A new method of testing frother performance

A new method of testing frother performance was proposed. Four parameters were tested： maximum foam volume, foam half-life, gas-liquid ratio and mean foam rise velocity. Among them the former two parameters indicate frother＇s foaming ability and foam stability respectively, and the latter two indicate water carrying ability and foam viscosity, respectively. The performance of four frothers in a two-phase （solution-air） system was tested and batch flotation tests on a copper ore were carried out. By analyzing frother performance in a two-phase system and comparing with the flotation results, correlation between them was found. Higher-copper concentrate grade was obtained by frothers with weak water carrying ability and low foam viscosity. And frothers with strong foaming ability and stable foam tend to obtain higher copper recovery.

Sildenafil does not influence hepatic venous pressure gradient in patients with cirrhosis

AIM： To investigate if sildenafil increases splanchnic blood flow and changes the hepatic venous pressure gradient （HVPG） in patients with cirrhosis. Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors are valuable in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension in patients with end-stage liver disease. However, the effect of phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors on splanchnic blood flow and portal hypertension remains essentially unknown. METHODS： Ten patients with biopsy proven cirrhosis （five females/five males, mean age 54：1：8 years） and an HVPG above 12 mmHg were studied after informed consent. Measurement of splanchnic blood flow and the HVPG during liver vein catheterization were done before and 80 min after oral administration of 50 mg sildenafil. Blood flow was estimated by use of indocyanine green clearance technique and Fick＇s principle, with correction for non-steady state. RESULTS： The plasma concentration of sildenafil was 222 ± 136 ng/mL 80 min after administration. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from 77 ±7 mmHg to 66 ± 12 mmHg, P = 0.003, while the splanchnicblood flow and oxygen consumption remained unchanged at 1.14 ± 0.71 L/min and 2.3 ± 0.6 mmol/ min, respectively. Also the HVPG remained unchanged （18 ± 2 mmHg vs 16 ± 2 mmHg） with individual changes ranging from -8 mmHg to ±2 mmHg. In seven patients, HVPG decreased and in three it increased. CONCLUSION： In spite of arterial blood pressure decreases 80 min after administration of the phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor sildenafil, the present study could not demonstrate any clinical relevant influence on splanichnic blood flow, oxygen consumption or the HVPG.

Chronic kidney disease and erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction(ED) is a common condition among male chronic kidney disease(CKD) patients.Its prevalence is estimated to be approximately 80% among these patients.It has been well established that the production of nitric oxide from the cavernous nerve and vascular endothelium and the subsequent production of cyclic GMP are critically important in initiating and maintaining erection.Factors affecting these pathways can induce ED.The etiology of ED in CKD patients is multifactorial.Factors including abnormalities in gonadal-pituitary system,disturbance in autonomic nervous system,endothelial dysfunction,anemia(and erythropoietin deficiency),secondary hyperparathyroidism,drugs,zinc deficiency,and psychological problems are implicated in the occurrence of ED.An improvement of general conditions is the first step of treatment.Sufficient dialysis and adequate nutritional intake are necessary.In addition,control of anemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism is required.Changes of drugs that potentially affect erectile function may be necessary.Further,zinc supplementation may be necessary whenzinc deficiency is suspected.Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors(PDE5Is) are commonly used for treating ED in CKD patients,and their efficacy was confirmed by many studies.Testosterone replacement therapy in addition to PDE5 Is may be useful,particularly for CKD patients with hypogonadism.Renal transplantation may restore erectile function.ED is an early marker of cardiovascular disease(CVD),which it frequently precedes; therefore,it is crucial to examine the presence of ED in CKD patients not only for the improvement of the quality of life but also for the prevention of CVD attack.

