Evolution behavior of nanohardness after thermal-aging and hydrogen-charging on austenite and strain-induced martensite in pre-strained austenitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yuanyuan; Zhou, Chengshuang; Hong, Yuanjian; Zheng, Jinyang; Zhang, Lin

2018-05-01

Nanoindentation has been used to study the effects of thermal-aging and hydrogen on the mechanical property of the metastable austenitic stainless steel. Thermal-aging at 473 K decreases the nanohardness of austenite, while it increases the nanohardness of strain-induced ɑ‧ martensite. Hydrogen-charging at 473 K increases the nanohardness of austenite, while it decreases the nanohardness of strain-induced ɑ‧ martensite. The opposite effect on austenite and ɑ‧ martensite is first found in the same pre-strained sample. This abnormal evolution behavior of hardness can be attributed to the interaction between dislocation and solute atoms (carbon and hydrogen). Carbon atoms are difficult to move and redistribute in austenite compared with ɑ‧ martensite. Therefore, the difference in the diffusivity of solute atoms between austenite and ɑ‧ martensite may result in the change of hardness.

Temporal evolution and potential recombination events in PRRSV strains of Sonora Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgara-Estrella, Alexel; Reséndiz-Sandoval, Mónica; Cortey, Martí; Mateu, Enric; Hernández, Jesús

2014-12-05

The aim of this work was to examine the evolution and potential existence of intragenic recombinations of PRRSV strains in Sonora, Mexico. In this study, 142 serum samples from farms located in Hermosillo (HMO), Cd. Obregón (OBR) and Navojoa (NAV) were sequenced from 2002 to 2012. Ninety non-redundant sequences of ORF5 gene were analyzed for temporal and spatial relationships among strains and the probability of a recombination event. The phylogenetic analysis showed 30 strains grouped into eight groups; 16 strains were closely related among the farms, while 14 were un-related. The first strain in this study was observed in 2002. A number of farms were infected with one or more strains, and in the majority of the strains, the virus was replaced by a new strain. The recombination analysis suggested the presence of four viruses as products of a recombination event; in one case, a virus close related with MLV vaccine was involved as the parent virus. This work shows the evolution of PRRSV in the field, the viral dissemination between farms and the potential recombination events. Our data suggest that PRRSV in Sonora has a specific genetic nature compared with other PRRSV. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strain transfer through film-substrate interface and surface curvature evolution during a tensile test

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wei; Han, Meidong; Goudeau, Philippe; Bourhis, Eric Le; Renault, Pierre-Olivier; Wang, Shibin; Li, Lin-an

2018-03-01

Uniaxial tensile tests on polyimide-supported thin metal films are performed to respectively study the macroscopic strain transfer through an interface and the surface curvature evolution. With a dual digital image correlation (DIC) system, the strains of the film and the substrate can be simultaneously measured in situ during the tensile test. For the true strains below 2% (far beyond the films' elastic limit), a complete longitudinal strain transfer is present irrespective of the film thickness, residual stresses and microstructure. By means of an optical surface profiler, the three-dimensional (3D) topography of film surface can be obtained during straining. As expected, the profile of the specimen center remains almost flat in the tensile direction. Nevertheless, a relatively significant curvature evolution (of the same order with the initial curvature induced by residual stresses) is observed along the transverse direction as a result of a Poisson's ratio mismatch between the film and the substrate. Furthermore, finite element method (FEM) has been performed to simulate the curvature evolution considering the geometric nonlinearity and the perfect strain transfer at the interface, which agrees well with the experimental results.

Hardening behavior and texture evolution of TWIP steel during strain path change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, W; Borodachenkova, M; Pereira, A; Barlat, F; Gracio, J

2015-01-01

Polycrystal materials exhibit large changes in the flow stress and hardening behavior during the strain path change. Such changes are related with the crystallographic texture anisotropy and the rearrangement of dislocation structure during the pre-loading. These effects have been captured by a dislocation hardening model embedded in the visco-plastic selfconsistent (VPSC) model. In this work, the texture evolution and mechanical behavior of TWIP steel during the strain path change are investigated. The experimental studies are carried out on rolled TWIP steel sheet. The mechanical responses are obtained under tensile tests along rolling direction, followed by tension along the directions with 0° and 90° from the pre-loading direction. The simulated results of strain-stress curves and the texture evolution are in good agreement with the experimental data. (paper)

Strain evolution after fiber failure in a single-fiber metal matrix composite under cyclic loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanan, Jay C. [Department of Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)]. E-mail: jay.hanan@okstate.edu; Mahesh, Sivasambu [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Uestuendag, Ersan [Department of Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)]. E-mail: ersan@caltech.edu; Beyerlein, Irene J. [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Swift, Geoffrey A. [Department of Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Clausen, Bjorn [Department of Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Brown, Donald W. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Bourke, Mark A.M. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2005-06-15

The evolution of in situ elastic strain with cyclic tensile loading in each phase of a single Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-fiber/aluminum-matrix composite was studied using neutron diffraction (ND). An analytical model appropriate for metal matrix composites (MMCs) was developed to connect the measured axial strain evolution in each phase with the possible micromechanical events that could occur during loading at room temperature: fiber fracture, interfacial slipping, and matrix plastic deformation. Model interpretation showed that the elastic strain evolution in the fiber and matrix was governed by fiber fracture and interface slipping and not by plastic deformation of the matrix, whereas the macroscopic stress-strain response of the composite was influenced by all three. The combined single-fiber composite model and ND experiment introduces a new and quick engineering approach for qualifying the micromechanical response in MMCs due to cyclic loading and fiber fracture.

Strain evolution after fiber failure in a single-fiber metal matrix composite under cyclic loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanan, Jay C.; Mahesh, Sivasambu; Uestuendag, Ersan; Beyerlein, Irene J.; Swift, Geoffrey A.; Clausen, Bjorn; Brown, Donald W.; Bourke, Mark A.M.

2005-01-01

The evolution of in situ elastic strain with cyclic tensile loading in each phase of a single Al 2 O 3 -fiber/aluminum-matrix composite was studied using neutron diffraction (ND). An analytical model appropriate for metal matrix composites (MMCs) was developed to connect the measured axial strain evolution in each phase with the possible micromechanical events that could occur during loading at room temperature: fiber fracture, interfacial slipping, and matrix plastic deformation. Model interpretation showed that the elastic strain evolution in the fiber and matrix was governed by fiber fracture and interface slipping and not by plastic deformation of the matrix, whereas the macroscopic stress-strain response of the composite was influenced by all three. The combined single-fiber composite model and ND experiment introduces a new and quick engineering approach for qualifying the micromechanical response in MMCs due to cyclic loading and fiber fracture

Microstructure and micro-texture evolution during large strain deformation of Inconel alloy IN718

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nayan, Niraj [Materials and Mechanical Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum 695 022 (India); Gurao, N.P. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208 016 (India); Narayana Murty, S.V.S., E-mail: susarla.murty@gmail.com [Materials and Mechanical Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum 695 022 (India); Jha, Abhay K.; Pant, Bhanu; George, Koshy M. [Materials and Mechanical Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum 695 022 (India)

2015-12-15

The hot deformation behaviour of Inconel alloy IN718 was studied in the temperature range of 950–1100 °C and at strain rates of 0.01 and 1 s{sup −1} with a view to understand the microstructural evolution as a function of strain rate and temperature. For this purpose, a single hit, hot isothermal plane strain compression (PSC) technique was used. The flow curves obtained during PSC exhibited weak flow softening at higher temperatures. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis (EBSD) of the PSC tested samples at the location of maximum strain revealed dynamic recrystallisation occurring at higher temperatures. Based on detailed microstructure and microtexture analyses, it was concluded that single step, large strain deformation has a distinct advantage in the thermo-mechanical processing of Inconel alloy IN718. - Highlights: • Plane strain compression (PSC) on IN718 was conducted. • Evolution of microstructure during large strain deformation was studied. • Flow curves exhibited weak softening at higher temperatures and dipping of the flow curve at a strain rate of 1 s{sup −1}. • Optimization of microstructure and process parameter for hot rolling possible by plane strain compression testing • Dynamic recrystallisation occurs in specimens deformed at higher temperatures and lower strain rates.

The Formation and Evolution of Shear Bands in Plane Strain Compressed Nickel-Base Superalloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Tang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The formation and evolution of shear bands in Inconel 718 nickel-base superalloy under plane strain compression was investigated in the present work. It is found that the propagation of shear bands under plane strain compression is more intense in comparison with conventional uniaxial compression. The morphology of shear bands was identified to generally fall into two categories: in “S” shape at severe conditions (low temperatures and high strain rates and “X” shape at mild conditions (high temperatures and low strain rates. However, uniform deformation at the mesoscale without shear bands was also obtained by compressing at 1050 °C/0.001 s−1. By using the finite element method (FEM, the formation mechanism of the shear bands in the present study was explored for the special deformation mode of plane strain compression. Furthermore, the effect of processing parameters, i.e., strain rate and temperature, on the morphology and evolution of shear bands was discussed following a phenomenological approach. The plane strain compression attempt in the present work yields important information for processing parameters optimization and failure prediction under plane strain loading conditions of the Inconel 718 superalloy.

The Evolution of Strain Typing in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Merker, Matthias; Kohl, Thomas A; Niemann, Stefan; Supply, Philip

2017-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease with a complex epidemiology. Therefore, molecular typing (genotyping) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains is of primary importance to effectively guide outbreak investigations, define transmission dynamics and assist global epidemiological surveillance of the disease. Large-scale genotyping is also needed to get better insights into the biological diversity and the evolution of the pathogen. Thanks to its shorter turnaround and simple numerical nomenclature system, mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing, based on 24 standardized plus 4 hypervariable loci, optionally combined with spoligotyping, has replaced IS6110 DNA fingerprinting over the last decade as a gold standard among classical strain typing methods for many applications. With the continuous progress and decreasing costs of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, typing based on whole genome sequencing (WGS) is now increasingly performed for near complete exploitation of the available genetic information. However, some important challenges remain such as the lack of standardization of WGS analysis pipelines, the need of databases for sharing WGS data at a global level, and a better understanding of the relevant genomic distances for defining clusters of recent TB transmission in different epidemiological contexts. This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of genotyping methods over the last three decades, which culminated with the development of WGS-based methods. It addresses the relative advantages and limitations of these techniques, indicates current challenges and potential directions for facilitating standardization of WGS-based typing, and provides suggestions on what method to use depending on the specific research question.

Evolution of microstructure, strain and physical properties in oxide nanocomposite films.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Aiping; Weigand, Marcus; Bi, Zhenxing; Zhang, Wenrui; Lü, Xuejie; Dowden, Paul; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L; Wang, Haiyan; Jia, Quanxi

2014-06-24

We, using LSMO:ZnO nanocomposite films as a model system, have studied the effect of film thickness on the physical properties of nanocomposites. It shows that strain, microstructure, as well as magnetoresistance strongly rely on film thickness. The magnetotransport properties have been fitted by a modified parallel connection channel model, which is in agreement with the microstructure evolution as a function of film thickness in nanocomposite films on sapphire substrates. The strain analysis indicates that the variation of physical properties in nanocomposite films on LAO is dominated by strain effect. These results confirm the critical role of film thickness on microstructures, strain states, and functionalities. It further shows that one can use film thickness as a key parameter to design nanocomposites with optimum functionalities.

Analysis of the Lankford coefficient evolution at different strain rates for AA6016-T4, DP800 and DC06

Science.gov (United States)

Lenzen, Matthias; Merklein, Marion

2017-10-01

In the automotive sector, a major challenge is the deep-drawing of modern lightweight sheet metals with limited formability. Thus, conventional material models lack in accuracy due to the complex material behavior. A current field of research takes into account the evolution of the Lankford coefficient. Today, changes in anisotropy under increasing degree of deformation are not considered. Only a consolidated average value of the Lankford coefficient is included in conventional material models. This leads to an increasing error in prediction of the flow behavior and therefore to an inaccurate prognosis of the forming behavior. To increase the accuracy of the prediction quality, the strain dependent Lankford coefficient should be respected, because the R-value has a direct effect on the contour of the associated flow rule. Further, the investigated materials show a more or less extinct rate dependency of the yield stress. For this reason, the rate dependency of the Lankford coefficient during uniaxial tension is focused within this contribution. To quantify the influence of strain rate on the Lankford coefficient, tensile tests are performed for three commonly used materials, the aluminum alloy AA6016-T4, the advanced high strength steel DP800 and the deep drawing steel DC06 at three different strain rates. The strain measurement is carried out by an optical strain measurement system. An evolution of the Lankford coefficient was observed for all investigated materials. Also, an influence of the deformation velocity on the anisotropy could be detected.

Lattice strain evolution in IMI 834 under applied stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daymond, Mark R.; Bonner, Neil W.

2003-01-01

The effect of elastic and plastic anisotropy on the evolution of lattice strains in the titanium alloy IMI834 has been examined during a uniaxial tensile test, by in situ monitoring on the Engin instrument at the ISIS pulsed neutron source. Measurements were made at load during an incremental loading test. The data is analysed in the light of the requirements for engineering residual stress scanning measurements performed at polychromatic neutron and synchrotron diffraction sources. Comparisons between the measured strains from different lattice families and the predictions from an elasto-plastic self-consistent model are made. Agreement is good in the elastic regime and for most diffraction planes in the plastic regime

Microstructural evolution in adiabatic shear bands of copper at high strain rates: Electron backscatter diffraction characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Lin; Chen Zhiyong; Zhan Congkun; Yang Xuyue; Liu Chuming; Cai Hongnian

2012-01-01

The microstructural evolution of adiabatic shear bands in annealed copper with different large strains at high strain rates has been investigated by electron backscatter diffraction. The results show that mechanical twinning can occur with minimal contribution to shear localization under dynamic loading. Elongated ultrafine grains with widths of 100–300 nm are observed during the evolution of the adiabatic shear bands. A rotational dynamic recrystallization mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of the elongated ultrafine grains. - Highlights: ► The microstructural evolution of ASB is studied by electron backscatter diffraction. ► Twinning can occur in ASB while the contribution to shear localization is slight. ► Elongated ultrafine grains are observed during the evolution process of ASB. ► A possible mechanism is proposed to explain the microstructure evolution of ASB.

Neutron-diffraction measurement of the evolution of strain for non-uniform plastic deformation

CERN Document Server

Rogge, R B; Boyce, D

2002-01-01

Neutrons are particularly adept for the validation of modeling predictions of stress and strain. In recent years, there has been a significant effort to model the evolution of both the macroscopic stresses and the intergranular stress during plastic deformation. These have had broad implications with regard to understanding the evolution of residual stress and to diffraction-based measurements of strain. Generally the modeling and associated measurements have been performed for simple uniaxial tension, leaving questions with regard to plastic deformation under multi-axial stress and non-uniform stress. Extensive measurements of the strain profile across a plastic hinge for each of a series of loading and unloading cycles to progressively higher degrees of plastic deformation are presented. These measurements are used to assess multiple-length-scale finite-element modeling (FEM) of the plastic hinge, in which the elements will range in size from single crystallites (as used in successful simulations of uniaxia...

Neutron-diffraction measurement of the evolution of strain for non-uniform plastic deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogge, R.B.; Dawson, P.R.; Boyce, D.

2002-01-01

Neutrons are particularly adept for the validation of modeling predictions of stress and strain. In recent years, there has been a significant effort to model the evolution of both the macroscopic stresses and the intergranular stress during plastic deformation. These have had broad implications with regard to understanding the evolution of residual stress and to diffraction-based measurements of strain. Generally the modeling and associated measurements have been performed for simple uniaxial tension, leaving questions with regard to plastic deformation under multi-axial stress and non-uniform stress. Extensive measurements of the strain profile across a plastic hinge for each of a series of loading and unloading cycles to progressively higher degrees of plastic deformation are presented. These measurements are used to assess multiple-length-scale finite-element modeling (FEM) of the plastic hinge, in which the elements will range in size from single crystallites (as used in successful simulations of uniaxial tension) to macroscopic elements (as typically used in FEM simulations). (orig.)

Experimental Evolution of Diverse Strains as a Method for the Determination of Biochemical Mechanisms of Action for Novel Pyrrolizidinone Antibiotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Beabout, Kathryn; McCurry, Megan D; Mehta, Heer; Shah, Akshay A; Pulukuri, Kiran Kumar; Rigol, Stephan; Wang, Yanping; Nicolaou, K C; Shamoo, Yousif

2017-11-10

The continuing rise of multidrug resistant pathogens has made it clear that in the absence of new antibiotics we are moving toward a "postantibiotic" world, in which even routine infections will become increasingly untreatable. There is a clear need for the development of new antibiotics with truly novel mechanisms of action to combat multidrug resistant pathogens. Experimental evolution to resistance can be a useful tactic for the characterization of the biochemical mechanism of action for antibiotics of interest. Herein, we demonstrate that the use of a diverse panel of strains with well-annotated reference genomes improves the success of using experimental evolution to characterize the mechanism of action of a novel pyrrolizidinone antibiotic analog. Importantly, we used experimental evolution under conditions that favor strongly polymorphic populations to adapt a panel of three substantially different Gram-positive species (lab strain Bacillus subtilis and clinical strains methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA131 and Enterococcus faecalis S613) to produce a sufficiently diverse set of evolutionary outcomes. Comparative whole genome sequencing (WGS) between the susceptible starting strain and the resistant strains was then used to identify the genetic changes within each species in response to the pyrrolizidinone. Taken together, the adaptive response across a range of organisms allowed us to develop a readily testable hypothesis for the mechanism of action of the CJ-16 264 analog. In conjunction with mitochondrial inhibition studies, we were able to elucidate that this novel pyrrolizidinone antibiotic is an electron transport chain (ETC) inhibitor. By studying evolution to resistance in a panel of different species of bacteria, we have developed an enhanced method for the characterization of new lead compounds for the discovery of new mechanisms of action.

Strain rate effect on fault slip and rupture evolution: Insight from meter-scale rock friction experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shiqing; Fukuyama, Eiichi; Yamashita, Futoshi; Mizoguchi, Kazuo; Takizawa, Shigeru; Kawakata, Hironori

2018-05-01

We conduct meter-scale rock friction experiments to study strain rate effect on fault slip and rupture evolution. Two rock samples made of Indian metagabbro, with a nominal contact dimension of 1.5 m long and 0.1 m wide, are juxtaposed and loaded in a direct shear configuration to simulate the fault motion. A series of experimental tests, under constant loading rates ranging from 0.01 mm/s to 1 mm/s and under a fixed normal stress of 6.7 MPa, are performed to simulate conditions with changing strain rates. Load cells and displacement transducers are utilized to examine the macroscopic fault behavior, while high-density arrays of strain gauges close to the fault are used to investigate the local fault behavior. The observations show that the macroscopic peak strength, strength drop, and the rate of strength drop can increase with increasing loading rate. At the local scale, the observations reveal that slow loading rates favor generation of characteristic ruptures that always nucleate in the form of slow slip at about the same location. In contrast, fast loading rates can promote very abrupt rupture nucleation and along-strike scatter of hypocenter locations. At a given propagation distance, rupture speed tends to increase with increasing loading rate. We propose that a strain-rate-dependent fault fragmentation process can enhance the efficiency of fault healing during the stick period, which together with healing time controls the recovery of fault strength. In addition, a strain-rate-dependent weakening mechanism can be activated during the slip period, which together with strain energy selects the modes of fault slip and rupture propagation. The results help to understand the spectrum of fault slip and rock deformation modes in nature, and emphasize the role of heterogeneity in tuning fault behavior under different strain rates.

On the evolution and modelling of lattice strains during the cyclic loading of TWIP steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleh, Ahmed A.; Pereloma, Elena V.; Clausen, Bjørn; Brown, Donald W.; Tomé, Carlos N.; Gazder, Azdiar A.

2013-01-01

The evolution of lattice strains in fully annealed Fe–24Mn–3Al–2Si–1Ni–0.06C twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel is investigated via in situ neutron diffraction during cyclic (tension–compression) loading between strain limits of ±1%. The pronounced Bauschinger effect observed upon load reversal is accounted for by a combination of the intergranular residual stresses and the intragranular sources of back stress, such as dislocation pile-ups at the intersection of stacking faults. The recently modified elasto-plastic self-consistent (EPSC) model which empirically accounts for both intergranular and intragranular back stresses has been successfully used to simulate the macroscopic stress–strain response and the evolution of the lattice strains. The EPSC model captures the experimentally observed tension–compression asymmetry as it accounts for the directionality of twinning as well as Schmid factor considerations. For the strain limits used in this study, the EPSC model also predicts that the lower flow stress on reverse shear loading reported in earlier Bauschinger-type experiments on TWIP steel is a geometrical or loading path effect

Coordinated Evolution of Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Regulation for Mitochondrial Functions in Yeast Strains.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuepeng Sun

Full Text Available Evolution of gene regulation has been proposed to play an important role in environmental adaptation. Exploring mechanisms underlying coordinated evolutionary changes at various levels of gene regulation could shed new light on how organism adapt in nature. In this study, we focused on regulatory differences between a laboratory Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BY4742 and a pathogenic S. cerevisiae strain, YJM789. The two strains diverge in many features, including growth rate, morphology, high temperature tolerance, and pathogenicity. Our RNA-Seq and ribosomal footprint profiling data showed that gene expression differences are pervasive, and genes functioning in mitochondria are mostly divergent between the two strains at both transcriptional and translational levels. Combining functional genomics data from other yeast strains, we further demonstrated that significant divergence of expression for genes functioning in the electron transport chain (ETC was likely caused by differential expression of a transcriptional factor, HAP4, and that post-transcriptional regulation mediated by an RNA-binding protein, PUF3, likely led to expression divergence for genes involved in mitochondrial translation. We also explored mito-nuclear interactions via mitochondrial DNA replacement between strains. Although the two mitochondrial genomes harbor substantial sequence divergence, neither growth nor gene expression were affected by mitochondrial DNA replacement in both fermentative and respiratory growth media, indicating compatible mitochondrial and nuclear genomes between these two strains in the tested conditions. Collectively, we used mitochondrial functions as an example to demonstrate for the first time that evolution at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels could lead to coordinated regulatory changes underlying strain specific functional variations.

Microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and strain hardening behavior of ultrafine grained commercial pure copper during the accumulative roll bonding process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fattah-alhosseini, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65178-38695 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Imantalab, O., E-mail: o.imantalab@gmail.com [Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65178-38695 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mazaheri, Y. [Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65178-38695 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Keshavarz, M.K. [Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal (Canada)

2016-01-05

In this study, the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and strain hardening behavior of commercial pure copper processed by the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images indicated that with increasing the number of ARB cycles, the grain size of samples decreased. An Ultrafine grained (UFG) structure with an average grain size of about 200 nm was achieved after four cycles of ARB. The yield and ultimate tensile strength of pure copper with the UFG microstructure was reached about 360 MPa and 396 MPa (about 400% and 100% higher than that of the annealed state), respectively. All ARB-processed copper samples showed lower strain hardening exponent in comparison with the annealed state. Moreover, the strain hardening rate increased with increasing ARB cycles up to 3 cycles and then decreased.

Microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and strain hardening behavior of ultrafine grained commercial pure copper during the accumulative roll bonding process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fattah-alhosseini, A.; Imantalab, O.; Mazaheri, Y.; Keshavarz, M.K.

2016-01-01

In this study, the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and strain hardening behavior of commercial pure copper processed by the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images indicated that with increasing the number of ARB cycles, the grain size of samples decreased. An Ultrafine grained (UFG) structure with an average grain size of about 200 nm was achieved after four cycles of ARB. The yield and ultimate tensile strength of pure copper with the UFG microstructure was reached about 360 MPa and 396 MPa (about 400% and 100% higher than that of the annealed state), respectively. All ARB-processed copper samples showed lower strain hardening exponent in comparison with the annealed state. Moreover, the strain hardening rate increased with increasing ARB cycles up to 3 cycles and then decreased.

Strain localization band width evolution by electronic speckle pattern interferometry strain rate measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guelorget, Bruno [Institut Charles Delaunay-LASMIS, Universite de technologie de Troyes, FRE CNRS 2848, 12 rue Marie Curie, B.P. 2060, 10010 Troyes Cedex (France)], E-mail: bruno.guelorget@utt.fr; Francois, Manuel; Montay, Guillaume [Institut Charles Delaunay-LASMIS, Universite de technologie de Troyes, FRE CNRS 2848, 12 rue Marie Curie, B.P. 2060, 10010 Troyes Cedex (France)

2009-04-15

In this paper, electronic speckle pattern interferometry strain rate measurements are used to quantify the width of the strain localization band, which occurs when a sheet specimen is submitted to tension. It is shown that the width of this band decreases with increasing strain. Just before fracture, this measured width is about five times wider than the shear band and the initial sheet thickness.

Effect of strain on evolution of dynamic recrystallization in Nb-1 wt%Zr-0.1 wt%C alloy at 1500 and 1600 °C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behera, A.N. [Mechanical Metallurgy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094 (India); Kapoor, R., E-mail: rkapoor@barc.gov.in [Mechanical Metallurgy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094 (India); Paul, B. [Materials Processing & Corrosion Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Chakravartty, J.K. [Mechanical Metallurgy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2017-04-15

Uniaxial compression tests were carried out on Nb-1 wt%Zr-0.1 wt%C alloy at temperature of 1500 and 1600 °C and strain rate of 0.1 s{sup −1} to study the evolution of dynamic recrystallization with strain. Electron back scatter diffraction was used to quantify the microstructural evolution. Nb-1Zr-0.1C alloy showed a necklace structure at a strain of 0.9 when deformed at 1500 °C and at strain of 0.6 when deformed at 1600 °C, both at strain rate of 0.1 s{sup −1}. This suggested the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization. At 1500 °C and strain of 0.9 the local average misorientation and the grain orientation spread was low confirming the presence of dynamic recrystallization at this deformation condition. At both 1500 and 1600 °C and all measured strains the recrystallized grains had a strong fiber component of <001>. - Highlights: • Necklace formation of dynamically recrystallized grains occurred at strain of 0.6 and 0.9 for 1500 and 1600 °C, respectively. • Equiaxed microstructures were seen with increase in strain for both 1500 and 1600 °C. • At large strains the predominant recrystallized texture evolved to <001> pole.

Evolution of strain localization in variable-width three-dimensional unsaturated laboratory-scale cut slopes

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, Michael S.; Lu, Ning; Wayllace, Alexandra; Godt, Jonathan W.

2017-01-01

To experimentally validate a recently developed theory for predicting the stability of cut slopes under unsaturated conditions, the authors measured increasing strain localization in unsaturated slope cuts prior to abrupt failure. Cut slope width and moisture content were controlled and varied in a laboratory, and a sliding door that extended the height of the free face of the slope was lowered until the cut slope failed. A particle image velocimetry tool was used to quantify soil displacement in the x-y">x-y (horizontal) and x-z">x-z (vertical) planes, and strain was calculated from the displacement. Areas of maximum strain localization prior to failure were shown to coincide with the location of the eventual failure plane. Experimental failure heights agreed with the recently developed stability theory for unsaturated cut slopes (within 14.3% relative error) for a range of saturation and cut slope widths. A theoretical threshold for sidewall influence on cut slope failures was also proposed to quantify the relationship between normalized sidewall width and critical height. The proposed relationship was consistent with the cut slope experiment results, and is intended for consideration in future geotechnical experiment design. The experimental data of evolution of strain localization presented herein provide a physical basis from which future numerical models of strain localization can be validated.

An efficient xylose-fermenting recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain obtained through adaptive evolution and its global transcription profile

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Yu; Chen, Xiao; Peng, Bingyin; Chen, Liyuan; Hou, Jin; Bao, Xiaoming [Shandong Univ., Jinan (China). State Key Lab. of Microbial Technology

2012-11-15

Factors related to ethanol production from xylose in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae that contain an exogenous initial metabolic pathway are still to be elucidated. In the present study, a strain that expresses the xylose isomerase gene of Piromyces sp. Pi-xylA and overexpresses XKS1, RPE1, RKI1, TAL1, and TKL1, with deleted GRE3 and COX4 genes was constructed. The xylose utilization capacity of the respiratory deficiency strain was poor but improved via adaptive evolution in xylose. The {mu}{sub max} of the evolved strain in 20 gl{sup -1} xylose is 0.11 {+-} 0.00 h{sup -1}, and the evolved strain consumed 17.83 gl{sup -1} xylose within 72 h, with an ethanol yield of 0.43 gg{sup -1} total consumed sugars during glucose-xylose cofermentation. Global transcriptional changes and effect of several specific genes were studied. The result revealed that the increased xylose isomerase activity, the upregulation of enzymes involved in glycolysis and glutamate synthesis, and the downregulation of trehalose and glycogen synthesis, may have contributed to the improved xylose utilization of the strain. Furthermore, the deletion of PHO13 decreased the xylose growth in the respiration deficiency strain although deleting PHO13 can improve the xylose metabolism in other strains. (orig.)

Markov chain modeling of evolution of strains in reinforced concrete flexural beams

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Anoop, M. B.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available From the analysis of experimentally observed variations in surface strains with loading in reinforced concrete beams, it is noted that there is a need to consider the evolution of strains (with loading as a stochastic process. Use of Markov Chains for modeling stochastic evolution of strains with loading in reinforced concrete flexural beams is studied in this paper. A simple, yet practically useful, bi-level homogeneous Gaussian Markov Chain (BLHGMC model is proposed for determining the state of strain in reinforced concrete beams. The BLHGMC model will be useful for predicting behavior/response of reinforced concrete beams leading to more rational design.A través del análisis de la evolución de la deformación superficial observada experimentalmente en vigas de hormigón armado al entrar en carga, se constata que dicho proceso debe considerarse estocástico. En este trabajo se estudia la utilización de cadenas de Markov para modelizar la evolución estocástica de la deformación de vigas flexotraccionadas. Se propone, para establecer el estado de deformación de estas, un modelo con distribución gaussiana tipo cadena de Markov homogénea de dos niveles (BLHGMC por sus siglas en inglés, cuyo empleo resulta sencillo y práctico. Se comprueba la utilidad del modelo BLHGMC para prever el comportamiento de estos elementos, lo que determina a su vez una mayor racionalidad a la hora de su cálculo y diseño

Directed evolution of Oenococcus oeni strains for more efficient malolactic fermentation in a multi-stressor wine environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jiao; Sumby, Krista M; Sundstrom, Joanna F; Grbin, Paul R; Jiranek, Vladimir

2018-08-01

High concentrations of ethanol, low pH, the presence of sulfur dioxide and some polyphenols have been reported to inhibit Oenococcus oeni growth, thereby negatively affecting malolactic fermentation (MLF) of wine. In order to generate superior O. oeni strains that can conduct more efficient MLF, despite these multiple stressors, a continuous culture approach was designed to directly evolve an existing ethanol tolerant O. oeni strain, A90. The strain was grown for ∼350 generations in a red wine-like environment with increasing levels of stressors. Three strains were selected from screening experiments based on their completion of fermentation in a synthetic wine/wine blend with 15.1% (v/v) ethanol, 26 mg/L SO 2 at pH 3.35 within 160 h, while the parent strain fermented no more than two thirds of l-malic acid in this medium. These superior strains also fermented faster and/or had a larger population in four different wines. A reduced or equivalent amount of the undesirable volatile, acetic acid, was produced by the optimised strains compared to a commercial strain in Mouvedre and Merlot wines. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using directed evolution as a tool to generate more efficient MLF starters tailored for wines with multiple stressors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasticity dependent damage evolution in composites with strain-gradient effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Legarth, Brian Nyvang

2015-01-01

. (2013). In this study the reinforcement is assumed perfectly stiff and consequently only one new cohesive material parameter is introduced. Results are shown for both conventional isotropy as well as plastic anisotropy with higher-order material behavior. Due to fiber-matrix decohesion a sudden stress......A unit cell approach is adopted to numerically analyze the effect of reinforcement size on fracture evolution in metal matrix composites. The matrix material shows plastic size-effects and is modeled by an anisotropic version of the single parameter strain-gradient (higher-order) plasticity model...... by Fleck and Hutchinson (2001). The fracture process along the fiber-matrix interface is modeled using a recently proposed cohesive law extension, where plasticity affects the fracture process as both the average as well as the jump in plastic strain across the interface are accounted for Tvergaard et al...

Strain hardening behavior and microstructural evolution during plastic deformation of dual phase, non-grain oriented electrical and AISI 304 steels

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Soares, Guilherme Corrêa; Gonzalez, Berenice Mendonça; Arruda Santos, Leandro de, E-mail: leandro.arruda@demet.ufmg.br

2017-01-27

Strain hardening behavior and microstructural evolution of non-grain oriented electrical, dual phase, and AISI 304 steels, subjected to uniaxial tensile tests, were investigated in this study. Tensile tests were performed at room temperature and the strain hardening behavior of the steels was characterized by three different parameters: modified Crussard–Jaoul stages, strain hardening rate and instantaneous strain hardening exponent. Optical microscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction measurements, phase quantification by Rietveld refinement and hardness tests were also carried out in order to correlate the microstructural and mechanical responses to plastic deformation. Distinct strain hardening stages were observed in the steels in terms of the instantaneous strain hardening exponent and the strain hardening rate. The dual phase and non-grain oriented steels exhibited a two-stage strain hardening behavior while the AISI 304 steel displayed multiple stages, resulting in a more complex strain hardening behavior. The dual phase steels showed a high work hardening capacity in stage 1, which was gradually reduced in stage 2. On the other hand, the AISI 304 steel showed high strain hardening capacity, which continued to increase up to the tensile strength. This is a consequence of its additional strain hardening mechanism, based on a strain-induced martensitic transformation, as shown by the X-ray diffraction and optical microscopic analyses.

Neuromuscular Strain Increases Symptom Intensity in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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Peter C Rowe

Full Text Available Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS is a complex, multisystem disorder that can be disabling. CFS symptoms can be provoked by increased physical or cognitive activity, and by orthostatic stress. In preliminary work, we noted that CFS symptoms also could be provoked by application of longitudinal neural and soft tissue strain to the limbs and spine of affected individuals. In this study we measured the responses to a straight leg raise neuromuscular strain maneuver in individuals with CFS and healthy controls. We randomly assigned 60 individuals with CFS and 20 healthy controls to either a 15 minute period of passive supine straight leg raise (true neuromuscular strain or a sham straight leg raise. The primary outcome measure was the symptom intensity difference between the scores during and 24 hours after the study maneuver compared to baseline. Fatigue, body pain, lightheadedness, concentration difficulties, and headache scores were measured individually on a 0-10 scale, and summed to create a composite symptom score. Compared to individuals with CFS in the sham strain group, those with CFS in the true strain group reported significantly increased body pain (P = 0.04 and concentration difficulties (P = 0.02 as well as increased composite symptom scores (all P = 0.03 during the maneuver. After 24 hours, the symptom intensity differences were significantly greater for the CFS true strain group for the individual symptom of lightheadedness (P = 0.001 and for the composite symptom score (P = 0.005. During and 24 hours after the exposure to the true strain maneuver, those with CFS had significantly higher individual and composite symptom intensity changes compared to the healthy controls. We conclude that a longitudinal strain applied to the nerves and soft tissues of the lower limb is capable of increasing symptom intensity in individuals with CFS for up to 24 hours. These findings support our preliminary observations that increased mechanical

Complex strain paths in polycrystalline copper: microstructural aspects

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M.F. Vieira

1999-07-01

Full Text Available Microstructural aspects of polycrystalline copper sheets subjected to complex strain paths were analysed in this work. Dislocation structures developed during the strain paths (rolling and tension and the evolution of this microstructure during reloading have been studied. The active slip systems developed in each strain path were used to explain the microstructural evolution. The heterogeneous surface deformation observed on polished tensile specimens prestrained in rolling was also analysed. The structural aspects are related with the mechanical behaviour of the material, namely with the increase in yield stress in reloading, the work hardening evolution and the premature occurrence of plastic instability for some prestrain values.

Internal strain evolution during heating of Ti-6Al-4V/SCS-6 composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, H.; Rangaswamy, P.; Bourke, M.A.M.

1999-01-01

The characteristics of the residual stresses and their effects on the properties in continuous SiC fiber reinforced Ti-6Al-4V matrix composites (TMCs) have been extensively studied. However, to date, few experimental studies (e.g. Ti-14Al-21Nb/SCS-6) have characterized the thermal residual strain in TMCs at elevated temperatures. Therefore, the authors investigated the evolution of the thermal residual strain during heating of Ti-6Al-4V/35vol% SiC composite. In this study the authors used in situ high temperature neutron diffraction to measure strains: (1) in the matrix (α and β phases) and in the fiber, (2) for several lattice reflections in each phase and (3) from both axial and the transverse directions. One distinguishing feature is the wide temperature range (from room temperature up to 1,170K) over which the study was performed. Although the proposed application temperature is typically less than 800K, TMCs are subject to higher temperatures during fabrication and may experience high temperature excursions while in service. Therefore, the authors extended the study to the high temperature regime where the matrix starts to undergo a phase transformation between αminus and βminusTi. Measurements from this regime (800approximately1,170K) provide insights on; (1) the inelastic relaxation of the residual strains through matrix yielding and creep, (2) the effect of the phase transformation on the residual strains and (3) the effect of the presence of SiC on the matrix phase evolution

Adaptive laboratory evolution of ethanologenic Zymomonas mobilis strain tolerant to furfural and acetic acid inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Shui, Zong-Xia; Qin, Han; Wu, Bo; Ruan, Zhi-yong; Wang, Lu-shang; Tan, Fu-Rong; Wang, Jing-Li; Tang, Xiao-Yu; Dai, Li-Chun; Hu, Guo-Quan; He, Ming-Xiong

2015-07-01

Furfural and acetic acid from lignocellulosic hydrolysates are the prevalent inhibitors to Zymomonas mobilis during cellulosic ethanol production. Developing a strain tolerant to furfural or acetic acid inhibitors is difficul by using rational engineering strategies due to poor understanding of their underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, strategy of adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was used for development of a furfural and acetic acid-tolerant strain. After three round evolution, four evolved mutants (ZMA7-2, ZMA7-3, ZMF3-2, and ZMF3-3) that showed higher growth capacity were successfully obtained via ALE method. Based on the results of profiling of cell growth, glucose utilization, ethanol yield, and activity of key enzymes, two desired strains, ZMA7-2 and ZMF3-3, were achieved, which showed higher tolerance under 7 g/l acetic acid and 3 g/l furfural stress condition. Especially, it is the first report of Z. mobilis strain that could tolerate higher furfural. The best strain, Z. mobilis ZMF3-3, has showed 94.84% theoretical ethanol yield under 3-g/l furfural stress condition, and the theoretical ethanol yield of ZM4 is only 9.89%. Our study also demonstrated that ALE method might also be used as a powerful metabolic engineering tool for metabolic engineering in Z. mobilis. Furthermore, the two best strains could be used as novel host for further metabolic engineering in cellulosic ethanol or future biorefinery. Importantly, the two strains may also be used as novel-tolerant model organisms for the genetic mechanism on the "omics" level, which will provide some useful information for inverse metabolic engineering.

Temperature dependence of microstructure and strain evolution in strained ZnO films on Al2O3(0001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, In-Woo; Lee, Kyu-Mann

2008-01-01

We have studied the temperature dependence of the growth mode and microstructure evolution in highly mismatched sputter-grown ZnO/Al 2 O 3 (0001) heteroepitaxial films. The growth mode was studied by real-time synchrotron x-ray scattering. We find that the growth mode changes from a two-dimensional (2D) layer to a 3D island in the early growth stage with temperature (300-600 deg. C), in sharp contrast to the reported transition from three dimensions to two dimensions in metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. At around 400 deg. C intermediate 2D platelets nucleate in the early stage, which act as nucleation cores of 3D islands and transform to a misaligned state during further growth. Meanwhile, at high temperature (above 500 deg. C), the spinel structure of ZnAl 2 O 4 grows in the early stage, and it undergoes a transition to wurtzite-ZnO (w-ZnO) with thickness. The spinel formation is presumably driven by high temperature and large incident energy of impacting atoms during sputtering. The results of the strain evolution as functions of temperature and thickness during growth suggest that the surface diffusion is a major factor determining the microstructural properties in the strained ZnO/Al 2 O 3 (0001) heteroepitaxy

Micro-Structural Evolution and Size-Effects in Plastically Deformed Single Crystals: Strain Gradient Continuum Modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Naaman, Salim Abdallah

the macroscopic effects related to strain gradients, most predict smooth micro-structures. The evolution of dislocation micro-structures, during plastic straining of ductile crystalline materials, is highly complex and nonuniform. Published experimental measurements on deformed metal crystals show distinct......An extensive amount of research has been devoted to the development of micro-mechanics based gradient plasticity continuum theories, which are necessary for modeling micron-scale plasticity when large spatial gradients of plastic strain appear. While many models have proven successful in capturing...... strain. It is clear that many challenges are associated with modeling dislocation structures, within a framework based on continuum fields, however, since the strain gradient effects are attributed to the dislocation micro-structure, it is a natural step, in the further development of gradient theories...

