The main cause of warpage in injection moldings is the imbalance of the thermal residual stresses that are caused by a non‐uniform temperature distribution through the thickness of the moldings resulting from variation in cross sections, part geometries, and temperature difference between the mold surfaces. As the hot plastic melt is injected into the relatively cooler mold, a temperature gradient develops between the core of the molding and its surfaces, determining the magnitude of the residual stresses and warpage deflection. The relationship between the temperature difference of the two halves of the mold and warpage for a flat plate was measured and predicted by use of a finite element software package. The development of warpage in a 3D component (L‐shaped bracket) was also measured, and the results were compared with computer predictions.
1 September 2021 in Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Impact of environmental, maternal, paternal, and fetal factors on the development of hypospadias have been questioned in association with disrupted hormonal balance. We aimed to examine the association between maternal progesterone use and the associated risk factors and hypospadias. There were 429 male children as the cases with hypospadias (n = 280, Group 1) and the controls without hypospadias (n = 149, Group 2). Those working in agriculture and industry, cleaners, and hairdressers were determined as risky occupational groups concerning the exposure of estrogenic endocrine disrupters. The association of progestin usage and the other risk factors with hypospadias were the study outcomes. The median gestational age was significantly lower in Group 2 (p = 0.019). Prematurity was more common in Group 1 (p = 0.043). Although the median birth weight in Group 1 was significantly lower (p < 0.001), there was no significant difference between the ratios of low birth weight babies in the groups. The risky occupations were more frequently detected in Group 2 (p = 0.001). The rate and duration of progestin usage in Group 1 were significantly higher than that in Group 2 (p < 0.001). Low birth weight and the use and duration of progestins during pregnancy were significantly associated with increased hypospadias risk.
Introduction. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the number of pediatric cases involving multiple magnet ingestion, resulting in increased incidence and morbidity of injuries. When a metal object and magnet are ingested, either single or multiple, they can cause serious complications such as intestinal obstruction, ischemia, necrosis, fistula, perforation, and even death. This study aims to detail the complications and treatment approaches associated with magnet ingestion in children. Materials and Methods. In our study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of all cases involving the ingestion of a magnet along with a second metal object at two training and research hospitals in our province, which admit pediatric patients, between the years of 2013 and 2023. Results. A total of 42 patients had a history of magnet ingestion, with the number of ingested magnets ranging from 1 to 41. The median magnet size was 11 mm (range: 5.5-17.5 mm) and the median time to presentation was 24 hours (range: 3-48 hours). Thirteen patients (30.9%) required either endoscopic or surgical intervention to extract the magnets or address complications. Endoscopy was performed on eight patients, while surgical intervention was required for five patients. Among those who underwent surgery, four experienced complications, including intestinal perforation, ileoileal fistula, and internal herniation. Notably, no fatalities occurred following intervention. There was no statistically significant difference in age or magnet size between the interventional and non-interventional groups. However, the length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the interventional group compared to the non-interventional group (P
Objectives: Testicular torsion is a time-critical pediatric urological emergency in which delayed presentation may increase the likelihood of orchiectomy. However, preoperative estimation of the immediate intraoperative outcome remains challenging. This study aimed to develop and internally validate machine-learning models integrating ischemic timing variables and complete blood count-derived inflammatory indices to predict orchiectomy versus testicular preservation at index surgical exploration in pediatric and adolescent testicular torsion. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 165 children and adolescents who underwent surgical exploration for confirmed testicular torsion. The primary endpoint was orchiectomy at index exploration versus testicular preservation through detorsion and/or orchiopexy. Clinical timing variables and complete blood count-derived indices, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, white blood cell-to-monocyte ratio, monocyte-to-mean platelet volume ratio, hemoglobin-to-monocyte ratio, systemic inflammatory response index, and aggregate index of systemic inflammation, were evaluated. Five supervised machine-learning algorithms—logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and support vector machine—were assessed using nested stratified cross-validation with an outer 5-fold loop and inner 3-fold hyperparameter selection. Model performance was estimated from out-of-fold predictions. Results: Orchiectomy was performed in 37 patients (22.4%), whereas testicular preservation through detorsion and/or orchiopexy was performed in 128 patients (77.6%). Symptom duration was significantly longer in the orchiectomy group than in the preservation group (48.00 [30.00–72.00] vs. 6.00 [2.00–24.00] h, p < 0.001). Monocyte count was also higher in the orchiectomy group (0.92 [0.68–1.23] vs. 0.65 [0.50–0.93] × 109/L, p < 0.001). Among the combined models, XGBoost achieved the highest numerical discrimination, with a ROC-AUC of 0.926 ± 0.066 and a bootstrap 95% confidence interval of 0.856–0.966. Feature-block and interpretability analyses identified symptom duration as the dominant predictor, followed by emergency department waiting time and selected monocyte-centered inflammatory indices. Conclusions: Immediate intraoperative orchiectomy in pediatric and adolescent testicular torsion was most strongly associated with prolonged symptom duration, while selected complete blood count-derived inflammatory indices provided complementary risk information. The combined XGBoost model showed strong internal discrimination and clinically interpretable predictor patterns. However, the model was internally validated only and requires external validation before clinical implementation.