Mechanism of hydro-viscous soft start of belt conveyor

The mechanism of a hydro-viscous soft start is of great importance in the design of a hydro-viscous clutch and its control system. To explain the mechanism of a hydro-viscous soft start, the startup process of a belt conveyor was numerically analyzed with the modified Reynolds equation, an energy equation and a temperature-viscosity equation. The effect of temperature and grooves of the friction disk surface on torque transfer and load capacity of the oil film have also been analyzed. The results show that 1) the grooves are the basis of forming dynamic pressure but they may reduce the capacity of torque transfer to a certain extent, 2) during the startup process, temperature has little effect on torque transfer and load capacity and the variation in load capacity of the oil film is very small, indicating that it is preferable to use the flow rate as a control object than the pressure of the feed cylinder. The results have been verified by an experiment.

Adsorption structures of frothers at gas–liquid interface using DFT method

Density functional theory (DFT) simulation was performed to investigate the adsorption mechanisms between frothers and gas–liquid interface. In water phase, the polar head group of the frother molecule was connected with water molecules by hydrogen bonding, while the non-polar group showed that hydrophobic property and water molecules around it were repelled away. The adsorption of water molecules on single frother molecule suggests that the complexes of α-terpineol-7H2O, MIBC-7H2O and DF200-13H2O reach their stable structure. The hydration shell affects both the polar head group and the non-polar group. The liquid film drainage rate of DF200 is the lowest, while α-terpineol and MIBC are almost the same. The adsorption layer of frother molecules adsorbed at the gas-liquid interface reveals that the α-terpineol molecules are more neatly arranged and better distributed. The DF200 molecules are arranged much more loosely than MIBC molecules. These results suggest that the α-terpineol molecule layer could better block the diffusion of gas through the liquid film than DF200 and MIBC. The simulation results indicate that the foam stability of α-terpineol is the best, followed by DF200 and MIBC.

Derivatives of 3（5）,4-Dinitropyrazole as Potential Energetic Plasticisers

The development of a pseudo-one pot synthesis of 3（5）,4-dinitropyrazole enabled us to use it as a starting material for energetic plasticisers. Its acidic proton allowed simple derivatisation on one of the ring nitrogens. The thermal characteristics of two derivatives were evaluated. For instance, the N-allyl compound was a liquid with very low glass transition temperature, whereas the N-propargyl compound was a sticky solid at ambient temperature. The two compounds were both thermally stable according to STANAG 4582.

Erectile dysfunction as a predictor of asymptomatic coronary artery disease in elderly men with type 2 diabetes

1 Introduction Erectile dysfunction （ED） and coronary artery disease （CAD） are closely linked, as both conditions share the same cardiovascular risk factors. Indeed, these risk factors can determine endothelial dysfunction that represents the common underlying mechanism of both ED and CAD. The prevalence of ED is about three-fold higher among diabetic patients than in the general population and a higher prevalence of CAD has been observed in people with diabetes when compared to non-diabetic subjects.Some studies showed that ED can be a powerful marker of silent CAD and a strong predictor of cardiovascular events in apparently uncomplicated type 2 diabetic patients Therefore ED is now considered as a sentinel symptom of silent CAD, as ED often precedes the onset of myocardial ischemia itself by many years.

The Four-Seasonal Movement of Life

The four-seasonal movement is the general movement of the universe. Galaxies, living beings, society, man-made worlds and all substances have or take part in the four-seasonal movement. There are transverse four-seasonal movement and longitudinal four-seasonal movement. The former is the breathing movement. All substances have the function of breathing. Breathing involves living beings, celestial bodies, society and man-made systems and living beings of different levels have different ways of breathing. The longitudinal four-seasonal movement of living beings is controlled by genes. The four-seasonal movement is confined. Life originates in seeds and seeds are generated in the four-seasonal movement. Thoughts, ideas, designs and methods are the seeds of celestial bodies, society and man-made worlds. Just like living beings, galaxies, and society also have reproductive function. Reproduction has three major means： self-generation, generation by augmentation and generation by transformation. The reproduction of living beings is self-generation while the reproduction of the solar system and other galaxies is generation by augmentation. Man-made objects, society and galaxies are formed with automatic organization of thoughts, thus called generation by transformation. The solar system and the earth have reproduction function. Living beings began with the combined action of the earth, the solar system and the universe. Life forms of the universe include dominant life and recessive life. Different forms of life transform continuously.