Laboratory Evolution of a Biotin-Requiring Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain for Full Biotin Prototrophy and Identification of Causal Mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bracher, Jasmine M; de Hulster, Erik; Koster, Charlotte C; van den Broek, Marcel; Daran, Jean-Marc G; van Maris, Antonius J A; Pronk, Jack T

2017-08-15

Biotin prototrophy is a rare, incompletely understood, and industrially relevant characteristic of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. The genome of the haploid laboratory strain CEN.PK113-7D contains a full complement of biotin biosynthesis genes, but its growth in biotin-free synthetic medium is extremely slow (specific growth rate [μ] ≈ 0.01 h -1 ). Four independent evolution experiments in repeated batch cultures and accelerostats yielded strains whose growth rates (μ ≤ 0.36 h -1 ) in biotin-free and biotin-supplemented media were similar. Whole-genome resequencing of these evolved strains revealed up to 40-fold amplification of BIO1 , which encodes pimeloyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase. The additional copies of BIO1 were found on different chromosomes, and its amplification coincided with substantial chromosomal rearrangements. A key role of this gene amplification was confirmed by overexpression of BIO1 in strain CEN.PK113-7D, which enabled growth in biotin-free medium (μ = 0.15 h -1 ). Mutations in the membrane transporter genes TPO1 and/or PDR12 were found in several of the evolved strains. Deletion of TPO1 and PDR12 in a BIO1 -overexpressing strain increased its specific growth rate to 0.25 h -1 The effects of null mutations in these genes, which have not been previously associated with biotin metabolism, were nonadditive. This study demonstrates that S. cerevisiae strains that carry the basic genetic information for biotin synthesis can be evolved for full biotin prototrophy and identifies new targets for engineering biotin prototrophy into laboratory and industrial strains of this yeast. IMPORTANCE Although biotin (vitamin H) plays essential roles in all organisms, not all organisms can synthesize this vitamin. Many strains of baker's yeast, an important microorganism in industrial biotechnology, contain at least some of the genes required for biotin synthesis. However, most of these strains cannot synthesize biotin at all or do so at rates that are

Laboratory Evolution of a Biotin-Requiring Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain for Full Biotin Prototrophy and Identification of Causal Mutations

Science.gov (United States)

de Hulster, Erik; Koster, Charlotte C.; van den Broek, Marcel; van Maris, Antonius J. A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Biotin prototrophy is a rare, incompletely understood, and industrially relevant characteristic of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. The genome of the haploid laboratory strain CEN.PK113-7D contains a full complement of biotin biosynthesis genes, but its growth in biotin-free synthetic medium is extremely slow (specific growth rate [μ] ≈ 0.01 h−1). Four independent evolution experiments in repeated batch cultures and accelerostats yielded strains whose growth rates (μ ≤ 0.36 h−1) in biotin-free and biotin-supplemented media were similar. Whole-genome resequencing of these evolved strains revealed up to 40-fold amplification of BIO1, which encodes pimeloyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase. The additional copies of BIO1 were found on different chromosomes, and its amplification coincided with substantial chromosomal rearrangements. A key role of this gene amplification was confirmed by overexpression of BIO1 in strain CEN.PK113-7D, which enabled growth in biotin-free medium (μ = 0.15 h−1). Mutations in the membrane transporter genes TPO1 and/or PDR12 were found in several of the evolved strains. Deletion of TPO1 and PDR12 in a BIO1-overexpressing strain increased its specific growth rate to 0.25 h−1. The effects of null mutations in these genes, which have not been previously associated with biotin metabolism, were nonadditive. This study demonstrates that S. cerevisiae strains that carry the basic genetic information for biotin synthesis can be evolved for full biotin prototrophy and identifies new targets for engineering biotin prototrophy into laboratory and industrial strains of this yeast. IMPORTANCE Although biotin (vitamin H) plays essential roles in all organisms, not all organisms can synthesize this vitamin. Many strains of baker's yeast, an important microorganism in industrial biotechnology, contain at least some of the genes required for biotin synthesis. However, most of these strains cannot synthesize biotin at all or do so at rates

Strain and texture evolution of ED-rotated cubes during quasi-static and dynamic tensile testing of Al-Mg-Si-profiles in the as-extruded T1-temper condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathiesen, R.H.; Forbord, B.; Mardalen, J.; Furu, T.; Lange, H.I.

2007-01-01

High-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction has been used to study through-thickness deformation response in extruded Al-Mg-Si-profiles during tensile testing, in terms of micro- and mesoscopic distributions and dynamical evolution of elastic strains and grain rotations. Local averaging with analysis at intermediate length scales reveals strongly inhomogeneous through-profile elastic strains, caused by the presence of three distinct microstructure regions and the compatibility relations that apply at their interfaces. Variations in elastic strains at characteristic microstructure lengths are found to be large; typically 1σ Gaussian spreads for the different ε ij -components of the elastic strain tensor are minimal and of the order 1.0 x 10 -3 in the central profile region at low stresses. The spread increases with the tensile loads, but even more dramatically with decreasing distance to the surfaces where maximum 1σ spreads up to 6-7 x 10 -3 are encountered. The evolution and distribution of certain texture components have been analysed, showing grain rotations to be a non-negligible part of the deformation response that activates at quite modest plastic deformations. Inhomogeneous strain response at local and intermediate length scales together with the strain and texture component relations that apply across the microstructure region boundaries are found to be decisive to surface roughening. All together, the results point in the direction that strain and texture evolution should be considered together in order to provide a more complete description of microstructure mechanics in metals

Influence of vaccine strains on the evolution of canine distemper virus.

Science.gov (United States)

da Fontoura Budaszewski, Renata; Streck, André Felipe; Nunes Weber, Matheus; Maboni Siqueira, Franciele; Muniz Guedes, Rafael Lucas; Wageck Canal, Cláudio

2016-07-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a major dog pathogen belonging to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. CDV causes disease and high mortality in dogs and wild carnivores. Although homologous recombination has been demonstrated in many members of Paramyxoviridae, these events have rarely been reported for CDV. To detect potential recombination events, the complete CDV genomes available in GenBank up to June 2015 were screened using distinct algorithms to detect genetic conversions and incongruent phylogenies. Eight putative recombinant viruses derived from different CDV genotypes and different hosts were detected. The breakpoints of the recombinant strains were primarily located on fusion and hemagglutinin glycoproteins. These results suggest that homologous recombination is a frequent phenomenon in morbillivirus populations under natural replication, and CDV vaccine strains might play an important role in shaping the evolution of this virus.

Evolution of Sequence Type 4821 Clonal Complex Meningococcal Strains in China from Prequinolone to Quinolone Era, 1972–2013

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qinglan; Mustapha, Mustapha M.; Chen, Mingliang; Qu, Di; Zhang, Xi; Harrison, Lee H.

2018-01-01

The expansion of hypervirulent sequence type 4821 clonal complex (CC4821) lineage Neisseria meningitidis bacteria has led to a shift in meningococcal disease epidemiology in China, from serogroup A (MenA) to MenC. Knowledge of the evolution and genetic origin of the emergent MenC strains is limited. In this study, we subjected 76 CC4821 isolates collected across China during 1972–1977 and 2005–2013 to phylogenetic analysis, traditional genotyping, or both. We show that successive recombination events within genes encoding surface antigens and acquisition of quinolone resistance mutations possibly played a role in the emergence of CC4821 as an epidemic clone in China. MenC and MenB CC4821 strains have spread across China and have been detected in several countries in different continents. Capsular switches involving serogroups B and C occurred among epidemic strains, raising concerns regarding possible increases in MenB disease, given that vaccines in use in China do not protect against MenB. PMID:29553310

Caenorhabditis briggsae recombinant inbred line genotypes reveal inter-strain incompatibility and the evolution of recombination.

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Joseph A Ross

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae is an emerging model organism that allows evolutionary comparisons with C. elegans and exploration of its own unique biological attributes. To produce a high-resolution C. briggsae recombination map, recombinant inbred lines were generated from reciprocal crosses between two strains and genotyped at over 1,000 loci. A second set of recombinant inbred lines involving a third strain was also genotyped at lower resolution. The resulting recombination maps exhibit discrete domains of high and low recombination, as in C. elegans, indicating these are a general feature of Caenorhabditis species. The proportion of a chromosome's physical size occupied by the central, low-recombination domain is highly correlated between species. However, the C. briggsae intra-species comparison reveals striking variation in the distribution of recombination between domains. Hybrid lines made with the more divergent pair of strains also exhibit pervasive marker transmission ratio distortion, evidence of selection acting on hybrid genotypes. The strongest effect, on chromosome III, is explained by a developmental delay phenotype exhibited by some hybrid F2 animals. In addition, on chromosomes IV and V, cross direction-specific biases towards one parental genotype suggest the existence of cytonuclear epistatic interactions. These interactions are discussed in relation to surprising mitochondrial genome polymorphism in C. briggsae, evidence that the two strains diverged in allopatry, the potential for local adaptation, and the evolution of Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities. The genetic and genomic resources resulting from this work will support future efforts to understand inter-strain divergence as well as facilitate studies of gene function, natural variation, and the evolution of recombination in Caenorhabditis nematodes.

Strain rate sensitivity and evolution of dislocations and twins in a twinning-induced plasticity steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Z.Y.; Wang, X.; Huang, W.; Huang, M.X.

2015-01-01

The present work investigated the effect of strain rates (10 −3 to 10 3 s −1 ) on the deformation behaviour of a twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel. The strain rate sensitivity was studied in terms of instantaneous strain rate sensitivity (ISRS) and strain rate sensitivity of work-hardening (SRSW). While ISRS concerns the instantaneous flow stress change upon strain rate jump, SRSW deals with the subsequent modification in microstructure evolution, i.e. change of work-hardening rate. The present TWIP steel demonstrates a positive ISRS which remains stable during deformation and a negative SRSW, i.e. lower work-hardening rate at higher strain rate. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments indicate that the negative SRSW should be attributed to the suppression of dislocations and deformation twins at high strain rate. This unexpected finding is different to conventional face-centred cubic (fcc) metals which generally show enhanced work-hardening rate at higher strain rate. A constitutive model which is strain rate- and temperature-dependent is developed to explain the stable ISRS and the negative SRSW. The modelling results reveal that the stable ISRS should be attributed to the thermally-activated dislocation motion dominated by interstitial carbon atoms and the negative SRSW should be due to the suppression of the dislocations and deformation twins caused by the adiabatic heating associated with high strain rate deformation

Insight Into the Origin and Evolution of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus Pandemic Strain

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Romilio T. Espejo

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that emerged in 1995 caused the first known pandemic involving this species. This strain comprises clonal autochthonous ocean-dwelling bacteria whose evolution has occurred in the ocean environment. The low sequence diversity in this population enabled the discovery of information on its origin and evolution that has been hidden in bacterial clones that have evolved over a long period. Multilocus sequencing and microarray analysis, together with phylogenetic analysis, of pandemic and pre-pandemic isolates has suggested that the founder clone was an O3:K6 non-pathogenic strain that initially acquired a toxRS/new region and subsequently acquired at least seven novel genomic islands. Sequencing and comparison of whole genomes later confirmed these early observations, and it confirmed that most of the genetic changes occurred via gene conversion involving horizontally transmitted DNA. The highly clonal population rapidly diversified, especially in terms of antigenicity, and 27 serotypes have already been reported. Comparisons of the core genomes derived from the founder clone indicate that there are only a few hundred single-nucleotide variations between isolates. However, when the whole genome is considered (the core plus non-core genome and from any clonal frame, the amount of DNA with a different clonal frame can reach up to 4.2% and the number of single-nucleotide variations can reach several hundred thousand. Altogether, these and previous observations based on multilocus sequence typing, microarray analysis, and whole-genome sequencing indicate the large contribution made by DNA with different clonal genealogy to genome diversification. The evidence also indicates that horizontal gene transfer (HGT caused the emergence of new pathogens. Furthermore, the extent of HGT seems to depend on the vicissitudes of the life of each bacterium, as exemplified by differences in thousands of base pairs acquired by HGT

Dealloyed Pt3Co nanoparticles with higher geometric strain for superior hydrogen evolution reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Saquib, Mohammad; Halder, Aditi

2018-06-01

In the present work, the effect of surface strain in the carbon supported Pt3Co dealloy catalyst towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been reported. Dealloying process is adopted to generate the geometric strain in Pt3Co/C alloy by preferential dissolution of non-noble metal (Co) from the alloy. The developed geometric strain has been estimated by different microstructural characterization techniques. Electrochemical studies showed that the highest current density for HER was obtained for Pt3Co/C dealloy catalyst and it was nearly 2 and 5 times higher than Pt3Co/C alloy and Pt/C respectively. Tafel slope for HER was improved from 49 (Pt/C) to 34 mV dec-1 (Pt3Co/C dealloy), indicating that the surface strain plays important role in the improvement of the catalytic activity of Pt3Co catalyst. The chronoamperometry data, LSV curves and ECSA values before and after chronoamperometry confirmed that Pt3Co/C dealloy catalyst was a stable as well as a durable electrocatalyst for HER.

Increased effects of machining damage in beryllium observed at high strain rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beitscher, S.; Brewer, A.W.; Corle, R.R.

1980-01-01

Tensile tests at both low and high strain rates, and also impact shear tests, were performed on a weldable grade powder-source beryllium. Impact energies increased by a factor of 2 to 3 from the as-machined level after etching or annealing. Similar increases in the ductility from machining damage removal were observed from the tensile data at the higher strain rate (10 s -1 ) while an insignificant increase in elongation was measured at the lower strain rate (10 -4 s -1 ). High strain-rate tests appear to be more sensitive and reliable for evaluating machining practice and damage removal methods for beryllium components subjected to sudden loads. 2 tables

Microstructure and micro-texture evolution during large strain deformation of aluminium alloy AA 2219

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murty, S.V.S. Narayana [Materials and Mechanical Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Trivandrum-695 022 (India); Sarkar, Aditya [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar-382 424 (India); Narayanan, P. Ramesh; Venkitakrishnan, P.V. [Materials and Mechanical Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Trivandrum-695 022 (India); Mukhopadhyay, J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar-382 424 (India)

2016-11-20

Aluminium alloy AA2219 is widely used in the fabrication of propellant tanks of cryogenic stages of satellite launch vehicles. These propellant tanks are welded structures and a fine grained microstructure is usually preferred for sheets/plates and ring rolled rings used in their fabrication. In order to study the effect of large strain deformation on the microstructural evolution, hot isothermal plane strain compression (PSC) tests were conducted on AA 2219 in the temperature range of 250 °C–400 °C and at strain rates of 0.01 s{sup −1} and 1 s{sup −1}. Flow curves obtained at different temperatures and strain rates exhibited two types of behavior; one with a clear stress peak followed by softening, occurring below Z=2.5E+15 and steady state flow behavior above it. Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis of the PSC tested samples at the location of maximum strain revealed the presence of lamellar microstructures with very low fraction of transverse high angle boundaries (HABs). The loss of HABs during large strain deformation is attributed to the occurrence of dynamic recovery (DRV) as the ratio of calculated to measured lamellar boundary width is less than unity. Based on detailed microstructure and micro texture analysis, it was concluded that it is very difficult to obtain large fraction of HABs through uniaxial large strain deformation. Therefore, to obtain fine grain microstructure in thermo-mechanically processed AA2219 products, multi-axial deformation is essential.

On modeling micro-structural evolution using a higher order strain gradient continuum theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Naaman, S. A.; Nielsen, K. L.; Niordson, C. F.

2016-01-01

is to improve the micro-structural response predicted using strain gradient crystal plasticity within a continuum mechanics framework. One approach to modeling the dislocation structures observed is through a back stress formulation, which can be related directly to the strain gradient energy. The present work...... the experimentally observed micro-structural behavior, within a framework based on continuous field quantities, poses obvious challenges, since the evolution of dislocation structures is inherently a discrete and discontinuous process. This challenge, in particular, motivates the present study, and the aim...... offers an investigation of constitutive equations for the back stress based on both considerations of the gradient energy, but also includes results obtained from a purely phenomenological starting point. The influence of model parameters is brought out in a parametric study, and it is demonstrated how...

Engineering and two-stage evolution of a lignocellulosic hydrolysate-tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for anaerobic fermentation of xylose from AFEX pretreated corn stover.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas S Parreiras

Full Text Available The inability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment xylose effectively under anaerobic conditions is a major barrier to economical production of lignocellulosic biofuels. Although genetic approaches have enabled engineering of S. cerevisiae to convert xylose efficiently into ethanol in defined lab medium, few strains are able to ferment xylose from lignocellulosic hydrolysates in the absence of oxygen. This limited xylose conversion is believed to result from small molecules generated during biomass pretreatment and hydrolysis, which induce cellular stress and impair metabolism. Here, we describe the development of a xylose-fermenting S. cerevisiae strain with tolerance to a range of pretreated and hydrolyzed lignocellulose, including Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX-pretreated corn stover hydrolysate (ACSH. We genetically engineered a hydrolysate-resistant yeast strain with bacterial xylose isomerase and then applied two separate stages of aerobic and anaerobic directed evolution. The emergent S. cerevisiae strain rapidly converted xylose from lab medium and ACSH to ethanol under strict anaerobic conditions. Metabolomic, genetic and biochemical analyses suggested that a missense mutation in GRE3, which was acquired during the anaerobic evolution, contributed toward improved xylose conversion by reducing intracellular production of xylitol, an inhibitor of xylose isomerase. These results validate our combinatorial approach, which utilized phenotypic strain selection, rational engineering and directed evolution for the generation of a robust S. cerevisiae strain with the ability to ferment xylose anaerobically from ACSH.

Residual strain evolution during the deformation of single fiber metal matrix composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanan, J.C.; Uestuendag, E.; Clausen, B. [Dept. of Materials Science, California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA (United States); Sivasambu, M.; Beyerlein, I.J. [Theoretical Div., Los Alamos National Lab., Los Alamos, NM (United States); Brown, D.W.; Bourke, M.A.M. [Materials Science and Technology Div., Los Alamos National Lab., Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2002-07-01

Successful application of metal matrix composites often requires strength and lifetime predictions that account for the deformation of each phase. Yet, the deformation of individual phases in composites usually differs significantly from their respective monolithic behaviors. An approach is presented that quantifies the deformation parameters of each phase using neutron diffraction measurements before, during, and after failure under tensile loading in model composites consisting of a single alumina fiber embedded in an aluminum matrix. The evolution of residual strains after loading was examined including the effects of fiber failure. (orig.)

Inherited differences in crossing over and gene conversion frequencies between wild strains of Sordaria fimicola from "Evolution Canyon".

Science.gov (United States)

Saleem, M; Lamb, B C; Nevo, E

2001-12-01

Recombination generates new combinations of existing genetic variation and therefore may be important in adaptation and evolution. We investigated whether there was natural genetic variation for recombination frequencies and whether any such variation was environment related and possibly adaptive. Crossing over and gene conversion frequencies often differed significantly in a consistent direction between wild strains of the fungus Sordaria fimicola isolated from a harsher or a milder microscale environment in "Evolution Canyon," Israel. First- and second-generation descendants from selfing the original strains from the harsher, more variable, south-facing slope had higher frequencies of crossing over in locus-centromere intervals and of gene conversion than those from the lusher north-facing slopes. There were some significant differences between strains within slopes, but these were less marked than between slopes. Such inherited variation could provide a basis for natural selection for optimum recombination frequencies in each environment. There were no significant differences in meiotic hybrid DNA correction frequencies between strains from the different slopes. The conversion analysis was made using only conversions to wild type, because estimations of conversion to mutant were affected by a high frequency of spontaneous mutation. There was no polarized segregation of chromosomes at meiosis I or of chromatids at meiosis II.

Strain path dependency in metal plasticity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Viatkina, E.M.; Brekelmans, W.A.M.; Geers, M.G.D.

2003-01-01

A change in strain path has a significant effect on the mechanical response of metals. Strain path change effects physically originate from a complex microstructure evolution. This paper deals with the contribution of cell structure evolution to the strain path change effect. The material with cells

Evolution of an electron plasma vortex in a strain flow

Science.gov (United States)

Danielson, J. R.

2016-10-01

Coherent vortex structures are ubiquitous in fluids and plasmas and are examples of self-organized structures in nonlinear dynamical systems. The fate of these structures in strain and shear flows is an important issue in many physical systems, including geophysical fluids and shear suppression of turbulence in plasmas. In two-dimensions, an inviscid, incompressible, ideal fluid can be modeled with the Euler equations, which is perhaps the simplest system that supports vortices. The Drift-Poisson equations for pure electron plasmas in a strong, uniform magnetic field are isomorphic to the Euler equations, and so electron plasmas are an excellent test bed for the study of 2D vortex dynamics. This talk will describe results from a new experiment using pure electron plasmas in a specially designed Penning-Malmberg (PM) trap to study the evolution of an initially axisymmetric 2D vortex subject to externally imposed strains. Complementary vortex-in-cell simulations are conducted to validate the 2D nature of the experimental results and to extend the parameter range of these studies. Data for vortex destruction using both instantaneously applied and time dependent strains with flat (constant vorticity) and extended radial profiles will be presented. The role of vortex self-organization will be discussed. A simple 2D model works well for flat vorticity profiles. However, extended profiles exhibit more complicated behavior, such as filamentation and stripping; and these effects and their consequences will be discussed. Work done in collaboration with N. C. Hurst, D. H. E. Dubin, and C. M. Surko.

In Situ Investigation of the Evolution of Lattice Strain and Stresses in Austenite and Martensite During Quenching and Tempering of Steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, M.; Niessen, F.; Somers, M. A. J.

2018-01-01

Energy dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate in situ the evolution of lattice strains and stresses in austenite and martensite during quenching and tempering of a soft martensitic stainless steel. In one experiment, lattice strains in austenite and martensite were...... measured in situ in the direction perpendicular to the sample surface during an austenitization, quenching, and tempering cycle. In a second experiment, the sin2ψ method was applied in situ during the austenite-to-martensite transformation to distinguish between macro- and phase-specific micro......-stresses and to follow the evolution of these stresses during transformation. Martensite formation evokes compressive stress in austenite that is balanced by tensile stress in martensite. Tempering to 748 K (475 °C) leads to partial relaxation of these stresses. Additionally, data reveal that (elastic) lattice strain...

Evaluating location specific strain rates, temperatures, and accumulated strains in friction welds through microstructure modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javed Akram

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A microstructural simulation method is adopted to predict the location specific strain rates, temperatures, grain evolution, and accumulated strains in the Inconel 718 friction welds. Cellular automata based 2D microstructure model was developed for Inconel 718 alloy using theoretical aspects of dynamic recrystallization. Flow curves were simulated and compared with experimental results using hot deformation parameter obtained from literature work. Using validated model, simulations were performed for friction welds of Inconel 718 alloy generated at three rotational speed i.e., 1200, 1500, and 1500 RPM. Results showed the increase in strain rates with increasing rotational speed. These simulated strain rates were found to match with the analytical results. Temperature difference of 150 K was noticed from center to edge of the weld. At all the rotational speeds, the temperature was identical implying steady state temperature (0.89Tm attainment. Keywords: Microstructure modeling, Dynamic recrystallization, Friction welding, Inconel 718, EBSD, Hot deformation, Strain map

Sandbox rheometry: Co-evolution of stress and strain in Riedel- and Critical Wedge-experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Ritter, Malte C.; Santimano, Tasca; Rosenau, Matthias; Leever, Karen; Oncken, Onno

2018-01-01

Analogue sandbox experiments have been used for a long time to understand tectonic processes, because they facilitate detailed measurements of deformation at a spatio-temporal resolution unachievable from natural data. Despite this long history, force measurements to further characterise the mechanical evolution in analogue sandbox experiments have only emerged recently. Combined continuous measurements of forces and deformation in such experiments, an approach here referred to as "sandbox rheometry", are a new tool that may help to better understand work budgets and force balances for tectonic systems and to derive constitutive laws for regional scale deformation. In this article we present an experimental device that facilitates precise measurements of boundary forces and surface deformation at high temporal and spatial resolution. We demonstrate its capabilities in two classical experiments: one of strike-slip deformation (the Riedel set-up) and one of compressional accretionary deformation (the Critical Wedge set-up). In these we are able to directly observe a correlation between strain weakening and strain localisation that had previously only been inferred, namely the coincidence of the maximum localisation rate with the onset of weakening. Additionally, we observe in the compressional experiment a hysteresis of localisation with respect to the mechanical evolution that reflects the internal structural complexity of an accretionary wedge.

Morphological evolution and internal strain mapping of pomelo peel using X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation

KAUST Repository

Wang, B.; Pan, B.; Lubineau, Gilles

2017-01-01

, and the evolution of both bundles bending and large strain domain from endocarp to mesocarp are explored. Based on the experimental results, the microstructure-related mechanical properties of pomelo peels in response to compressive loading that demonstrates nearly

How fault evolution changes strain partitioning and fault slip rates in Southern California: Results from geodynamic modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Jiyang; Liu, Mian

2017-08-01

In Southern California, the Pacific-North America relative plate motion is accommodated by the complex southern San Andreas Fault system that includes many young faults (faults and their impact on strain partitioning and fault slip rates are important for understanding the evolution of this plate boundary zone and assessing earthquake hazard in Southern California. Using a three-dimensional viscoelastoplastic finite element model, we have investigated how this plate boundary fault system has evolved to accommodate the relative plate motion in Southern California. Our results show that when the plate boundary faults are not optimally configured to accommodate the relative plate motion, strain is localized in places where new faults would initiate to improve the mechanical efficiency of the fault system. In particular, the Eastern California Shear Zone, the San Jacinto Fault, the Elsinore Fault, and the offshore dextral faults all developed in places of highly localized strain. These younger faults compensate for the reduced fault slip on the San Andreas Fault proper because of the Big Bend, a major restraining bend. The evolution of the fault system changes the apportionment of fault slip rates over time, which may explain some of the slip rate discrepancy between geological and geodetic measurements in Southern California. For the present fault configuration, our model predicts localized strain in western Transverse Ranges and along the dextral faults across the Mojave Desert, where numerous damaging earthquakes occurred in recent years.

Evolution of Neutralization Response in HIV-1 Subtype C-Infected Individuals Exhibiting Broad Cross-Clade Neutralization of HIV-1 Strains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narayanaiah Cheedarla

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Strain-specific neutralizing antibodies develop in all human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1-infected individuals. However, only 10–30% of infected individuals produce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs. Identification and characterization of these bNAbs and understanding their evolution dynamics are critical for obtaining useful clues for the development of an effective HIV vaccine. Very recently, we published a study in which we identified 12 HIV-1 subtype C-infected individuals from India whose plasma showed potent and broad cross-clade neutralization (BCN ability (1. In the present study, we report our findings on the evolution of host bNAb response over a period of 4 years in a subset of these individuals. Three of the five individuals (NAB033, NAB059, and NAB065 demonstrated a significant increase (p < 0.05 in potency. Interestingly, two of the three samples also showed a significant increase in CD4 binding site-specific antibody response, maintained stable CD4+ T cell counts (>350 cells/mm3 and continued to remain ART-naïve for more than 10 years after initial diagnosis, implying a strong clinical correlation with the development and evolution of broadly neutralizing antibody response against HIV-1.

Modeling and Measurement of Stress and Strain Evolution in Cu Interconnects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besser, Paul R.; Zhai, Charlie Jun

2004-01-01

The damascene fabrication method and the introduction of low-K dielectrics present a host of reliability challenges to Cu interconnects and fundamentally change the mechanical stress state of Cu lines used as interconnects for integrated circuits. In order to capture the effect of individual process steps on the stress evolution in the BEoL (Back End of Line), a process-oriented finite element modeling (FEM) approach was developed. In this model, the complete stress history at any step of BEoL can be simulated as a dual damascene Cu structure is fabricated. The model was calibrated with both wafer-curvature blanket film measurements and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) measurement of metal line stress. The Cu line stress evolution was simulated during the process of multi-step processing for dual damascene Cu/TEOS and Cu/low-k structures. The in-plane stress of Cu lines is nearly independent of subsequent processes, while the out-of-plane stress increases considerably with the subsequent process steps. The modeling results will be compared with recent XRD measurements and extended generically to illustrate the relative influence of the dielectric (ILD) modulus (E) and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) on strain/stress in the Cu lines. It will be shown that the stress magnitude and state (hydrostatic, deviatoric) depend on ILD properties. The stress along the line length (longitudinal) is substrate-dominated, while the transverse and normal stresses vary with both CTE and modulus of the dielectric. The hydrostatic stress is primarily determined by ILD modulus and is nearly independent of the ILD CTE, while the Von Mises stress depends on both CTE and E of the ILD. The stress of the Cu line tends to be more deviatoric with spin-on low K ILDs, and more hydrostatic with oxide encapsulation

Evolution of phase structure and giant strain at low driving fields in Bi-based lead-free incipient piezoelectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maqbool, Adnan; Hussain, Ali; Malik, Rizwan Ahmed; Rahman, Jamil Ur; Zaman, Arif; Song, Tae Kwon; Kim, Won-Jeong; Kim, Myong-Ho

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nb-doped BNBT–SZ ceramics were prepared by conventional solid state method. • A giant normalized strain of 825 pm/V at 4 kV/mm was achieved. • A large strain of 0.20% triggered at a relatively low field of 3 kV/mm. • Highest strain obtained in BNT-based ceramics at such a low driving field. • Ferroelectric to ergodic-relaxor phase transition occurred with Nb-doping. - Abstract: Lead-free 0.99[(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 ) 0.935 Ba 0.065 Ti (1–x) Nb x O 3 ]–0.01SrZrO 3 (BNBTNb100x–SZ, with Nb100x = 0–1) ceramics were prepared by the conventional mixed oxide route. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering was utilized for the structural evolution of Nb-modified BNBT–SZ ceramics at average and short-scale localized structure. Temperature dependent dielectric properties showed ferroelectric–ergodic relaxor (FE–ER) transition in Nb-modified BNBT–SZ ceramics by producing a significant disruption of the long-range FE order. A giant normalized strain of 825 pm/V at 4 kV/mm was achieved at Nb1.0. Interestingly, at a relatively low applied field of 3 kV/mm, the Nb0.75 sample displayed a large electric field-induced strain (EFIS) response of 0.20%, which is highest value obtained in non-textured lead-free BNT-based ceramics at such low driving field. The structural distortion induced by doping and electric poling is correlated with the dielectric, ferroelectric and EFIS response, and the evolution of giant strain was ascribed to reversible field induced phase transition from ER–FE phase

The strain-dependent spatial evolution of garnet in a high- P ductile shear zone from the Western Gneiss Region (Norway): a synchrotron X-ray microtomography study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macente, A. [School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, The King' s Building James Hutton Road Edinburgh EH9 3FE UK; Fusseis, F. [School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, The King' s Building James Hutton Road Edinburgh EH9 3FE UK; Menegon, L. [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, Fitzroy Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA UK; Xianghui, X. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave Building 431-B003 Argonne IL USA; John, T. [Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100 12249 Berlin Germany

2017-03-27

Reaction and deformation microfabrics provide key information to understand the thermodynamic and kinetic controls of tectono-metamorphic processes, however they are usually analysed in two dimensions, omitting important information regarding the third spatial dimension. We applied synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography to document the evolution of a pristine olivine gabbro into a deformed omphacite-garnet eclogite in four dimensions, where the 4th dimension is represented by the degree of strain. In the investigated samples, which cover a strain gradient into a shear zone from the Western Gneiss Region (Norway), we focused on the spatial transformation of garnet coronas into elongated clusters of garnets with increasing strain. Our microtomographic data allowed quantification of garnet volume, shape and spatial arrangement evolution with increasing strain. We combined microtomographic observations with light microscope- and backscatter electron images as well as electron microprobe- (EMPA) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis to correlate mineral composition and orientation data with the X-ray absorption signal of the same mineral grains. With increasing deformation, the garnet volume almost triples. In the low strain domain, garnets form a well interconnected large garnet aggregate that develops throughout the entire Page 1 of 52 sample. We also observed that garnet coronas in the gabbros never completely encapsulate olivine grains. In the most highly deformed eclogites, the oblate shapes of garnet clusters reflect a deformational origin of the microfabrics. We interpret the aligned garnet aggregates to direct synkinematic fluid flow and consequently influence the transport of dissolved chemical components. EBSD analyses reveal that garnet show a near-random crystal preferred orientation that testifies no evidence for crystal plasticity. There is, however evidence for minor fracturing, neo-nucleation and overgrowth. Microprobe chemical analysis

Evolution of Microstructure and Texture during Annealing of Aluminum AA1050 Cold Rolled to High and Ultrahigh Strains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mishin, Oleg; Juul Jensen, Dorte; Hansen, Niels

2010-01-01

The microstructure and texture of commercial purity aluminum (AA1050) have been investigated after cold rolling to von Mises strains of 3.6 to 6.4 followed by recovery and recrystallization during annealing. The evolution of structural parameters of the deformed microstructure, such as boundary...

In Situ Investigation of the Evolution of Lattice Strain and Stresses in Austenite and Martensite During Quenching and Tempering of Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Villa, M.; Niessen, F.; Somers, M. A. J.

2018-01-01

Energy dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate in situ the evolution of lattice strains and stresses in austenite and martensite during quenching and tempering of a soft martensitic stainless steel. In one experiment, lattice strains in austenite and martensite were measured in situ in the direction perpendicular to the sample surface during an austenitization, quenching, and tempering cycle. In a second experiment, the sin2 ψ method was applied in situ during the austenite-to-martensite transformation to distinguish between macro- and phase-specific micro-stresses and to follow the evolution of these stresses during transformation. Martensite formation evokes compressive stress in austenite that is balanced by tensile stress in martensite. Tempering to 748 K (475 °C) leads to partial relaxation of these stresses. Additionally, data reveal that (elastic) lattice strain in austenite is not hydrostatic but hkl dependent, which is ascribed to plastic deformation of this phase during martensite formation and is considered responsible for anomalous behavior of the 200 γ reflection.

Inherited and environmentally induced differences in mutation frequencies between wild strains of Sordaria fimicola from "Evolution Canyon".

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, B C; Saleem, M; Scott, W; Thapa, N; Nevo, E

1998-05-01

We have studied whether there is natural genetic variation for mutation frequencies, and whether any such variation is environment-related. Mutation frequencies differed significantly between wild strains of the fungus Sordaria fimicola isolated from a harsher or a milder microscale environment in "Evolution Canyon," Israel. Strains from the harsher, drier, south-facing slope had higher frequencies of new spontaneous mutations and of accumulated mutations than strains from the milder, lusher, north-facing slope. Collective total mutation frequencies over many loci for ascospore pigmentation were 2.3, 3.5 and 4.4% for three strains from the south-facing slope, and 0.9, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.3% for five strains from the north-facing slope. Some of this between-slope difference was inherited through two generations of selfing, with average spontaneous mutation frequencies of 1.9% for south-facing slope strains and 0.8% for north-facing slope strains. The remainder was caused by different frequencies of mutations arising in the original environments. There was also significant heritable genetic variation in mutation frequencies within slopes. Similar between-slope differences were found for ascospore germination-resistance to acriflavine, with much higher frequencies in strains from the south-facing slope. Such inherited variation provides a basis for natural selection for optimum mutation rates in each environment.

An Analytical Finite-Strain Parameterization for Texture Evolution in Deformed Olivine Polycrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Ribe, N. M.; Castelnau, O.

2017-12-01

Current methods for calculating the evolution of flow-induced seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle describe crystal preferred orientation (CPO) using ensembles of 103-104 individual grains, and are too computationally expensive to be used in three-dimensional time-dependent convection models. We propose a much faster method based on the hypothesis that CPO of olivine polycrystals is a unique function of the finite strain. Our goal is then to determine how the CPO depends on the ratios r12 and r23 of the axes of the finite strain ellipsoid and on the two independent ratios p12 and p23 of the strengths (critical resolved shear stresses) of the three independent slip systems of olivine. To do this, we introduce a new analytical representation of olivine CPO in terms of three `structured basis functions' (SBFs) Fs(g, r12, r23) (s = 1, 2, 3), where g is the set of three Eulerian angles that describe the orientation of a crystal lattice relative to an external reference frame. Each SBF represents the virtual CPO that would be produced by the action of only one of the slip systems of olivine, and can be determined analytically to within an unknown time-dependent amplitude. The amplitudes are then determined by fitting the SBFs to the predictions of the second-order self-consistent (SOSC) model of Ponte-Castaneda (2002). To implement the SBF representation, we express the orientation distribution function (ODF) f(g) of the polycrystal approximately as a linear superposition of SBFs with weighting coefficients Cs. Substituting the superposition into the general evolution equation for the ODF and minimizing the residual error, we find that the weighting coefficients Cs(t) satisfy coupled evolution equations of the form αisCs + βisCs + γs = 0 where the coefficients αis, βis and γs can be calculated in advance from the expressions for the SBFs. These equations are solved numerically for different values of p12 and p23, yielding numerical values of Cs(r12, r23, p12, p23

Strain buildup in GaAs due to 100 MeV Ag ion irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mishra, Shramana; Bhaumik, Sudipta; Panda, Jaya Kumar [Department of Physics and Meteorology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 (India); Ojha, Sunil [Inter-University Accelerator Center, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067 (India); Dhar, Achintya [Department of Physics and Meteorology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 (India); Kabiraj, D. [Inter-University Accelerator Center, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067 (India); Roy, Anushree, E-mail: anushree@phy.iitkgp.ernet.in [Department of Physics and Meteorology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 (India)

2013-12-01

The formation of strained layers and a non-monotonic evolution of strain in high energy (100 MeV) silver ion (Ag{sup 7+}) irradiated undoped semi-insulating GaAs are observed and analyzed using Raman scattering and high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) measurements. At low fluence, compressively strained layers are formed, whereas, with increase in fluence both compressive and tensile strains appear as observed from HRXRD measurements. Further, at low fluence, the change in compressive strain with increase in fluence is found to be sharper than what is observed at higher fluence, thereby suggesting a critical fluence value, beyond which there is a simultaneous generation and annihilation of vacancy type defects. The initial blue shift and subsequent relative red shift beyond above critical fluence in the Raman peak also qualitatively reveal non-monotonic evolution of strain in this case. Finally, we demonstrate the sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy in detecting the decrease in lattice ordering in the crystal in the low fluence regime, below the detection limit of Rutherford back-scattering channeling (c-RBS) measurements.

Strain path and work-hardening behavior of brass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakharova, N.A.; Fernandes, J.V.; Vieira, M.F.

