Search

The preparation of a high-performance hard coating on the surface of a carbide PCB (Printed Circuit Board) milling cutter can address the issue of rapid tool wear during cutting. In this study, AlCrN single coating, CrN/AlCrN composite coating and AlCrSiN/AlCrN composite coating were prepared on YG06 cemented carbide specimens and PCB milling cutter substrates by a multi-arc ion plating process, respectively. The mechanical properties and morphological characteristics of the three coatings were observed and analyzed using an indenter and a scanning electron microscope. The above three coated milling cutters were tested under the same conditions, and the coating performance and the tool wear mechanism were compared and analyzed. The results show that the coatings prepared by the above three processes exhibit good film-base adhesion, with the AlCrSiN/AlCrN composite coating milling cutter having the longest service life — approximately 1.5 times that of the CrN/AlCrN coating milling cutter and 1.9 times that of the AlCrN single coating milling cutter. The AlCrSiN/AlCrN composite coating demonstrates the best compactness and surface quality, making it more suitable for high-speed machining of PCB (IT158 copper-clad laminate).

Households represent a large share of flexibility on the demand side for assisting the smooth operation of the highly renewable grid. The stochastic nature of activities and various appliance usage patterns of household occupants affects the flexibility potential greatly, but is usually oversimplified in the existing research. This paper aims to propose a novel method for simulating the dynamics of household energy-related activities and appliance usage, which provides realistic synthetic load profiles for smart energy management. To this aim, a highly resolved multi-agent system model is proposed, which comprises an Agent-Based Activity Chain Model (ABACM) and 34 types of common household appliance models. Firstly, the patterns of various occupant behaviors are obtained through mining of real-world residential time-of-use data. Then, the stochastic activity profiles of occupants are generated using the ABACM, with a root mean square error of 0.95%. Finally, the electricity consumption profiles of household appliances are simulated based on specific energy-related activities. The proposed method is validated and proved to be able to capture stochastic occupant behaviors and represent the dynamics of residential energy consumption. The future work will focus on using the proposed model for exploring the potential of residential demand response.

Hydrogen is regarded as important to Japan’s clean energy transition. Here the authors consider the production of hydrogen by electrolysis fueled by offshore wind power in China, and the potential for delivery to Japan as part of Japan’s transition.

Abstract Background Variants of chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 7 (CHD7) gene are commonly associated with Kallmann syndrome (KS) and account for 5–6% of idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) cases. Here we report a novel mutation of CHD7 gene in a patient with KS, which may contribute to the better understanding of KS. Case presentation A 29-year-old male patient with KS and a chief complaint of delayed puberty for 13 years (Tanner B Stage T mutation of TCD7 gene (p.G4856V) was detected, whereas none of his family members had this mutation. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) were injected for three times/week to treat idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). After several months of therapy, the patient’s health condition improved. His testicles became larger, and his secondary sexual characteristics improved after treatment. Conclusion Exploration of the novel splice-site mutation of CHD7 may further our current understanding of KS.

Summary: The paper explores options for a 2050 carbon free energy future for India. Onshore wind and solar sources are projected as the dominant primary contributions to this objective. The analysis envisages an important role for so-called green hydrogen produced by electrolysis fueled by these carbon free energy sources. This hydrogen source can be used to accommodate for the intrinsic variability of wind and solar complementing opportunities for storage of power by batteries and pumped hydro. The green source of hydrogen can be used also to supplant current industrial uses of gray hydrogen produced in the Indian context largely from natural gas with important related emissions of CO2. The paper explores further options for use of green hydrogen to lower emissions from otherwise difficult to abate sectors of both industry and transport. The analysis is applied to identify the least cost options to meet India’s zero carbon future.

Diamond coatings were deposited on PCB (printed circuit board) carbide milling tool substrates under various schemes of acid and alkali pretreatment by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD). Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray coating analysis were used to examine the surface morphology of the milling tools and the impact of de-cobalt from the substrate surface after pretreatment. Milling experiments were carried out to study the cutting performance of diamond-coated PCB micro-milling tools under various pretreatment processes. The results show that abrasive wear, coating flaking, and cutting-edge chipping are the main failure forms of coated PCB milling tools. The substrate pretreatment process with 20 min of alkali etching followed by 20 s of acid etching allows the diamond-coated micro-milling tools to produce the best film–substrate adhesion and substrate strength. These milling tools also have the longest service lives and are suitable for the high-speed cutting processing of PCB.

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) is a rare disease that is characterized by autoimmune reactions to multiple endocrine and non-endocrine organs, which can be divided into four main types. The principal manifestations of APS-3 are autoimmune thyroid disease and other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia, vitiligo, alopecia, and myasthenia gravis, but not Addison’s disease or hypoparathyroidism. Here we report a case demonstrating the rare coexistence of growth hormone deficiency and hyperthyroidism with sexual dysgenesis, secondary amenorrhea, cardiomegaly, splenomegaly, hypoproteinemia, pleural effusion, seroperitoneum, pericardial effusion, anasarca, osteoporosis, vitamin D deficiency, iron-deficiency anemia, poor blood coagulation, leucocytopenia, peripheral neuropathy, hyperuricemia, ichthyosis, tinea cruris, and onychomycosis.