STUDY ON HEMODYNAMICS OF ERECTION IN DIABETIC ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Objective To study the cavernosa hemodynamics in diabetic erectile dysfunction ( ED).Methods 22 diabetic and 35 psychic ED patients were studied by intracavernosum injection of a mixture papaver-ine and phentolamine (30/1mg) to assess the hemodynamics changes of the corpus cavernosum by means of colour duplex ultrasonography. Results The average hemodynamics data of the diabetic ED patients vs that of the psy-chogenic ED patients in terms of peak flow velocity (PFV):20. 06±7.15cm/s vs 35. 82±9. 41cm/s, end diastolic velocity (EDV) : 8. 82±0. 35cm/s vs 5. 51±0. 42cm/s,artery diameter (Ad) : 0. 78±0. 25cm vs 1. 01±0. 42cm, vein diameter ( Vd) : 1.05±0. 32mm vs 1.21±0. 45mm, resistance index(RI) : 0. 72±0. 28 vs 0. 98±0. 31,mean velocity of artery (MV):6. 71±0. 27cm/s vs 10. 31±3. 32cm/s, dorsal deep vein flow(DDVF) : 28. 81±6. 32cm/ s vs 25. 74±0. 58cm/s. Stasticstical differences existed in PFV, Ad,RI and MV(P <0. 01). The arterial wall is thick and rigid in diabetic ED patients. Conclusion Atheroscleorsis and veno-occlusive dysfunction of the corpus cavernosum are essential to the development of diabetic ED.

Preparation and Performance of Overbased Complex Sulphonates

Overbased complex sulphonates containing two metals -- sodium and magnesium -- were prepared by using overbased magnesium sulphonate as the starting material. Borated overbased complex sulphonate containing two metals was synthesized by reaction of boric acid with the corresponding sulphonate. The total base number （TBN） of overbased complex sulphonates decreased compared with that of magnesium sulphonate, while TBN of borated overbased complex sulphonate further decreased. The detergency, anti-oxidation and extreme pressure performances of overbased complex sulphonates were improved compared with those of overbased magnesium sulphonate; the anti-oxidation and extreme pressure performances of borated overbased complex sulphonates were further improved whereas its detergency was reduced.

Simulation and experiment of starting transient flow field of the hydrostatic bearing based on dynamic mesh method

A new method is developed to assess and analyze the dynamic performance of hydrostatic bearing oil film by using an amulets-layer dynamic mesh technique. It is implemented using C Language to compile the UDF program of a single oil film of the hydrostatic bearing. The effects of key lubrication parameters of the hydrostatic bearing are evaluated and analyzed under various working conditions,i.e. under no-load,a load of 40 t,a full load of 160 t,and the rotation speed of 1r/min,2r/min,4r/min,8r/min,16r/min,32r/min. The transient data of oil film bearing capacity under different load and rotation speed are acquired for a total of 18 working conditions during the oil film thickness changing. It allows the effective prediction of dynamic performance of large size hydrostatic bearing. Experiments on hydrostatic bearing oil film have been performed and the results were used to define the boundary conditions for the numerical simulations and validate the developed numerical model. The results showed that the oil film thickness became thinner with the increase of the operating time of the hydrostatic bearing,both the oil film rigidity and the oil cavity pressure increased significantly,and the increase of the bearing capacity was inversely proportional to the cube of the change of the film thickness. Meanwhile,the effect of the load condition on carrying capacity of large size static bearing was more important than the speed condition. The error between the simulation value and the experimental value was 4.25%.