2009-01-01

Plastic straining in metal forming usually includes changes of strain path, which are frequently not taken into account in the analysis of forming processes. Moreover, strain path change can significantly affect the mechanical behavior and microstructural evolution of the material. For this reason, a combination of several simple loading test sequences is an effective way to investigate the dislocation microstructure of sheet metals under such forming conditions. Pure tension and rolling strain paths and rolling-tension strain path sequences were performed on brass sheets. A study of mechanical behavior and microstructural evolution during the simple and the complex strain paths was carried out, within a wide range of strain values. The appearance and development of deformation twinning was evident. It was shown that strain path change promotes the onset of premature twinning. The work-hardening behavior is discussed in terms of the twinning and dislocation microstructure evolution, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy

Thermotolerant Yeast Strains Adapted by Laboratory Evolution Show Trade-Off at Ancestral Temperatures and Preadaptation to Other Stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Caspeta, Luis; Nielsen, Jens

2015-07-21

A major challenge for the production of ethanol from biomass-derived feedstocks is to develop yeasts that can sustain growth under the variety of inhibitory conditions present in the production process, e.g., high osmolality, high ethanol titers, and/or elevated temperatures (≥ 40 °C). Using adaptive laboratory evolution, we previously isolated seven Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with improved growth at 40 °C. Here, we show that genetic adaptations to high temperature caused a growth trade-off at ancestral temperatures, reduced cellular functions, and improved tolerance of other stresses. Thermotolerant yeast strains showed horizontal displacement of their thermal reaction norms to higher temperatures. Hence, their optimal and maximum growth temperatures increased by about 3 °C, whereas they showed a growth trade-off at temperatures below 34 °C. Computational analysis of the physical properties of proteins showed that the lethal temperature for yeast is around 49 °C, as a large fraction of the yeast proteins denature above this temperature. Our analysis also indicated that the number of functions involved in controlling the growth rate decreased in the thermotolerant strains compared with the number in the ancestral strain. The latter is an advantageous attribute for acquiring thermotolerance and correlates with the reduction of yeast functions associated with loss of respiration capacity. This trait caused glycerol overproduction that was associated with the growth trade-off at ancestral temperatures. In combination with altered sterol composition of cellular membranes, glycerol overproduction was also associated with yeast osmotolerance and improved tolerance of high concentrations of glucose and ethanol. Our study shows that thermal adaptation of yeast is suitable for improving yeast resistance to inhibitory conditions found in industrial ethanol production processes. Yeast thermotolerance can significantly reduce the production costs of biomass

Genome increase as a clock for the origin and evolution of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharov Alexei A

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The size of non-redundant functional genome can be an indicator of biological complexity of living organisms. Several positive feedback mechanisms including gene cooperation and duplication with subsequent specialization may result in the exponential growth of biological complexity in macro-evolution. Results I propose a hypothesis that biological complexity increased exponentially during evolution. Regression of the logarithm of functional non-redundant genome size versus time of origin in major groups of organisms showed a 7.8-fold increase per 1 billion years, and hence the increase of complexity can be viewed as a clock of macro-evolution. A strong version of the exponential hypothesis is that the rate of complexity increase in early (pre-prokaryotic evolution of life was at most the same (or even slower than observed in the evolution of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Conclusion The increase of functional non-redundant genome size in macro-evolution was consistent with the exponential hypothesis. If the strong exponential hypothesis is true, then the origin of life should be dated 10 billion years ago. Thus, the possibility of panspermia as a source of life on earth should be discussed on equal basis with alternative hypotheses of de-novo life origin. Panspermia may be proven if bacteria similar to terrestrial ones are found on other planets or satellites in the solar system. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Eugene V. Koonin, Chris Adami and Arcady Mushegian.

Potential drivers of virulence evolution in aquaculture

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, David A.; Kurath, Gael; Brito, Ilana L.; Purcell, Maureen K.; Read, Andrew F.; Winton, James R.; Wargo, Andrew R.

2016-01-01

Infectious diseases are economically detrimental to aquaculture, and with continued expansion and intensification of aquaculture, the importance of managing infectious diseases will likely increase in the future. Here, we use evolution of virulence theory, along with examples, to identify aquaculture practices that might lead to the evolution of increased pathogen virulence. We identify eight practices common in aquaculture that theory predicts may favor evolution toward higher pathogen virulence. Four are related to intensive aquaculture operations, and four others are related specifically to infectious disease control. Our intention is to make aquaculture managers aware of these risks, such that with increased vigilance, they might be able to detect and prevent the emergence and spread of increasingly troublesome pathogen strains in the future.

Evolution of a recombinant (gucoamylase-producing) strain of Fusarium venenatum A3/5 in chemostat culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiebe, M G; Robson, G D; Shuster, J; Trinci, A P

2001-04-20

Fusarium venenatum JeRS 325 is a transformant of strain A3/5 which produces Aspergillus niger glucoamylase (GAM) under the control of a Fusarium oxysporum trypsin-like protease promoter. The evolution of JeRS 325 was studied in glucose-limited chemostat cultures grown on NaNO3 or (NH4)2SO4 as the nitrogen source. Thirteen mutants which were more highly branched and four mutants which were more sparsely branched than the parental strain were isolated from the NaNO3 chemostat. The highly branched mutants detected in this chemostat did not displace the sparsely branched population. The mutants isolated from the NaNO3 chemostat complemented representative strains previously isolated from glucose-limited chemostat cultures of F. venenatum A3/5 grown on (NH4)2SO4, but showed little complementation between themselves. By contrast, a highly branched mutant isolated from the (NH4)2SO4 chemostat culture displaced the sparsely branched mycelial population. None of the mutants isolated from the NaNO3 or (NH4)2SO4 chemostats produced as much GAM as JeRS 325. Southern blot analysis showed that all except one mutant had lost copies of both the glucoamylase and the acetamidase (the selectable marker) genes. However, specific GAM production was not necessarily correlated with the extent of glaA gene loss observed. Further, 10 of the mutants had lost the ability to grow on acetamide as the sole nitrogen source, although they retained copies of the amdS gene. In competition studies, mutants which could not utilize acetamide displaced mutants which could. The presence of foreign DNA in JeRS 325 resulted in a reduced specific growth rate (compared to A3/5), but the presence of the foreign DNA did not prevent the evolution of the strain or the isolation of mutants which had improved growth rates. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Influence of pre-strain on thermal stability of non-equilibrium microstructures in a low alloy steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Chao; Yang, Shanwu; Wang, Xian; Zhang, Rui; He, Xinlai

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► High pre-strain and low pre-strain influence differently on thermal stability of non-equilibrium microstructures. ► High pre-strain, in which dislocation sources can be actuated and dislocation density is increased excessively, will markedly promote recrystallization. ► Low pre-strain, in which dislocations are induced to redistribute into a low-energy structure, can slow down microstructure evolution. -- Abstract: Non-equilibrium microstructures in steels including martensite and bainite, which are main phases in current high strength steels, possess high strength and hardness. However, these microstructures are metastable due to their high density of crystal defects. In the present investigation, hardness test, optical microscopy and electron microscopy have been carried out to detect microstructure evolution in a low alloy steel, which was reheated and held isothermally at 550 °C. Special emphasis was put on influence of pre-strain on thermal stability of non-equilibrium microstructures. It is found that high pre-strain, in which dislocation sources can be actuated and dislocation density is increased excessively, will markedly promote recrystallization of non-equilibrium microstructures at 550 °C, while low pre-strain, in which only can mono-glide of dislocations can be operated in each grain and dislocations are induced to redistribute into a low-energy structure, can slow down microstructure evolution

Substructure evolution of Zircaloy-4 during creep and implications for the Modified Jogged-Screw model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrow, B.M., E-mail: morrow@lanl.gov [The Ohio State University, 2041 College Rd., 477 Watts Hall, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, MS G755, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Kozar, R.W.; Anderson, K.R. [Bettis Laboratory, Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp., West Mifflin, PA 15122 (United States); Mills, M.J., E-mail: millsmj@mse.osu.edu [The Ohio State University, 2041 College Rd., 477 Watts Hall, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2016-05-17

Several specimens of Zircaloy-4 were creep tested at a single stress-temperature condition, and interrupted at different accumulated strain levels. Substructural observations were performed using bright field scanning transmission electron microscopy (BF STEM). The dislocation substructure was characterized to ascertain how creep strain evolution impacts the Modified Jogged-Screw (MJS) model, which has previously been utilized to predict steady-state strain rates in Zircaloy-4. Special attention was paid to the evolution of individual model parameters with increasing strain. Results of model parameter measurements are reported and discussed, along with possible extensions to the MJS model.

Model of the Evolution of Deformation Defects and Irreversible Strain at Thermal Cycling of Stressed TiNi Alloy Specimen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volkov Aleksandr E.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This microstructural model deals with simulation both of the reversible and irreversible deformation of a shape memory alloy (SMA. The martensitic transformation and the irreversible deformation due to the plastic accommodation of martensite are considered on the microscopic level. The irreversible deformation is described from the standpoint of the plastic flow theory. Isotropic hardening and kinematic hardening are taken into account and are related to the densities of scattered and oriented deformation defects. It is supposed that the phase transformation and the micro plastic deformation are caused by the generalized thermodynamic forces, which are the derivatives of the Gibbs’ potential of the two-phase body. In terms of these forces conditions for the phase transformation and for the micro plastic deformation on the micro level are formulated. The macro deformation of the representative volume of the polycrystal is calculated by averaging of the micro strains related to the evolution of the martensite Bain’s variants in each grain comprising this volume. The proposed model allowed simulating the evolution of the reversible and of the irreversible strains of a stressed SMA specimen under thermal cycles. The results show a good qualitative agreement with available experimental data. Specifically, it is shown that the model can describe a rather big irreversible strain in the first thermocycle and its fast decrease with the number of cycles.

Identification of furfural as a key toxin in lignocellulosic hydrolysates and evolution of a tolerant yeast strain

Science.gov (United States)

Heer, Dominik; Sauer, Uwe

2008-01-01

Summary The production of fuel ethanol from low‐cost lignocellulosic biomass currently suffers from several limitations. One of them is the presence of inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates that are released during pre‐treatment. These compounds inhibit growth and hamper the production of ethanol, thereby affecting process economics. To delineate the effects of such complex mixtures, we conducted a chemical analysis of four different real‐world lignocellulosic hydrolysates and determined their toxicological effect on yeast. By correlating the potential inhibitor abundance to the growth‐inhibiting properties of the corresponding hydrolysates, we identified furfural as an important contributor to hydrolysate toxicity for yeast. Subsequently, we conducted a targeted evolution experiment to improve growth behaviour of the half industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain TMB3400 in the hydrolysates. After about 300 generations, representative clones from these evolved populations exhibited significantly reduced lag phases in medium containing the single inhibitor furfural, but also in hydrolysate‐supplemented medium. Furthermore, these strains were able to grow at concentrations of hydrolysates that effectively killed the parental strain and exhibited significantly improved bioconversion characteristics under industrially relevant conditions. The improved resistance of our evolved strains was based on their capacity to remain viable in a toxic environment during the prolonged, furfural induced lag phase. PMID:21261870

The many shades of prion strain adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Baskakov, Ilia V

2014-01-01

In several recent studies transmissible prion disease was induced in animals by inoculation with recombinant prion protein amyloid fibrils produced in vitro. Serial transmission of amyloid fibrils gave rise to a new class of prion strains of synthetic origin. Gradual transformation of disease phenotypes and PrP(Sc) properties was observed during serial transmission of synthetic prions, a process that resembled the phenomenon of prion strain adaptation. The current article discusses the remarkable parallels between phenomena of prion strain adaptation that accompanies cross-species transmission and the evolution of synthetic prions occurring within the same host. Two alternative mechanisms underlying prion strain adaptation and synthetic strain evolution are discussed. The current article highlights the complexity of the prion transmission barrier and strain adaptation and proposes that the phenomenon of prion adaptation is more common than previously thought.

Insights into the evolution of the new variant rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (GI.2) and the identification of novel recombinant strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvério, D; Lopes, A M; Melo-Ferreira, J; Magalhães, M J; Monterroso, P; Serronha, A; Maio, E; Alves, P C; Esteves, P J; Abrantes, J

2018-02-11

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a viral disease that affects the European rabbit. RHD was detected in 1984 in China and rapidly disseminated worldwide causing a severe decline in wild rabbit populations. The aetiological agent, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), is an RNA virus of the family Caliciviridae, genus Lagovirus. Pathogenic (G1-G6 or variants GI.1a-GI.1d) and non-pathogenic strains (GI.4) have been characterized. In 2010, a new variant of RHDV, RHDV2/RHDVb/GI.2, was detected in France. GI.2 arrived to the Iberian Peninsula in 2011, and several recombination events were reported. Here, we sequenced full genomes of 19 samples collected in Portugal between 2014 and 2016. New GI.2 recombinant strains were detected, including triple recombinants. These recombinants possess a non-structural protein p16 related to a non-pathogenic strain. Evolutionary analyses were conducted on GI.2 VP60 sequences. Estimated time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) suggests an emergence of GI.2 in July 2008, not distant from its first detection in 2010. This is the first study on GI.2 evolution and highlights the need of continued monitoring and characterization of complete genome sequences when studying lagoviruses' evolution. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Stepwise transformation behavior of the strain-induced martensitic transformation in a metastable stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedstroem, Peter; Lienert, Ulrich; Almer, Jon; Oden, Magnus

2007-01-01

In situ high-energy X-ray diffraction during tensile loading has been used to investigate the evolution of lattice strains and the accompanying strain-induced martensitic transformation in cold-rolled sheets of a metastable stainless steel. At high applied strains the transformation to α-martensite occurs in stepwise bursts. These stepwise transformation events are correlated with stepwise increased lattice strains and peak broadening in the austenite phase. The stepwise transformation arises from growth of α-martensite embryos by autocatalytic transformation

Assessment of the microstructure evolution of an austempered ductile iron during austempering process through strain hardening analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Donnini, Riccardo; Fabrizi, Alberto; Bonollo, Franco; Zanardi, Franco; Angella, Giuliano

2017-09-01

The aim of this investigation was to determine a procedure based on tensile testing to assess the critical range of austempering times for having the best ausferrite produced through austempering. The austempered ductile iron (ADI) 1050 was quenched at different times during austempering and the quenched samples were tested in tension. The dislocation-density-related constitutive equation proposed by Estrin for materials having high density of geometrical obstacles to dislocation motion, was used to model the flow curves of the tensile tested samples. On the basis of strain hardening theory, the equation parameters were related to the microstructure of the quenched samples and were used to assess the ADI microstructure evolution during austempering. The microstructure evolution was also analysed through conventional optical microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction technique and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructure observations resulted to be consistent with the assessment based on tensile testing, so the dislocation-density-related constitutive equation was found to be a powerful tool to characterise the evolution of the solid state transformations of austempering.

Thermotolerant Yeast Strains Adapted by Laboratory Evolution Show Trade-Off at Ancestral Temperatures and Preadaptation to Other Stresses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caspeta, Luis; Nielsen, Jens

2015-01-01

adaptive laboratory evolution, we previously isolated seven Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with improved growth at 40°C. Here, we show that genetic adaptations to high temperature caused a growth trade-off at ancestral temperatures, reduced cellular functions, and improved tolerance of other stresses...... in the ancestral strain. The latter is an advantageous attribute for acquiring thermotolerance and correlates with the reduction of yeast functions associated with loss of respiration capacity. This trait caused glycerol overproduction that was associated with the growth trade-off at ancestral temperatures....... In combination with altered sterol composition of cellular membranes, glycerol overproduction was also associated with yeast osmotolerance and improved tolerance of high concentrations of glucose and ethanol. Our study shows that thermal adaptation of yeast is suitable for improving yeast resistance...

Whole genome sequencing reveals complex evolution patterns of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing strains in patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias Merker

Full Text Available Multidrug-resistant (MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC strains represent a major threat for tuberculosis (TB control. Treatment of MDR-TB patients is long and less effective, resulting in a significant number of treatment failures. The development of further resistances leads to extensively drug-resistant (XDR variants. However, data on the individual reasons for treatment failure, e.g. an induced mutational burst, and on the evolution of bacteria in the patient are only sparsely available. To address this question, we investigated the intra-patient evolution of serial MTBC isolates obtained from three MDR-TB patients undergoing longitudinal treatment, finally leading to XDR-TB. Sequential isolates displayed identical IS6110 fingerprint patterns, suggesting the absence of exogenous re-infection. We utilized whole genome sequencing (WGS to screen for variations in three isolates from Patient A and four isolates from Patient B and C, respectively. Acquired polymorphisms were subsequently validated in up to 15 serial isolates by Sanger sequencing. We determined eight (Patient A and nine (Patient B polymorphisms, which occurred in a stepwise manner during the course of the therapy and were linked to resistance or a potential compensatory mechanism. For both patients, our analysis revealed the long-term co-existence of clonal subpopulations that displayed different drug resistance allele combinations. Out of these, the most resistant clone was fixed in the population. In contrast, baseline and follow-up isolates of Patient C were distinguished each by eleven unique polymorphisms, indicating an exogenous re-infection with an XDR strain not detected by IS6110 RFLP typing. Our study demonstrates that intra-patient microevolution of MDR-MTBC strains under longitudinal treatment is more complex than previously anticipated. However, a mutator phenotype was not detected. The presence of different subpopulations might confound phenotypic and

Increasing the critical thickness of InGaAs quantum wells using strain-relief technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Andrew Marquis

The advantages of optical communication through silica fiber have made long-distance electrical communication through copper wire obsolete. The two windows of operation for long-haul optical communication are centered around the wavelengths of 1.3 mum and 1.55 mum, which have minimal amounts of signal attenuation and dispersion. Benefits of optical communications within these windows include low system costs, high bandwidth, and high system reliability which have encouraged the development of emitters and receivers at these relatively long wavelengths. Long-wavelength semiconductor lasers are typically fabricated on InP substrates, but their performance suffers greatly with increases in operating temperature. Laser diodes on GaAs substrates are not as sensitive to operating temperature due to quantum-well active regions with relative deep potential barriers, but critical thickness limits the wavelength ceiling to 1.1 mum. Strain-relief technologies are currently being investigated to enable long-wavelength lasers with deeper potential wells leading to a corresponding increase in characteristic temperatures. Having a larger lattice constant than GaAs enables ternary InGaAs substrates to increase the 1.1-mum wavelength ceiling. Extending this ceiling to one of the optical communication windows could enable high-characteristic-temperature, long-wavelength lasers. Broad-area and buried-heterostructure lasers have demonstrated the potential of ternary substrates to increase characteristic temperatures and emission wavelengths. Wavelengths as long as 1.15 mum and characteristic temperatures as high as 145 K have been achieved. Reduced-area metalorganic chemical vapor deposition involves the deposition of strained materials on isolated islands. Due to the discontinuous nature of reduced-area epitaxy, strained materials are allowed to expand near the mesa edges, decreasing the overall strain in the structure. Laser diodes using this technology have been successfully

The Microstructure Evolution of Dual-Phase Pipeline Steel with Plastic Deformation at Different Strain Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, L. K.; Xu, T.; Zhang, J. M.; Wang, H. T.; Tong, M. X.; Zhu, R. H.; Zhou, G. S.

2017-07-01

Tensile properties of the high-deformability dual-phase ferrite-bainite X70 pipeline steel have been investigated at room temperature under the strain rates of 2.5 × 10-5, 1.25 × 10-4, 2.5 × 10-3, and 1.25 × 10-2 s-1. The microstructures at different amount of plastic deformation were examined by using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Generally, the ductility of typical body-centered cubic steels is reduced when its stain rate increases. However, we observed a different ductility dependence on strain rates in the dual-phase X70 pipeline steel. The uniform elongation (UEL%) and elongation to fracture (EL%) at the strain rate of 2.5 × 10-3 s-1 increase about 54 and 74%, respectively, compared to those at 2.5 × 10-5 s-1. The UEL% and EL% reach to their maximum at the strain rate of 2.5 × 10-3 s-1. This phenomenon was explained by the observed grain structures and dislocation configurations. Whether or not the ductility can be enhanced with increasing strain rates depends on the competition between the homogenization of plastic deformation among the microconstituents (ultra-fine ferrite grains, relatively coarse ferrite grains as well as bainite) and the progress of cracks formed as a consequence of localized inconsistent plastic deformation.

Increasing Incidence of Linezolid-Intermediate or -Resistant, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Strains Parallels Increasing Linezolid Consumption▿

OpenAIRE

Scheetz, Marc H.; Knechtel, Stephanie A.; Malczynski, Michael; Postelnick, Michael J.; Qi, Chao

2008-01-01

Clinical enterococcal resistance to linezolid is defined by the presence of the G2576T mutation. We evaluated the incidence of genetically proven linezolid resistance among vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains and linezolid consumption for a possible association. A relationship was found (r2 = 0.73, P = 0.03) and predicts increasing resistance with current trends of linezolid use.

Borehole strain observations of very low frequency earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Hawthorne, J. C.; Ghosh, A.; Hutchinson, A. A.

2016-12-01

We examine the signals of very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) in PBO borehole strain data in central Cascadia. These MW 3.3 - 4.1 earthquakes are best observed in seismograms at periods of 20 to 50 seconds. We look for the strain they produce on timescales from about 1 to 30 minutes. First, we stack the strain produced by 13 VLFEs identified by a grid search moment tensor inversion algorithm by Ghosh et. al. (2015) and Hutchinson and Ghosh (2016), as well as several thousand VLFEs detected through template matching these events. The VLFEs are located beneath southernmost Vancouver Island and the eastern Olympic Peninsula, and are best recorded at co-located stations B005 and B007. However, even at these stations, the signal to noise in the stack is often low, and the records are difficult to interpret. Therefore we also combine data from multiple stations and VLFE locations, and simply look for increases in the strain rate at the VLFE times, as increases in strain rate would suggest an increase in the moment rate. We compare the background strain rate in the 12 hours centered on the VLFEs with the strain rate in the 10 minutes centered on the VLFEs. The 10-minute duration is chosen as a compromise that averages out some instrumental noise without introducing too much longer-period random walk noise. Our results suggest a factor of 2 increase in strain rate--and thus moment rate--during the 10-minute VLFE intervals. The increase gives an average VLFE magnitude around M 3.5, within the range of magnitudes obtained with seismology. Further analyses are currently being carried out to better understand the evolution of moment release before, during, and after the VLFEs.

Strain evolution in Si substrate due to implantation of MeV ion observed by extremely asymmetric x-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emoto, T.; Ghatak, J.; Satyam, P. V.; Akimoto, K.

2009-01-01

We studied the strain introduced in a Si(111) substrate due to MeV ion implantation using extremely asymmetric x-ray diffraction and measured the rocking curves of asymmetrical 113 diffraction for the Si substrates implanted with a 1.5 MeV Au 2+ ion at fluence values of 1x10 13 , 5x10 13 , and 1x10 14 /cm 2 . The measured curves consisted of a bulk peak and accompanying subpeak with an interference fringe. The positional relationship of the bulk peak to the subpeak and the intensity variation of those peaks with respect to the wavelengths of the x rays indicated that crystal lattices near the surface were strained; the lattice spacing of surface normal (111) planes near the surface was larger than that of the bulk. Detailed strain profiles along the depth direction were successfully estimated using a curve-fitting method based on Darwin's dynamical diffraction theory. Comparing the shapes of resultant strain profiles, we found that a strain evolution rapidly occurred within a depth of ∼300 nm at fluence values between 1x10 13 and 5x10 13 /cm 2 . This indicates that formation of the complex defects progressed near the surface when the fluence value went beyond a critical value between 1x10 13 and 5x10 13 /cm 2 and the defects brought a large strain to the substrate.

Aseismic creep along the North Anatolian Fault quantified by coupling microstructural strain and chemical analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Kaduri, Maor; Gratier, Jean-Pierre; Renard, François; Çakir, Ziyadin; Lasserre, Cécile

2017-04-01

In the last decade aseismic creep has been noted as one of the key processes along tectonic plate boundaries. It contributes to the energy budget during the seismic cycle, delaying or triggering the occurrence of large earthquakes. Several major continental active faults show spatial alternation of creeping and locked segments. A great challenge is to understand which parameters control the transition from seismic to aseismic deformation in fault zones, such as the lithology, the degree of deformation from damage rocks to gouge, and the stress driven fault architecture transformations at all scales. The present study focuses on the North Anatolian Fault (Turkey) and characterizes the mechanisms responsible for the partition between seismic and aseismic deformation. Strain values were calculated using various methods, e.g. Fry, R-φs from microstructural measurements in gouge and damage samples collected on more than 30 outcrops along the fault. Maps of mineral composition were reconstructed from microprobe measurements of gouge and damage rock microstructure, in order to calculate the relative mass changes due to stress driven processes during deformation. Strain values were extracted, in addition to the geometrical properties of grain orientation and size distribution. Our data cover subsamples in the damage zones that were protected from deformation and are reminiscent of the host rock microstructure and composition, and subsamples that were highly deformed and recorded both seismic and aseismic deformations. Increase of strain value is linked to the evolution of the orientation of the grains from random to sheared sub-parallel and may be related to various parameters: (1) relative mass transfer increase with increasing strain indicating how stress driven mass transfer processes control aseismic creep evolution with time; (2) measured strain is strongly related with the initial lithology and with the evolution of mineral composition: monomineralic rocks are

Phase-field simulation of microstructure evolution in Ni-based superalloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukada, Yuhki; Murata, Yoshinori; Morinaga, Masahiko [Nagoya Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Materials, Physics and Energy Engineering; Koyama, Toshiyuki [National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)

2010-07-01

The morphological evolution of the ({gamma} + {gamma}') microstructure in Ni-based superalloys is investigated by a series of phase-field simulations. In the simulation for simple aging heat treatment, the effect of elastic constant inhomogeneity between the {gamma} and {gamma}' phases is investigated. The elastic anisotropy or the shear modulus is changed independently in the simulation. The variation of the anisotropy affects the morphology, particle size distribution and coarsening kinetics of the {gamma}' phase, whereas the variation of the shear modulus does not affect them. In the simulation for high temperature creep, formation and collapse of the rafted structure are reproduced under the assumption that the creep strain in the {gamma} matrix increases with creep time. This morphological evolution is related to the change in the energetically stable morphology of the {gamma}' phase with increasing the creep strain. (orig.)

Direct investigations on strain-induced cold crystallization behavior and structure evolutions in amorphous poly(lactic acid) with SAXS and WAXS measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Chengbo; Li, Hongfei; Zhang, Wenyang

2016-01-01

scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The data obtained from the stretched samples within 70-90 degrees C showed that all of the formed crystals are disordered alpha' form with more compact chain packing than that of the cold crystallization. Upon stretching at 70 degrees C, the mesocrystal appears......Strain-induced cold crystallization behavior and structure evolution of amorphous poly(lactic acid) (PLA) stretched within 70-90 degrees C were investigated via in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements as well as differential...... in strain-induced crystallization behavior of amorphous PLA within 70-90 degrees C can be attributed to the competition between chain orientation caused by stretching and chain relaxation. It was proposed that the strain-induced mesocrystal/crystal and the lamellae are formed from the mesophase originally...

Strain-dependent evolution of garnets in a high pressure ductile shear zone using Synchroton x-ray microtomography

Science.gov (United States)

Macente, Alice; Fusseis, Florian; Menegon, Luca; John, Timm

2016-04-01

Synkinematic reaction microfabrics carry important information on the kinetics, timing and rheology of tectonometamorphic processes. Despite being routinely interpreted in metamorphic and structural studies, reaction and deformation microfabrics are usually described in two dimensions. We applied Synchrotron-based x-ray microtomography to document the evolution of a pristine olivine gabbro into a deformed omphacite-garnet eclogite in 3D. In the investigated samples, which cover a strain gradient into a shear zone from the Western Gneiss Region (Norway) previously described by John et al., (2009), we focused on the spatial transformation of garnet coronas into elongated clusters of garnets. Our microtomographic data allowed us to quantify changes to the garnet volume, their shapes and their spatial arrangement. We combined microtomographic observations with light microscope- and backscatter electron images as well as electron microprobe- (EMPA) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses to correlate mineral composition and orientation data with the x-ray absorption signal of the same mineral grains. This allowed us to extrapolate our interpretation of the metamorphic microfabric evolution to the third dimension, effectively yielding a 4-dimensional dataset. We found that: - The x-ray absorption contrast between individual mineral phases in our microtomographic data is sufficient to allow the same petrographic observations than in light- and electron microscopy, but extended to 3D. - Amongst the major constituents of the synkinematic reactions, garnet is the only phase that can be segmented confidently from the microtomographic data. - With increasing deformation, the garnet volume increases from about 9% to 25%. - Garnet coronas in the gabbros never completely encapsulate olivine grains. This may indicate that the reaction progressed preferentially in some directions, but also leaves pathways for element transport to and from the olivines that are

Anthropogenic selection enhances cancer evolution in Tasmanian devil tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Ujvari, Beata; Pearse, Anne-Maree; Swift, Kate; Hodson, Pamela; Hua, Bobby; Pyecroft, Stephen; Taylor, Robyn; Hamede, Rodrigo; Jones, Menna; Belov, Katherine; Madsen, Thomas

2014-02-01

The Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) provides a unique opportunity to elucidate the long-term effects of natural and anthropogenic selection on cancer evolution. Since first observed in 1996, this transmissible cancer has caused local population declines by >90%. So far, four chromosomal DFTD variants (strains) have been described and karyotypic analyses of 253 tumours showed higher levels of tetraploidy in the oldest strain. We propose that increased ploidy in the oldest strain may have evolved in response to effects of genomic decay observed in asexually reproducing organisms. In this study, we focus on the evolutionary response of DFTD to a disease suppression trial. Tumours collected from devils subjected to the removal programme showed accelerated temporal evolution of tetraploidy compared with tumours from other populations where no increase in tetraploid tumours were observed. As ploidy significantly reduces tumour growth rate, we suggest that the disease suppression trial resulted in selection favouring slower growing tumours mediated by an increased level of tetraploidy. Our study reveals that DFTD has the capacity to rapidly respond to novel selective regimes and that disease eradication may result in novel tumour adaptations, which may further imperil the long-term survival of the world's largest carnivorous marsupial.

Financial strain is associated with increased oxidative stress levels: the Women's Health and Aging Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Palta, Priya; Szanton, Sarah L; Semba, Richard D; Thorpe, Roland J; Varadhan, Ravi; Fried, Linda P

2015-01-01

Elevated oxidative stress levels may be one mechanism contributing to poor health outcomes. Financial strain and oxidative stress are each predictors of morbidity and mortality, but little research has investigated their relationship. Community-dwelling older adults (n = 728) from the Women's Health and Aging Studies I and II were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Financial strain was ascertained as an ordinal response to: "At the end of the month, do you have more than enough money left over, just enough, or not enough?" Oxidative stress was measured using serum protein carbonyl concentrations. Linear regression was used to quantify the relationship between financial strain and oxidative stress. Participants who reported high financial strain exhibited 13.4% higher protein carbonyl concentrations compared to individuals who reported low financial strain (p = 0.002). High financial strain may be associated with increased oxidative stress, suggesting that oxidative stress could mediate associations between financial strain and poor health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microstructural evolution and the variation of tensile behavior after aging heat treatment of precipitation hardened martensitic steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Jong-Ho; Jeong, JaeSuk; Lee, Jong-Wook

2015-01-01

The effects of aging temperature on the microstructural evolution and the tensile behavior of precipitation hardened martensitic steel were investigated. Microscopic analysis using transmission electron microscope (TEM) was combined with the microstructural analysis using the synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) to characterize the microstructural evolution with aging temperature. Peak hardness was obtained by precipitation of the Ni 3 Al ordered phase. After aging at temperature range from 420 to 590 °C, spherical Ni 3 Al precipitates and ellipsoidal M 23 C 6 carbides were observed within laths and at lath boundaries, respectively. Strain hardening behavior was analyzed with Ludwik equation. It is observed that the plastic strain regimes can be divided into two different stages by a rapid increase in strain hardening followed by a comparatively lower increase. At the first strain hardening stage, the aged specimen exhibited higher strain hardening exponent than the as-quenched specimen, and the exponent in the aged specimen was not changed considerably with increasing aging temperature. It is revealed that the strain hardening exponents at the first and the second stages were associated with the Ni 3 Al precipitates and the domain size representing the coherent scattering area, respectively. - Highlights: • All of aged specimen exhibited higher strain hardening exponent than the as-quenched specimen at the first stage. • The value of strain hardening exponent in the aged specimen was nearly constant with aging temperature. • Ni 3 Al precipitation dominantly influenced to the increase of strain hardening exponent at the first strain hardening stage. • Domain size was associated with strain hardening exponent at the second strain hardening stage

Microstructural evolution and the variation of tensile behavior after aging heat treatment of precipitation hardened martensitic steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Jong-Ho, E-mail: jongho.shin@doosan.com [Casting and Forging Technology Development Team, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, 22 Doosanvolvo-ro, Changwon 642-792 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, JaeSuk [Materials and Manufacturing Development Team, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, 22 Doosanvolvo-ro, Changwon 642-792 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jong-Wook [Casting and Forging Technology Development Team, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, 22 Doosanvolvo-ro, Changwon 642-792 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-01-15

The effects of aging temperature on the microstructural evolution and the tensile behavior of precipitation hardened martensitic steel were investigated. Microscopic analysis using transmission electron microscope (TEM) was combined with the microstructural analysis using the synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) to characterize the microstructural evolution with aging temperature. Peak hardness was obtained by precipitation of the Ni{sub 3}Al ordered phase. After aging at temperature range from 420 to 590 °C, spherical Ni{sub 3}Al precipitates and ellipsoidal M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides were observed within laths and at lath boundaries, respectively. Strain hardening behavior was analyzed with Ludwik equation. It is observed that the plastic strain regimes can be divided into two different stages by a rapid increase in strain hardening followed by a comparatively lower increase. At the first strain hardening stage, the aged specimen exhibited higher strain hardening exponent than the as-quenched specimen, and the exponent in the aged specimen was not changed considerably with increasing aging temperature. It is revealed that the strain hardening exponents at the first and the second stages were associated with the Ni{sub 3}Al precipitates and the domain size representing the coherent scattering area, respectively. - Highlights: • All of aged specimen exhibited higher strain hardening exponent than the as-quenched specimen at the first stage. • The value of strain hardening exponent in the aged specimen was nearly constant with aging temperature. • Ni{sub 3}Al precipitation dominantly influenced to the increase of strain hardening exponent at the first strain hardening stage. • Domain size was associated with strain hardening exponent at the second strain hardening stage.

Increased riboflavin production from activated bleaching earth by a mutant strain of Ashbya gossypii.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajima, Satoshi; Itoh, Yoko; Sugimoto, Takashi; Kato, Tatsuya; Park, Enoch Y

2009-10-01

The production of riboflavin from vegetable oil was increased using a mutant strain of Ashbya gossypii. This mutant was generated by treating the wild-type strain with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Riboflavin production was 10-fold higher in the mutant compared to the wild-type strain. The specific intracellular catalase activity after 3 d of culture was 6-fold higher in the mutant than in the wild-type strain. For the mutant, riboflavin production in the presence of 40 mM hydrogen peroxide was 16% less than that in the absence of hydrogen peroxide, whereas it was 56% less for the wild-type strain. The isocitrate lyase (ICL) activity of the mutant was 0.26 mU/mg of protein during the active riboflavin production phase, which was 2.6-fold higher than the wild-type strain. These data indicate that the mutant utilizes the carbon flux from the TCA cycle to the glyoxylate cycle more efficiently than the wild-type strain, resulting in enhanced riboflavin production. This novel mutant has the potential to be of use for industrial-scale riboflavin production from waste-activated bleaching earth (ABE), thereby transforming a useless material into a valuable bioproduct.

Microstructural Evolution of Ti-6Al-4V during High Strain Rate Conditions of Metal Cutting

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Lei; Schneider, Judy

2009-01-01

The microstructural evolution following metal cutting was investigated within the metal chips of Ti-6Al-4V. Metal cutting was used to impose a high strain rate on the order of approx.10(exp 5)/s within the primary shear zone as the metal was removed from the workpiece. The initial microstructure of the parent material (PM) was composed of a bi-modal microstructure with coarse prior grains and equiaxed primary located at the boundaries. After metal cutting, the microstructure of the metal chips showed coarsening of the equiaxed primary grains and lamellar. These metallographic findings suggest that the metal chips experienced high temperatures which remained below the transus temperature.

Evolution of the Quorum network and the mobilome (plasmids and bacteriophages) in clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii during a decade.

Science.gov (United States)

López, M; Rueda, A; Florido, J P; Blasco, L; Fernández-García, L; Trastoy, R; Fernández-Cuenca, F; Martínez-Martínez, L; Vila, J; Pascual, A; Bou, G; Tomas, M

2018-02-06

In this study, we compared eighteen clinical strains of A. baumannii belonging to the ST-2 clone and isolated from patients in the same intensive care unit (ICU) in 2000 (9 strains referred to collectively as Ab_GEIH-2000) and 2010 (9 strains referred to collectively as Ab_GEIH-2010), during the GEIH-REIPI project (Umbrella BioProject PRJNA422585). We observed two main molecular differences between the Ab_GEIH-2010 and the Ab_GEIH-2000 collections, acquired over the course of the decade long sampling interval and involving the mobilome: i) a plasmid harbouring genes for bla OXA 24/40 ß-lactamase and abKA/abkB proteins of a toxin-antitoxin system; and ii) two temperate bacteriophages, Ab105-1ϕ (63 proteins) and Ab105-2ϕ (93 proteins), containing important viral defence proteins. Moreover, all Ab_GEIH-2010 strains contained a Quorum functional network of Quorum Sensing (QS) and Quorum Quenching (QQ) mechanisms, including a new QQ enzyme, AidA, which acts as a bacterial defence mechanism against the exogenous 3-oxo-C12-HSL. Interestingly, the infective capacity of the bacteriophages isolated in this study (Ab105-1ϕ and Ab105-2ϕ) was higher in the Ab_GEIH-2010 strains (carrying a functional Quorum network) than in the Ab_GEIH-2000 strains (carrying a deficient Quorum network), in which the bacteriophages showed little or no infectivity. This is the first study about the evolution of the Quorum network and the mobilome in clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii during a decade.

Dynamic mechanical behaviour and dislocation substructure evolution of Inconel 718 over wide temperature range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Woei-Shyan, E-mail: wslee@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China); Lin, Chi-Feng [National Center for High-Performance Computing, Hsin-Shi Tainan County 744, Taiwan (China); Chen, Tao-Hsing [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Chen, Hong-Wei [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China)

2011-07-25

A compressive split-Hopkinson pressure bar and transmission electron microscope (TEM) are used to investigate the mechanical behaviour and microstructural evolution of Inconel 718 at strain rates ranging from 1000 to 5000 s{sup -1} and temperatures between -150 and 550 deg. C. The results show that the flow stress increases with an increasing strain rate or a reducing temperature. The strain rate effect is particularly pronounced at strain rates greater than 3000 s{sup -1} and a deformation temperature of -150 deg. C. A significant thermal softening effect occurs at temperatures between -150 and 25 deg. C. The microstructural observations reveal that the strengthening effect in deformed Inconel 718 alloy is a result primarily of dislocation multiplication. The dislocation density increases with increasing strain rate, but decreases with increasing temperature. By contrast, the dislocation cell size decreases with increasing strain rate, but increases with increasing temperature. It is shown that the correlation between the flow stress, the dislocation density and the dislocation cell size is well described by the Bailey-Hirsch constitutive equations.

