controlled Multi-Stage Pulsed Magnetic Field (Stic-Must-PMF) was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Project, 2011.11-2016.08). It is aimed at achieving breakthroughs in manufacturing technology to solve current problems in forming largescale and complex sheet and tube parts and components, imposed by the limitations of existing equipment and materials forming properties. The objective of our research group focuses on the design principles and structural layout optimization of Stic-Must-PMF facility. And this paper will report the development of Stic-Must-PMF forming and manufacturing technology at the Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center (WHMFC) including numerical modeling, experimental setup and experimental studies

Sex determines which section of the SLC6A4 gene is linked to obsessive–compulsive symptoms in normal Chinese college students

Previous case-control and family-based association studies have implicated the SLC6A4 gene in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Little research, however, has examined this gene's role in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in community samples. The present study genotyped seven tag SNPs and two common functional tandem repeat polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR and STin2), which together cover the whole SLC6A4 gene, and investigated their associations with OCS in normal Chinese college students (N = 572). The results revealed a significant gender main effect and gender-specific genetic effects of the SLC6A4 gene on OCS. Males scored significantly higher on total OCS and its three dimensions than did females (ps < .01). The 5-HTTLPR in the promoter region showed a female-specific genetic effect, with the l/l and l/s genotypes linked to higher OCS scores than the s/s genotype (ps < .05). In contrast, a conserved haplotype polymorphism (rs1042173| rs4325622| rs3794808| rs140701| rs4583306| rs2020942) covering from intron 3 to the 3' UTR of the SLC6A4 gene showed male-specific genetic effects, with the CGAAGG/CGAAGG genotype associated with lower OCS scores than the other genotypes (ps < .05). These effects remained significant after controlling for OCS-related factors including participants' depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as stressful life events, and correction for multiple tests. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of the sex-specific role of the different sections of the SLC6A4 gene in OCD

Minimum Wage and National Culture

Minimum wage adjustment affects economic agent behaviors and leads to an unintended side effect s. The first chapter of the dissertation studies the impact of the minimum wage level on the college enrollment. Using institution-level data from IPEDS, the results show that the real minimum wage level has significant and diverse effects on different types of enrollment. The results are robust using several alternative specifications and individual level analysis. The second chapter of the dissertation addresses another side effect of the minimum wage law: crime. Using U.S. state-level arrest and offense data and agency-level offense data, this chapter provides empirical evidence that an increase in the minimum wage leads to less crime. This effect mainly applies to adult but not to youth. The third chapter of the dissertation studied the impact of national culture on income inequality, especially Individualism vs. Collectivism aspect. Using a variety of empirical method to test the effect and mitigate the endogenous problem, the results show that collectivist societies are associated with higher income inequality, and wealth concentrates to the richest population

Evaluating the business case for part-time working amongst qualified nurses

A 'new' business case for part-time working assumes a mutuality of benefit for employer and employees. Examining this hypothesis from the perspective of qualified nursing staff and managers in the NHS, a context in which the new business case for part-time working is particularly strong, this study found that the full benefits are not realized for either side. Extending the findings of other research into highly skilled/professional occupations, we conclude that, without substantive change in systems of work, the expansion of the part-time work-force could entail the under-utilization of the skills of an indispensable section of the working population. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd/London School of Economics 2004.

Numerical analysis on the modal characteristics of a pumped storage unit runner in cavitating flow

Cavitation is an important issue in pumped storage unit as it can compromise the safe and stable operation of the unit. The present work aims revealing the dynamic behavior of a pump-turbine runner in cavitating flow from a perspective of fluid-structure interaction. A procedure is developed to map the cavities from computation fluid dynamics simulation to finite element model. The calculated flow rate and head agree well with experimental results. A nonlinear relationship between the sonic speed in cavity and vapor volume fraction is applied in the finite element model. The effect of the sonic speed and fluid density on the dynamic behavior of the runner, and their coupled effect are investigated, respectively. Then the modal characteristics of the runner in cavitating flow are analyzed by solving the first 8000 modes, and a harmonic analysis is carried out to determine the main global mode. The results show that the sonic speed (20 m/s–100 m/s) could have a greater effect than the added mass for some modes. Finally, it is shown that the complexity and number of nodal diameter modes greatly increases in cavitating flow, with a lot of local modes which are similar to global nodal diameter mode. This work provides a method for evaluating the dynamic behavior of the pump-turbine runner in cavitating flow and could contribute to the safe operation of the pump-turbine unit.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version