Moderating variables in the relationship between mental toughness and performance in basketball

Purpose： This study explored the relationship between mental toughness and college basketball performance, specifically examining possible moderating variables （gender and starting status）. Methods： Male and female （n = 197） college basketball players completed the Psychological Performance Inventory-Alternative （PPI-A）, a measure of characteristics and skills consistent with mental toughness, and the PERK an objective measure of basketball performance. Results： Findings suggest that basketball performance can be partially predicted by mental toughness and starting status. Males reported greater mental toughness than females. Starters and nonstarters did not differ in mental toughness. Moderated hierarchical regression analysis indicated that mental toughness was related to performance for male players as both a main effect and interaction with starter status. For female players, in contrast, starter status was the only significant predictor of performance. Practitioners are encouraged to foster the psychological skills associated with mental toughness in females and non-starters in basketball. Conclusion： Discussion of the PPI-A as a measure of mental toughness and suggestions for its improvement are explored. A need exists for additional research on mental toughness and objective performance, as performance enhancement is a major impetus for research on mental toughness. Copyright @ 2012, Shanghai University of Sport. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intelligent anti-swing control for bridge crane

A new intelligent anti-swing control scheme,which combined fuzzy neural network(FNN) and sliding mode control(SMC) with particle swarm optimization(PSO),was presented for bridge crane.The outputs of three fuzzy neural networks were used to approach the uncertainties of the positioning subsystem,lifting-rope subsystem and anti-swing subsystem.Then,the parameters of the controller were optimized with PSO to enable the system to have good dynamic performances.During the process of high-speed load hoisting and dropping,this method can not only realize the accurate position of the trolley and eliminate the sway of the load in spite of existing uncertainties,and the maximum swing angle is only ±0.1 rad,but also completely eliminate the chattering of conventional sliding mode control and improve the robustness of system.The simulation results show the correctness and validity of this method.

Effects of Long-term Right Ventricular Apical Pacing on Left Ventricular Remodeling and Cardiac Function

Objective: To investigate the impacts of long-term right ventricular apical pacing on the ventricular remodeling and cardiac functions of patients with high-grade and third-degree atrioventricular blockage with normal heart structures and cardiac functions. In addition, we provide many evidences for choosing an optimal electrode implantation site.Methods: Study participants included patients who were admitted for pacemaker replacements and revisited for examinations of implanted pacemakers at outpatient. Pacemakers were implanted to treat high-grade and third-degree atrioventricular blockage. At the time of pacemaker implantation, patients had normal cardiac functions and showed no serious heart diseases or cardiac dilatation. The durations from the implantation to follow-up were more than 5 years. The pacing rate was higher than 80%. Patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% and a left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) > 55 mm were excluded. Ventricular remodeling was defined as follows:increase of LVEDD by 10% and a reduction of LVEF by 25% for five years after implantation. Cardiac functions were evaluated according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification.Results:A total of 82 patients with a mean age of (66.97±13.19) years (range, 12 to 91 years old),among which 39 male and 43 female were enrolled in this study. The average duration between two assessments was 8.7 years (104.4 months). Before pacemaker implantation, the average left atrial diameter (LA), LVEDD and LVEF were 37.0 mm, 50.23 mm and 64.87%, respectively. After the implantation, these values were 39.39 mm (P=0.000163), 50.82 mm (P=0.177842) and 60.50% (P=0.000104), respectively. Four patients (4.87%) had ventricular remodeling with deteriorations of cardiac function, three of which had anterior wall myocardial infarction after implantation and one had type II diabetes. Clinical symptoms of heart failure were not found among the patients who did not exhibit ventricular remodeling. Conclusion: Through a long-period follow-up study, we found that long-term right ventricular apical pacing in patients with normal heart structure and cardiac function would not generally cause ventricular remodeling and clinical deteriorations of cardiac function. Right ventricular apical is a safe and effective site for pacing electrode wire implantation.