Genomic evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under Chinese rice wine fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yudong; Zhang, Weiping; Zheng, Daoqiong; Zhou, Zhan; Yu, Wenwen; Zhang, Lei; Feng, Lifang; Liang, Xinle; Guan, Wenjun; Zhou, Jingwen; Chen, Jian; Lin, Zhenguo

2014-09-10

Rice wine fermentation represents a unique environment for the evolution of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To understand how the selection pressure shaped the yeast genome and gene regulation, we determined the genome sequence and transcriptome of a S. cerevisiae strain YHJ7 isolated from Chinese rice wine (Huangjiu), a popular traditional alcoholic beverage in China. By comparing the genome of YHJ7 to the lab strain S288c, a Japanese sake strain K7, and a Chinese industrial bioethanol strain YJSH1, we identified many genomic sequence and structural variations in YHJ7, which are mainly located in subtelomeric regions, suggesting that these regions play an important role in genomic evolution between strains. In addition, our comparative transcriptome analysis between YHJ7 and S288c revealed a set of differentially expressed genes, including those involved in glucose transport (e.g., HXT2, HXT7) and oxidoredutase activity (e.g., AAD10, ADH7). Interestingly, many of these genomic and transcriptional variations are directly or indirectly associated with the adaptation of YHJ7 strain to its specific niches. Our molecular evolution analysis suggested that Japanese sake strains (K7/UC5) were derived from Chinese rice wine strains (YHJ7) at least approximately 2,300 years ago, providing the first molecular evidence elucidating the origin of Japanese sake strains. Our results depict interesting insights regarding the evolution of yeast during rice wine fermentation, and provided a valuable resource for genetic engineering to improve industrial wine-making strains. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Long-term behaviour of binary Ti–49.7Ni (at.%) SMA actuators—the fatigue lives and evolution of strains on thermal cycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karhu, Marjaana; Lindroos, Tomi

2010-01-01

Long-term behaviour and fatigue endurance are the key issues in the utilization of SMA actuators, but systematic research work is still needed in this field. This study concentrates on the effects of three major design parameters on the long-term behaviour of binary Ti–49.7Ni-based actuators: the effect of the temperature interval used in thermal cycling, the effect of the stress level used and the effect of the heat-treatment state of the wire used. The long-term behaviour of the wires was studied in a custom-built fatigue test frame in which the wires were thermally cycled under a constant stress level. The fatigue lives of tested specimens and the evolution of transformation and plastic strains on thermal cycling were recorded. Before the fatigue testing, a series of heat treatments was carried out to generate optimal actuator properties for the wires. One of the major conclusions of the study is that the temperature interval used for thermal cycling has a major effect on fatigue endurance: decreasing the temperature interval used for thermal cycling increased the fatigue life markedly. When the transformation is complete, a 20 °C increase of the final temperature reduced the fatigue lives at the most by half for the studied Ti–49.7Ni wires. With partial transformations the effect is more distinct: even the 5 °C increase in the final temperature reduced the fatigue life by half. The stress level and heat-treatment state used had a marked effect on the actuator properties of the wires, but the effects on fatigue endurance were minor. The fatigue test results reveal that designing and controlling long-term behaviour of binary Ti–49.7Ni actuators is very challenging because the properties are highly sensitive to the heat-treatment state of the wires. Even 5 min longer heat-treatment time could generate, at the most, double plastic strain values and 30% lower stabilized transformation strain values. The amount of plastic strain can be stated as one of

Adaptive evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with enhanced ethanol tolerance for Chinese rice wine fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shuang; Xu, Yan

2014-08-01

High tolerance towards ethanol is a desirable property for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains used in the alcoholic beverage industry. To improve the ethanol tolerance of an industrial Chinese rice wine yeast, a sequential batch fermentation strategy was used to adaptively evolve a chemically mutagenized Chinese rice wine G85 strain. The high level of ethanol produced under Chinese rice wine-like fermentation conditions was used as the selective pressure. After adaptive evolution of approximately 200 generations, mutant G85X-8 was isolated and shown to have markedly increased ethanol tolerance. The evolved strain also showed higher osmotic and temperature tolerances than the parental strain. Laboratory Chinese rice wine fermentation showed that the evolved G85X-8 strain was able to catabolize sugars more completely than the parental G85 strain. A higher level of yeast cell activity was found in the fermentation mash produced by the evolved strain, but the aroma profiles were similar between the evolved and parental strains. The improved ethanol tolerance in the evolved strain might be ascribed to the altered fatty acids composition of the cell membrane and higher intracellular trehalose concentrations. These results suggest that adaptive evolution is an efficient approach for the non-recombinant modification of industrial yeast strains.

Genomic Evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under Chinese Rice Wine Fermentation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yudong; Zhang, Weiping; Zheng, Daoqiong; Zhou, Zhan; Yu, Wenwen; Zhang, Lei; Feng, Lifang; Liang, Xinle; Guan, Wenjun; Zhou, Jingwen; Chen, Jian; Lin, Zhenguo

2014-01-01

Rice wine fermentation represents a unique environment for the evolution of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To understand how the selection pressure shaped the yeast genome and gene regulation, we determined the genome sequence and transcriptome of a S. cerevisiae strain YHJ7 isolated from Chinese rice wine (Huangjiu), a popular traditional alcoholic beverage in China. By comparing the genome of YHJ7 to the lab strain S288c, a Japanese sake strain K7, and a Chinese industrial bioethanol strain YJSH1, we identified many genomic sequence and structural variations in YHJ7, which are mainly located in subtelomeric regions, suggesting that these regions play an important role in genomic evolution between strains. In addition, our comparative transcriptome analysis between YHJ7 and S288c revealed a set of differentially expressed genes, including those involved in glucose transport (e.g., HXT2, HXT7) and oxidoredutase activity (e.g., AAD10, ADH7). Interestingly, many of these genomic and transcriptional variations are directly or indirectly associated with the adaptation of YHJ7 strain to its specific niches. Our molecular evolution analysis suggested that Japanese sake strains (K7/UC5) were derived from Chinese rice wine strains (YHJ7) at least approximately 2,300 years ago, providing the first molecular evidence elucidating the origin of Japanese sake strains. Our results depict interesting insights regarding the evolution of yeast during rice wine fermentation, and provided a valuable resource for genetic engineering to improve industrial wine-making strains. PMID:25212861

Effect of strain rate and dislocation density on the twinning behavior in tantalum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Florando, Jeffrey N., E-mail: florando1@llnl.gov; Swift, Damian C.; Barton, Nathan R.; McNaney, James M.; Kumar, Mukul [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); El-Dasher, Bassem S. [TerraPower LLC, Bellevue, WA 98005 (United States); Chen, Changqiang [Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Ramesh, K. T.; Hemker, Kevin J. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2016-04-15

The conditions which affect twinning in tantalum have been investigated across a range of strain rates and initial dislocation densities. Tantalum samples were subjected to a range of strain rates, from 10{sup −4}/s to 10{sup 3}/s under uniaxial stress conditions, and under laser-induced shock-loading conditions. In this study, twinning was observed at 77 K at strain rates from 1/s to 10{sup 3}/s, and during laser-induced shock experiments. The effect of the initial dislocation density, which was imparted by deforming the material to different amounts of pre-strain, was also studied, and it was shown that twinning is suppressed after a given amount of pre-strain, even as the global stress continues to increase. These results indicate that the conditions for twinning cannot be represented solely by a critical global stress value, but are also dependent on the evolution of the dislocation density. In addition, the analysis shows that if twinning is initiated, the nucleated twins may continue to grow as a function of strain, even as the dislocation density continues to increase.

Nucleation versus instability race in strained films

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kailang; Berbezier, Isabelle; David, Thomas; Favre, Luc; Ronda, Antoine; Abbarchi, Marco; Voorhees, Peter; Aqua, Jean-Noël

2017-10-01

Under the generic term "Stranski-Krastanov" are grouped two different growth mechanisms of SiGe quantum dots. They result from the self-organized Asaro-Tiller-Grinfel'd (ATG) instability at low strain, while at high strain, from a stochastic nucleation. While these regimes are well known, we elucidate here the origin of the transition between these two pathways thanks to a joint theoretical and experimental work. Nucleation is described within the master equation framework. By comparing the time scales for ATG instability development and three-dimensional (3D) nucleation onset, we demonstrate that the transition between these two regimes is simply explained by the crossover between their divergent evolutions. Nucleation exhibits a strong exponential deviation at low strain while ATG behaves only algebraically. The associated time scale varies with exp(1 /x4) for nucleation, while it only behaves as 1 /x8 for the ATG instability. Consequently, at high (low) strain, nucleation (instability) occurs faster and inhibits the alternate evolution. It is then this different kinetic evolution which explains the transition from one regime to the other. Such a kinetic view of the transition between these two 3D growth regimes was not provided before. The crossover between nucleation and ATG instability is found to occur both experimentally and theoretically at a Ge composition around 50% in the experimental conditions used here. Varying the experimental conditions and/or the system parameters does not allow us to suppress the transition. This means that the SiGe quantum dots always grow via ATG instability at low strain and nucleation at high strain. This result is important for the self-organization of quantum dots.

Modelling plastic deformation of metals over a wide range of strain rates using irreversible thermodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Mingxin; Rivera-Diaz-del-Castillo, Pedro E J; Zwaag, Sybrand van der; Bouaziz, Olivier

2009-01-01

Based on the theory of irreversible thermodynamics, the present work proposes a dislocation-based model to describe the plastic deformation of FCC metals over wide ranges of strain rates. The stress-strain behaviour and the evolution of the average dislocation density are derived. It is found that there is a transitional strain rate (∼ 10 4 s -1 ) over which the phonon drag effects appear, resulting in a significant increase in the flow stress and the average dislocation density. The model is applied to pure Cu deformed at room temperature and at strain rates ranging from 10 -5 to 10 6 s -1 showing good agreement with experimental results.

Layer-by-layer evolution of structure, strain, and activity for the oxygen evolution reaction in graphene-templated Pt monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelhafiz, Ali; Vitale, Adam; Joiner, Corey; Vogel, Eric; Alamgir, Faisal M

2015-03-25

In this study, we explore the dimensional aspect of structure-driven surface properties of metal monolayers grown on a graphene/Au template. Here, surface limited redox replacement (SLRR) is used to provide precise layer-by-layer growth of Pt monolayers on graphene. We find that after a few iterations of SLRR, fully wetted 4-5 monolayer Pt films can be grown on graphene. Incorporating graphene at the Pt-Au interface modifies the growth mechanism, charge transfers, equilibrium interatomic distances, and associated strain of the synthesized Pt monolayers. We find that a single layer of sandwiched graphene is able to induce a 3.5% compressive strain on the Pt adlayer grown on it, and as a result, catalytic activity is increased due to a greater areal density of the Pt layers beyond face-centered-cubic close packing. At the same time, the sandwiched graphene does not obstruct vicinity effects of near-surface electron exchange between the substrate Au and adlayers Pt. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) techniques are used to examine charge mediation across the Pt-graphene-Au junction and the local atomic arrangement as a function of the Pt adlayer dimension. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are used as probes to examine the electrochemically active area of Pt monolayers and catalyst activity, respectively. Results show that the inserted graphene monolayer results in increased activity for the Pt due to a graphene-induced compressive strain, as well as a higher resistance against loss of the catalytically active Pt surface.

High-resolution mapping of yield curve shape and evolution for high porosity sandstones

Science.gov (United States)

Bedford, J. D.; Faulkner, D.; Wheeler, J.; Leclere, H.

2017-12-01

The onset of permanent inelastic deformation for porous rock is typically defined by a yield curve plotted in P-Q space, where P is the effective mean stress and Q is the differential stress. Sandstones usually have broadly elliptical shaped yield curves, with the low pressure side of the ellipse associated with localized brittle faulting (dilation) and the high pressure side with distributed ductile deformation (compaction). However recent works have shown that these curves might not be perfectly elliptical and that significant evolution in shape occurs with continued deformation. We therefore use a novel stress-probing methodology to map in high-resolution the yield curve shape for Boise and Idaho Gray sandstones (36-38% porosity) and also investigate curve evolution with increasing deformation. The data reveal yield curves with a much flatter geometry than previously recorded for porous sandstone and that the compactive side of the curve is partly comprised of a near vertical limb. The yield curve evolution is found to be strongly dependent on the nature of inelastic strain. Samples that were compacted under a deviatoric load, with a component of inelastic shear strain, were found to have yield curves with peaks that are approximately 50% higher than similar porosity samples that were hydrostatically compacted (i.e. purely volumetric strain). The difference in yield curve evolution along the different loading paths is attributed to mechanical anisotropy that develops during deviatoric loading by the closure of preferentially orientated fractures. Increased shear strain also leads to the formation of a plateau at the peak of the yield curve as samples deform along the deviatoric loading path. These results have important implications for understanding how the strength of porous rock evolves along different stress paths, including during fluid extraction from hydrocarbon reservoirs where the stress state is rarely isotropic.

Genetic diversity, virulence and fitness evolution in an obligate fungal parasite of bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Evison, S E F; Foley, K; Jensen, A B; Hughes, W O H

2015-01-01

Within-host competition is predicted to drive the evolution of virulence in parasites, but the precise outcomes of such interactions are often unpredictable due to many factors including the biology of the host and the parasite, stochastic events and co-evolutionary interactions. Here, we use a serial passage experiment (SPE) with three strains of a heterothallic fungal parasite (Ascosphaera apis) of the Honey bee (Apis mellifera) to assess how evolving under increasing competitive pressure affects parasite virulence and fitness evolution. The results show an increase in virulence after successive generations of selection and consequently faster production of spores. This faster sporulation, however, did not translate into more spores being produced during this longer window of sporulation; rather, it appeared to induce a loss of fitness in terms of total spore production. There was no evidence to suggest that a greater diversity of competing strains was a driver of this increased virulence and subsequent fitness cost, but rather that strain-specific competitive interactions influenced the evolutionary outcomes of mixed infections. It is possible that the parasite may have evolved to avoid competition with multiple strains because of its heterothallic mode of reproduction, which highlights the importance of understanding parasite biology when predicting disease dynamics. © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

A phase field study of strain energy effects on solute–grain boundary interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heo, Tae Wook; Bhattacharyya, Saswata; Chen Longqing

2011-01-01

We have studied strain-induced solute segregation at a grain boundary and the solute drag effect on boundary migration using a phase field model integrating grain boundary segregation and grain structure evolution. The elastic strain energy of a solid solution due to the atomic size mismatch and the coherency elastic strain energy caused by the inhomogeneity of the composition distribution are obtained using Khachaturyan’s microelasticity theory. Strain-induced grain boundary segregation at a static planar boundary is studied numerically and the equilibrium segregation composition profiles are validated using analytical solutions. We then systematically studied the effect of misfit strain on grain boundary migration with solute drag. Our theoretical analysis based on Cahn’s analytical theory shows that enhancement of the drag force with increasing atomic size mismatch stems from both an increase in grain boundary segregation due to the strain energy reduction and misfit strain relaxation near the grain boundary. The results were analyzed based on a theoretical analysis in terms of elastic and chemical drag forces. The optimum condition for solute diffusivity to maximize the drag force under a given driving force was identified.

Microstructural evolution of aged heat-resistant cast steel following strain controlled fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golański, Grzegorz; Zielińska-Lipiec, Anna; Mroziński, Stanisław; Kolan, Cezary

2015-01-01

The paper presents the results of research on the microstructure of high-chromium martensitic GX12CrMoVNbN9-1 (GP91) cast steel after the isothermal ageing process and fatigue process. The fatigue process was performed at room temperature and elevated temperature (600 °C), with the value of total strain amplitude ε ac amounting to 0.25% and 0.60%. Microstructural tests of GP91 cast steel were carried out by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscope. Quantitative study performed by means of TEM included the characteristics of changes in the dislocation substructure and morphology of M 23 C 6 carbides. Performed research has shown that the microstructure of the examined cast steel after ageing is characterized by partly remaining lath microstructure with numerous precipitations of the MX and M 23 C 6 type, as well as the Laves phase. It has been shown that the fatigue test at room temperature contributes to the process of dislocation strengthening of the examined cast steel. The increase of fatigue test temperature influences the degree of increase in the matrix softening. The degree of softening of the cast steel microstructure at elevated temperature depends also on the value of strain amplitude ε ac . The softening process of the examined cast steel was connected with the decrease of dislocation density and increase of subgrains

Lattice strain in irradiated materials unveils a prevalent defect evolution mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Debelle, Aurélien; Crocombette, Jean-Paul; Boulle, Alexandre; Chartier, Alain; Jourdan, Thomas; Pellegrino, Stéphanie; Bachiller-Perea, Diana; Carpentier, Denise; Channagiri, Jayanth; Nguyen, Tien-Hien; Garrido, Frédérico; Thomé, Lionel

2018-01-01

Modification of materials using ion beams has become a widespread route to improve or design materials for advanced applications, from ion doping for microelectronic devices to emulation of nuclear reactor environments. Yet, despite decades of studies, major issues regarding ion/solid interactions are not solved, one of them being the lattice-strain development process in irradiated crystals. In this work, we address this question using a consistent approach that combines x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements with both molecular dynamics (MD) and rate equation cluster dynamics (RECD) simulations. We investigate four distinct materials that differ notably in terms of crystalline structure and nature of the atomic bonding. We demonstrate that these materials exhibit a common behavior with respect to the strain development process. In fact, a strain build-up followed by a strain relaxation is observed in the four investigated cases. The strain variation is unambiguously ascribed to a change in the defect configuration, as revealed by MD simulations. Strain development is due to the clustering of interstitial defects into dislocation loops, while the strain release is associated with the disappearance of these loops through their integration into a network of dislocation lines. RECD calculations of strain depth profiles, which are in agreement with experimental data, indicate that the driving force for the change in the defect nature is the defect clustering process. This study paves the way for quantitative predictions of the microstructure changes in irradiated materials.

Two-step evolution of endosymbiosis between hydra and algae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, Masakazu; Shimizu, Hiroshi; Nozawa, Masafumi; Ikeo, Kazuho; Gojobori, Takashi

2016-10-01

In the Hydra vulgaris group, only 2 of the 25 strains in the collection of the National Institute of Genetics in Japan currently show endosymbiosis with green algae. However, whether the other non-symbiotic strains also have the potential to harbor algae remains unknown. The endosymbiotic potential of non-symbiotic strains that can harbor algae may have been acquired before or during divergence of the strains. With the aim of understanding the evolutionary process of endosymbiosis in the H. vulgaris group, we examined the endosymbiotic potential of non-symbiotic strains of the H. vulgaris group by artificially introducing endosymbiotic algae. We found that 12 of the 23 non-symbiotic strains were able to harbor the algae until reaching the grand-offspring through the asexual reproduction by budding. Moreover, a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genome sequences showed that all the strains with endosymbiotic potential grouped into a single cluster (cluster γ). This cluster contained two strains (J7 and J10) that currently harbor algae; however, these strains were not the closest relatives. These results suggest that evolution of endosymbiosis occurred in two steps; first, endosymbiotic potential was gained once in the ancestor of the cluster γ lineage; second, strains J7 and J10 obtained algae independently after the divergence of the strains. By demonstrating the evolution of the endosymbiotic potential in non-symbiotic H. vulgaris group strains, we have clearly distinguished two evolutionary steps. The step-by-step evolutionary process provides significant insight into the evolution of endosymbiosis in cnidarians. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Two-Step Evolution of Endosymbiosis between Hydra and Algae

KAUST Repository

Ishikawa, Masakazu

2016-07-09

In the Hydra vulgaris group, only 2 of the 25 strains in the collection of the National Institute of Genetics in Japan currently show endosymbiosis with green algae. However, whether the other non-symbiotic strains also have the potential to harbor algae remains unknown. The endosymbiotic potential of non-symbiotic strains that can harbor algae may have been acquired before or during divergence of the strains. With the aim of understanding the evolutionary process of endosymbiosis in the H. vulgaris group, we examined the endosymbiotic potential of non-symbiotic strains of the H. vulgaris group by artificially introducing endosymbiotic algae. We found that 12 of the 23 non-symbiotic strains were able to harbor the algae until reaching the grand-offspring through the asexual reproduction by budding. Moreover, a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genome sequences showed that all the strains with endosymbiotic potential grouped into a single cluster (cluster γ). This cluster contained two strains (J7 and J10) that currently harbor algae; however, these strains were not the closest relatives. These results suggest that evolution of endosymbiosis occurred in two steps; first, endosymbiotic potential was gained once in the ancestor of the cluster γ lineage; second, strains J7 and J10 obtained algae independently after the divergence of the strains. By demonstrating the evolution of the endosymbiotic potential in non-symbiotic H. vulgaris group strains, we have clearly distinguished two evolutionary steps. The step-by-step evolutionary process provides significant insight into the evolution of endosymbiosis in cnidarians.

Mutant strains of Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis to increase the efficiency of micro-ecological life support systems

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Igor

The European Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) is an advanced idea for organizing a bioregenerative system for long term space flights and extraterrestrial settlements (Hendrickx, De Wever et al., 2005). Despite the hostility of both lunar and Martian environments to unprotected life, it seems possible to cultivate photosynthetic bacteria using closed bioreactors illuminated and heated by solar energy. Such reactors might be employed in critical processes, e.g. air revitalization, foodcaloric and protein source, as well as an immunomodulators production. The MELiSSA team suggested cyanobacterium Spirulina as most appropriate agent to revitalize air and produce a simple "fast" food. This is right suggestion because Spirulina was recently shown to be an oxygenic organism with the highest level of O2 production per unit mass (Ananyev et al., 2005). Chemical composition of Spirulina includes proteins (55Aiming to make Spirulina cultivation in life support systems like MELiSSA more efficient, we selected Spirulina mutant strains with increased fraction of methionine in the biomass of this cyanobacterium and compared the effect of parental wild strain of Spirulina and its mutants on the tendency of such experimental illnesses as radiationinduced lesions and hemolythic anemia. Results: It was found that mutant strains 198B and 27G contain higher quantities of total protein, essential amino acids, c-phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and chlorophyll a than parental wild strain of S. platensis. The strain 198B is also characterized with increased content of carotenoids. Revealed biochemical peculiarities of mutant strains suggest that these strains can serve as an additional source of essential amino acids as well as phycobiliproteins and carotenoids for the astronauts. Feeding animals suffering from radiation-induced lesions, c-phycocyanin, extracted from strain 27G, led to a correction in deficient dehydrogenase activity and energy-rich phosphate levels

Residual Strains and Their Relation to the Fatigue Damage Evolution in Composite Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Lars Pilgaard; Pereira, Gilmar Ferreira; Jespersen, Kristine Munk

2016-01-01

, the volumetric shrinkage of the epoxy at the two curing cycles is identical, the resulting residual strain in an embedded optical fibre measured using fibre Bragg Grating is found to be increased with a factor of 3. Together with, 3D x-ray tomography of partly fatigued test specimens there is an indication...

Anti-Inflammatory Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 Strain Protects against Oxidative Stress and Increases Lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Science.gov (United States)

Grompone, Gianfranco; Martorell, Patricia; Llopis, Silvia; González, Núria; Genovés, Salvador; Mulet, Ana Paula; Fernández-Calero, Tamara; Tiscornia, Inés; Bollati-Fogolín, Mariela; Chambaud, Isabelle; Foligné, Benoit; Montserrat, Agustín; Ramón, Daniel

2012-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that resistance to oxidative stress is crucial to stay healthy and to reduce the adverse effects of aging. Accordingly, nutritional interventions using antioxidant food-grade compounds or food products are currently an interesting option to help improve health and quality of life in the elderly. Live lactic acid bacteria (LAB) administered in food, such as probiotics, may be good antioxidant candidates. Nevertheless, information about LAB-induced oxidative stress protection is scarce. To identify and characterize new potential antioxidant probiotic strains, we have developed a new functional screening method using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as host. C. elegans were fed on different LAB strains (78 in total) and nematode viability was assessed after oxidative stress (3 mM and 5 mM H2O2). One strain, identified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690, protected worms by increasing their viability by 30% and, also, increased average worm lifespan by 20%. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of C. elegans fed with this strain showed that increased lifespan is correlated with differential expression of the DAF-16/insulin-like pathway, which is highly conserved in humans. This strain also had a clear anti-inflammatory profile when co-cultured with HT-29 cells, stimulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, and co-culture systems with HT-29 cells and DC in the presence of LPS. Finally, this Lactobacillus strain reduced inflammation in a murine model of colitis. This work suggests that C. elegans is a fast, predictive and convenient screening tool to identify new potential antioxidant probiotic strains for subsequent use in humans. PMID:23300685

Anti-inflammatory Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 strain protects against oxidative stress and increases lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianfranco Grompone

Full Text Available Numerous studies have shown that resistance to oxidative stress is crucial to stay healthy and to reduce the adverse effects of aging. Accordingly, nutritional interventions using antioxidant food-grade compounds or food products are currently an interesting option to help improve health and quality of life in the elderly. Live lactic acid bacteria (LAB administered in food, such as probiotics, may be good antioxidant candidates. Nevertheless, information about LAB-induced oxidative stress protection is scarce. To identify and characterize new potential antioxidant probiotic strains, we have developed a new functional screening method using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as host. C. elegans were fed on different LAB strains (78 in total and nematode viability was assessed after oxidative stress (3 mM and 5 mM H(2O(2. One strain, identified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690, protected worms by increasing their viability by 30% and, also, increased average worm lifespan by 20%. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of C. elegans fed with this strain showed that increased lifespan is correlated with differential expression of the DAF-16/insulin-like pathway, which is highly conserved in humans. This strain also had a clear anti-inflammatory profile when co-cultured with HT-29 cells, stimulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, and co-culture systems with HT-29 cells and DC in the presence of LPS. Finally, this Lactobacillus strain reduced inflammation in a murine model of colitis. This work suggests that C. elegans is a fast, predictive and convenient screening tool to identify new potential antioxidant probiotic strains for subsequent use in humans.

Hydrogen production by recombinant Escherichia coli strains

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Toshinari; Sanchez‐Torres, Viviana; Wood, Thomas K.

2012-01-01

Summary The production of hydrogen via microbial biotechnology is an active field of research. Given its ease of manipulation, the best‐studied bacterium Escherichia coli has become a workhorse for enhanced hydrogen production through metabolic engineering, heterologous gene expression, adaptive evolution, and protein engineering. Herein, the utility of E. coli strains to produce hydrogen, via native hydrogenases or heterologous ones, is reviewed. In addition, potential strategies for increasing hydrogen production are outlined and whole‐cell systems and cell‐free systems are compared. PMID:21895995

Mechanical properties of Bi,Pb(2223) single filaments and I sub c (epsilon) behaviour in longitudinally strained tapes

CERN Document Server

Passerini, R; Seeber, B; Flükiger, R

2002-01-01

The Young's modulus and fracture stress of isolated Bi,Pb(2223) filaments were deduced from three-point bending tests performed at different stages of the tapes preparation. These results were introduced in the model describing the evolution of critical current of tapes submitted to a longitudinal strain in view to predict their irreversible strain limit epsilon sub i sub r sub r. These calculated irreversible strain limits were compared to measured values, taken from a set of tapes made with different filling factors and composite matrices. This experiment shows that the predicted irreversible strain limits correspond to the measured ones. Presenting the I sub c behaviour of highly stressed tapes in a magnetic field, we discuss the evolution of the ratio I sup s sup t sup r sup o sup n sup g sub c sub 0 /I sub c sub 0 versus strain. This value, representative of the fraction of the critical current attributed to strongly connected grains, increases significantly during the crack formation regime at epsilon >...

In vivo locomotor strain in the hindlimb bones of alligator mississippiensis and iguana iguana: implications for the evolution of limb bone safety factor and non-sprawling limb posture

Science.gov (United States)

Blob; Biewener

1999-05-01

Limb postures of terrestrial tetrapods span a continuum from sprawling to fully upright; however, most experimental investigations of locomotor mechanics have focused on mammals and ground-dwelling birds that employ parasagittal limb kinematics, leaving much of the diversity of tetrapod locomotor mechanics unexplored. This study reports measurements of in vivo locomotor strain from the limb bones of lizard (Iguana iguana) and crocodilian (Alligator mississippiensis) species, animals from previously unsampled phylogenetic lineages with non-parasagittal limb posture and kinematics. Principal strain orientations and shear strain magnitudes indicate that the limb bones of these species experience considerable torsion during locomotion. This contrasts with patterns commonly observed in mammals, but matches predictions from kinematic observations of axial rotation in lizard and crocodilian limbs. Comparisons of locomotor load magnitudes with the mechanical properties of limb bones in Alligator and Iguana indicate that limb bone safety factors in bending for these species range from 5.5 to 10.8, as much as twice as high as safety factors previously calculated for mammals and birds. Limb bone safety factors in shear (3.9-5.4) for Alligator and Iguana are also moderately higher than safety factors to yield in bending for birds and mammals. Finally, correlations between limb posture and strain magnitudes in Alligator show that at some recording locations limb bone strains can increase during upright locomotion, in contrast to expectations based on size-correlated changes in posture among mammals that limb bone strains should decrease with the use of an upright posture. These data suggest that, in some lineages, strain magnitudes may not have been maintained at constant levels through the evolution of a non-sprawling posture unless the postural change was accompanied by a shift to parasagittal kinematics or by an evolutionary decrease in body size.

Mechanical properties of Bi,Pb(2223) single filaments and Ic(ε) behaviour in longitudinally strained tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passerini, Reynald; Dhalle, Marc; Seeber, Bernd; Fluekiger, Rene

2002-01-01

The Young's modulus and fracture stress of isolated Bi,Pb(2223) filaments were deduced from three-point bending tests performed at different stages of the tapes preparation. These results were introduced in the model describing the evolution of critical current of tapes submitted to a longitudinal strain in view to predict their irreversible strain limit ε irr . These calculated irreversible strain limits were compared to measured values, taken from a set of tapes made with different filling factors and composite matrices. This experiment shows that the predicted irreversible strain limits correspond to the measured ones. Presenting the I c behaviour of highly stressed tapes in a magnetic field, we discuss the evolution of the ratio I strong c0 /I c0 versus strain. This value, representative of the fraction of the critical current attributed to strongly connected grains, increases significantly during the crack formation regime at ε > ε irr . This indicates that mechanically weak links correspond to electromagnetically weak ones. This result is further confirmed by comparing the modulus of rupture obtained in single filaments extracted from tapes with different I c values

Observation of defects evolution in electronic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Jung Hun

Advanced characterization techniques have been used to obtain a better understanding of the microstructure of electronic materials. The structural evolution, especially defects, has been investigated during the film growth and post-growth processes. Obtaining the relation between the defect evolution and growth/post-growth parameters is very important to obtain highly crystalline films. In this work, the growth and post-growth related defects in GaN, ZnO, strained-Si/SiGe films have been studied using several advanced characterization techniques. First of all, the growth of related defects in GaN and p-type ZnO films have been studied. The effect of growth parameters, such as growth temperature, gas flow rate, dopants used during the deposition, on the crystalline quality of the GaN and ZnO layers was investigated by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In GaN films, it was found that the edge and mixed type threading dislocations were the dominant defects so that the only relevant figure of merit (FOM) for the crystalline quality should be the FWHM value of o-RC of the surface perpendicular plane which could be determined by a grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD) technique as shown in this work. The understanding of the relationship between the defect evolution and growth parameters allowed for the growth of high crystalline GaN films. For ZnO films, it was found that the degree of texture and crystalline quality of P-doped ZnO films decreased with increasing the phosphorus atomic percent. In addition, the result from the x-ray diffraction line profile analysis showed that the 0.5 at % P-doped ZnO film showed much higher microstrain than the 1.0 at % P-doped ZnO film, which indicated that the phosphorus atoms were segregated with increasing P atomic percentage. Finally, post-growth related defects in strained-Si/SiGe films were investigated. Postgrowth processes used in this work included high temperature N2

Morphological evolution and internal strain mapping of pomelo peel using X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation

KAUST Repository

Wang, B.

2017-10-15

Cellular microstructures within natural materials enlighten and promote the development of novel materials and structures in the industrial and engineering fields. Characterization of the microstructures and mechanical properties of these natural materials can help to understand the morphology-related mechanical properties and guide the structural optimization in industrial design. Among these natural cellular materials, pomelo peels, having a foam-like hierarchical microstructure, represent an ideal model for developing materials with high energy absorption efficiency. In this work, by combining X-ray tomographic imaging technique and digital volume correlation (DVC), in-situ stepwise uniaxial compression tests were performed to quantify the internal morphological evolution and kinematic responses of pomelo peel samples during compression. Via these experiments, the varying microstructure features and thus diverse resistance to compression from endocarp to exocarp are examined, and the evolution of both bundles bending and large strain domain from endocarp to mesocarp are explored. Based on the experimental results, the microstructure-related mechanical properties of pomelo peels in response to compressive loading that demonstrates nearly linear morphology-mechanics relationship were revealed.

Epidemiology, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Emerging Enteric Picobirnaviruses of Animal Origin and Their Relationship to Human Strains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yashpal S. Malik

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Picobirnavirus (PBV which has been included in the list of viruses causing enteric infection in animals is highly versatile because of its broad host range and genetic diversity. PBVs are among the most recent and emerging small, nonenveloped viruses with a bisegmented double-stranded RNA genome, classified under a new family “Picobirnaviridae.” PBVs have also been detected from respiratory tract of pigs, but needs further close investigation for their inhabitant behavior. Though, accretion of genomic data of PBVs from different mammalian species resolved some of the ambiguity, quite a few questions and hypotheses regarding pathogenesis, persistence location, and evolution of PBVs remain unreciprocated. Evolutionary analysis reveals association of PBVs with partitiviruses especially fungi partitiviruses. Although, PBVs may have an ambiguous clinical implication, they do pose a potential public health concern in humans and control of PBVs mainly relies on nonvaccinal approach. Based upon the published data, from 1988 to date, generated from animal PBVs across the globe, this review provides information and discussion with respect to genetic analysis as well as evolution of PBVs of animal origin in relation to human strains.

Comparative genome analysis of a thermotolerant Escherichia coli obtained by Genome Replication Engineering Assisted Continuous Evolution (GREACE) and its parent strain provides new understanding of microbial heat tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Luan, Guodong; Bao, Guanhui; Lin, Zhao; Li, Yang; Chen, Zugen; Li, Yin; Cai, Zhen

2015-12-25

Heat tolerance of microbes is of great importance for efficient biorefinery and bioconversion. However, engineering and understanding of microbial heat tolerance are difficult and insufficient because it is a complex physiological trait which probably correlates with all gene functions, genetic regulations, and cellular metabolisms and activities. In this work, a novel strain engineering approach named Genome Replication Engineering Assisted Continuous Evolution (GREACE) was employed to improve the heat tolerance of Escherichia coli. When the E. coli strain carrying a mutator was cultivated under gradually increasing temperature, genome-wide mutations were continuously generated during genome replication and the mutated strains with improved thermotolerance were autonomously selected. A thermotolerant strain HR50 capable of growing at 50°C on LB agar plate was obtained within two months, demonstrating the efficiency of GREACE in improving such a complex physiological trait. To understand the improved heat tolerance, genomes of HR50 and its wildtype strain DH5α were sequenced. Evenly distributed 361 mutations covering all mutation types were found in HR50. Closed material transportations, loose genome conformation, and possibly altered cell wall structure and transcription pattern were the main differences of HR50 compared with DH5α, which were speculated to be responsible for the improved heat tolerance. This work not only expanding our understanding of microbial heat tolerance, but also emphasizing that the in vivo continuous genome mutagenesis method, GREACE, is efficient in improving microbial complex physiological trait. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Dunaliella tertiolecta Strain with Increased Zeaxanthin Content Using Random Mutagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minjae; Ahn, Junhak; Jeon, Hancheol; Jin, EonSeon

2017-06-21

Zeaxanthin is a xanthophyll pigment that is regarded as one of the best carotenoids for the prevention and treatment of degenerative diseases. In the worldwide natural products market, consumers prefer pigments that have been produced from biological sources. In this study, a Dunaliella tertiolecta strain that has 10-15% higher cellular zeaxanthin content than the parent strain ( zea1 ), was obtained by random mutagenesis using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) as a mutagen. This mutant, mp3 , was grown under various salinities and light intensities to optimize culture conditions for zeaxanthin production. The highest cellular zeaxanthin content was observed at 1.5 M NaCl and 65-85 μmol photons·m -2 ·s -1 , and the highest daily zeaxanthin productivity was observed at 0.6 M NaCl and 140-160 μmol photons·m -2 ·s -1 . The maximal yield of zeaxanthin from mp3 in fed-batch culture was 8 mg·L -1 , which was obtained at 0.6 M NaCl and 140-160 μmol photons·m -2 ·s -1 . These results suggest that random mutagenesis with EMS is useful for generating D. tertiolecta strains with increased zeaxanthin content, and also suggest optimal culture conditions for the enhancement of biomass and zeaxanthin production by the zeaxanthin accumulating mutant strains.

Genomic evidence for the evolution of Streptococcus equi: host restriction, increased virulence, and genetic exchange with human pathogens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew T G Holden

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The continued evolution of bacterial pathogens has major implications for both human and animal disease, but the exchange of genetic material between host-restricted pathogens is rarely considered. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi is a host-restricted pathogen of horses that has evolved from the zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus. These pathogens share approximately 80% genome sequence identity with the important human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. We sequenced and compared the genomes of S. equi 4047 and S. zooepidemicus H70 and screened S. equi and S. zooepidemicus strains from around the world to uncover evidence of the genetic events that have shaped the evolution of the S. equi genome and led to its emergence as a host-restricted pathogen. Our analysis provides evidence of functional loss due to mutation and deletion, coupled with pathogenic specialization through the acquisition of bacteriophage encoding a phospholipase A(2 toxin, and four superantigens, and an integrative conjugative element carrying a novel iron acquisition system with similarity to the high pathogenicity island of Yersinia pestis. We also highlight that S. equi, S. zooepidemicus, and S. pyogenes share a common phage pool that enhances cross-species pathogen evolution. We conclude that the complex interplay of functional loss, pathogenic specialization, and genetic exchange between S. equi, S. zooepidemicus, and S. pyogenes continues to influence the evolution of these important streptococci.

Evolution of interphase and intergranular strain in zirconium-niobium alloys during deformation at room temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Song

Zr-2.5Nb is currently used for pressure tubes in the CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) reactor. A complete understanding of the deformation mechanism of Zr-2.5Nb is important if we are to accurately predict the in-reactor performance of pressure tubes and guarantee normal operation of the reactors. This thesis is a first step in gaining such an understanding; the deformation mechanism of ZrNb alloys at room temperature has been evaluated through studying the effect of texture and microstructure on deformation. In-situ neutron diffraction was used to monitor the evolution of the lattice strain of individual grain families along both the loading and Poisson's directions and to track the development of interphase and intergranular strains during deformation. The following experiments were carried out with data interpreted using elasto-plastic modeling techniques: (1) Compression tests of a 100%betaZr material at room temperature. (2) Tension and compression tests of hot rolled Zr-2.5Nb plate material. (3) Compression of annealed Zr-2.5Nb. (4) Cyclic loading of the hot rolled Zr-2.5Nb. (5) Compression tests of ZrNb alloys with different Nb and oxygen contents. The experimental results were interpreted using a combination of finite element (FE) and elasto-plastic self-consistent (EPSC) models. The phase properties and phase interactions well represented by the FE model, the EPSC model successfully captured the evolution of intergranular constraint during deformation and provided reasonable estimates of the critical resolved shear stress and hardening parameters of different slip systems under different conditions. The consistency of the material parameters obtained by the EPSC model allows the deformation mechanism at room temperature and the effect of textures and microstructures of ZrNb alloys to be understood. This work provides useful information towards manufacturing of Zr-2.5Nb components and helps in producing ideal microstructures and material properties for

Directed Evolution towards Increased Isoprenoid Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlsen, Simon; Nielsen, Michael Lynge; Kielland-Brandt, Morten

production can easily be scaled to meet current demands and it is also an environmental benign production method compared to organic synthesis. Thus it would be attractive to engineer a microorganism to produce high amounts of IPP and other immediate prenyl precursors such as geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl...... for discovering new genetic perturbations, which would results in and increased production of isoprenoids by S. cerevisiae has been very limited. This project is focus on creating diversity within a lycopene producing S. cerevisiae strain by construction of gDNA-, cDNA-, and transposon-libraries. The diversified...... coloration which is the result of higher amount of lycopene is being produced and hence high amount of isoprenoid precursor being available. This will elucidate novel genetic targets for increasing isoprenoid production in S. cerevisiae...

Genome Plasticity and Polymorphisms in Critical Genes Correlate with Increased Virulence of Dutch Outbreak-Related Coxiella burnetii Strains

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Runa Kuley

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the etiological agent of Q fever. During 2007–2010 the largest Q fever outbreak ever reported occurred in The Netherlands. It is anticipated that strains from this outbreak demonstrated an increased zoonotic potential as more than 40,000 individuals were assumed to be infected. The acquisition of novel genetic factors by these C. burnetii outbreak strains, such as virulence-related genes, has frequently been proposed and discussed, but is not proved yet. In the present study, the whole genome sequence of several Dutch strains (CbNL01 and CbNL12 genotypes, a few additionally selected strains from different geographical locations and publicly available genome sequences were used for a comparative bioinformatics approach. The study focuses on the identification of specific genetic differences in the outbreak related CbNL01 strains compared to other C. burnetii strains. In this approach we investigated the phylogenetic relationship and genomic aspects of virulence and host-specificity. Phylogenetic clustering of whole genome sequences showed a genotype-specific clustering that correlated with the clustering observed using Multiple Locus Variable-number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA. Ortholog analysis on predicted genes and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP analysis of complete genome sequences demonstrated the presence of genotype-specific gene contents and SNP variations in C. burnetii strains. It also demonstrated that the currently used MLVA genotyping methods are highly discriminatory for the investigated outbreak strains. In the fully reconstructed genome sequence of the Dutch outbreak NL3262 strain of the CbNL01 genotype, a relatively large number of transposon-linked genes were identified as compared to the other published complete genome sequences of C. burnetii. Additionally, large numbers of SNPs in its membrane proteins and predicted virulence-associated genes were identified

Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, Mohammad Naser; Steensels, Jan; Courtin, Christophe M.; Verstrepen, Kevin J.

2016-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today’s diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria. PMID:27776154

Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslankoohi, Elham; Herrera-Malaver, Beatriz; Rezaei, Mohammad Naser; Steensels, Jan; Courtin, Christophe M; Verstrepen, Kevin J

2016-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today's diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria.

Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elham Aslankoohi

Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today's diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria.

Experimental Study of Damage Evolution in Circular Stirrup-Confined Concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zuohua; Peng, Zhihan; Teng, Jun; Wang, Ying

2016-04-08

This paper presents an experimental study on circular stirrup-confined concrete specimens under uniaxial and monotonic load. The effects of stirrup volume ratio, stirrup yield strength and concrete strength on damage evolution of stirrup-confined concrete were investigated. The experimental results showed that the strength and ductility of concrete are improved by appropriate arrangement of the stirrup confinement. Firstly, the concrete damage evolution can be relatively restrained with the increase of the stirrup volume ratio. Secondly, higher stirrup yield strength usually causes larger confining pressures and slower concrete damage evolution. In contrast, higher concrete strength leads to higher brittleness, which accelerates the concrete damage evolution. A plastic strain expression is obtained through curve fitting, and a damage evolution equation for circular stirrup-confined concrete is proposed by introducing a confinement factor ( C ) based on the experimental data. The comparison results demonstrate that the proposed damage evolution model can accurately describe the experimental results.

Experimental Study of Damage Evolution in Circular Stirrup-Confined Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zuohua; Peng, Zhihan; Teng, Jun; Wang, Ying

2016-01-01

This paper presents an experimental study on circular stirrup-confined concrete specimens under uniaxial and monotonic load. The effects of stirrup volume ratio, stirrup yield strength and concrete strength on damage evolution of stirrup-confined concrete were investigated. The experimental results showed that the strength and ductility of concrete are improved by appropriate arrangement of the stirrup confinement. Firstly, the concrete damage evolution can be relatively restrained with the increase of the stirrup volume ratio. Secondly, higher stirrup yield strength usually causes larger confining pressures and slower concrete damage evolution. In contrast, higher concrete strength leads to higher brittleness, which accelerates the concrete damage evolution. A plastic strain expression is obtained through curve fitting, and a damage evolution equation for circular stirrup-confined concrete is proposed by introducing a confinement factor (C) based on the experimental data. The comparison results demonstrate that the proposed damage evolution model can accurately describe the experimental results. PMID:28773402

Effect of loading mode on lattice strain measurements via neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skippon, T.; Clausen, B.; Daymond, M.R.

2013-01-01

The study of lattice strain evolution during uniaxial deformation via in situ neutron diffraction is a well established technique for characterizing the deformation behavior of metals. However, the relatively low flux of neutron facilities results in count times on the order of several minutes, requiring experimenters to choose between either applying a very slow strain rate, or loading the sample incrementally rather than continuously. Here we investigate the effects on lattice strain data obtained by using stress, strain, and position controlled incremental loading, as well as continuous loading, on samples of Zircaloy-2 under uniaxial compression. It was found that both qualitative and quantitative differences arise in the lattice strain behavior of certain grain families, particularly {101 ¯ 0} and {112 ¯ 0}, while other grain families show no discernible effect. The differences in lattice strain evolution brought on by the variation in loading modes are believed to be the result of thermally activated dislocation motion

Microstructural evolution during isothermal aging and strain-induced transformation followed by isothermal aging in Co-Cr-Mo-C alloy: A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lashgari, H.R.; Zangeneh, Sh.; Hasanabadi, F.; Saghafi, M.

2010-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of isothermal aging (at 850 deg. C for 4, 8, 16 and 24 h) and strain-induced transformation (engineering strains of 10% and 20%) followed by isothermal aging (at 850 deg. C for 4, 8 and 16 h) on the microstructural evolution of a Co-28Cr-5Mo-0.3C alloy. The obtained results showed that isothermal aging at 850 deg. C resulted in the formation of lamellar-type carbides at the grain boundaries. Moreover, X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that isothermal aging of solution treated specimens at 850 deg. C for 24 h did not lead to complete fcc phase transformation to hcp one. In contrast with the isothermally aged specimens, applying plastic deformation to the solutionized samples accelerated the completion and saturation of fcc(metastable) → hcp transformation after 8 h aging at 850 deg. C. In addition, the X-ray diffraction results indicated that implementing isothermal aging of the strain-induced specimens at the higher aging time (16 h) caused the formation of (1 1 1) fcc and (2 0 0) fcc diffraction peaks again. Also, the strain-induced specimens followed by isothermal aging showed higher amount of microhardness as compared with the other specimens aged solely.

Programmed evolution for optimization of orthogonal metabolic output in bacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todd T Eckdahl

Full Text Available Current use of microbes for metabolic engineering suffers from loss of metabolic output due to natural selection. Rather than combat the evolution of bacterial populations, we chose to embrace what makes biological engineering unique among engineering fields - evolving materials. We harnessed bacteria to compute solutions to the biological problem of metabolic pathway optimization. Our approach is called Programmed Evolution to capture two concepts. First, a population of cells is programmed with DNA code to enable it to compute solutions to a chosen optimization problem. As analog computers, bacteria process known and unknown inputs and direct the output of their biochemical hardware. Second, the system employs the evolution of bacteria toward an optimal metabolic solution by imposing fitness defined by metabolic output. The current study is a proof-of-concept for Programmed Evolution applied to the optimization of a metabolic pathway for the conversion of caffeine to theophylline in E. coli. Introduced genotype variations included strength of the promoter and ribosome binding site, plasmid copy number, and chaperone proteins. We constructed 24 strains using all combinations of the genetic variables. We used a theophylline riboswitch and a tetracycline resistance gene to link theophylline production to fitness. After subjecting the mixed population to selection, we measured a change in the distribution of genotypes in the population and an increased conversion of caffeine to theophylline among the most fit strains, demonstrating Programmed Evolution. Programmed Evolution inverts the standard paradigm in metabolic engineering by harnessing evolution instead of fighting it. Our modular system enables researchers to program bacteria and use evolution to determine the combination of genetic control elements that optimizes catabolic or anabolic output and to maintain it in a population of cells. Programmed Evolution could be used for applications in

Programmed Evolution for Optimization of Orthogonal Metabolic Output in Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Eckdahl, Todd T.; Campbell, A. Malcolm; Heyer, Laurie J.; Poet, Jeffrey L.; Blauch, David N.; Snyder, Nicole L.; Atchley, Dustin T.; Baker, Erich J.; Brown, Micah; Brunner, Elizabeth C.; Callen, Sean A.; Campbell, Jesse S.; Carr, Caleb J.; Carr, David R.; Chadinha, Spencer A.; Chester, Grace I.; Chester, Josh; Clarkson, Ben R.; Cochran, Kelly E.; Doherty, Shannon E.; Doyle, Catherine; Dwyer, Sarah; Edlin, Linnea M.; Evans, Rebecca A.; Fluharty, Taylor; Frederick, Janna; Galeota-Sprung, Jonah; Gammon, Betsy L.; Grieshaber, Brandon; Gronniger, Jessica; Gutteridge, Katelyn; Henningsen, Joel; Isom, Bradley; Itell, Hannah L.; Keffeler, Erica C.; Lantz, Andrew J.; Lim, Jonathan N.; McGuire, Erin P.; Moore, Alexander K.; Morton, Jerrad; Nakano, Meredith; Pearson, Sara A.; Perkins, Virginia; Parrish, Phoebe; Pierson, Claire E.; Polpityaarachchige, Sachith; Quaney, Michael J.; Slattery, Abagael; Smith, Kathryn E.; Spell, Jackson; Spencer, Morgan; Taye, Telavive; Trueblood, Kamay; Vrana, Caroline J.; Whitesides, E. Tucker

2015-01-01

Current use of microbes for metabolic engineering suffers from loss of metabolic output due to natural selection. Rather than combat the evolution of bacterial populations, we chose to embrace what makes biological engineering unique among engineering fields – evolving materials. We harnessed bacteria to compute solutions to the biological problem of metabolic pathway optimization. Our approach is called Programmed Evolution to capture two concepts. First, a population of cells is programmed with DNA code to enable it to compute solutions to a chosen optimization problem. As analog computers, bacteria process known and unknown inputs and direct the output of their biochemical hardware. Second, the system employs the evolution of bacteria toward an optimal metabolic solution by imposing fitness defined by metabolic output. The current study is a proof-of-concept for Programmed Evolution applied to the optimization of a metabolic pathway for the conversion of caffeine to theophylline in E. coli. Introduced genotype variations included strength of the promoter and ribosome binding site, plasmid copy number, and chaperone proteins. We constructed 24 strains using all combinations of the genetic variables. We used a theophylline riboswitch and a tetracycline resistance gene to link theophylline production to fitness. After subjecting the mixed population to selection, we measured a change in the distribution of genotypes in the population and an increased conversion of caffeine to theophylline among the most fit strains, demonstrating Programmed Evolution. Programmed Evolution inverts the standard paradigm in metabolic engineering by harnessing evolution instead of fighting it. Our modular system enables researchers to program bacteria and use evolution to determine the combination of genetic control elements that optimizes catabolic or anabolic output and to maintain it in a population of cells. Programmed Evolution could be used for applications in energy

[Genetic recombination in vaccine poliovirus: comparative study in strains excreted in course of vaccination by oral poliovirus vaccine and circulating strains].

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad-Boubaker, S; Ould-Mohamed-Abdallah, M V; Ben-Yahia, A; Triki, H

2010-12-01

Recombination is one of the major mechanisms of evolution in poliovirus. In this work, recombination was assessed in children during vaccination with OPV and among circulating vaccine strains isolated in Tunisia during the last 15 years in order to identify a possible role of recombination in the response to the vaccine or the acquisition of an increased transmissibility. This study included 250 poliovirus isolates: 137 vaccine isolates, excreted by children during primary vaccination with OPV and 113 isolates obtained from acute flaccid paralytic (AFP) cases and healthy contacts. Recombination was first assessed using a double PCR-RFLP, and sequencing. Nineteen per cent of recombinant strains were identified: 20% of strains excreted by vaccinees among 18% of circulating strains. The proportion of recombinant in isolates of serotype1 was very low in the two groups while the proportions of recombinants in serotypes 2 and 3 were different. In vaccinees, the frequency of recombinants in serotype3 decreased during the course of vaccination: 54% after the first dose, 32% after the second and 14% after the third dose. These results suggest that recombination enhances the ability of serotype3 vaccine strains to induce an immune response. Apart from recent vaccination, it may contribute to a more effective transmissibility of vaccine strains among human population. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Increased expression of pyruvate carboxylase and biotin protein ligase increases lysine production in a biotin prototrophic Corynebacterium glutamicum strain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Zhihao; Moslehi-Jenabian, Soloomeh; Solem, Christian

2015-01-01

, and achieved biotin prototrophy. We found that AHP-3, containing pBIO, was able to produce lysine in a medium lacking biotin and that the lysine yield on glucose was similar to what is obtained when using a medium containing biotin. However, there was a decrease in specific growth rate of 20% when the strain...... pimeloyl-Acyl Carrier Protein [ACP]) formation. Pyruvate carboxylase (pycA), a biotin-dependent enzyme needed for lysine biosynthesis and biotin ligase (birA), which is responsible for attaching biotin to pyruvate carboxylase, were overexpressed by replacing the native promoters with the strong superoxide...... dismutase (sod) promoter, to see whether growth could be restored. Neither pycA nor birA overexpression, whether alone or in combination, had an effect on specific growth rate, but they did have a positive effect on lysine yield, which increased by 55% in the strain overexpressing both enzymes....

Revealing the Microstructural evolution in Cu-Cr nanocrystalline alloys during high pressure torsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Jinming; Rosalie, Julian M.; Pippan, Reinhard; Zhang, Zaoli, E-mail: zaoli.zhang@oeaw.ac.at

2017-05-17

Usually immiscible Cu-Cr compounds in equilibrium condition were mechanically processed via high pressure torsion with large and controlled strains. A systematical investigation on 57 wt%Cu − 43 wt%Cr was carried out to get insights into the microstructural evolution of Cu-Cr nanocomposites and their dissolution process, as well as to determine the solid solubility limit of Cu and Cr elements under severe deformation. Microstructural evolution was captured with grain refinement from micron-size down to less than 20 nm as the increase of strains. A strain-saturated state in 57 wt%Cu − 43 wt%Cr bulk was achieved after 100 rotations deformation (effective strain 1360), with a stable grain size of 13.7 nm and invariable hardness of 480–495 HV. Fine scanning of X-ray diffraction and sub-nanometer scale measurements of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that 32 wt% Cu could be fully dissolved into Cr matrix, and conversely solubility of Cr in Cu was determined to be about 3 wt% after an enough amount of deformation. The phase fraction change associated with Cu dissolution into Cr matrix during continuous deformation was captured and accurately calculated, indicating a negative exponential phase change mode. A phenomenological intermixing mechanism based on the kinetic competition between external forcing mixing and thermal-diffusion induced decomposition was proposed, which was well accordant with the phase evolution observed from experimental results.

Evolution in students' understanding of thermal physics with increasing complexity

Science.gov (United States)

Langbeheim, Elon; Safran, Samuel A.; Livne, Shelly; Yerushalmi, Edit

2013-12-01

We analyze the development in students’ understanding of fundamental principles in the context of learning a current interdisciplinary research topic—soft matter—that was adapted to the level of high school students. The topic was introduced in a program for interested 11th grade high school students majoring in chemistry and/or physics, in an off-school setting. Soft matter was presented in a gradual increase in the degree of complexity of the phenomena as well as in the level of the quantitative analysis. We describe the evolution in students’ use of fundamental thermodynamics principles to reason about phase separation—a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in soft matter. In particular, we examine the impact of the use of free energy analysis, a common approach in soft matter, on the understanding of the fundamental principles of thermodynamics. The study used diagnostic questions and classroom observations to gauge the student’s learning. In order to gain insight on the aspects that shape the understanding of the basic principles, we focus on the responses and explanations of two case-study students who represent two trends of evolution in conceptual understanding in the group. We analyze changes in the two case studies’ management of conceptual resources used in their analysis of phase separation, and suggest how their prior knowledge and epistemological framing (a combination of their personal tendencies and their prior exposure to different learning styles) affect their conceptual evolution. Finally, we propose strategies to improve the instruction of these concepts.

Temperature and strain registration by fibre-optic strain sensor in the polymer composite materials manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Matveenko; Kosheleva; Shardakov; Voronkov

2018-04-01

The presence of process-induced strains induced by various manufacturing and operational factors is one of the characteristics of polymer composite materials (PCM). Conventional methods of registration and evaluation of process-induced strains can be laborious, time-consuming and demanding in terms of technical applications. The employment of embedded fibre-optic strain sensors (FOSS) offers a real prospect of measuring residual strains. This paper demonstrates the potential for using embedded FOSS for recording technological strains in a PCM plate. The PCM plate is manufactured from prepreg, using the direct compression-moulding method. In this method, the prepared reinforcing package is placed inside a mould, heated, and then exposed to compaction pressure. The examined technology can be used for positioning FOSS between the layers of the composite material. Fibre-optic sensors, interacting with the material of the examined object, make it possible to register the evolution of the strain process during all stages of polymer-composite formation. FOSS data were recorded with interrogator ASTRO X 327. The obtained data were processed using specially developed algorithms.

Modeling multiscale evolution of numerous voids in shocked brittle material.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yin; Wang, Wenqiang; He, Hongliang; Lu, Tiecheng

2014-04-01

The influence of the evolution of numerous voids on macroscopic properties of materials is a multiscale problem that challenges computational research. A shock-wave compression model for brittle material, which can obtain both microscopic evolution and macroscopic shock properties, was developed using discrete element methods (lattice model). Using a model interaction-parameter-mapping procedure, qualitative features, as well as trends in the calculated shock-wave profiles, are shown to agree with experimental results. The shock wave splits into an elastic wave and a deformation wave in porous brittle materials, indicating significant shock plasticity. Void collapses in the deformation wave were the natural reason for volume shrinkage and deformation. However, media slippage and rotation deformations indicated by complex vortex patterns composed of relative velocity vectors were also confirmed as an important source of shock plasticity. With increasing pressure, the contribution from slippage deformation to the final plastic strain increased. Porosity was found to determine the amplitude of the elastic wave; porosity and shock stress together determine propagation speed of the deformation wave, as well as stress and strain on the final equilibrium state. Thus, shock behaviors of porous brittle material can be systematically designed for specific applications.

A comparison of EBSD based strain indicators for the study of Fe-3Si steel subjected to cyclic loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schayes, Claire [Université Lille 1 sciences et technologies, UMET – UMR CNRS 8207/ENSCL/Université de Lille, team Métallurgie Physique et Génie des Matériaux, Bâtiment C6, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France); Valeo Engine Electrical Systems, 2 Rue André Boulle, 94046 Créteil (France); Bouquerel, Jérémie, E-mail: jeremie.bouquerel@univ-lille1.fr [Université Lille 1 sciences et technologies, UMET – UMR CNRS 8207/ENSCL/Université de Lille, team Métallurgie Physique et Génie des Matériaux, Bâtiment C6, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France); Vogt, Jean-Bernard [Université Lille 1 sciences et technologies, UMET – UMR CNRS 8207/ENSCL/Université de Lille, team Métallurgie Physique et Génie des Matériaux, Bâtiment C6, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France); Palleschi, Frédéric [Valeo Engine Electrical Systems, 2 Rue André Boulle, 94046 Créteil (France); Zaefferer, Stefan [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Abteilung Mikrostrukturphysik und Umformtechnik, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany)

2016-05-15

The current work aims at proposing an EBSD-based indicator for fatigue damage of a Fe-3Si steel. At the same time direct observation of dislocation structures is provided by electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI). The investigation consisted in processing the EBSD data from patterns collected on specimen subjected to low cycle fatigue. It revealed two different regimes depending on the applied total strain variation which is explained by the identification of the dislocations structures and their evolution. At low strain variation, strain accommodation occurs by planar glide of dislocations uniformly distributed throughout the grains. No misorientation evolution is observed. At higher strain variation, the vein-channel structure is observed within the grain and the wall-channel structure in the vicinity of grain boundaries. The misorientation between these two dislocation structures is evaluated at about 0.7° which is detected by the EBSD analyses and explains the increase of the different misorientation based criteria. The EBSD study enables also the prediction of crack initiation mode. Finally, this study points out the limits of the EBSD technique as no misorientation evolution is detected at small strain variation. Indeed, the lattice distortion is too weak to be detected by conventional EBSD. - Highlights: • Microstructure investigation of the fatigue behaviour of an iron-silicon steel • Use of cECCI to investigate the fatigue dislocations structures • Characterisation of local plastic accommodation through EBSD misorientation criteria.

Mechanical strength model for plastic bonded granular materials at high strain rates and large strains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Browning, R.V.; Scammon, R.J.

1998-01-01

Modeling impact events on systems containing plastic bonded explosive materials requires accurate models for stress evolution at high strain rates out to large strains. For example, in the Steven test geometry reactions occur after strains of 0.5 or more are reached for PBX-9501. The morphology of this class of materials and properties of the constituents are briefly described. We then review the viscoelastic behavior observed at small strains for this class of material, and evaluate large strain models used for granular materials such as cap models. Dilatation under shearing deformations of the PBX is experimentally observed and is one of the key features modeled in cap style plasticity theories, together with bulk plastic flow at high pressures. We propose a model that combines viscoelastic behavior at small strains but adds intergranular stresses at larger strains. A procedure using numerical simulations and comparisons with results from flyer plate tests and low rate uniaxial stress tests is used to develop a rough set of constants for PBX-9501. Comparisons with the high rate flyer plate tests demonstrate that the observed characteristic behavior is captured by this viscoelastic based model. copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

Molecular dynamics study on the evolution of interfacial dislocation network and mechanical properties of Ni-based single crystal superalloys

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nan-Lin; Wu, Wen-Ping; Nie, Kai

2018-05-01

The evolution of misfit dislocation network at γ /γ‧ phase interface and tensile mechanical properties of Ni-based single crystal superalloys at various temperatures and strain rates are studied by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. From the simulations, it is found that with the increase of loading, the dislocation network effectively inhibits dislocations emitted in the γ matrix cutting into the γ‧ phase and absorbs the matrix dislocations to strengthen itself which increases the stability of structure. Under the influence of the temperature, the initial mosaic structure of dislocation network gradually becomes irregular, and the initial misfit stress and the elastic modulus slowly decline as temperature increasing. On the other hand, with the increase of the strain rate, it almost has no effect on the elastic modulus and the way of evolution of dislocation network, but contributes to the increases of the yield stress and tensile strength. Moreover, tension-compression asymmetry of Ni-based single crystal superalloys is also presented based on MD simulations.

Micromagnetic Simulation of Strain-Assisted Current-Induced Magnetization Switching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. B. Huang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated the effect of substrate misfit strain on the current-induced magnetization switching in magnetic tunnel junctions by combining micromagnetic simulation with phase-field microelasticity theory. Our results indicate that the positive substrate misfit strain can decrease the critical current density of magnetization switching by pushing the magnetization from out-of-plane to in-plane directions, while the negative strain pushes the magnetization back to the out-of-plane directions. The magnetic domain evolution is obtained to demonstrate the strain-assisted current-induced magnetization switching.

The study on the threshold strain of microvoid formation in TRIP steels during tensile deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wurong; Guo Bimeng; Ji Yurong; He Changwei; Wei Xicheng

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The tensile mechanical behaviors of TRIP steels were studied under high rate deformation conditions. ► The threshold strain of microvoid formation was examined quantitatively. ► The effects of retained austenite of TRIP on suppressing microvoid formed during tensile process have been discussed. - Abstract: Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steels exhibit a better combination of strength and ductility properties than conventional high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, and therefore receive considerable attention in the automotive industry. In this work, the tensile mechanical behaviors of TRIP-aided steels were studied under the condition of the quasi-static and high deformed rates. The deformed specimens were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) along the tensile axis. The threshold strain of microvoid formation was examined quantitatively according to the evolution of deformation. The results showed that: the yield and tensile strengths of TRIP steels increase with the strain rate, whereas their elongations decrease. However, the threshold strain for TRIP steels at high strain rate is larger than that at low strain rate. Comparing with the deformed microstructure and microvoids formed in the necking zone of dual phase (DP) steel, the progressive deformation-induced transformation of retained austenite in TRIP steels remarkably increases the threshold strain of microvoid formation and furthermore postpones its growth and coalescence.

Meta-analysis reveals evolution in invasive plant species but little support for Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA).

Science.gov (United States)

Felker-Quinn, Emmi; Schweitzer, Jennifer A; Bailey, Joseph K

2013-03-01

Ecological explanations for the success and persistence of invasive species vastly outnumber evolutionary hypotheses, yet evolution is a fundamental process in the success of any species. The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis (Blossey and Nötzold 1995) proposes that evolutionary change in response to release from coevolved herbivores is responsible for the success of many invasive plant species. Studies that evaluate this hypothesis have used different approaches to test whether invasive populations allocate fewer resources to defense and more to growth and competitive ability than do source populations, with mixed results. We conducted a meta-analysis of experimental tests of evolutionary change in the context of EICA. In contrast to previous reviews, there was no support across invasive species for EICA's predictions regarding defense or competitive ability, although invasive populations were more productive than conspecific native populations under noncompetitive conditions. We found broad support for genetically based changes in defense and competitive plant traits after introduction into new ranges, but not in the manner suggested by EICA. This review suggests that evolution occurs as a result of plant introduction and population expansion in invasive plant species, and may contribute to the invasiveness and persistence of some introduced species.

Evolution in students’ understanding of thermal physics with increasing complexity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elon Langbeheim

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We analyze the development in students’ understanding of fundamental principles in the context of learning a current interdisciplinary research topic—soft matter—that was adapted to the level of high school students. The topic was introduced in a program for interested 11th grade high school students majoring in chemistry and/or physics, in an off-school setting. Soft matter was presented in a gradual increase in the degree of complexity of the phenomena as well as in the level of the quantitative analysis. We describe the evolution in students’ use of fundamental thermodynamics principles to reason about phase separation—a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in soft matter. In particular, we examine the impact of the use of free energy analysis, a common approach in soft matter, on the understanding of the fundamental principles of thermodynamics. The study used diagnostic questions and classroom observations to gauge the student’s learning. In order to gain insight on the aspects that shape the understanding of the basic principles, we focus on the responses and explanations of two case-study students who represent two trends of evolution in conceptual understanding in the group. We analyze changes in the two case studies’ management of conceptual resources used in their analysis of phase separation, and suggest how their prior knowledge and epistemological framing (a combination of their personal tendencies and their prior exposure to different learning styles affect their conceptual evolution. Finally, we propose strategies to improve the instruction of these concepts.

Bio-Engineering High Performance Microbial Strains for MEOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiangdong Fang; Qinghong Wang; Patrick Shuler

2007-12-30

The main objectives of this three-year research project are: (1) to employ the latest advances in genetics and bioengineering, especially Directed Protein Evolution technology, to improve the effectiveness of the microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) process. (2) to improve the surfactant activity and the thermal stability of bio-surfactant systems for MEOR; and (3) to develop improved laboratory methods and tools that screen quickly candidate bio-systems for EOR. Biosurfactants have been receiving increasing attention as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) agents because of their unique properties (i.e., mild production conditions, lower toxicity, and higher biodegradability) compared to their synthetic chemical counterparts. Rhamnolipid as a potent natural biosurfactant has a wide range of potential applications, including EOR and bioremediation. During the three-year of the project period, we have successfully cloned the genes involved in the rhamnolipid bio-synthesis. And by using the Transposon containing Rhamnosyltransferase gene rhlAB, we engineered the new mutant strains P. aeruginosa PEER02 and E. coli TnERAB so they can produce rhamnolipid biosurfactans. We were able to produce rhamnolipds in both P. aeroginosa PAO1-RhlA- strain and P. fluorescens ATCC15453 strain, with the increase of 55 to 175 fold in rhamnolipid production comparing with wild type bacteria strain. We have also completed the first round direct evolution studies using Error-prone PCR technique and have constructed the library of RhlAB-containing Transposon to express mutant gene in heterologous hosts. Several methods, such as colorimetric agar plate assay, colorimetric spectrophotometer assay, bioactive assay and oil spreading assay have been established to detect and screen rhamnolipid production. Our engineered P. aeruginosa PEER02 strain can produce rhamnolipids with different carbon sources as substrate. Interfacial tension analysis (IFT) showed that different rhamnolipids from different

Evolution of increased phenotypic diversity enhances population performance by reducing sexual harassment in damselflies.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Yuma; Kagawa, Kotaro; Svensson, Erik I; Kawata, Masakado

2014-07-18

The effect of evolutionary changes in traits and phenotypic/genetic diversity on ecological dynamics has received much theoretical attention; however, the mechanisms and ecological consequences are usually unknown. Female-limited colour polymorphism in damselflies is a counter-adaptation to male mating harassment, and thus, is expected to alter population dynamics through relaxing sexual conflict. Here we show the side effect of the evolution of female morph diversity on population performance (for example, population productivity and sustainability) in damselflies. Our theoretical model incorporating key features of the sexual interaction predicts that the evolution of increased phenotypic diversity will reduce overall fitness costs to females from sexual conflict, which in turn will increase productivity, density and stability of a population. Field data and mesocosm experiments support these model predictions. Our study suggests that increased phenotypic diversity can enhance population performance that can potentially reduce extinction rates and thereby influence macroevolutionary processes.

Microstructure and texture evolution in cryorolled Al 7075 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayaganthan, R.; Brokmeier, H.-G.; Schwebke, Bernd; Panigrahi, S.K.

2010-01-01

The present work investigates the microstructure and texture evolution of cryorolled Al 7075 alloy using FE-SEM, TEM, and neutron diffraction, respectively. The solution treated bulk Al 7075 alloy is subjected to rolling at liquid nitrogen temperature to produce sheets with different thickness reductions such as 35%, 50%, 70%, and 90%, respectively. It is evident from the microstructural characterisations of cryorolled samples that with the increasing deformation strain induced in the materials, the grains are fragmented and produce high amount of dislocation density due the suppression of dynamic recovery. The texture analysis of the cryorolled Al 7075 alloy has shown that the ideal fibres observed in the starting solution treated alloy has been destroyed during rolling. The Goss/Brass orientation of the cryorolled Al alloy is shifting towards the Brass components with increasing deformation strain induced in the samples. The orientation distribution functions of the cryorolled Al 7075 alloy clearly indicate the progressive weakening of the texture components, during cryorolling, with increasing strain, therefore, fragmentation and reorientation of micron sized grains occurs easily for the formation of subgrains and ultrafine-grained microstructures as evident from EBSD and TEM micrographs.

Interrelationship between flexoelectricity and strain gradient elasticity in ferroelectric nanofilms: A phase field study

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Limei; Xu, Xiaofei; Zhou, Yichun

2016-12-01

With the development of the integrated circuit technology and decreasing of the device size, ferroelectric films used in nano ferroelectric devices become thinner and thinner. Along with the downscaling of the ferroelectric film, there is an increasing influence of two strain gradient related terms. One is the strain gradient elasticity and the other one is flexoelectricity. To investigate the interrelationship between flexoelectricity and strain gradient elasticity and their combined effect on the domain structure in ferroelectric nanofilms, a phase field model of flexoelectricity and strain gradient elasticity on the ferroelectric domain evolution is developed based on Mindlin's theory of strain-gradient elasticity. Weak form is derived and implemented in finite element formulations for numerically solving the model equations. The simulation results show that upper bounds for flexoelectric coefficients can be enhanced by increasing strain gradient elasticity coefficients. While a large flexoelectricity that exceeds the upper bound can induce a transition from a ferroelectric state to a modulated/incommensurate state, a large enough strain gradient elasticity may lead to a conversion from an incommensurate state to a ferroelectric state. Strain gradient elasticity and the flexoelectricity have entirely opposite effects on polarization. The observed interrelationship between the strain gradient elasticity and flexoelectricity is rationalized by an analytical solution of the proposed theoretical model. The model proposed in this paper could help us understand the mechanism of phenomena observed in ferroelectric nanofilms under complex electromechanical loads and provide some guides on the practical application of ferroelectric nanofilms.

Self-consistent modelling of lattice strains during the in-situ tensile loading of twinning induced plasticity steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleh, Ahmed A.; Pereloma, Elena V.; Clausen, Bjørn; Brown, Donald W.; Tomé, Carlos N.; Gazder, Azdiar A.

2014-01-01

The evolution of lattice strains in a fully recrystallised Fe–24Mn–3Al–2Si–1Ni–0.06C TWinning Induced Plasticity (TWIP) steel subjected to uniaxial tensile loading up to a true strain of ∼35% was investigated via in-situ neutron diffraction. Typical of fcc elastic and plastic anisotropy, the {111} and {200} grain families record the lowest and highest lattice strains, respectively. Using modelling cases with and without latent hardening, the recently extended Elasto-Plastic Self-Consistent model successfully predicted the macroscopic stress–strain response, the evolution of lattice strains and the development of crystallographic texture. Compared to the isotropic hardening case, latent hardening did not have a significant effect on lattice strains and returned a relatively faster development of a stronger 〈111〉 and a weaker 〈100〉 double fibre parallel to the tensile axis. Close correspondence between the experimental lattice strains and those predicted using particular orientations embedded within a random aggregate was obtained. The result suggests that the exact orientations of the surrounding aggregate have a weak influence on the lattice strain evolution

A multicopy phr-plasmid increases the ultraviolet resistance of a recA strain of Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, K.; Satake, M.; Shinagawa, H.

1984-01-01

It has been previously reported that the ultraviolet sensitivity of recA strains of Escherichia coli in the dark is suppressed by a plasmid pKY1 which carries the phr gene, suggesting that this is due to a novel effect of photoreactivating enzyme (PRE) of E. coli in the dark. In this work, it is observed that an increase of UV-resistance by pKY1 in the dark is not apparent in strains with a mutation in either uvrA, uvrB, uvrC, lexA, recBC or recF. The sensitivity of recA lexA and recA recBC multiple mutants to UV is suppressed by the plasmid but that of recA uvrA, recA uvrB and recA uvrC is not. Host-cell reactivation of UV-irradiated lambda phage is slightly more efficient in the recA/pKY1 strain compared with the parental recA strain. On the other hand, the recA and recA/pKY1 strains do not differ significantly in the following properties: Hfr recombination, induction of lambda by UV, and mutagenesis. It is suggested that dark repair of PRE is correlated with its capacity of excision repair. (Auth.)

The evolution with strain of the stored energy in different texture components of cold-rolled IF steel revealed by high resolution X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wauthier-Monnin, A. [LSPM–CNRS, Université Paris 13, 99, Av. J.B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse (France); ArcelorMittal Research Voie Romaine BP 30320, 57 283 Maizières-les Metz (France); Chauveau, T.; Castelnau, O. [LSPM–CNRS, Université Paris 13, 99, Av. J.B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse (France); Réglé, H. [ArcelorMittal Research Voie Romaine BP 30320, 57 283 Maizières-les Metz (France); Bacroix, B., E-mail: brigitte.bacroix@univ-paris13.fr [LSPM–CNRS, Université Paris 13, 99, Av. J.B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse (France)

2015-06-15

During the deformation of low carbon steel by cold-rolling, dislocations are created and stored in grains depending on local crystallographic orientation, deformation, and deformation gradient. Orientation dependent dislocation densities have been estimated from the broadening of X-ray diffraction lines measured on a synchrotron beamline. Different cold-rolling levels (from 30% to 95% thickness reduction) have been considered. It is shown that the present measurements are consistent with the hypothesis of the sole consideration of screw dislocations for the analysis of the data. The presented evolutions show that the dislocation density first increases within the α fiber (=(hkl)<110>) and then within the γ fiber (=(111)). A comparison with EBSD measurements is done and confirms that the storage of dislocations during the deformation process is orientation dependent and that this dependence is correlated to the cold-rolling level. If we assume that this dislocation density acts as a driving force during recrystallization, these observations can explain the fact that the recrystallization mechanisms are generally different after moderate or large strains. - Highlights: • Dislocation densities are assessed by XRD in main texture components of a steel sheet. • Dislocation densities vary with both strain and texture components. • The analysis relies on the sole presence of screw dislocations. • The measured dislocation densities include the contribution of both SSD and GND.

Enhanced Proton Conductivity in Y-Doped BaZrO3 via Strain Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Fluri, Aline; Marcolongo, Aris; Roddatis, Vladimir; Wokaun, Alexander; Pergolesi, Daniele; Marzari, Nicola; Lippert, Thomas

2017-12-01

The effects of stress-induced lattice distortions (strain) on the conductivity of Y-doped BaZrO 3 , a high-temperature proton conductor with key technological applications for sustainable electrochemical energy conversion, are studied. Highly ordered epitaxial thin films are grown in different strain states while monitoring the stress generation and evolution in situ. Enhanced proton conductivity due to lower activation energies is discovered under controlled conditions of tensile strain. In particular, a twofold increased conductivity is measured at 200 °C along a 0.7% tensile strained lattice. This is at variance with conclusions coming from force-field simulations or the static calculations of diffusion barriers. Here, extensive first-principles molecular dynamic simulations of proton diffusivity in the proton-trapping regime are therefore performed and found to agree with the experiments. The simulations highlight that compressive strain confines protons in planes parallel to the substrate, while tensile strain boosts diffusivity in the perpendicular direction, with the net result that the overall conductivity is enhanced. It is indeed the presence of the dopant and the proton-trapping effect that makes tensile strain favorable for proton conduction.

Structural Evolution and Mechanisms of Fatigue in Polycrystalline Brass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, Jesper Vejlø

The plastic strain controlled fatigue behaviour of polycrystalline Cu-15%Zn and Cu-30%Zn has been investigated with the aim of studying the effect of slip mode modification by the addition of zinc to copper. It has been clearly demonstrated, that true cyclic saturation does not occur in the plastic...... type single slip. This behaviour has been described by the self-consistent Sachs-Eshelby model, which provides estimates of the CSS curve for brass polycrystals. Successive stages of primary hardening, softening and secondary hardening has been observed in the plastic strain controlled fatigue of brass....... It has been found that the primary hardening is attributed to an increase of intergranular stresses whereas the sec-ondary hardening apparently is attributed to an increase of friction stresses. Investigations of the structural evolution show that the softening behaviour can be explained by the presence...

Strong Selection Significantly Increases Epistatic Interactions in the Long-Term Evolution of a Protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditi Gupta

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Epistatic interactions between residues determine a protein's adaptability and shape its evolutionary trajectory. When a protein experiences a changed environment, it is under strong selection to find a peak in the new fitness landscape. It has been shown that strong selection increases epistatic interactions as well as the ruggedness of the fitness landscape, but little is known about how the epistatic interactions change under selection in the long-term evolution of a protein. Here we analyze the evolution of epistasis in the protease of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 using protease sequences collected for almost a decade from both treated and untreated patients, to understand how epistasis changes and how those changes impact the long-term evolvability of a protein. We use an information-theoretic proxy for epistasis that quantifies the co-variation between sites, and show that positive information is a necessary (but not sufficient condition that detects epistasis in most cases. We analyze the "fossils" of the evolutionary trajectories of the protein contained in the sequence data, and show that epistasis continues to enrich under strong selection, but not for proteins whose environment is unchanged. The increase in epistasis compensates for the information loss due to sequence variability brought about by treatment, and facilitates adaptation in the increasingly rugged fitness landscape of treatment. While epistasis is thought to enhance evolvability via valley-crossing early-on in adaptation, it can hinder adaptation later when the landscape has turned rugged. However, we find no evidence that the HIV-1 protease has reached its potential for evolution after 9 years of adapting to a drug environment that itself is constantly changing. We suggest that the mechanism of encoding new information into pairwise interactions is central to protein evolution not just in HIV-1 protease, but for any protein adapting to a changing

Melanoma markers in marathon runners: increase with sun exposure and physical strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Richtig, Erika; Ambros-Rudolph, Christina M; Trapp, Michael; Lackner, Helmut K; Hofmann-Wellenhof, Rainer; Kerl, Helmut; Schwaberger, Guenther

2008-01-01

Marathon runners seem to have an increased melanoma risk. To identify potential melanoma markers. 150 marathon runners volunteered to take part in the skin cancer screening campaign. After the runners completed a questionnaire about melanoma risk factors, types of sportswear and training programs, they received a total skin examination. The number of lentigines and nevi on the left shoulder and the left buttock were counted in each participant using templates in standardized positions. The potential association of training sportswear and training parameters with the number of lentigines and nevi on the left shoulder was evaluated. The mean number of lentigines on the left shoulder was 19.6 +/- 18.2 (SD), whereas no lentigines were found on the left buttock (p = 0.000). The number of nevi also differed significantly between the 2 localizations with higher numbers on the left shoulder (p = 0.000). While lifetime sunburn history and type of sportswear correlated with the number of lentigines, training parameters had an impact on the number of nevi. Independent of their mean weekly running time, runners with higher heart rates while training, higher training velocities and higher physical strain indexes showed more nevi on the shoulder than the other runners (p = 0.029, 0.046, 0.038, respectively). Sun exposure and high physical strain lead to an increase in melanoma markers such as lentigines and nevi in marathon runners. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Study of the evolution of the boundary of the elastic field with strain hardening, and elastic-plastic behaviour relationships of cubic metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bui, Huy Duong

1969-01-01

In this research thesis on metal strain hardening, the author first discusses the issue of passing from microscopic values to corresponding macroscopic values. If there is generally a correspondence between them, it is not the case for plastic strain. Thus, the author studies the general properties of the boundary of the macroscopic plastic field with respect to single-crystal elastic boundaries. In the second part, the author reports an experimental study of the evolution of the elastic field boundary. In the third part, he develops elastic-plastic behaviour laws for an aggregate of cubic crystals. The objectives are to report experimental results in a more satisfying way than previous studies, and to obtain acceptable physical laws while keeping some properties of conventional laws in order to ensure the solution uniqueness, and to establish minimum principles similar to those of Nodge-Prager and of Greenberg. In order to do so, he introduces a new hypothesis: there is a statistic scattering in initial thresholds of crystals

THE EVOLUTION OF NEW HOSPITAL STRAINS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS.

Science.gov (United States)

JEVONS, M P; PARKER, M T

1964-05-01

The emergence of new groups of strains of Staph. aureus as important causes of endemic hospital infection in Great Britain has been followed by the phage typing method. Experiments are reported which suggest the possible origin of one of them.

Influence of stress, temperature, and strain on calcite twins constrained by deformation experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Rybacki, E.; Evans, B.; Janssen, C.; Wirth, R.; Dresen, G.