Rat model of erectile dysfunction caused by cavernous nerve ablation

OBJECTIVE: To identify the rat cavernous nerve and establish a rat model of erectile dysfunction (ED) caused by injury of the cavernous nerve. METHODS: Twenty rats underwent dissections. Cavernous nerves were identified with the aid of an operating microscope and confirmed by electrical stimulation. Then, 42 experimental rats were randomized into 3 groups, including sham-operated controls and unilateral and bilateral cavernous nerve ablation groups. Three weeks after surgery, rat models were evaluated with the Apomorphine test. RESULTS: The major pelvic ganglion lies on either side of the dorsolateral lobes of the prostate.It includes 2 inflows, one called hypogastric nerve and the other, the pelvic nerve. The largest outflow is termed the cavernous nerve. Stimulus parameters which could induce obvious penile erection were 5 volts, a frequency of 20 Hertz and a duration of 5 milliseconds. Three weeks after surgery, apomorphine could induce penile erection of each rat in the controls with a mean of 2.57 +/- 1.40 erections in 30 minutes, while there were no erections (0.00 +/- 0.00) in either the unilateral or bilateral groups. CONCLUSIONS: The rat large ganglion and its cavernous nerve can be easily identified and it produces an obvious response to electrical stimulation. Rats are low cost animals to purchase, easy to house and very available making an ideal animal for developing an ED model caused by cavernous nerve injury. In addition, our study showed that in the early period of cavernous nerve ablation, unilateral and bilateral treated rats lost erectile capacity.

Influence of Acupuncture on Serum Hormone of Erectile Dysfunction Patients

Objective： To explore the influence of acupuncture therapy on erectile dysfunction. Methods： 60 cases of the patients with impotence of erectile dysfunction were observed before and after acupuncture treatment, with determination of serum testosterone （T）, estradiol （E2） and prolactin （PRL）. Results： After the treatments, T concentration was increased, and the contents of E2 and PRL were decreased. Normal sexual action can be maintained. Conclusion： Acupuncture can effectively rectify the disorder of serum hormone, and improve the clinical symptoms.

Analysis on Therapeutic Features of Ancient Acupuncture Treatment for Impotence

To analyze the acupuncture treatment for impotence in 130 kinds of classical medical books by computer, and summarize the rules of acupuncture for this disease. The results showed that selection of acupoints along the meridians, selection of acupoints by body parts, selection of acupoints by pattern identification are the laws of acupuncture for this disease.

Clinical observation on warm needling moxibustion for erectile dysfunction

Objective： To observe the therapeutic effect of warm needling moxibustion for erectile dysfunction （ED）. Methods： A total of 46 eligible ED patients were randomized into a treatment group （n=24） and a control group （n=22）. The treatment group was intervened by warm needling moxibustion while the control group by conventional acupuncture treatment, for a total of 4 courses. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by the international index of erectile function 5 （IIEF-5）. Results： After 4 courses of treatment, the overall effective rate was 91.3% in the treatment group （23 completed）, versus 75.0% in the control group （20 completed）, with a significant difference （P〈0.05）. After the treatment, the change of IIEF-5 score in the treatment group was significantly different from that in the control group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Warm needling moxibustion can produce a more significant efficacy than conventional acupuncture in the treatment of ED.

Examples of Acupuncture Treatment for Intractable Diseases

1 Spermatorrhea A patient, 16 years old, suffered from spermatorrhea for over one year. At the beginning, it happened once several days, and recently it happened once every other day or every night, accompanied by a withered complexion, soreness and weakness in the lower back and legs, poor sleep, poor memory, a red tongue tip with thin tongue coating, and a thready and rapid pulse. The condition is attributed to kidney deficiency leading to poor containing ability, seminal emissions, and intemal disturbance of monarch fire. Therefore, bilateral Tongli （HT 5）, Shenshu （BL 23）, Guanyuan （CV 4） and Taixi （KI 3） were punctured by the twisting technique for reinforcement,

Observation on Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture for Erectile Dysfunction

Objective： To observe the clinical effects of acupuncture treatment for erectile dysfunction. Methods： Eighty-two cases of the patients with erectile dysfunction were identified as two patterns of kidney yang deficiency and damp-heat in lower jiao and were treated with different acupoints for different patterns. Results： The total curative rate was 87.6%. The curative rate was 45.0% in pattern of kidney yang deficiency and 59.1% in pattern of damp-heat in lower jiao. Conclusion： The clinical effect in acupuncture treatment of erectile dysfunction was related to the age of the patients and duration of disease. The higher the age and the longer the duration, the poorer the therapeutic effects were. The curative rate was higher in the treatment of pattern of damp-heat in lower jiao than pattern of kidney yang deficiency.