2013-08-01

A series of low-strain triaxial compression and high-strain torsion experiments were performed on marble and limestone samples to examine the influence of stress, temperature, and strain on the evolution of twin density, the percentage of grains with 1, 2, or 3 twin sets, and the twin width—all parameters that have been suggested as either paleopiezometers or paleothermometers. Cylindrical and dog-bone-shaped samples were deformed in the semibrittle regime between 20 °C and 350 °C, under confining pressures of 50-400 MPa, and at strain rates of 10- 4-10- 6 s- 1. The samples sustained shear stresses, τ, up to 280 MPa, failing when deformed to shear strains γ > 1. The mean width of calcite twins increased with both temperature and strain, and thus, measurement of twin width provides only a rough estimation of peak temperature, unless additional constraints on deformation are known. In Carrara marble, the twin density, NL (no of twins/mm), increased as the rock hardened with strain and was approximately related to the peak differential stress, σ (MPa), by the relation σ=19.5±9.8√{N}. Dislocation tangles occurred along twin boundaries, resulting in a complicated cell structure, which also evolved with stress. As previously established, the square root of dislocation density, observed after quench, also correlated with peak stress. Apparently, both twin density and dislocation cell structure are important state variables for describing the strength of these rocks.

Comparative Genomics of Mycoplasma bovis Strains Reveals That Decreased Virulence with Increasing Passages Might Correlate with Potential Virulence-Related Factors

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Muhammad A. Rasheed

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Mycoplasma bovis is an important cause of bovine respiratory disease worldwide. To understand its virulence mechanisms, we sequenced three attenuated M. bovis strains, P115, P150, and P180, which were passaged in vitro 115, 150, and 180 times, respectively, and exhibited progressively decreasing virulence. Comparative genomics was performed among the wild-type M. bovis HB0801 (P1 strain and the P115, P150, and P180 strains, and one 14.2-kb deleted region covering 14 genes was detected in the passaged strains. Additionally, 46 non-sense single-nucleotide polymorphisms and indels were detected, which confirmed that more passages result in more mutations. A subsequent collective bioinformatics analysis of paralogs, metabolic pathways, protein-protein interactions, secretory proteins, functionally conserved domains, and virulence-related factors identified 11 genes that likely contributed to the increased attenuation in the passaged strains. These genes encode ascorbate-specific phosphotransferase system enzyme IIB and IIA components, enolase, L-lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, glycerol, and multiple sugar ATP-binding cassette transporters, ATP binding proteins, NADH dehydrogenase, phosphate acetyltransferase, transketolase, and a variable surface protein. Fifteen genes were shown to be enriched in 15 metabolic pathways, and they included the aforementioned genes encoding pyruvate kinase, transketolase, enolase, and L-lactate dehydrogenase. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 production in M. bovis strains representing seven passages from P1 to P180 decreased progressively with increasing numbers of passages and increased attenuation. However, eight mutants specific to eight individual genes within the 14.2-kb deleted region did not exhibit altered H2O2 production. These results enrich the M. bovis genomics database, and they increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying M. bovis virulence.

Effect of Temperature Reversion on Hot Ductility and Flow Stress-Strain Curves of C-Mn Continuously Cast Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Zhihua; Li, Wei; Long, Mujun; Gui, Lintao; Chen, Dengfu; Huang, Yunwei; Vitos, Levente

2015-08-01

The influence of temperature reversion in secondary cooling and its reversion rate on hot ductility and flow stress-strain curve of C-Mn steel has been investigated. Tensile specimens were cooled at various regimes. One cooling regime involved cooling at a constant rate of 100 °C min-1 to the test temperature, while the others involved temperature reversion processes at three different reversion rates before deformation. After hot tensile test, the evolution of mechanical properties of steel was analyzed at various scales by means of microstructure observation, ab initio prediction, and thermodynamic calculation. Results indicated that the temperature reversion in secondary cooling led to hot ductility trough occurring at higher temperature with greater depth. With increasing temperature reversion rate, the low temperature end of ductility trough extended toward lower temperature, leading to wider hot ductility trough with slightly reducing depth. Microstructure examinations indicated that the intergranular fracture related to the thin film-like ferrite and (Fe,Mn)S particles did not changed with varying cooling regimes; however, the Widmanstatten ferrite surrounding austenite grains resulted from the temperature reversion process seriously deteriorated the ductility. In addition, after the temperature reversion in secondary cooling, the peak stress on the flow curve slightly declined and the peak of strain to peak stress occurred at higher temperature. With increasing temperature reversion rate, the strain to peak stress slightly increased, while the peak stress showed little variation. The evolution of plastic modulus and strain to peak stress of austenite with varying temperature was in line with the theoretical prediction on Fe.

Increase in Complexity and Information through Molecular Evolution

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Peter Schuster

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Biological evolution progresses by essentially three different mechanisms: (I optimization of properties through natural selection in a population of competitors; (II development of new capabilities through cooperation of competitors caused by catalyzed reproduction; and (III variation of genetic information through mutation or recombination. Simplified evolutionary processes combine two out of the three mechanisms: Darwinian evolution combines competition (I and variation (III and is represented by the quasispecies model, major transitions involve cooperation (II of competitors (I, and the third combination, cooperation (II and variation (III provides new insights in the role of mutations in evolution. A minimal kinetic model based on simple molecular mechanisms for reproduction, catalyzed reproduction and mutation is introduced, cast into ordinary differential equations (ODEs, and analyzed mathematically in form of its implementation in a flow reactor. Stochastic aspects are investigated through computer simulation of trajectories of the corresponding chemical master equations. The competition-cooperation model, mechanisms (I and (II, gives rise to selection at low levels of resources and leads to symbiontic cooperation in case the material required is abundant. Accordingly, it provides a kind of minimal system that can undergo a (major transition. Stochastic effects leading to extinction of the population through self-enhancing oscillations destabilize symbioses of four or more partners. Mutations (III are not only the basis of change in phenotypic properties but can also prevent extinction provided the mutation rates are sufficiently large. Threshold phenomena are observed for all three combinations: The quasispecies model leads to an error threshold, the competition-cooperation model allows for an identification of a resource-triggered bifurcation with the transition, and for the cooperation-mutation model a kind of stochastic threshold for

Improving cellulase production by Aspergillus niger using adaptive evolution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patyshakuliyeva, Aleksandrina; Arentshorst, Mark; Allijn, Iris E; Ram, Arthur F J; de Vries, Ronald P; Gelber, Isabelle Benoit

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential of adaptive evolution as a tool in generating strains with an improved production of plant biomass degrading enzymes. RESULTS: An Aspergillus niger cellulase mutant was obtained by adaptive evolution. Physiological properties of this mutant revealed a five times

A hydrogen-producing, hydrogenase-free mutant strain of Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindberg, P.; Lindblad, P. [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Physiological Botany; Schuetz, K.; Happe, T. [Universitaet Bonn (Germany). Botanisches Inst.

2002-12-01

The hupL gene, encoding the uptake hydrogenase large subunit, in Nostoc sp. strain ATCC 29133, a strain lacking a bidirectional hydrogenase, was inactivated by insertional mutagenesis. Recombinant strains were isolated and analysed, and one hupL{sup -} strain, NHM5, was selected for further study. Cultures of NHM5 were grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions and H{sub 2} evolution under air was observed using an H{sub 2} electrode. (Author)

Multilocus genetics to reconstruct aeromonad evolution

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Roger Frédéric

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Aeromonas spp. are versatile bacteria that exhibit a wide variety of lifestyles. In an attempt to improve the understanding of human aeromonosis, we investigated whether clinical isolates displayed specific characteristics in terms of genetic diversity, population structure and mode of evolution among Aeromonas spp. A collection of 195 Aeromonas isolates from human, animal and environmental sources was therefore genotyped using multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA based on the dnaK, gltA, gyrB, radA, rpoB, tsf and zipA genes. Results The MLSA showed a high level of genetic diversity among the population, and multilocus-based phylogenetic analysis (MLPA revealed 3 major clades: the A. veronii, A. hydrophila and A. caviae clades, among the eleven clades detected. Lower genetic diversity was observed within the A. caviae clade as well as among clinical isolates compared to environmental isolates. Clonal complexes, each of which included a limited number of strains, mainly corresponded to host-associated subsclusters of strains, i.e., a fish-associated subset within A. salmonicida and 11 human-associated subsets, 9 of which included only disease-associated strains. The population structure was shown to be clonal, with modes of evolution that involved mutations in general and recombination events locally. Recombination was detected in 5 genes in the MLSA scheme and concerned approximately 50% of the STs. Therefore, these recombination events could explain the observed phylogenetic incongruities and low robustness. However, the MLPA globally confirmed the current systematics of the genus Aeromonas. Conclusions Evolution in the genus Aeromonas has resulted in exceptionally high genetic diversity. Emerging from this diversity, subsets of strains appeared to be host adapted and/or “disease specialized” while the A. caviae clade displayed an atypical tempo of evolution among aeromonads. Considering that A. salmonicida has been

The causes and consequences of antibiotic resistance evolution in microbial pathogens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jochumsen, Nicholas

pleiotropy as they conferred a decreased growth rate in the absence of colistin and also rendered the colistin resistant strains susceptible towards all tested classes of β-lactams. The results suggest that colistin/β-lactam combination therapy could be used to reduce the risk of resistance evolution during......The evolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens is a growing global health problem that is gradually making the successful treatment of infectious diseases more difficult. Antimicrobial peptides have been proposed as promising candidates for future drug development as they retain...... activity against bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics and because resistance evolution is expected to be unlikely since the peptides have complex modes of action due to their interaction with the bacterial membrane. The work presented in this thesis has involved studies to increase our...

The evolution of texture in aluminum alloy sheet during asymmetric rolling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K-H.; Lee, D.N.

2000-01-01

Asymmetric rolling, in which the upper and lower roll radii are different, imposes shear deformation on sheets through the thickness, which in turn gives rise to shear deformation textures in the sheets through the thickness. A component of ND// in the shear deformation textures can improve the plastic strain ratios of aluminum sheets. In order to understand the evolution of ND// , the strain histories and distributions in the sheets during the asymmetric rolling are calculated by the finite element method. The strain history and distribution are used to calculate crystallographic orientations and stable orientations based on the Taylor-Bishop-Hill theory and the Renouward-Wintenberger theory. The shear deformation texture can vary with the ratio of shear to normal strain increments. As the ratio increases from zero to infinity, the texture moves from the plane strain compression texture (β fiber) to the ideal shear deformation texture consisting of {001} , {111} , and {111} . The ratio increases with rolling reduction per pass in asymmetric rolling. However, it is practically difficult to the rolling reduction per pass high enough to obtain the ideal shear deformation texture. Imposing the positive and negative shear deformations on the sheet by reversing the shearing direction can give rise to the ideal shear deformation texture. This has been discussed. (author)

NEW STRAIN PRODUCERS OF BIOBUTANOL. III. METHODS OF INCREASED BUTANOL ACCUMULATION FROM BIOMASS OF SWITCHGRASS Panicum virgatum L.

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Tigunova O. O.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to enlarge accumulation of butanol from switchgrass Panicum virgatum L. biomass using strains-producers obtained from grounds and silts of Kyiv lakes. The objects of the study were strains of C. acetobutylicum ІМВ B-7407 (IFBG C6H, Clostridium acetobutylicum IFBG C6H 5М and Clostridium tyrobutyricum IFBG C4B from the "Collections of microbial strains and lines of plants for food and agricultural biotechnology" of the Public Institution "Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Gas chromatography was used to determine the alcohol concentration at the stage of solvent synthesis. To determine the effect of butanol precursors during cultivation, butyric, lactic and acetic acids were used. Optimization of processing parameters, which was based on the needs of cultures, allowed us to increase the yield by 20 and 50% for the initial and mutant strain respectively. Using synthetic precursors (such as lactic, butyric and acetic acid during cultivation increased total concentration of butanol by 1.7 times. To optimize the process, a study was carried out using acetone- butyl grains. Using of acetone-butyl grains in concentrations up to 60% does not affect the synthesis of butanol by C. acetobutylicum IFBG C6H 5M. Increasing the concentration of grains led to decrease in accumulation of butanol. Almost double increase in accumulation of the target product (butanol was achieved using two-stage fermentation and/or precursors of synthesis. It was shown the possibility of using acetone-butyl grains in fermentation. As a result the mass fraction of the waste was reduced.

Co-evolution of genomes and plasmids within Chlamydia trachomatis and the emergence in Sweden of a new variant strain

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Skilton Rachel J

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of sexually transmitted infections globally and the leading cause of preventable blindness in the developing world. There are two biovariants of C. trachomatis: 'trachoma', causing ocular and genital tract infections, and the invasive 'lymphogranuloma venereum' strains. Recently, a new variant of the genital tract C. trachomatis emerged in Sweden. This variant escaped routine diagnostic tests because it carries a plasmid with a deletion. Failure to detect this strain has meant it has spread rapidly across the country provoking a worldwide alert. In addition to being a key diagnostic target, the plasmid has been linked to chlamydial virulence. Analysis of chlamydial plasmids and their cognate chromosomes was undertaken to provide insights into the evolutionary relationship between chromosome and plasmid. This is essential knowledge if the plasmid is to be continued to be relied on as a key diagnostic marker, and for an understanding of the evolution of Chlamydia trachomatis. Results The genomes of two new C. trachomatis strains were sequenced, together with plasmids from six C. trachomatis isolates, including the new variant strain from Sweden. The plasmid from the new Swedish variant has a 377 bp deletion in the first predicted coding sequence, abolishing the site used for PCR detection, resulting in negative diagnosis. In addition, the variant plasmid has a 44 bp duplication downstream of the deletion. The region containing the second predicted coding sequence is the most highly conserved region of the plasmids investigated. Phylogenetic analysis of the plasmids and chromosomes are fully congruent. Moreover this analysis also shows that ocular and genital strains diverged from a common C. trachomatis progenitor. Conclusion The evolutionary pathways of the chlamydial genome and plasmid imply that inheritance of the plasmid is tightly linked with its cognate chromosome. These data

InSitu SEM Investigation of Microstructural Damage Evolution and Strain Relaxation in a Melt Infiltrated SiC/SiC Composite

Science.gov (United States)

Sevener, Kathy; Chen, Zhe; Daly, Sam; Tracy, Jared; Kiser, Doug

2016-01-01

With CMC components poised to complete flight certification in turbine engines on commercial aircraft within the near future, there are many efforts within the aerospace community to model the mechanical and environmental degradation of CMCs. Direct observations of damage evolution are needed to support these modeling efforts and provide quantitative measures of damage parameters used in the various models. This study was performed to characterize the damage evolution during tensile loading of a melt infiltrated (MI) silicon carbide reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) composite. A SiC/SiC tensile coupon was loaded to a maximum global stress of 30 ksi in a tensile fixture within an SEM while observations were made at 5 ksi increments. Both traditional image analysis and DIC (digital image correlation) were used to quantify damage evolution. With the DIC analysis, microscale damage was observed at the fiber-matrix interfaces at stresses as low as 5 ksi. First matrix cracking took place between 20 and 25 ksi, accompanied by an observable relaxation in strain near matrix cracks. Matrix crack opening measurements at the maximum load ranged from 200 nm to 1.5 m. Crack opening along the fiber-matrix interface was also characterized as a function of load and angular position relative to the loading axis. This characterization was funded by NASA GRC and was performed to support NASA GRC modeling of SiC/SiC environmental degradation

Evolution of multicellularity coincided with increased diversification of cyanobacteria and the Great Oxidation Event

Science.gov (United States)

Schirrmeister, Bettina E.; de Vos, Jurriaan M.; Antonelli, Alexandre; Bagheri, Homayoun C.

2013-01-01

Cyanobacteria are among the most diverse prokaryotic phyla, with morphotypes ranging from unicellular to multicellular filamentous forms, including those able to terminally (i.e., irreversibly) differentiate in form and function. It has been suggested that cyanobacteria raised oxygen levels in the atmosphere around 2.45–2.32 billion y ago during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), hence dramatically changing life on the planet. However, little is known about the temporal evolution of cyanobacterial lineages, and possible interplay between the origin of multicellularity, diversification of cyanobacteria, and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. We estimated divergence times of extant cyanobacterial lineages under Bayesian relaxed clocks for a dataset of 16S rRNA sequences representing the entire known diversity of this phylum. We tested whether the evolution of multicellularity overlaps with the GOE, and whether multicellularity is associated with significant shifts in diversification rates in cyanobacteria. Our results indicate an origin of cyanobacteria before the rise of atmospheric oxygen. The evolution of multicellular forms coincides with the onset of the GOE and an increase in diversification rates. These results suggest that multicellularity could have played a key role in triggering cyanobacterial evolution around the GOE. PMID:23319632

Internal strain and texture evolution during deformation twinning in magnesium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, D.W. [MS-H805, BLDG 622, TA-53, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)]. E-mail: dbrown@lanl.gov; Agnew, S.R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Bourke, M.A.M. [MS-H805, BLDG 622, TA-53, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Holden, T.M. [Northern Stress Technologies, Deep River, Ont., K0J 1P0 (Canada); Vogel, S.C. [MS-H805, BLDG 622, TA-53, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Tome, C.N. [MS-H805, BLDG 622, TA-53, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2005-06-15

The development of a twinned microstructure in hexagonal close-packed rolled magnesium compressed in the in-plane direction has been monitored in situ with neutron diffraction. The continuous conversion of the parent to daughter microstructure is tracked through the variation of diffraction peak intensities corresponding to each. Approximately 80% of the parent microstructure twins by 8% compression. Elastic lattice strain measurements indicate that the stress in the newly formed twins (daughters) is relaxed relative to the stress field in the surrounding matrix. However, since the daughters are in a plastically 'hard' deformation orientation, they quickly accumulate elastic strain as surrounding grains deform plastically. Polycrystal modeling of the deformation process provides insight about the crystallographic deformation mechanism involved.

The genetic evolution of canine parvovirus - A new perspective.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pei Zhou

Full Text Available To trace the evolution process of CPV-2, all of the VP2 gene sequences of CPV-2 and FPV (from 1978 to 2015 from GenBank were analyzed in this study. Then, several new ideas regarding CPV-2 evolution were presented. First, the VP2 amino acid 555 and 375 positions of CPV-2 were first ruled out as a universal mutation site in CPV-2a and amino acid 101 position of FPV feature I or T instead of only I in existing rule. Second, the recently confusing nomenclature of CPV-2 variants was substituted with a optional nomenclature that would serve future CPV-2 research. Third, After check the global distribution of variants, CPV-2a is the predominant variant in Asia and CPV-2c is the predominant variant in Europe and Latin America. Fourth, a series of CPV-2-like strains were identified and deduced to evolve from modified live vaccine strains. Finally, three single VP2 mutation (F267Y, Y324I, and T440A strains were caught concern. Furthermore, these three new VP2 mutation strains may be responsible for vaccine failure, and the strains with VP2 440A may become the novel CPV sub-variant. In conclusion, a summary of all VP2 sequences provides a new perspective regarding CPV-2 evolution and the correlative biological studies needs to be further performed.

The genetic evolution of canine parvovirus - A new perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Pei; Zeng, Weijie; Zhang, Xin; Li, Shoujun

2017-01-01

To trace the evolution process of CPV-2, all of the VP2 gene sequences of CPV-2 and FPV (from 1978 to 2015) from GenBank were analyzed in this study. Then, several new ideas regarding CPV-2 evolution were presented. First, the VP2 amino acid 555 and 375 positions of CPV-2 were first ruled out as a universal mutation site in CPV-2a and amino acid 101 position of FPV feature I or T instead of only I in existing rule. Second, the recently confusing nomenclature of CPV-2 variants was substituted with a optional nomenclature that would serve future CPV-2 research. Third, After check the global distribution of variants, CPV-2a is the predominant variant in Asia and CPV-2c is the predominant variant in Europe and Latin America. Fourth, a series of CPV-2-like strains were identified and deduced to evolve from modified live vaccine strains. Finally, three single VP2 mutation (F267Y, Y324I, and T440A) strains were caught concern. Furthermore, these three new VP2 mutation strains may be responsible for vaccine failure, and the strains with VP2 440A may become the novel CPV sub-variant. In conclusion, a summary of all VP2 sequences provides a new perspective regarding CPV-2 evolution and the correlative biological studies needs to be further performed.

An affine microsphere approach to modeling strain-induced crystallization in rubbery polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Nateghi, A.; Dal, H.; Keip, M.-A.; Miehe, C.

2018-01-01

Upon stretching a natural rubber sample, polymer chains orient themselves in the direction of the applied load and form crystalline regions. When the sample is retracted, the original amorphous state of the network is restored. Due to crystallization, properties of rubber change considerably. The reinforcing effect of the crystallites stiffens the rubber and increases the crack growth resistance. It is of great importance to understand the mechanism leading to strain-induced crystallization. However, limited theoretical work has been done on the investigation of the associated kinetics. A key characteristic observed in the stress-strain diagram of crystallizing rubber is the hysteresis, which is entirely attributed to strain-induced crystallization. In this work, we propose a micromechanically motivated material model for strain-induced crystallization in rubbers. Our point of departure is constructing a micromechanical model for a single crystallizing polymer chain. Subsequently, a thermodynamically consistent evolution law describing the kinetics of crystallization on the chain level is proposed. This chain model is then incorporated into the affine microsphere model. Finally, the model is numerically implemented and its performance is compared to experimental data.

Influence of strain-induced martensitic transformation on fatigue short crack behaviour in an austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baffie, N.; Stolarz, J.; Magnin, Th.

2000-01-01

The influence of martensitic transformation induced by cyclic straining on the mechanisms of low cycle fatigue damage in a metastable austenitic stainless steel with different grain sizes has been investigated using macroscopic measurements and microscopic observations of short crack evolutions. The amount of martensite formed during cyclic straining increases with increasing plastic strain amplitude and cumulative plastic strain but the dominant parameter is the grain size of austenite. The fine microstructure (D = 10 μm) with maximum martensite fraction of about 20% is characterised by a better fatigue resistance than the coarse one (D 40μm and only 2% of martensite) for the same plastic strain amplitude. Martensitic transformation is found to radically modify the cyclic response of the alloy and consequently the damage mechanisms. Indeed, both short crack nucleation and growth take place exclusively in the transformed regions. A mechanism of short crack propagation based on the γ→ α' transformation assisted by stress concentration at the crack tip is proposed. The indirect influence of grain boundaries in the austenite on crack propagation in the martensite is demonstrated. The better fatigue resistance of metastable alloys with fine granular structure can thus be understood. (authors)

Genomic Comparison among Lethal Invasive Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes Serotype M1

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Gabriel R. Fernandes

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A Streptococcus (GAS, is a human pathogen that causes diverse human diseases including streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS. A GAS outbreak occurred in Brasilia, Brazil, during the second half of the year 2011, causing 26 deaths. Whole genome sequencing was performed using Illumina platform. The sequences were assembled and genes were predicted for comparative analysis with emm type 1 strains: MGAS5005 and M1 GAS. Genomics comparison revealed one of the invasive strains that differ from others isolates and from emm 1 reference genomes. Also, the new invasive strain showed differences in the content of virulence factors compared to other isolated in the same outbreak. The evolution of contemporary GAS strains is strongly associated with horizontal gene transfer. This is the first genomic study of a Streptococcal emm 1 outbreak in Brazil, and revealed the rapid bacterial evolution leading to new clones. The emergence of new invasive strains can be a consequence of the injudicious use of antibiotics in Brazil during the past decades.

Effect of strain rate and temperature at high strains on fatigue behavior of SAP alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blucher, J.T.; Knudsen, Per; Grant, N.J.

1968-01-01

Fatigue behavior of three SAP alloys of two nominal compositions (7 and 13% Al2O3) was studied in terms of strain rate and temperature at high strains; strain rate had no effect on life at 80 F, but had increasingly greater effect with increasing temperature above 500 F; life decreased with decre......Fatigue behavior of three SAP alloys of two nominal compositions (7 and 13% Al2O3) was studied in terms of strain rate and temperature at high strains; strain rate had no effect on life at 80 F, but had increasingly greater effect with increasing temperature above 500 F; life decreased...

Plasmon field enhancement oscillations induced by strain-mediated coupling between a quantum dot and mechanical oscillator.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yong

2017-06-23

We utilize the surface plasmon field of a metal nanoparticle (MNP) to show strain-mediated coupling in a quantum dot-mechanical resonator hybrid system including a quantum dot (QD) embedded within a conical nanowire (NW) and a MNP in the presence of an external field. Based on the numerical solutions of the master equation, we find that a slow oscillation, originating from the strain-mediated coupling between the QD and the NW, appears in the time evolution of the plasmon field enhancement. The results show that the period (about [Formula: see text]) of the slow oscillation is equal to that of the mechanical resonator of NW, which suggests that the time-resolved measurement of the plasmon field enhancement can be easily achieved based on the current experimental conditions. Its amplitude increases with the increasing strain-mediated coupling strength, and under certain conditions there is a linear relationship between them. The slow oscillation of the plasmon field enhancement provides valuable tools for measurements of the mechanical frequency and the strain-mediated coupling strength.

Co-evolution as Tool for Diversifying Flavor and Aroma Profiles of Wines

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Peter Morrison-Whittle

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The products of microbial metabolism form an integral part of human industry and have been shaped by evolutionary processes, accidentally and deliberately, for thousands of years. In the production of wine, a great many flavor and aroma compounds are produced by yeast species and are the targets of research for commercial breeding programs. Here we demonstrate how co-evolution with multiple species can generate novel interactions through serial co-culture in grape juice. We find that after ~65 generations, co-evolved strains and strains evolved independently show significantly different growth aspects and exhibit significantly different metabolite profiles. We show significant impact of co-evolution of Candida glabrata and Pichia kudriavzevii on the production of metabolites that affect the flavor and aroma of experimental wines. While co-evolved strains do exhibit novel interactions that affect the reproductive success of interacting species, we found no evidence of cross-feeding behavior. Our findings yield promising avenues for developing commercial yeast strains by using co-evolution to diversify the metabolic output of target species without relying on genetic modification or breeding technologies. Such approaches open up exciting new possibilities for harnessing microbial co-evolution in areas of agriculture and food related research generally.

The Microstructural Evolution and Special Flow Behavior of Ti-5Al-2Sn-2Zr-4Mo-4Cr During Isothermal Compression at a Low Strain Rate

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, J. Z.; Li, M. Q.; Li, H.

2017-09-01

The microstructural evolution and special flow behavior of Ti-5Al-2Sn-2Zr-4Mo-4Cr during isothermal compression at a strain rate of 0.0001 s-1 were investigated. The dislocation climbs in elongated α grains resulted in the formation of low-angle boundaries that transform into high-angle boundaries with greater deformation, and the elongated α grains subsequently separated into homogenous globular α grains with the penetration of the β phase. The simultaneous occurrence of discontinuous dynamic recrystallization and continuous dynamic recrystallization in the primary β grains resulted in a trimode grain distribution. The β grains surrounded by dislocations presented an equilateral-hexagonal morphology, which suggests that grain boundary sliding through dislocation climbs was the main deformation mechanism. The true stress-strain curves for 1073 and 1113 K abnormally intersect at a strain of 0.35, related to the α → β phase transformation and distinct growth of the β grain size.

3D Strain Modelling of Tear Fault Analogues

Science.gov (United States)

Hindle, D.; Vietor, T.

2005-12-01

Tear faults can be described as vertical discontinuities, with near fault parallel displacements terminating on some sort of shallow detachment. As such, they are difficult to study in "cross section" i.e. 2 dimensions as is often the case for fold-thrust systems. Hence, little attempt has been made to model the evolution of strain around tear faults and the processes of strain localisation in such structures due to the necessity of describing these systems in 3 dimensions and the problems this poses for both numerical and analogue modelling. Field studies suggest that strain in such regions can be distributed across broad zones on minor tear systems, which are often not easily mappable. Such strain is probably assumed to be due to distributed strain and to displacement gradients which are themselves necessary for the initiation of the tear itself. We present a numerical study of the effects of a sharp, basal discontinutiy parallel to the transport direction in a shortening wedge of material. The discontinuity is represented by two adjacent basal surfaces with strongly contrasting (0.5 and 0.05) friction coefficient. The material is modelled using PFC3D distinct element software for simulating granular material, whose properties are chosen to simulate upper crustal, sedimentary rock. The model geometry is a rectangular bounding box, 2km x 1km, and 0.35-0.5km deep, with a single, driving wall of constant velocity. We show the evolution of strain in the model in horizontal and vertical sections, and interpret strain localization as showing the spontaneous development of tear fault like features. The strain field in the model is asymmetrical, rotated towards the strong side of the model. Strain increments seem to oscillate in time, suggesting achievement of a steady state. We also note that our model cannot be treated as a critical wedge, since the 3rd dimension and the lateral variations of strength rule out this type of 2D approximation.

Different distribution patterns of ten virulence genes in Legionella reference strains and strains isolated from environmental water and patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Xiao-Yong; Hu, Chao-Hui; Zhu, Qing-Yi

2016-04-01

Virulence genes are distinct regions of DNA which are present in the genome of pathogenic bacteria and absent in nonpathogenic strains of the same or related species. Virulence genes are frequently associated with bacterial pathogenicity in genus Legionella. In the present study, an assay was performed to detect ten virulence genes, including iraA, iraB, lvrA, lvrB, lvhD, cpxR, cpxA, dotA, icmC and icmD in different pathogenicity islands of 47 Legionella reference strains, 235 environmental strains isolated from water, and 4 clinical strains isolated from the lung tissue of pneumonia patients. The distribution frequencies of these genes in reference or/and environmental L. pneumophila strains were much higher than those in reference non-L. pneumophila or/and environmental non-L. pneumophila strains, respectively. L. pneumophila clinical strains also maintained higher frequencies of these genes compared to four other types of Legionella strains. Distribution frequencies of these genes in reference L. pneumophila strains were similar to those in environmental L. pneumophila strains. In contrast, environmental non-L. pneumophila maintained higher frequencies of these genes compared to those found in reference non-L. pneumophila strains. This study illustrates the association of virulence genes with Legionella pathogenicity and reveals the possible virulence evolution of non-L. pneumophia strains isolated from environmental water.

Perspectives on the Evolution of Porcine Parvovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Woo-Taek; Kim, Ri-Yeon; Nguyen, Van-Giap; Chung, Hee-Chun; Park, Bong-Kyun

2017-07-26

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is one of the main causes of porcine reproductive failure. It is important for swine industries to understand the recent trends in PPV evolution. Previous data show that PPV has two genetic lineages originating in Germany. In this study, two more genetic lineages were defined, one of which was distinctly Asian. Additionally, amino acid substitutions in European strains and Asian strains showed distinct differences in several regions of the VP2 gene. The VP1 gene of the recent PPV isolate (T142_South Korea) was identical to that of Kresse strain isolated in the USA in 1985, indicating that modern PPV strains now resemble the original strains (Kresse and NADL-2). In this study, we compared strains isolated in the 20th century to recent isolates and confirmed the trend that modern strains are becoming more similar to previous strains.

Benomyl-resistant mutant strain of Trichoderma sp. with increased mycoparasitic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Olejníková, P; Ondrusová, Z; Krystofová, S; Hudecová, D

2010-01-01

Application of UV radiation to the strain Trichoderma sp. T-bt (isolated from lignite) resulted in the T-brm mutant which was resistant to the systemic fungicide benomyl. The tub2 gene sequence in the T-brm mutant differed from the parent as well as the collection strain (replacing tyrosine with histidine in the TUB2 protein). Under in vitro conditions this mutant exhibited a higher mycoparasitic activity toward phytopathogenic fungi.

Increasing antibiotic resistance in preservative-tolerant bacterial strains isolated from cosmetic products.

Science.gov (United States)

Orús, Pilar; Gomez-Perez, Laura; Leranoz, Sonia; Berlanga, Mercedes

2015-03-01

To ensure the microbiological quality, consumer safety and organoleptic properties of cosmetic products, manufacturers need to comply with defined standards using several preservatives and disinfectants. A drawback regarding the use of these preservatives is the possibility of generating cross-insusceptibility to other disinfectants or preservatives, as well as cross resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand the adaptive mechanisms of Enterobacter gergoviae, Pseudomonas putida and Burkholderia cepacia that are involved in recurrent contamination in cosmetic products containing preservatives. Diminished susceptibility to formaldehyde-donors was detected in isolates but not to other preservatives commonly used in the cosmetics industry, although increasing resistance to different antibiotics (β-lactams, quinolones, rifampicin, and tetracycline) was demonstrated in these strains when compared with the wild-type strain. The outer membrane protein modifications and efflux mechanism activities responsible for the resistance trait were evaluated. The development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms due to the selective pressure from preservatives included in cosmetic products could be a risk for the emergence and spread of bacterial resistance in the environment. Nevertheless, the large contribution of disinfection and preservation cannot be denied in cosmetic products. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

Dynamic Behavior of AA2519-T8 Aluminum Alloy Under High Strain Rate Loading in Compression

Science.gov (United States)

Olasumboye, A. T.; Owolabi, G. M.; Odeshi, A. G.; Yilmaz, N.; Zeytinci, A.

2018-02-01

In this study, the effects of strain rate on the dynamic behavior, microstructure evolution and hence, failure of the AA2519-T8 aluminum alloy were investigated under compression at strain rates ranging from 1000 to 3500 s-1. Cylindrical specimens of dimensions 3.3 mm × 3.3 mm (L/D = 1) were tested using the split-Hopkinson pressure bar integrated with a digital image correlation system. The microstructure of the alloy was assessed using optical and scanning electron microscopes. Results showed that the dynamic yield strength of the alloy is strain rate dependent, with the maximum yield strength attained by the material being 500 MPa. The peak flow stress of 562 MPa was attained by the material at 3500 s-1. The alloy also showed a significant rate of strain hardening that is typical of other Al-Cu alloys; the rate of strain hardening, however, decreased with increase in strain rate. It was determined that the strain rate sensitivity coefficient of the alloy within the range of high strain rates used in this study is approximately 0.05 at 0.12 plastic strain; a more significant value than what was reported in literature under quasi-static loading. Micrographs obtained showed potential sites for the evolution of adiabatic shear band at 3500 s-1, with a characteristic circular-shaped surface profile comprising partially dissolved second phase particles in the continuous phase across the incident plane of the deformed specimen. The regions surrounding the site showed little or no change in the size of particles. However, the constituent coarse particles were observed as agglomerations of fractured pieces, thus having a shape factor different from those contained in the as-received alloy. Since the investigated alloy is a choice material for military application where it can be exposed to massive deformation at high strain rates, this study provides information on its microstructural and mechanical responses to such extreme loading condition.

The evolution of shrinkage strain of pet-mortar composite eco ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... resulting from the cement hydration and are governed by various physical and ... of PET volumetric additive amounts for cement substituting and for the behavior ... Keywords: Composite Eco-materials; Cement substitution; Shrinkage strain; ...

Preliminary 3D In-situ measurements of the texture evolution of strained H2O ice during annealing using neutron Laue diffractometry

Science.gov (United States)

Journaux, Baptiste; Montagnat, Maurine; Chauve, Thomas; Ouladdiaf, Bachir; Allibon, John

2015-04-01

Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) strongly affects the evolution of microstructure (grain size and shape) and texture (crystal preferred orientation) in materials during deformation at high temperature. Since texturing leads to anisotropic physical properties, predicting the effect of DRX is essential for industrial applications, for interpreting geophysical data and modeling geodynamic flows, and predicting ice sheet flow and climate evolution. A large amount of literature is available related to metallurgy, geology or glaciology, but there remains overall fundamental questions about the relationship between nucleation, grain boundary migration and texture development at the microscopic scale. Previous measurements of DRX in ice were either conducted using 2D ex-situ techniques such as AITA [1,2] or Electron Backscattering Diffraction (EBSD) [3], or using 3D statistical ex-situ [4] or in-situ [5] techniques. Nevertheless, all these techniques failed to observe at the scale of nucleation processes during DRX in full 3D. Here we present a new approach using neutron Laue diffraction, which enable to perform 3D measurements of in-situ texture evolution of strained polycrystalline H2O ice (>2% at 266 K) during annealing at the microscopic scale. Thanks the CYCLOPS instrument [6] (Institut Laue Langevin Grenoble, France) and the intrinsic low background of this setup, preliminary observations enabled us to follow, in H2O ice, the evolution of serrated grain boundaries, and kink-band during annealing. Our observations show a significant evolution of the texture and internal misorientation over the course of few hours at an annealing temperature of 268.5 K. In the contrary, ice kink-band structures seem to be very stable over time at near melting temperatures. The same samples have been analyzed ex-situ using EBSD for comparison. These results represent a first step toward in-situ microscopic measurements of dynamic recrystallization processes in ice during strain. This

Pace bowlers in cricket with history of lumbar stress fracture have increased risk of lower limb muscle strains, particularly calf strains

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John Orchard

2010-09-01

Full Text Available John Orchard1, Patrick Farhart2, Alex Kountouris3, Trefor James3, Marc Portus31School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia; 2Punjab Kings XI team, Indian Premier League, India; 3Cricket Australia, Melbourne, AustraliaObjective: To assess whether a history of lumbar stress fracture in pace bowlers in cricket is a risk factor for lower limb muscle strains.Methods: This was a prospective cohort risk factor study, conducted using injury data from contracted first class pace bowlers in Australia during seasons 1998–1999 to 2008–2009 inclusive. There were 205 pace bowlers, 33 of whom suffered a lumbar stress fracture when playing first class cricket. Risk ratios ([RR] with 95% confidence intervals[CI] were calculated to compare the seasonal incidence of various injuries between bowlers with a prior history of lumbar stress fracture and those with no history of lumbar stress fracture.Results: Risk of calf strain was strongly associated with prior lumbar stress fracture injury history (RR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.4–7.1. Risks of both hamstring strain (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03–2.1 and quadriceps strain (RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1–3.5 were somewhat associated with history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of groin strain was not associated with history of lumbar stress fracture (RR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4–1.1. Other injuries showed little association with prior lumbar stress fracture, although knee cartilage injuries were more likely in the non-stress fracture group.Conclusion: Bony hypertrophy associated with lumbar stress fracture healing may lead to subsequent lumbar nerve root impingement, making lower limb muscle strains more likely to occur. Confounders may be responsible for some of the findings. In particular, bowling speed is likely to be independently correlated with risk of lumbar stress fracture and risk of muscle strain. However, as the relationship between lumbar stress fracture history and calf strain was very strong, and that there is a

Advances in transforming kudzu (Pueraria phaseoloides and carrot (Daucus carota var. Danvers 126 roots with different Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains for increasing MA fungi growth

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Marisol Medina Sierra

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Kudzú (P. phaseoloides and carrot (D. carota roots were transformed in this survey into different kinds of culture medium by using five different A. rhizogenes strains. These presented different behaviour both in carrot transformation by A. rhizogenes 15834, A.r.8196 and A.r.2659 strains as well as kudzu transformation by A.r.15834 and A.r.1724 strains. Transformed carrot root growth was increased in WM culture medium, whilst transformed kudzu root growth did not increase in either the same medium or in modified MS medium. Transformed carrot roots were used for G. intrarradices increase and sporulation; however, wild AMF strains, isolated from a mining area (the lower Cauca area of Antioquia, did not grow either in roots from this specie or those from kudzu, in spite of this plant having great affinity for wild AMF strains. The results represent an advance in the procedure for DNA isolation and keeping AMF collections, required for other research.

Microstructure evolution during dynamic recrystallization of hot deformed superalloy 718

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.; Shao, W.Z.; Zhen, L.; Zhang, X.M.

2008-01-01

Microstructure evolution during dynamic recrystallization (DRX) of superalloy 718 was studied by optical microscope and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Compression tests were performed at different strains at temperatures from 950 deg. C to 1120 deg. C with a strain rate of 10 -1 s -1 . Microstructure observations show that the recrystallized grain size as well as the fraction of new grains increases with the increasing temperature. A power exponent relationship is obtained between the dynamically recrystallized grain size and the peak stress. It is found that different nucleation mechanisms for DRX are operated in hot deformed superalloy 718, which is closely related to deformation temperatures. DRX nucleation and development are discussed in consideration of subgrain rotation or twinning taking place near the original grain boundaries. Particular attention is also paid to the role of continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) at both higher and lower temperatures

Microstructure, Properties and Atomic Level Strain in Severely Deformed Rare Metal Niobium

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Lembit KOMMEL

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The mechanical and physical properties relationship from atomic level strain/stress causes dislocation density and electrical conductivity relationship, as well as crystallites deformation and hkl-parameter change in the severely deformed pure refractory rare metal Nb at ambient temperature and during short processing times. The above mentioned issues are discussed in this study. For ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline microstructure forming in metal the equal-channel angular pressing and hard cyclic viscoplastic deformation were used. The flat deformation and heat treatment at different parameters were conducted as follows. The focused ion beam method was used for micrometric measures samples manufacturied under nanocrystalline microstructure study by transmission electron microscope. The microstructure features of metal were studied under different orientations by X-ray diffraction scattering method, and according to the atomic level strains, dislocation density, hkl-parameters and crystallite sizes were calculated by different computation methods. According to results the evolutions of atomic level strains/stresses, induced by processing features have great influence on the microstructure and advanced properties forming in pure Nb. Due to cumulative strain increase the tensile stress and hardness were increased significantly. In this case the dislocation density of Nb varies from 5.0E+10 cm–2 to 2.0E+11 cm–2. The samples from Nb at maximal atomic level strain in the (110 and (211 directions have the maximal values of hkl-parameters, highest tensile strength and hardness but minimal electrical conductivity. The crystallite size was minimal and relative atomic level strain maximal in (211 orientation of crystal. Next, flat deformation and heat treatment increase the atomic level parameters of severely deformed metal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.4.3091

The evolution of siderophore production as a competitive trait.

Science.gov (United States)

Niehus, Rene; Picot, Aurore; Oliveira, Nuno M; Mitri, Sara; Foster, Kevin R

2017-06-01

Microbes have the potential to be highly cooperative organisms. The archetype of microbial cooperation is often considered to be the secretion of siderophores, molecules scavenging iron, where cooperation is threatened by "cheater" genotypes that use siderophores without making them. Here, we show that this view neglects a key piece of biology: siderophores are imported by specific receptors that constrain their use by competing strains. We study the effect of this specificity in an ecoevolutionary model, in which we vary siderophore sharing among strains, and compare fully shared siderophores with private siderophores. We show that privatizing siderophores fundamentally alters their evolution. Rather than a canonical cooperative good, siderophores become a competitive trait used to pillage iron from other strains. We also study the physiological regulation of siderophores using in silico long-term evolution. Although shared siderophores evolve to be downregulated in the presence of a competitor, as expected for a cooperative trait, privatized siderophores evolve to be upregulated. We evaluate these predictions using published experimental work, which suggests that some siderophores are upregulated in response to competition akin to competitive traits like antibiotics. Although siderophores can act as a cooperative good for single genotypes, we argue that their role in competition is fundamental to understanding their biology. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Availability of public goods shapes the evolution of competing metabolic strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachmann, Herwig; Fischlechner, Martin; Rabbers, Iraes; Barfa, Nakul; Branco dos Santos, Filipe; Molenaar, Douwe; Teusink, Bas

2013-08-27

Tradeoffs provide a rationale for the outcome of natural selection. A prominent example is the negative correlation between the growth rate and the biomass yield in unicellular organisms. This tradeoff leads to a dilemma, where the optimization of growth rate is advantageous for an individual, whereas the optimization of the biomass yield would be advantageous for a population. High-rate strategies are observed in a broad variety of organisms such as Escherichia coli, yeast, and cancer cells. Growth in suspension cultures favors fast-growing organisms, whereas spatial structure is of importance for the evolution of high-yield strategies. Despite this realization, experimental methods to directly select for increased yield are lacking. We here show that the serial propagation of a microbial population in a water-in-oil emulsion allows selection of strains with increased biomass yield. The propagation in emulsion creates a spatially structured environment where the growth-limiting substrate is privatized for populations founded by individual cells. Experimental evolution of several isogenic Lactococcus lactis strains demonstrated the existence of a tradeoff between growth rate and biomass yield as an apparent Pareto front. The underlying mutations altered glucose transport and led to major shifts between homofermentative and heterofermentative metabolism, accounting for the changes in metabolic efficiency. The results demonstrated the impact of privatizing a public good on the evolutionary outcome between competing metabolic strategies. The presented approach allows the investigation of fundamental questions in biology such as the evolution of cooperation, cell-cell interactions, and the relationships between environmental and metabolic constraints.

Bayesian nonparametric clustering in phylogenetics: modeling antigenic evolution in influenza.

Science.gov (United States)

Cybis, Gabriela B; Sinsheimer, Janet S; Bedford, Trevor; Rambaut, Andrew; Lemey, Philippe; Suchard, Marc A

2018-01-30

Influenza is responsible for up to 500,000 deaths every year, and antigenic variability represents much of its epidemiological burden. To visualize antigenic differences across many viral strains, antigenic cartography methods use multidimensional scaling on binding assay data to map influenza antigenicity onto a low-dimensional space. Analysis of such assay data ideally leads to natural clustering of influenza strains of similar antigenicity that correlate with sequence evolution. To understand the dynamics of these antigenic groups, we present a framework that jointly models genetic and antigenic evolution by combining multidimensional scaling of binding assay data, Bayesian phylogenetic machinery and nonparametric clustering methods. We propose a phylogenetic Chinese restaurant process that extends the current process to incorporate the phylogenetic dependency structure between strains in the modeling of antigenic clusters. With this method, we are able to use the genetic information to better understand the evolution of antigenicity throughout epidemics, as shown in applications of this model to H1N1 influenza. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The role of genomics in tracking the evolution of influenza A virus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice Carolyn McHardy

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Influenza A virus causes annual epidemics and occasional pandemics of short-term respiratory infections associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The pandemics occur when new human-transmissible viruses that have the major surface protein of influenza A viruses from other host species are introduced into the human population. Between such rare events, the evolution of influenza is shaped by antigenic drift: the accumulation of mutations that result in changes in exposed regions of the viral surface proteins. Antigenic drift makes the virus less susceptible to immediate neutralization by the immune system in individuals who have had a previous influenza infection or vaccination. A biannual reevaluation of the vaccine composition is essential to maintain its effectiveness due to this immune escape. The study of influenza genomes is key to this endeavor, increasing our understanding of antigenic drift and enhancing the accuracy of vaccine strain selection. Recent large-scale genome sequencing and antigenic typing has considerably improved our understanding of influenza evolution: epidemics around the globe are seeded from a reservoir in East-Southeast Asia with year-round prevalence of influenza viruses; antigenically similar strains predominate in epidemics worldwide for several years before being replaced by a new antigenic cluster of strains. Future in-depth studies of the influenza reservoir, along with large-scale data mining of genomic resources and the integration of epidemiological, genomic, and antigenic data, should enhance our understanding of antigenic drift and improve the detection and control of antigenically novel emerging strains.

Pace bowlers in cricket with history of lumbar stress fracture have increased risk of lower limb muscle strains, particularly calf strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Orchard, John; Farhart, Patrick; Kountouris, Alex; James, Trefor; Portus, Marc

2010-01-01

To assess whether a history of lumbar stress fracture in pace bowlers in cricket is a risk factor for lower limb muscle strains. This was a prospective cohort risk factor study, conducted using injury data from contracted first class pace bowlers in Australia during seasons 1998-1999 to 2008-2009 inclusive. There were 205 pace bowlers, 33 of whom suffered a lumbar stress fracture when playing first class cricket. Risk ratios ([RR] with 95% confidence intervals[CI]) were calculated to compare the seasonal incidence of various injuries between bowlers with a prior history of lumbar stress fracture and those with no history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of calf strain was strongly associated with prior lumbar stress fracture injury history (RR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.4-7.1). Risks of both hamstring strain (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03-2.1) and quadriceps strain (RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1-3.5) were somewhat associated with history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of groin strain was not associated with history of lumbar stress fracture (RR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4-1.1). Other injuries showed little association with prior lumbar stress fracture, although knee cartilage injuries were more likely in the non-stress fracture group. Bony hypertrophy associated with lumbar stress fracture healing may lead to subsequent lumbar nerve root impingement, making lower limb muscle strains more likely to occur. Confounders may be responsible for some of the findings. In particular, bowling speed is likely to be independently correlated with risk of lumbar stress fracture and risk of muscle strain. However, as the relationship between lumbar stress fracture history and calf strain was very strong, and that there is a strong theoretical basis for the connection, it is likely that this is a true association.

Transient MutS-Based Hypermutation System for Adaptive Evolution of Lactobacillus casei to Low pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Overbeck, Tom J; Welker, Dennis L; Hughes, Joanne E; Steele, James L; Broadbent, Jeff R

2017-10-15

This study explored transient inactivation of the gene encoding the DNA mismatch repair enzyme MutS as a tool for adaptive evolution of Lactobacillus casei MutS deletion derivatives of L. casei 12A and ATCC 334 were constructed and subjected to a 100-day adaptive evolution process to increase lactic acid resistance at low pH. Wild-type parental strains were also subjected to this treatment. At the end of the process, the Δ mutS lesion was repaired in representative L. casei 12A and ATCC 334 Δ mutS mutant isolates. Growth studies in broth at pH 4.0 (titrated with lactic acid) showed that all four adapted strains grew more rapidly, to higher cell densities, and produced significantly more lactic acid than untreated wild-type cells. However, the adapted Δ mutS derivative mutants showed the greatest increases in growth and lactic acid production. Further characterization of the L. casei 12A-adapted Δ mutS derivative revealed that it had a significantly smaller cell volume, a rougher cell surface, and significantly better survival at pH 2.5 than parental L. casei 12A. Genome sequence analysis confirmed that transient mutS inactivation decreased DNA replication fidelity in both L. casei strains, and it identified genetic changes that might contribute to the lactic acid-resistant phenotypes of adapted cells. Targeted inactivation of three genes that had acquired nonsense mutations in the adapted L. casei 12A Δ mutS mutant derivative showed that NADH dehydrogenase ( ndh ), phosphate transport ATP-binding protein PstB ( pstB ), and two-component signal transduction system (TCS) quorum-sensing histidine protein kinase ( hpk ) genes act in combination to increase lactic acid resistance in L. casei 12A. IMPORTANCE Adaptive evolution has been applied to microorganisms to increase industrially desirable phenotypes, including acid resistance. We developed a method to increase the adaptability of Lactobacillus casei 12A and ATCC 334 through transient inactivation of the DNA

Microstructure evolution of superalloy for large exhaust valve during hot forging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, H.S.; Cho, J.R.; Park, H.C.

2004-01-01

The nickel-based alloy Nimonic 80A possesses strength, and corrosion, creep and oxidation resistance at high temperature. These products are used for aerospace, marine engineering and power generation, etc. The control of forging parameters such as strain, strain rate, temperature and holding time is important because the microstructure change in hot working affects the mechanical properties. It is necessary to understand the microstructure variation evolution. The microstructure change evolution occurs by recovery, recrystallization and grain growth phenomena. The dynamic recrystallization evolution has been studied in the temperature range 950-1250 deg. C and strain rate range 0.05-5s-1 using hot compression tests. The metadynamic recrystallization and grain growth evolution has been studied in the temperature range 950-1250 deg. C and strain rate range 0.05, 5s-1, holding time range 5, 10, 100, 600 sec using hot compression tests. Modeling equations are developed to represent the flow curve, recrystallized grain size, recrystallized fraction and grain growth phenomena by various tests. Parameters of modeling equation are expressed as a function of the Zener-Hollomon parameter. The modeling equation for grain growth is expressed as a function of initial grain size and holding time. The developed modeling equation was combined with thermo-viscoplastic finite element modeling to predict various microstructure change evolution during thermo mechanical processing. The predicted grain size in developed FE simulation results is compared with results obtained in various tests. In order to obtain a final microstructure and good mechanical properties in forging, the FEM would become a useful tool in the simulation of the microstructure development

Metabolic evolution of Escherichia coli strains that produce organic acids

Science.gov (United States)

Grabar, Tammy; Gong, Wei; Yocum, R Rogers

2014-10-28

This invention relates to the metabolic evolution of a microbial organism previously optimized for producing an organic acid in commercially significant quantities under fermentative conditions using a hexose sugar as sole source of carbon in a minimal mineral medium. As a result of this metabolic evolution, the microbial organism acquires the ability to use pentose sugars derived from cellulosic materials for its growth while retaining the original growth kinetics, the rate of organic acid production and the ability to use hexose sugars as a source of carbon. This invention also discloses the genetic change in the microorganism that confers the ability to use both the hexose and pentose sugars simultaneously in the production of commercially significant quantities of organic acids.

Strain and defect microstructure in ion-irradiated GeSi/Si strained layers as a function of annealing temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasko, J.M.; Elliman, R.G.; Zou, J.; Cockayne, D.J.H.; Fitz Gerald, J.D.

1998-01-01

High energy (1 MeV), ion irradiation of GeSi/Si strained layers at elevated temperatures can cause strain relaxation. In this study, the effect of subsequent thermal annealing was investigated. Three distinct annealing stages were identified and correlated with the evolution of the defect microstructure. In the temperature range from 350 to 600 deg C, a gradual recovery of strain is observed. This is believed to result from the annealing of small defect clusters and the growth of voids. The voids are visible at annealing temperatures in excess of 600 deg C, consistent with an excess vacancy concentration in the irradiated alloy layer. The 600 to 750 deg C range is marked by pronounced maximal recovery of strain, and is correlated with the dissolution of faulted loops in the substrate. At temperatures in the range 750-1000 deg C, strain relaxation is observed and is correlated with the growth of intrinsic dislocations within the alloy layer. These dislocations nucleate at the alloy-substrate interface and grow within the alloy layer, towards the surface. (authors)

Time-scale invariant changes in atmospheric radon concentration and crustal strain prior to a large earthquake

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Y. Kawada

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Prior to large earthquakes (e.g. 1995 Kobe earthquake, Japan, an increase in the atmospheric radon concentration is observed, and this increase in the rate follows a power-law of the time-to-earthquake (time-to-failure. This phenomenon corresponds to the increase in the radon migration in crust and the exhalation into atmosphere. An irreversible thermodynamic model including time-scale invariance clarifies that the increases in the pressure of the advecting radon and permeability (hydraulic conductivity in the crustal rocks are caused by the temporal changes in the power-law of the crustal strain (or cumulative Benioff strain, which is associated with damage evolution such as microcracking or changing porosity. As the result, the radon flux and the atmospheric radon concentration can show a temporal power-law increase. The concentration of atmospheric radon can be used as a proxy for the seismic precursory processes associated with crustal dynamics.

Induction of Aspergillus oryzae mutant strains producing increased levels of α-amylase by gamma-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hitoshi; Nessa, Azizun

1996-01-01

Spores of Aspergillus oryzae IAM 2630 were suspended in 0.067 m phosphate buffer and irradiated with gamma rays. Spores were incubated for 7 days and colony mutants counted by observing colour change compared to normal colours. α-amylase activities of the normal and mutant colonies were assayed. DNA assay of the spores was also carried out, after culture on different plating media. Enzyme production increased 2-5 times with increasing radiation dose. Increased spore size and DNA content was also observed in mutant strains with higher enzyme production suggesting that enzyme production is genetically controlled. Ultraviolet radiation did not appear to induce higher frequency of mutation. (UK)

Induction of Aspergillus oryzae mutant strains producing increased levels of {alpha}-amylase by gamma-irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, Hitoshi; Nessa, Azizun [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment

1996-12-01

Spores of Aspergillus oryzae IAM 2630 were suspended in 0.067 m phosphate buffer and irradiated with gamma rays. Spores were incubated for 7 days and colony mutants counted by observing colour change compared to normal colours. {alpha}-amylase activities of the normal and mutant colonies were assayed. DNA assay of the spores was also carried out, after culture on different plating media. Enzyme production increased 2-5 times with increasing radiation dose. Increased spore size and DNA content was also observed in mutant strains with higher enzyme production suggesting that enzyme production is genetically controlled. Ultraviolet radiation did not appear to induce higher frequency of mutation. (UK).

The evolution of host specialization in the vertebrate gut symbiont Lactobacillus reuteri.

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Steven A Frese

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Recent research has provided mechanistic insight into the important contributions of the gut microbiota to vertebrate biology, but questions remain about the evolutionary processes that have shaped this symbiosis. In the present study, we showed in experiments with gnotobiotic mice that the evolution of Lactobacillus reuteri with rodents resulted in the emergence of host specialization. To identify genomic events marking adaptations to the murine host, we compared the genome of the rodent isolate L. reuteri 100-23 with that of the human isolate L. reuteri F275, and we identified hundreds of genes that were specific to each strain. In order to differentiate true host-specific genome content from strain-level differences, comparative genome hybridizations were performed to query 57 L. reuteri strains originating from six different vertebrate hosts in combination with genome sequence comparisons of nine strains encompassing five phylogenetic lineages of the species. This approach revealed that rodent strains, although showing a high degree of genomic plasticity, possessed a specific genome inventory that was rare or absent in strains from other vertebrate hosts. The distinct genome content of L. reuteri lineages reflected the niche characteristics in the gastrointestinal tracts of their respective hosts, and inactivation of seven out of eight representative rodent-specific genes in L. reuteri 100-23 resulted in impaired ecological performance in the gut of mice. The comparative genomic analyses suggested fundamentally different trends of genome evolution in rodent and human L. reuteri populations, with the former possessing a large and adaptable pan-genome while the latter being subjected to a process of reductive evolution. In conclusion, this study provided experimental evidence and a molecular basis for the evolution of host specificity in a vertebrate gut symbiont, and it identified genomic events that have shaped this process.

The evolution of host specialization in the vertebrate gut symbiont Lactobacillus reuteri.

Science.gov (United States)

Frese, Steven A; Benson, Andrew K; Tannock, Gerald W; Loach, Diane M; Kim, Jaehyoung; Zhang, Min; Oh, Phaik Lyn; Heng, Nicholas C K; Patil, Prabhu B; Juge, Nathalie; Mackenzie, Donald A; Pearson, Bruce M; Lapidus, Alla; Dalin, Eileen; Tice, Hope; Goltsman, Eugene; Land, Miriam; Hauser, Loren; Ivanova, Natalia; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Walter, Jens

2011-02-01

Recent research has provided mechanistic insight into the important contributions of the gut microbiota to vertebrate biology, but questions remain about the evolutionary processes that have shaped this symbiosis. In the present study, we showed in experiments with gnotobiotic mice that the evolution of Lactobacillus reuteri with rodents resulted in the emergence of host specialization. To identify genomic events marking adaptations to the murine host, we compared the genome of the rodent isolate L. reuteri 100-23 with that of the human isolate L. reuteri F275, and we identified hundreds of genes that were specific to each strain. In order to differentiate true host-specific genome content from strain-level differences, comparative genome hybridizations were performed to query 57 L. reuteri strains originating from six different vertebrate hosts in combination with genome sequence comparisons of nine strains encompassing five phylogenetic lineages of the species. This approach revealed that rodent strains, although showing a high degree of genomic plasticity, possessed a specific genome inventory that was rare or absent in strains from other vertebrate hosts. The distinct genome content of L. reuteri lineages reflected the niche characteristics in the gastrointestinal tracts of their respective hosts, and inactivation of seven out of eight representative rodent-specific genes in L. reuteri 100-23 resulted in impaired ecological performance in the gut of mice. The comparative genomic analyses suggested fundamentally different trends of genome evolution in rodent and human L. reuteri populations, with the former possessing a large and adaptable pan-genome while the latter being subjected to a process of reductive evolution. In conclusion, this study provided experimental evidence and a molecular basis for the evolution of host specificity in a vertebrate gut symbiont, and it identified genomic events that have shaped this process.

The Evolution of Host Specialization in the Vertebrate Gut Symbiont Lactobacillus reuteri

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frese, Steven A. [University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Benson, Andrew K. [University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Tannock, Gerald W. [University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Loach, Diane M. [University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Kim, Jaehyoung [University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Zhang, Min [University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Oh, Phaik Lyn [University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Heng, Nicholas C. K. [University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Patil, Prabhu [University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Juge, Nathalie [Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom; MacKenzie, Donald A. [Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom; Pearson, Bruce M. [Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom; Lapidus, Alla L. [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Dalin, Eileen [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Tice, Hope [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Goltsman, Eugene [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Hauser, Loren John [ORNL; Ivanova, N [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Kyrpides, Nikos C [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Walter, Jens [University of Nebraska, Lincoln

2011-01-01

Recent research has provided mechanistic insight into the important contributions of the gut microbiota to vertebrate biology, but questions remain about the evolutionary processes that have shaped this symbiosis. In the present study, we showed in experiments with gnotobiotic mice that the evolution of Lactobacillus reuteri with rodents resulted in the emergence of host specialization. To identify genomic events marking adaptations to the murine host, we compared the genome of the rodent isolate L. reuteri 100-23 with that of the human isolate L. reuteri F275, and we identified hundreds of genes that were specific to each strain. In order to differentiate true host-specific genome content from strain-level differences, comparative genome hybridizations were performed to query 57 L. reuteri strains originating from six different vertebrate hosts in combination with genome sequence comparisons of nine strains encompassing five phylogenetic lineages of the species. This approach revealed that rodent strains, although showing a high degree of genomic plasticity, possessed a specific genome inventory that was rare or absent in strains from other vertebrate hosts. The distinct genome content of L. reuteri lineages reflected the niche characteristics in the gastrointestinal tracts of their respective hosts, and inactivation of seven out of eight representative rodent-specific genes in L. reuteri 100-23 resulted in impaired ecological performance in the gut of mice. The comparative genomic analyses suggested fundamentally different trends of genome evolution in rodent and human L. reuteri populations, with the former possessing a large and adaptable pan-genome while the latter being subjected to a process of reductive evolution. In conclusion, this study provided experimental evidence and a molecular basis for the evolution of host specificity in a vertebrate gut symbiont, and it identified genomic events that have shaped this process.

Variation in the strain anisotropy of Zircaloy with temperature and strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hindle, E.D.; Worswick, D.

1984-04-01

Strain anisotropy was investigated at temperatures in the range 293 to 1117K in circular tensile specimens prepared from rolled Zircaloy-2 plate so that their tensile axes were parallel to and transverse to the rolling direction. The strain anisotropy factor for both types of specimen increased markedly in the high alpha phase region above 923K reaching a maximum at circa 1070K. Above this temperature in the alpha-plus-beta phase region the strain anisotropy decreased rapidly as the proportion of beta phase increased and was almost non-existent at 1173K. The strain anisotropy was markedly strain dependent, particularly in the high alpha phase region. The study was extended to Zircaloy-4 pressurized water reactor (PWR) 17 x 17 type fuel rod tubing specimens which were strained under biaxial conditions using cooling conditions which promoted uniform diametral strain over most of their lengths (circa 250 mm). In these circumstances the strain anisotropy is manifest by a reduction in length. Measurement of this change along with that in diameter and wall thickness produced data from which the strain anisotropy factor was calculated. The results, although influenced by additional factors discussed in the paper, were similar to those observed in the uniaxial Zircaloy-2 tensile tests. (author)

Canine echinococcosis in northern Jordan: increased prevalence and dominance of sheep/dog strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Qaoud, Khaled M; Abdel-Hafez, Sami K; Craig, Philip S

2003-06-01

A total of 112 stray and semi-stray dogs (Canis familiaris) from four different geographical areas in northern and middle Jordan were necropsied to evaluate the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminthiasis. Of these, 33 dogs (29.5%) were infected with Echinococcus granulosus and 61 (54.5%) with other Taenia species. Other cestodes found included Dipylidium caninum in 36 dogs (32.1%), Diplopylidium in 6 dogs (5.4%), Mesocestoides sp. in 3 dogs (2.7%) and Joyuexiella in 1 dog (0.9%). Toxocara nematodes were found in 10 dogs (9.2%) and only 1 dog was positive for acanthocephalans. Among the dogs infected with E. granulosus, 8 dogs (24.2%) had a worm load higher than 1,000 worms. The ratio of infected male to female dogs was 1.9:1.0. Strain analysis of E. granulosus using random primers revealed the dominance of the G1 strain (sheep/dog strain) in the region. Only one dog harbored another E. granulosus strain, which resembled the G4 strain pattern.

Evolution of the Sauropterygian Labyrinth with Increasingly Pelagic Lifestyles.

Science.gov (United States)

Neenan, James M; Reich, Tobias; Evers, Serjoscha W; Druckenmiller, Patrick S; Voeten, Dennis F A E; Choiniere, Jonah N; Barrett, Paul M; Pierce, Stephanie E; Benson, Roger B J

2017-12-18

Sauropterygia, a successful clade of marine reptiles abundant in aquatic ecosystems of the Mesozoic, inhabited nearshore to pelagic habitats over >180 million years of evolutionary history [1]. Aquatic vertebrates experience strong buoyancy forces that allow movement in a three-dimensional environment, resulting in structural convergences such as flippers and fish-like bauplans [2, 3], as well as convergences in the sensory systems. We used computed tomographic scans of 19 sauropterygian species to determine how the transition to pelagic lifestyles influenced the evolution of the endosseous labyrinth, which houses the vestibular sensory organ of balance and orientation [4]. Semicircular canal geometries underwent distinct changes during the transition from nearshore Triassic sauropterygians to the later, pelagic plesiosaurs. Triassic sauropterygians have dorsoventrally compact, anteroposteriorly elongate labyrinths, resembling those of crocodylians. In contrast, plesiosaurs have compact, bulbous labyrinths, sharing some features with those of sea turtles. Differences in relative labyrinth size among sauropterygians correspond to locomotory differences: bottom-walking [5, 6] placodonts have proportionally larger labyrinths than actively swimming taxa (i.e., all other sauropterygians). Furthermore, independent evolutionary origins of short-necked, large-headed "pliosauromorph" body proportions among plesiosaurs coincide with reductions of labyrinth size, paralleling the evolutionary history of cetaceans [7]. Sauropterygian labyrinth evolution is therefore correlated closely with both locomotory style and body proportions, and these changes are consistent with isolated observations made previously in other marine tetrapods. Our study presents the first virtual reconstructions of plesiosaur endosseous labyrinths and the first large-scale, quantitative study detailing the effects of increasingly aquatic lifestyles on labyrinth morphology among marine reptiles. Copyright

Comparative genomic analysis of 45 type strains of the genus Bifidobacterium: a snapshot of its genetic diversity and evolution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhihong Sun

Full Text Available Bifidobacteria are well known for their human health-promoting effects and are therefore widely applied in the food industry. Members of the Bifidobacterium genus were first identified from the human gastrointestinal tract and were then found to be widely distributed across various ecological niches. Although the genetic diversity of Bifidobacterium has been determined based on several marker genes or a few genomes, the global diversity and evolution scenario for the entire genus remain unresolved. The present study comparatively analyzed the genomes of 45 type strains. We built a robust genealogy for Bifidobacterium based on 402 core genes and defined its root according to the phylogeny of the tree of bacteria. Our results support that all human isolates are of younger lineages, and although species isolated from bees dominate the more ancient lineages, the bee was not necessarily the original host for bifidobacteria. Moreover, the species isolated from different hosts are enriched with specific gene sets, suggesting host-specific adaptation. Notably, bee-specific genes are strongly associated with respiratory metabolism and are potential in helping those bacteria adapt to the oxygen-rich gut environment in bees. This study provides a snapshot of the genetic diversity and evolution of Bifidobacterium, paving the way for future studies on the taxonomy and functional genomics of the genus.

A patented strain of Bacillus coagulans increased immune response to viral challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Mira

2009-03-01

Viral respiratory tract infection is the most common illness among humans. Probiotics have been known to enhance the immune system and, therefore, may represent a significant therapeutic advancement for treating viral respiratory tract infections. A controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the patented GanedenBC30 probiotic (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086, marketed as Sustenex [Ganeden Biotech, Inc., Mayfield Heights, OH]) on the immune system when exposed to adenovirus and influenza in otherwise healthy adults. Ten healthy men and women (average age, 44 years) were instructed to consume 1 capsule of GanedenBC30 with water once a day for 30 days. At baseline and after completion of the 30-day treatment, blood levels of cytokines were measured in vitro after T-cell exposure to adenovirus and influenza A. Each participant served as his/her own control with baseline blood draw. The use of GanedenBC30 significantly increased T-cell production of TNF-alpha in response to adenovirus exposure (P = 0.027) and influenza A (H3N2 Texas strain) exposure (P = 0.004), but it did not have a significant effect on the response to other strains of influenza. No serious adverse events were reported throughout the study. The patented GanedenBC30 probiotic may be a safe and effective therapeutic option for enhancing T-cell response to certain viral respiratory tract infections.

Job strain associated with increases in ambulatory blood and pulse pressure during and after work hours among female hotel room cleaners.

Science.gov (United States)

Feaster, Matt; Krause, Niklas

2018-06-01

Previously documented elevated hypertension rates among Las Vegas hotel room cleaners are hypothesized to be associated with job strain. Job strain was assessed by questionnaire. Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) was recorded among 419 female cleaners from five hotels during 18 waking hours. Multiple linear regression models assessed associations of job strain with ABP and pulse pressure for 18-h, work hours, and after work hours. Higher job strain was associated with increased 18-h systolic ABP, after work hours systolic ABP, and ambulatory pulse pressure. Dependents at home but not social support at work attenuated effects. Among hypertensive workers, job strain effects were partially buffered by anti-hypertensive medication. High job strain is positively associated with blood pressure among female hotel workers suggesting potential for primary prevention at work. Work organizational changes, stress management, and active ABP surveillance and hypertension management should be considered for integrated intervention programs. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The epitaxial growth and interfacial strain study of VO{sub 2}/MgF{sub 2} (001) films by synchrotron based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, L.L. [Key Laboratory for Advanced Technology in Environmental Protection of Jiangsu Province, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051 (China); National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Chen, S. [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Liu, Q.H. [Science and Technology on Electro-optical Information Security Control Laboratory, Tianjin 300300 (China); Liao, G.M.; Chen, Y.L.; Ren, H. [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Zou, C.W., E-mail: czou@ustc.edu.cn [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China)

2016-09-05

High quality VO{sub 2} films with different thickness were epitaxially grown on MgF{sub 2} (001) substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy method. The evolution of interfacial strain was investigated by synchrotron based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. By adjusting the incidence angles, the penetration depth of X-ray in VO{sub 2} film could be controlled and the thickness-depend lattice distortion in the epitaxial VO{sub 2} film was investigated. Due to the lattice mismatching, the pronounced tensile strain was observed in ultra-thin VO{sub 2} film. As the film thickness increasing, the interfacial strain relaxed gradually and became fully relaxed for thick VO{sub 2} films. Combined with the electric transport measurement, it was revealed that the phase transition temperature of ultra-thin VO{sub 2} film decreased greatly. The effect of interfacial strain induced phase transition modulation and the intrinsic mechanism was systematically discussed. - Highlights: • We prepared high quality VO{sub 2} epitaxial films on MgF{sub 2} (001) substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy method. • Synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X-ray diffraction was employed to detect evolution of strain along depth profile. • Based on a classic band structure model, the mechanism of strain controlled phase transition of VO{sub 2} was discussed.

Increasing Accuracy of Tissue Shear Modulus Reconstruction Using Ultrasonic Strain Tensor Measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Sumi, C.

Previously, we developed three displacement vector measurement methods, i.e., the multidimensional cross-spectrum phase gradient method (MCSPGM), the multidimensional autocorrelation method (MAM), and the multidimensional Doppler method (MDM). To increase the accuracies and stabilities of lateral and elevational displacement measurements, we also developed spatially variant, displacement component-dependent regularization. In particular, the regularization of only the lateral/elevational displacements is advantageous for the lateral unmodulated case. The demonstrated measurements of the displacement vector distributions in experiments using an inhomogeneous shear modulus agar phantom confirm that displacement-component-dependent regularization enables more stable shear modulus reconstruction. In this report, we also review our developed lateral modulation methods that use Parabolic functions, Hanning windows, and Gaussian functions in the apodization function and the optimized apodization function that realizes the designed point spread function (PSF). The modulations significantly increase the accuracy of the strain tensor measurement and shear modulus reconstruction (demonstrated using an agar phantom).

Changes in the evolution of meningococcal disease, 2001-2008, Catalonia (Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, Ana I; Dominguez, Angela; Oviedo, Manuel; Minguell, Sofia; Jansa, Josep M; Codina, Gemma; Vazquez, Julio A

2009-05-26

Reported cases of meningococcal disease between 1997 and 2008 were analyzed to determine the evolution after the introduction of a conjugated vaccine. In case-fatality-rate increased only in serogroup B (3% and 7.4%, p=0.026). Serosubtype P1.15 was the most frequent in serogroup B (31%), mainly associated with serotype 4 (80%), and in serogroup C subtype P1.5 (36%), with serosubtype 2a (86%). Exhaustive surveillance of circulating meningococcal strains is essential.

Evolution of cementite morphology in pearlitic steel wire during wet wire drawing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Xiaodan; Godfrey, Andrew; Hansen, Niels

2010-01-01

The evolution of the cementite phase during wet wire drawing of a pearlitic steel wire has been followed as a function of strain. Particular attention has been given to a quantitative characterization of changes in the alignment and in the dimensions of the cementite phase. Scanning electron...... microscope observations show that cementite plates become increasingly aligned with the wire axis as the drawing strain is increased. Measurements in the transmission electron microscope show that the cementite deforms plastically during wire drawing , with the average thickness of the cementite plates...... decreasing from 19 nm (ε = 0) to 2 nm (ε = 3.7) in correspondence with the reduction in wire diameter. The deformation of the cementite is strongly related to plastic deformation in the ferrite, with coarse slip steps, shear bands and cracks in the cementite plates/particles observed parallel to either {110...

Evolution of copper arsenate resistance for enhanced enargite bioleaching using the extreme thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Chenbing; McCarthy, Samuel; Liang, Yuting; Rudrappa, Deepak; Qiu, Guanzhou; Blum, Paul

2017-12-01

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was employed to isolate arsenate and copper cross-resistant strains, from the copper-resistant M. sedula CuR1. The evolved strains, M. sedula ARS50-1 and M. sedula ARS50-2, contained 12 and 13 additional mutations, respectively, relative to M. sedula CuR1. Bioleaching capacity of a defined consortium (consisting of a naturally occurring strain and a genetically engineered copper sensitive strain) was increased by introduction of M. sedula ARS50-2, with 5.31 and 26.29% more copper recovered from enargite at a pulp density (PD) of 1 and 3% (w/v), respectively. M. sedula ARS50-2 arose as the predominant species and modulated the proportions of the other two strains after it had been introduced. Collectively, the higher Cu 2+ resistance trait of M. sedula ARS50-2 resulted in a modulated microbial community structure, and consolidating enargite bioleaching especially at elevated PD.

Isolation of perchlorate-reducing Azospira suillum strain JB524 from tidal flats of the Yellow Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nirmala Bardiya

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To isolate and identify perchlorate-reducing bacterium from an enriched consortium from tidal flats of the Yellow Sea. Methods: A perchlorate-enriched consortium from tidal flats of the Yellow Sea was used to isolate Azospira suillum (A. suillum strain JB524. The strain was identified based on partial 16S rDNA sequencing. Perchlorate reduction by the strain was tested with acetate as the e - donor in the presence of NaCl, nitrate and at different growth temperatures using standard anaerobic techniques. The complete enzymatic destruction of perchlorate was confirmed as evolution of O2 by chlorite dismutase in the absence of acetate. Results: Strain JB524 shared 100% 16S rDNA sequence similarity with the type strain A. suillum PST isolated from a swine waste treatment lagoon. Perchlorate reduction coincided with concomitant increase in cell density. Although, acclimatization of the strain PST at suboptimal temperature for perchlorate reduction is not reported, the newly isolated strain could rapidly reduce perchlorate at 22 °C after brief acclimatization. Conclusions: Reduction of perchlorate by A. suillum strain JB524 was negatively affected in the presence of NaCl, suboptimal temperature, presence of nitrate, and limiting amount of acetate as the e-donor.

Comparative genomic characterization of citrus-associated Xylella fastidiosa strains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nunes Luiz R

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The xylem-inhabiting bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf is the causal agent of Pierce's disease (PD in vineyards and citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC in orange trees. Both of these economically-devastating diseases are caused by distinct strains of this complex group of microorganisms, which has motivated researchers to conduct extensive genomic sequencing projects with Xf strains. This sequence information, along with other molecular tools, have been used to estimate the evolutionary history of the group and provide clues to understand the capacity of Xf to infect different hosts, causing a variety of symptoms. Nonetheless, although significant amounts of information have been generated from Xf strains, a large proportion of these efforts has concentrated on the study of North American strains, limiting our understanding about the genomic composition of South American strains – which is particularly important for CVC-associated strains. Results This paper describes the first genome-wide comparison among South American Xf strains, involving 6 distinct citrus-associated bacteria. Comparative analyses performed through a microarray-based approach allowed identification and characterization of large mobile genetic elements that seem to be exclusive to South American strains. Moreover, a large-scale sequencing effort, based on Suppressive Subtraction Hybridization (SSH, identified 290 new ORFs, distributed in 135 Groups of Orthologous Elements, throughout the genomes of these bacteria. Conclusion Results from microarray-based comparisons provide further evidence concerning activity of horizontally transferred elements, reinforcing their importance as major mediators in the evolution of Xf. Moreover, the microarray-based genomic profiles showed similarity between Xf strains 9a5c and Fb7, which is unexpected, given the geographical and chronological differences associated with the isolation of these microorganisms. The newly

Variation in the strain anisotropy of Zircaloy with temperature and strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hindle, E.D.; Worswick, D.

1984-01-01

The strong crystallographic texture which is developed during the fabrication of zirconium-based alloys causes pronounced anisotropy in their mechanical properties, particularly deformation. The tendency for circular-section tension specimens with a high concentration of basal poles in one direction to become elliptical when deformed in tension has been used in this study to provide quantitative data on the effects of both strain and temperature on strain anisotropy. Tension tests were carried out over a temperature range of 293 to 1193 K on specimens machined from Zircaloy-2 plate. The strain anisotropy was found to increase markedly at temperatures over 923 K, reaching a maximum in the region of 1070 K. The strain anisotropy increased with increasing strain in this temperature region. The study was extended to Zircaloy-4 pressurized-water reactor fuel cladding by carrying out tube swelling tests and evaluating the axial deformation produced. Although scatter in the test results was higher than that exhibited in the tension tests, the general trend in the data was similar. The effects of the strain anisotropy observed are discussed in relation to the effects of temperature on the ductility of Zircaloy fuel cladding tubes during postulated largebreak loss-of-coolant accidents

A wide extent of inter-strain diversity in virulent and vaccine strains of alphaherpesviruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Szpara, Moriah L; Tafuri, Yolanda R; Parsons, Lance; Shamim, S Rafi; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Legendre, Matthieu; Enquist, L W

2011-10-01

heterogeneity, which likely seeds future strain evolution.

Experimental evolution and the adjustment of metabolic strategies in lactic acid bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bachmann, Herwig; Molenaar, Douwe; Branco dos Santos, Filipe; Teusink, Bas

2017-01-01

Experimental evolution of microbes has gained lots of interest in recent years, mainly due to the ease of strain characterisation through next-generation sequencing. While evolutionary and systems biologists use experimental evolution to address fundamental questions in their respective fields,

An incremental flow theory for crystal plasticity incorporating strain gradient effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nellemann, Christopher; Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Nielsen, Kim Lau

2017-01-01

The present work investigates a new approach to formulating a rate-independent strain gradient theory for crystal plasticity. The approach takes as offset recent discussions published in the literature for isotropic plasticity, and a key ingredient of the present work is the manner in which...... a gradient enhanced effective slip measure governs hardening evolution. The effect of both plastic strains and plastic strain gradients are combined into this scalar effective slip quantity, the energy associated with plastic strain is dissipative (unrecoverable), while the energy from plastic strain...... gradients is recoverable (free). The framework developed forms the basis of a finite element implementation and is demonstrated on benchmark problems designed to bring out effects such as strengthening and hardening. Monotonic loading and plane strain deformation is assumed throughout, but despite this, non...

Characterisation and modelling of the microstructural and mechanical evolution of a steam turbine rotor steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, T.

2012-01-01

This dissertation deals with the effective mechanical analysis of steam turbine parts which is not only required for the reliable and safe use of newly built steam turbines, but also for the remaining life assessment of components that have been exposed to service duty over long periods of time. This Thesis aims to develop a physically motivated evolutionary constitutive model for a low-alloy bainitic 2CrMoNiWV (23CrMoNiWV8-8) steam turbine rotor steels. A comprehensive experimental characterisation is performed concerning the mechanical and microstructural evolution of 2CrMoNiWV as subjected to low cycle fatigue (LCF) deformation at elevated temperatures, at different strain rates and for various strain amplitudes. This cyclic plastic deformation causes the rearrangement of dislocations in the microstructure of the steels used for such rotor applications. Symmetric, strain controlled LCF experiments have been carried out in the Laboratory of the High Temperature Integrity Group at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology EMPA. These include mechanical tests in the temperature range between 20 °C to 600 °C at strain rates of 0.001%/s to 1.0%/s and strain amplitudes of ±0.25% to ±1.0%. The LCF experiments reported on comprehensively characterise the temperature, strain rate and strain amplitude dependent cyclic elastic-plastic behaviour of 2CrMoNiWV. Both complete single-specimen endurance tests and interrupted multi-specimen tests have been performed. On the basis of this experimental evidence, an evolutionary formulation of the model is further developed that excellently reproduces the strain amplitude dependent mechanical evolution of 2CrMoNiWV when subjected to LCF loading at different constant strain amplitudes but equal temperature and strain rate. The simulation of benchmark experiments introducing increasing or decreasing strain amplitude steps into the LCF deformation history provide promising results. A further important

Characterisation and modelling of the microstructural and mechanical evolution of a steam turbine rotor steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, T.

2012-07-01

This dissertation deals with the effective mechanical analysis of steam turbine parts which is not only required for the reliable and safe use of newly built steam turbines, but also for the remaining life assessment of components that have been exposed to service duty over long periods of time. This Thesis aims to develop a physically motivated evolutionary constitutive model for a low-alloy bainitic 2CrMoNiWV (23CrMoNiWV8-8) steam turbine rotor steels. A comprehensive experimental characterisation is performed concerning the mechanical and microstructural evolution of 2CrMoNiWV as subjected to low cycle fatigue (LCF) deformation at elevated temperatures, at different strain rates and for various strain amplitudes. This cyclic plastic deformation causes the rearrangement of dislocations in the microstructure of the steels used for such rotor applications. Symmetric, strain controlled LCF experiments have been carried out in the Laboratory of the High Temperature Integrity Group at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology EMPA. These include mechanical tests in the temperature range between 20 °C to 600 °C at strain rates of 0.001%/s to 1.0%/s and strain amplitudes of ±0.25% to ±1.0%. The LCF experiments reported on comprehensively characterise the temperature, strain rate and strain amplitude dependent cyclic elastic-plastic behaviour of 2CrMoNiWV. Both complete single-specimen endurance tests and interrupted multi-specimen tests have been performed. On the basis of this experimental evidence, an evolutionary formulation of the model is further developed that excellently reproduces the strain amplitude dependent mechanical evolution of 2CrMoNiWV when subjected to LCF loading at different constant strain amplitudes but equal temperature and strain rate. The simulation of benchmark experiments introducing increasing or decreasing strain amplitude steps into the LCF deformation history provide promising results. A further important

Molecular relationships between closely related strains and species of nematodes

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, M. H.; Wall, S. M.; Luehrsen, K. R.; Fox, G. E.; Hecht, R. M.

1981-01-01

Electrophoretic comparisons have been made for 24 enzymes in the Bergerac and Bristol strains of Caenorhabditis elegans and the related species, Caenorhabditis briggsae. No variation was detected between the two strains of C. elegans. In contrast, the two species, C. elegans and C. briggsae exhibited electrophoretic differences in 22 of 24 enzymes. A consensus 5S rRNA sequence was determined for C. elegans and found to be identical to that from C. briggsae. By analogy with other species with relatively well established fossil records it can be inferred that the time of divergence between the two nematode species is probably in the tens of millions of years. The limited anatomical evolution during a time period in which proteins undergo extensive changes supports the hypothesis that anatomical evolution is not dependent on overall protein changes.

Ratcheting Strain and Microstructure Evolution of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy under a Tensile-Tensile Cyclic Loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Zhifeng; Wang, Denghui; Wang, Wenxian; Zhou, Jun; He, Xiuli; Dong, Peng; Zhang, Hongxia; Sun, Liyong

2018-03-28

In this paper, studies were conducted to investigate the deformation behavior and microstructure change in a hot-rolled AZ31B magnesium alloy during a tensile-tensile cyclic loading. The relationship between ratcheting effect and microstructure change was discussed. The ratcheting effect in the material during current tensile-tensile fatigue loading exceeds the material's fatigue limit and the development of ratcheting strain in the material experienced three stages: initial sharp increase stage (Stage I); steady stage (Stage II); and final abrupt increase stage (Stage III). Microstructure changes in Stage I and Stage II are mainly caused by activation of basal slip system. The Extra Geometrically Necessary Dislocations (GNDs) were also calculated to discuss the relationship between the dislocation caused by the basal slip system and the ratcheting strain during the cyclic loading. In Stage III, both the basal slip and the {11-20} twins are found active during the crack propagation. The fatigue crack initiation in the AZ31B magnesium alloy is found due to the basal slip and the {11-20} tensile twins.

In-situ observation of strain evolution in CP-Ti during uniaxial tensile loading

Science.gov (United States)

Bettles, C. J.; Gibson, M. A.; Stevenson, A. W.; Tomus, D.; Lynch, P. A.

2010-07-01

First results are presented for in-situ tensile loading experiments performed on the Powder Diffraction beamline at the Australian Synchrotron facility. For direct measurement of strain evolution, the beamline was fitted with a uniaxial tensile stage and a high-resolution CCD detector. Precise calibration of the experimental diffraction geometry, taking into account slight misalignment of the detector (pitch, roll, yaw), was achieved by simulation of the ring patterns recorded from the standard reference material LaB 6 (660). The material examined was a commercially pure titanium strip, which from prior electron microscopy studies, was found to have an average grain size of ˜20-30 μm. Tensile specimens conformed to ASTM E8, with a gauge length of 25 mm. To probe the bulk material properties all experiments were performed at 20 keV. In these preliminary experiments, measurement of the relative change in the interplanar lattice spacing was used to monitor the elastic response in seven crystallographic orientations during the loading cycle. To overcome problems encountered with grain size and associated discontinuous Debye-Scherrer ring patterns, two strategies were implemented to measure the Bragg peak (2 θB) positions. In cases where the radial integration routine provided inconsistent results for peak determination, a new approach based on determining the averaged sum of 2 θB positions from individual spots making up the ring pattern was utilised. Results obtained for the diffraction elastic modulus were found to be in agreement with predictions based on the single-crystal and Neerfield-Hill crystal coupling models.

A low cycle fatigue model for low carbon manganese steel including the effect of dynamic strain aging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Zhi Yong, E-mail: huangzy@scu.edu.cn [Sichuan University, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No.29 Jiuyanqiao Wangjiang Road, Chengdu 610064 (China); Wagner, Danièle [Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense (France); Wang, Qing Yuan; Khan, Muhammad Kashif [Sichuan University, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No.29 Jiuyanqiao Wangjiang Road, Chengdu 610064 (China); Chaboche, Jean–Louis [ONERA, DMSM, 29 avenue de la Division Lecerc, F-92320, Chatillon (France)

2016-01-27

Carbon–manganese steel A48 (French standards) is used in steam generator pipes of the nuclear power plant where it is subjected to the cyclic thermal load. The Dynamic Strain Aging (DSA) influences the mechanical behavior of the steel in low cycle fatigue (LCF) at favorable temperature and strain rate. The peak stress of A48 steel experiences hardening–softening–hardening (HSH) evolution at 200 °C and 0.4% s{sup −1} strain rate in fatigue loading. In this study, isotropic and kinematic hardening rules with DSA effect have been modified. The HSH evolution of cyclic stress associated with cumulative plastic deformation has also been estimated.

Strain partitioning in the footwall of the Somiedo Nappe: structural evolution of the Narcea Tectonic Window, NW Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Alonso, Gabriel

1996-10-01

The Somiedo Nappe is a major thrust unit in the Cantabrian Zone, the external foreland fold and thrust belt of the North Iberian Variscan orogen. Exposed at the Narcea Tectonic Window are Precambrian rocks below the basal decollement of the Somiedo Nappe, which exhibit a different deformation style than the overlying Paleozoic rocks above the basal decollement. During Variscan deformation, folding and widespread subhorizontal, bedding-parallel decollements were produced in the hanging wall within the Paleozoic rocks. Vertical folding, with related axial-planar cleavage at a high angle to the decollement planes, developed simultaneously in the upper Proterozoic Narcea Slates of the footwall, below the detachment. The relative magnitude of finite strain, measured in the footwall rocks, diminishes towards the foreland. These observations indicate that (1) significant deformation may occur in the footwall of foreland fold and thrust belts, (2) the shortening mechanism in the footwall may be different from that of the hanging wall, and (3) in this particular case, the partitioning of the deformation implies the existence of a deeper, blind decollement surface contemporaneous with the first stages of the foreland development, that does not crop out in the region. This implies a significant shortening in the footwall, which must be taken into account when restoration and balancing of cross-sections is attempted. A sequential diagram of the evolution of the Narcea Tectonic Window with a minimum shortening of 85 km is proposed, explaining the complete Variscan evolution of the foreland to hinterland transition in the North Iberian Variscan orogen.

Evolution of the Raman spectra from single-, few-, and many-layer graphene with increasing disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins Ferreira, E. H.; Stavale, F.; Moutinho, Marcus V. O.; Lucchese, M. M.; Capaz, Rodrigo B.; Achete, C. A.; Jorio, A.

2010-01-01

We report on the micro-Raman spectroscopy of monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, and many layers of graphene (graphite) bombarded by low-energy argon ions with different doses. The evolution of peak frequencies, intensities, linewidths, and areas of the main Raman bands of graphene is analyzed as function of the distance between defects and number of layers. We describe the disorder-induced frequency shifts and the increase in the linewidth of the Raman bands by means of a spatial-correlation model. Also, the evolution of the relative areas A D /A G , A D ' /A G , and A G ' /A G is described by a phenomenological model. The present results can be used to fully characterize disorder in graphene systems.

Microstructural evolution in inhomogeneous elastic media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jou, H.J.; Leo, P.H.; Lowengrub, J.S.

1997-01-01

We simulate the diffusional evolution of microstructures produced by solid state diffusional transformations in elastically stressed binary alloys in two dimensions. The microstructure consists of arbitrarily shaped precipitates embedded coherently in an infinite matrix. The precipitate and matrix are taken to be elastically isotropic, although they may have different elastic constants (elastically inhomogeneous). Both far-field applied strains and mismatch strains between the phases are considered. The diffusion and elastic fields are calculated using the boundary integral method, together with a small scale preconditioner to remove ill-conditioning. The precipitate-matrix interfaces are tracked using a nonstiff time updating method. The numerical method is spectrally accurate and efficient. Simulations of a single precipitate indicate that precipitate shapes depend strongly on the mass flux into the system as well as on the elastic fields. Growing shapes (positive mass flux) are dendritic while equilibrium shapes (zero mass flux) are squarish. Simulations of multiparticle systems show complicated interactions between precipitate morphology and the overall development of microstructure (i.e., precipitate alignment, translation, merging, and coarsening). In both single and multiple particle simulations, the details of the microstructural evolution depend strongly o the elastic inhomogeneity, misfit strain, and applied fields. 57 refs., 24 figs

Induction of mutation for increased sulfur content in the CFI strain of yeast by gamma-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faustino, C.C.

1977-08-01

From all current source of protein concentration the food yeast offers the greatest potential for development. Yeast protein is a good source of lysine and has adeqouate acounts of other essential amino acids such as trytophan and threonine, however, it was found to be relatively poor in the sulfur-containing amino acids which limits its nutrient value. A lasting remedy is genetic modification of the microorganisms to produce protein with a better amino acid balance. Gamma radiation from Co-60 was tried in these experiments being reported to induce mutations in the new CFI strain. A way of screening for increased sulfur content was devised. These are; 1) Incorporation of (NH 4 ) 2 35 S0 4 into the yeast cells; 2) Autoradiography; and 3) Quantitative determination of S-incorporation in submerse cultures of yeasts by use of a liquid scintillation counter. About seven hundred individual colonies were carefully and meticulously autQradiographically screened for high-S0 4 incorporation. Based on the results of autoradiography, 7.8% (50 strains) of the whole population were considered high in 35 S0 4 incorporation. The 50 yeast strains selected by autoradiography to be high in S0 4 incorporation were analyzed with the use of a liquid scintillation counter. From the data gathered, 29 mutants were se--lected. The data from these 29 mutants are presented in tabulated form. Only yeast strains no. 1, 42, 44, 47, 4, 3, 49, 50, 2 and 39 appear to show any promise as putative high-S mutants

Increased ethanol accumulation from glucose via reduction of ATP level in a recombinant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae overexpressing alkaline phosphatase.

Science.gov (United States)

Semkiv, Marta V; Dmytruk, Kostyantyn V; Abbas, Charles A; Sibirny, Andriy A

2014-05-15

The production of ethyl alcohol by fermentation represents the largest scale application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in industrial biotechnology. Increased worldwide demand for fuel bioethanol is anticipated over the next decade and will exceed 200 billion liters from further expansions. Our working hypothesis was that the drop in ATP level in S. cerevisiae cells during alcoholic fermentation should lead to an increase in ethanol production (yield and productivity) with a greater amount of the utilized glucose converted to ethanol. Our approach to achieve this goal is to decrease the intracellular ATP level via increasing the unspecific alkaline phosphatase activity. Intact and truncated versions of the S. cerevisiae PHO8 gene coding for vacuolar or cytosolic forms of alkaline phosphatase were fused with the alcohol dehydrogenase gene (ADH1) promoter. The constructed expression cassettes used for transformation vectors also contained the dominant selective marker kanMX4 and S. cerevisiae δ-sequence to facilitate multicopy integration to the genome. Laboratory and industrial ethanol producing strains BY4742 and AS400 overexpressing vacuolar form of alkaline phosphatase were characterized by a slightly lowered intracellular ATP level and biomass accumulation and by an increase in ethanol productivity (13% and 7%) when compared to the parental strains. The strains expressing truncated cytosolic form of alkaline phosphatase showed a prolonged lag-phase, reduced biomass accumulation and a strong defect in ethanol production. Overexpression of vacuolar alkaline phosphatase leads to an increased ethanol yield in S. cerevisiae.

Structural evolution under uniaxial drawing of Poly(D, L-lactide) Films

Science.gov (United States)

Stoclet, Grégory; Lefebvre, Jean-Marc; Seguela, Roland

2009-03-01

Aliphatic polyesters are an important class of biodegradable polymers. They have drawn particular attention in the last few years as food packaging materials because they can be derived from renewable resources. Among this family, polylactide (PLA) is considered as one of the most promising ``green'' polymer for use as a substitute to petroleum-based polymers. In the present work, we investigate the mechanical behaviour of amorphous poly(D, L-lactide) films in relation to the structural evolution upon stretching at various draw temperatures (Td) above the glass transition temperature. Examination of the drawing behaviour shows that PLA initially behaves like a rubbery material until a true strain of the order of 1. Strain hardening occurs beyond this strain level, up to film fracture. Such strain hardening is generally ascribed to a strain induced crystallization phenomenon. In the present case, it is clearly more pronounced for Td = 90 C than for Td = 70 C. The corresponding structural evolutions are investigated by means of WAXS. The diffraction patterns reveal the marked influence of draw temperature. Indeed for Td = 70 C a mesophase is induced whereas strain-induced crystallisation takes place at Td = 90 C. Further work is in progress, in order to elucidate mesophase development and mechanical response.

Evolution of cementite morphology in pearlitic steel wire during wet wire drawing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaodan; Godfrey, Andrew; Hansen, Niels; Huang Xiaoxu; Liu Wei; Liu Qing

2010-01-01

The evolution of the cementite phase during wet wire drawing of a pearlitic steel wire has been followed as a function of strain. Particular attention has been given to a quantitative characterization of changes in the alignment and in the dimensions of the cementite phase. Scanning electron microscope observations show that cementite plates become increasingly aligned with the wire axis as the drawing strain is increased. Measurements in the transmission electron microscope show that the cementite deforms plastically during wire drawing , with the average thickness of the cementite plates decreasing from 19 nm (ε = 0) to 2 nm (ε = 3.7) in correspondence with the reduction in wire diameter. The deformation of the cementite is strongly related to plastic deformation in the ferrite, with coarse slip steps, shear bands and cracks in the cementite plates/particles observed parallel to either {110} α or {112} α slip plane traces in the ferrite.

Two developmentally temporal quantitative trait loci underlie convergent evolution of increased branchial bone length in sticklebacks

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Priscilla A.; Glazer, Andrew M.; Cleves, Phillip A.; Smith, Alyson S.; Miller, Craig T.

2014-01-01

In convergent evolution, similar phenotypes evolve repeatedly in independent populations, often reflecting adaptation to similar environments. Understanding whether convergent evolution proceeds via similar or different genetic and developmental mechanisms offers insight towards the repeatability and predictability of evolution. Oceanic populations of threespine stickleback fish, Gasterosteus aculeatus, have repeatedly colonized countless freshwater lakes and streams, where new diets lead to morphological adaptations related to feeding. Here, we show that heritable increases in branchial bone length have convergently evolved in two independently derived freshwater stickleback populations. In both populations, an increased bone growth rate in juveniles underlies the convergent adult phenotype, and one population also has a longer cartilage template. Using F2 crosses from these two freshwater populations, we show that two quantitative trait loci (QTL) control branchial bone length at distinct points in development. In both populations, a QTL on chromosome 21 controls bone length throughout juvenile development, and a QTL on chromosome 4 controls bone length only in adults. In addition to these similar developmental profiles, these QTL show similar chromosomal locations in both populations. Our results suggest that sticklebacks have convergently evolved longer branchial bones using similar genetic and developmental programmes in two independently derived populations. PMID:24966315

[Comparative analysis on the complete genome sequence of mumps epidemic strain and mumps vaccine strain S79 isolated in Zhejiang province, China between year 2005 and 2010].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dong-Yan; Feng, Yan; Zhong, Shu-Ling; Lu, Yi-Yu; Zhuang, Fang-Cheng; Xu, Chang-Ping

2012-03-01

To compare the differences in the complete genome sequence between mumps epidemic strain and mumps vaccine strain S79 isolated in Zhejiang province. A total of 4 mumps epidemic strains, which were separated from Zhejiang province during 2005 to 2010, named as ZJ05-1, ZJ06-3, ZJ08-1 and ZJ10-1 were selected in the study. The complete genome sequences were amplified using RT-PCR. The genetic differences between vaccine strain S79 and other genotype strains were compared; while the genetic-distance was calculated and the evolution was analyzed. The biggest difference between the 4 epidemic strains and the vaccine strain S79 was found on the membrane associated protein gene; whose average nucleotide differential number was 42.5 +/- 3.0 and the average variant ratio was 13.6%; while the mean amino acid differential number was 12.8 +/- 1.5 and the average variant ratio was 22.4%. The smallest difference among the 4 epidemic strains and the vaccine strain was found in stromatin genes, whose average nucleotide differential number was 73.8 +/- 2.5 and the average variant ratio was 5.9%; while the mean amino acid differential number was 3.0 +/- 0.8 and the average variant ratio was 0.8%. The dn/ds value of the stromatin genes of the 4 epidemic strains reached the highest, as 0.6526; but without any positive pressure (dn/ds 0.05). There were mutations happened on the known antigen epitope, as 8th amino acid of membrane associated protein genes and on the 336th and 356th amino acid of hemagglutinin/neuraminidase proteins. Compared with the vaccine strain, the glycosylation sites of ZJ05-1, ZJ06-3, ZJ08-1 and ZJ10-1 increased 1, 1, 2 and 2 respectively. The complete amino acid sequence of all strains showed that there were 17 characteristic sites found on the genotype-F mumps strain. Within the complete genome, the genetic-distance between epidemic strains and vaccine strains in Zhejiang province (0.071) was significantly larger than the genetic-distance between strains in

Effect of martensitic phase transformation on the hardening behavior and texture evolution in a 304L stainless steel under compression at liquid nitrogen temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cakmak, Ercan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Vogel, Sven C. [Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Choo, Hahn, E-mail: hchoo@utk.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States)

2014-01-01

The martensitic phase transformation behavior and its relations with the macroscopic hardening rate and the evolutions in the crystallographic texture of the constituent phases were studied for a 304L stainless steel that exhibits the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) phenomenon. Time-of-flight neutron diffraction was used to measure the evolutions of phase fractions and texture in terms of pole figures as a function of the applied compressive strain at the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The phase transformation analyses show that the hcp-martensite phase fraction reaches a significant level of about 22 wt% at 15% applied strain and remains constant. The bcc-martensite phase fraction increases continuously with the deformation that correlates well with the macroscopic hardening behavior. Furthermore, the texture analyses show that transformation has dominant effect on the bcc-martensite texture evolution with little influence from subsequent plastic deformation at current testing conditions.

Effect of martensitic phase transformation on the hardening behavior and texture evolution in a 304L stainless steel under compression at liquid nitrogen temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cakmak, Ercan; Vogel, Sven C.; Choo, Hahn

2014-01-01

The martensitic phase transformation behavior and its relations with the macroscopic hardening rate and the evolutions in the crystallographic texture of the constituent phases were studied for a 304L stainless steel that exhibits the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) phenomenon. Time-of-flight neutron diffraction was used to measure the evolutions of phase fractions and texture in terms of pole figures as a function of the applied compressive strain at the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The phase transformation analyses show that the hcp-martensite phase fraction reaches a significant level of about 22 wt% at 15% applied strain and remains constant. The bcc-martensite phase fraction increases continuously with the deformation that correlates well with the macroscopic hardening behavior. Furthermore, the texture analyses show that transformation has dominant effect on the bcc-martensite texture evolution with little influence from subsequent plastic deformation at current testing conditions

Increasing genomic diversity and evidence of constrained lifestyle evolution due to insertion sequences in Aeromonas salmonicida.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Antony T; Trudel, Mélanie V; Freschi, Luca; Nagar, Vandan; Gagné-Thivierge, Cynthia; Levesque, Roger C; Charette, Steve J

2016-01-12

Aeromonads make up a group of Gram-negative bacteria that includes human and fish pathogens. The Aeromonas salmonicida species has the peculiarity of including five known subspecies. However, few studies of the genomes of A. salmonicida subspecies have been reported to date. We sequenced the genomes of additional A. salmonicida isolates, including three from India, using next-generation sequencing in order to gain a better understanding of the genomic and phylogenetic links between A. salmonicida subspecies. Their relative phylogenetic positions were confirmed by a core genome phylogeny based on 1645 gene sequences. The Indian isolates, which formed a sub-group together with A. salmonicida subsp. pectinolytica, were able to grow at either at 18 °C and 37 °C, unlike the A. salmonicida psychrophilic isolates that did not grow at 37 °C. Amino acid frequencies, GC content, tRNA composition, loss and gain of genes during evolution, pseudogenes as well as genes under positive selection and the mobilome were studied to explain this intraspecies dichotomy. Insertion sequences appeared to be an important driving force that locked the psychrophilic strains into their particular lifestyle in order to conserve their genomic integrity. This observation, based on comparative genomics, is in agreement with previous results showing that insertion sequence mobility induced by heat in A. salmonicida subspecies causes genomic plasticity, resulting in a deleterious effect on the virulence of the bacterium. We provide a proof-of-concept that selfish DNAs play a major role in the evolution of bacterial species by modeling genomes.

Adaptive evolution of mitochondrial energy metabolism genes associated with increased energy demand in flying insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yunxia; Xu, Shixia; Xu, Junxiao; Guo, Yan; Yang, Guang

2014-01-01

Insects are unique among invertebrates for their ability to fly, which raises intriguing questions about how energy metabolism in insects evolved and changed along with flight. Although physiological studies indicated that energy consumption differs between flying and non-flying insects, the evolution of molecular energy metabolism mechanisms in insects remains largely unexplored. Considering that about 95% of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is supplied by mitochondria via oxidative phosphorylation, we examined 13 mitochondrial protein-encoding genes to test whether adaptive evolution of energy metabolism-related genes occurred in insects. The analyses demonstrated that mitochondrial DNA protein-encoding genes are subject to positive selection from the last common ancestor of Pterygota, which evolved primitive flight ability. Positive selection was also found in insects with flight ability, whereas no significant sign of selection was found in flightless insects where the wings had degenerated. In addition, significant positive selection was also identified in the last common ancestor of Neoptera, which changed its flight mode from direct to indirect. Interestingly, detection of more positively selected genes in indirect flight rather than direct flight insects suggested a stronger selective pressure in insects having higher energy consumption. In conclusion, mitochondrial protein-encoding genes involved in energy metabolism were targets of adaptive evolution in response to increased energy demands that arose during the evolution of flight ability in insects.

MUTANT STRAIN of Bacillus subtilis IFBG MC-1 WITH INCREASED TRYPTOPHAN SYNTHESIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. F. Tkachenko

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Scientific research of essential amino acids biotechnology is directed both to create optimum conditions for producer’s cultivation and economically viable raw materials selection for these technologies, so as breeding the more productive microorganisms strains capable of extracellular producing amino acids. For successful microbial synthesis it is necessary to have an excellent crop’s metabolism knowledge and ensure that the composition of growth medium have no repressing substances. Bacterial cultures from «Collection microorganism’s stains and plants line for food and agriculture biotechnology» from Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have been studied. Tryptophan producer Bacillus subtilis have been selected, which accumulated the greatest amount of this amino acid in the cultivation liquid. The optimal culture producer conditions were selected. Using selection methods, namely mutagenesis with UV irradiation and sequential stepwise selection, mutant strain Bacillus subtilis IFBG MC-1 were obtained which produced nearly 50% more tryptophan (13.9 g/l than the parent strain.

Starquake-induced Magnetic Field and Torque Evolution in Neutron Stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, B.; Franco, L.M.; Epstein, R.I.

1998-01-01

The persistent increases in spin-down rate (offsets) seen to accompany glitches in the Crab and other pulsars suggest increases in the spin-down torque. We interpret these offsets as due to starquakes occurring as the star spins down and the rigid crust becomes less oblate. We study the evolution of strain in the crust, the initiation of starquakes, and possible consequences for magnetic field and torque evolution. Crust cracking occurs as equatorial material shears under the compressive forces arising from the star's decreasing circumference and as matter moves to higher latitudes along a fault inclined to the equator. A starquake is most likely to originate near one of the two points on the rotational equator farthest from the magnetic poles. The material breaks along a fault approximately aligned with the magnetic poles. We suggest that the observed offsets come about when a starquake perturbs the star's mass distribution, producing a misalignment of the angular momentum and spin axes. Subsequently, damped precession to a new rotational state increases the angle α between the rotation and magnetic axes. The resulting increase in external torque appears as a permanent increase in the spin-down rate. Repeated starquakes would continue to increase α, making the pulsar more of an orthogonal rotator. copyright copyright 1998. The American Astronomical Society

Debonding analyses in anisotropic materials with strain- gradient effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Legarth, Brian Nyvang

2012-01-01

A unit cell approach is adopted to numerically analyze the effect of plastic anisotropy on damage evolution in a micro-reinforced composite. The matrix material exhibit size effects and a visco-plastic anisotropic strain gradient plasticity model accounting for such size effects is adopted....... A conventional cohesive law is extended such that both the average as well as the jump in plastic strain across the fiber-matrix interface are accounted for. Results are shown for both conventional isotropic and anisotropic materials as well as for higher order isotropic and anisotropic materials...... with and without debonding. Generally, the strain gradient enhanced material exhibits higher load carry capacity compared to the corresponding conventional material. A sudden stress drop occurs in the macroscopic stress-strain response curve due to fiber-matrix debonding and the results show that a change in yield...

Analysis of Large-Strain Extrusion Machining with Different Chip Compression Ratios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Jun Deng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Large-Strain Extrusion Machining (LSEM is a novel-introduced process for deforming materials to very high plastic strains to produce ultra-fine nanostructured materials. Before the technique can be exploited, it is important to understand the deformation behavior of the workpiece and its relationship to the machining parameters and friction conditions. This paper reports finite-element method (FEM analysis of the LSEM process to understand the evolution of temperature field, effective strain, and strain rate under different chip compression ratios. The cutting and thrust forces are also analyzed with respect to time. The results show that LSEM can produce very high strains by changing in the value of chip compression ratio, thereby enabling the production of nanostructured materials. The shape of the chip produced by LSEM can also be geometrically well constrained.

Correlation of microstructure and strain hardening behavior in the ultrafine-grained Nb-bearing dual phase steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghatei Kalashami, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kermanpur, A., E-mail: ahmad_k@cc.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghassemali, E. [Jönköping University, School of Engineering, Department of Materials and Manufacturing, P.O. Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jönköping (Sweden); Najafizadeh, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mazaheri, Y. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65178-38695 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-12-15

Ultrafine-grained dual phase (DP) steels with different Nb contents (0.00, 0.06 and 0.12 wt%) were produced by cold-rolling followed by intercritical annealing of ferrite/martensite starting microstructure at 770 °C for different holding times. Scanning electron microscopy, equipped with electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) detector, nanoindentation and tensile testing were used to characterize microstructural evolutions and their correlations to the strain hardening and fracture behavior. EBSD results confirmed the retardation effect of Nb on recrystallization. It was found that the strains stored in the grains and density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) were increased with the addition of Nb. Strain hardening analysis showed that plastic deformation of the DP steels occurred in three distinct stages, which based on the EBSD results, nanoindentation and fracture analysis, were controlled by microstructural features such martensite volume fraction and size, density of GNDs and individual ferrite and martensite tensile properties.

The influence of thermomechanical processing on microstructural evolution of Ti600 titanium alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Yuanfei; Zeng Weidong; Qi Yunlian; Zhao Yongqing

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Temperature and strain rate have great influence on the microstructure features. → The formation of sub-grain and dislocation wall is the typically microstructure features observed in the β single-phase. → The elongated lamellar α platelets kinked increasingly and break up under the α + β processing conditions. → The softening mechanisms of the Ti600 alloy hot compressed at 1000-1100 deg. C are mainly dynamic recovery. - Abstract: The influences of thermomechanical processing on microstructural evolution of Ti600 alloy were studied in the temperature range of 800-1100 deg. C, and at the strain rate of 0.001-10 s -1 . During the isothermal compression experiment, the flow stress-strain curves are examined in the β single-phase and in the α + β two-phase regions. The results show that the thermomechanical processing parameters have significant influences on the microstructure of Ti600 alloy, especially on the grain size, morphologies of α phase. Moreover, the microstructural evolution was analyzed by optical microstructure (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that typical of dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization phenomenon occurring in the thermomechanical processing. These results will optimize the microstructural control for hot working of Ti600 alloy and deepen the understanding of the flow softening mechanism of near-α titanium alloy.

Phase transformation and microstructure evolution of the deformed Ti-30Zr-5Nb shape memory alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qu, Wentao, E-mail: wtqu@xsyu.edu.cn [School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi' an Shiyou University, Xi' an 710065 (China); Sun, Xuguang; Yuan, Bifei [School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi' an Shiyou University, Xi' an 710065 (China); Xiong, Chengyang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Li, Yan, E-mail: liyan@buaa.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Nie, Yongsheng [Lanzhou Seemine SMA Co. Ltd., Lanzhou 730010 (China)

2017-04-15

The phase transformation and microstructures of the deformed Ti-30Zr-5Nb shape memory alloy were investigated. The X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the Ti-30Zr-5Nb alloy was composed of a single orthorhombic α″-martensite phase. The alloy exhibited one yielding behavior in the tensile test, with a critical stress of ~ 600 MPa and a tensile strain of approximately 15%. A shape memory recovery accompanied by a permanent strain was exhibited in the deformed alloys when heated at 873 K. The permanent strain increased with increasing pre-strain. The microstructure evolution of the deformed alloy was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the martensite reorientation occurred and the dislocations were generated during deformation. The alloy displayed a reversible martensite transformation start temperature as high as 763 K. However, no strain-induced martensite stabilization was found in the deformed alloy with different pre-strain levels, potentially because the large chemical energy of the Ti-30Zr-5Nb alloy depressed the effects of the elastic energy and the dissipative energy. - Highlights: • Ti-30Zr-5Nb alloy is composed of single orthorhombic α″-martensite phase with M{sub s} of 721 K. • No martensite stabilization has been found in Ti-30Zr-5Nb alloy with different pre-strain. • Ti-30Zr-5Nb shows the maximum shape memory effect of 2.75% with a pre-strain of 8%.

Microstructural Damage During High-Strain Torsion Experiments on Calcite-Anhydrite Aggregates

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, A. J.; Skemer, P. A.

2016-12-01

Ductile shear zones play a critical role in localising deformation in the Earth's crust and mantle. Severe grain size reduction - a ubiquitous feature of natural mylonites - is commonly thought to cause strain weakening via a transition to grain size sensitive deformation mechanisms. Although grain size reduction is modulated by grain growth in single-phase aggregates, grain boundary pinning in well-mixed poly-phase composites can inhibit grain growth, leading to microstructural `damage' which is likely a critical element of strain localization in the lithosphere. While dynamic recrystallization has been widely explored in rock mechanics and materials science, the mechanisms behind phase-mixing remain poorly understood. In this contribution we present results from high-strain, deformation experiments on calcite-anhydrite composites. Experiments were conducted in torsion at T = 500-700°C and P 1.5 GPa, using the new Large Volume Torsion (LVT) solid-medium apparatus, to shear strains of 0.5-30. As shear strain increases, progressive thinning and necking of initially large (≤ 1 mm) calcite domains is observed, resulting in an increase in the proportion of interphase boundaries. Grain-size is negatively correlated with the fraction of interphase boundaries, such that calcite grains in well-mixed regions are significantly smaller than those in single-phase domains. Crucially, progressive deformation leads to a reduction in grain-size beyond the lower limit established by the grain size piezometer for mono-phase calcite, implying microstructural damage. These data therefore demonstrate continued microstructural evolution in two-phase composites that is not possible in single-phase aggregates. These observations mark a new `geometric' mechanism for phase mixing, complementing previous models for phase mixing involving chemical reactions, material diffusion, and/or grain boundary sliding.

Fracture of anisotropic materials with plastic strain-gradient effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Legarth, Brian Nyvang

2013-01-01

A unit cell is adopted to numerically analyze the effect of plastic anisotropy on frac-ture evolution in a micro-reinforced fiber-composite. The matrix material exhibit size-effects and an anisotropic strain-gradient plasticity model accounting for such size-effects through a mate-rial length scale...

Strain measurement technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The 10 contributions are concerned with selected areas of application, such as strain measurements in wood, rubber/metal compounds, sets of strain measurements on buildings, reinforced concrete structures without gaps, pipes buried in the ground and measurements of pressure fluctuations. To increase the availability and safety of plant, stress analyses were made on gas turbine rotors with HT-DMS or capacitive HT-DMS (high temperature strain measurements). (DG) [de

Asexual Reproduction Does Not Apparently Increase the Rate of Chromosomal Evolution: Karyotype Stability in Diploid and Triploid Clonal Hybrid Fish (Cobitis, Cypriniformes, Teleostei).

Science.gov (United States)

Majtánová, Zuzana; Choleva, Lukáš; Symonová, Radka; Ráb, Petr; Kotusz, Jan; Pekárik, Ladislav; Janko, Karel

2016-01-01

Interspecific hybridization, polyploidization and transitions from sexuality to asexuality considerably affect organismal genomes. Especially the last mentioned process has been assumed to play a significant role in the initiation of chromosomal rearrangements, causing increased rates of karyotype evolution. We used cytogenetic analysis and molecular dating of cladogenetic events to compare the rate of changes of chromosome morphology and karyotype in asexually and sexually reproducing counterparts in European spined loach fish (Cobitis). We studied metaphases of three sexually reproducing species and their diploid and polyploid hybrid clones of different age of origin. The material includes artificial F1 hybrid strains, representatives of lineage originated in Holocene epoch, and also individuals of an oldest known age to date (roughly 0.37 MYA). Thereafter we applied GISH technique as a marker to differentiate parental chromosomal sets in hybrids. Although the sexual species accumulated remarkable chromosomal rearrangements after their speciation, we observed no differences in chromosome numbers and/or morphology among karyotypes of asexual hybrids. These hybrids possess chromosome sets originating from respective parental species with no cytogenetically detectable recombinations, suggesting their integrity even in a long term. The switch to asexual reproduction thus did not provoke any significant acceleration of the rate of chromosomal evolution in Cobitis. Asexual animals described in other case studies reproduce ameiotically, while Cobitis hybrids described here produce eggs likely through modified meiosis. Therefore, our findings indicate that the effect of asexuality on the rate of chromosomal change may be context-dependent rather than universal and related to particular type of asexual reproduction.

Asexual Reproduction Does Not Apparently Increase the Rate of Chromosomal Evolution: Karyotype Stability in Diploid and Triploid Clonal Hybrid Fish (Cobitis, Cypriniformes, Teleostei.

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Zuzana Majtánová

Full Text Available Interspecific hybridization, polyploidization and transitions from sexuality to asexuality considerably affect organismal genomes. Especially the last mentioned process has been assumed to play a significant role in the initiation of chromosomal rearrangements, causing increased rates of karyotype evolution. We used cytogenetic analysis and molecular dating of cladogenetic events to compare the rate of changes of chromosome morphology and karyotype in asexually and sexually reproducing counterparts in European spined loach fish (Cobitis. We studied metaphases of three sexually reproducing species and their diploid and polyploid hybrid clones of different age of origin. The material includes artificial F1 hybrid strains, representatives of lineage originated in Holocene epoch, and also individuals of an oldest known age to date (roughly 0.37 MYA. Thereafter we applied GISH technique as a marker to differentiate parental chromosomal sets in hybrids. Although the sexual species accumulated remarkable chromosomal rearrangements after their speciation, we observed no differences in chromosome numbers and/or morphology among karyotypes of asexual hybrids. These hybrids possess chromosome sets originating from respective parental species with no cytogenetically detectable recombinations, suggesting their integrity even in a long term. The switch to asexual reproduction thus did not provoke any significant acceleration of the rate of chromosomal evolution in Cobitis. Asexual animals described in other case studies reproduce ameiotically, while Cobitis hybrids described here produce eggs likely through modified meiosis. Therefore, our findings indicate that the effect of asexuality on the rate of chromosomal change may be context-dependent rather than universal and related to particular type of asexual reproduction.

Evolution of genetic systems in filamentous ascomycetes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nauta, M.J.

1994-01-01

A great variety of genetic systems exist in filamentous ascomycetes. The transmission of genetic material does not only occur by (sexual or asexual) reproduction, but it can also follow vegetative fusion of different strains. In this thesis the evolution of this variability is studied,

Effects of gauge volume on pseudo-strain induced in strain measurement using time-of-flight neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Hiroshi; Harjo, Stefanus; Abe, Jun; Xu, Pingguang; Aizawa, Kazuya; Akita, Koichi

2013-01-01

Spurious or pseudo-strains observed in time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction due to neutron attenuation, surface-effects and a strain distribution within the gauge volume were investigated. Experiments were carried out on annealed and bent ferritic steel bars to test these effects. The most representative position in the gauge volume corresponds to the neutron-weighted center of gravity (ncog), which takes into account variations in intensity within the gauge volume due to neutron attenuation and/or absence of material in the gauge volume. The average strain in the gauge volume was observed to be weighted towards the ncog position but following an increase in the size of the gauge volume the weighted average strain was changed because of the change in the ncog position when a strain gradient appeared within the gauge volume. On the other hand, typical pseudo-strains, which are well known, did appear in through-surface strain measurements when the gauge volume was incompletely filled by the sample. Tensile pseudo-strains due to the surface-effect increased near the sample surface and exhibited a similar trend regardless of the size of the gauge volume, while the pseudo-strains increased faster for the smaller gauge volume. Furthermore, a pseudo-strain due to a change in the ncog position was observed even when the gauge volume was perfectly filled in the sample, and it increased with an increase in the size of the gauge volume. These pseudo-strains measured were much larger than those simulated by the conventional modeling, whereas they were simulated by taking into account an incident neutron beam divergence additionally in the model. Therefore, the incident divergence of the incident neutron beam must be carefully designed to avoid pseudo-strains in time-of-flight neutron diffractometry

Physical nature of strain rate sensitivity of metals and alloys at high strain rates

Science.gov (United States)

Borodin, E. N.; Gruzdkov, A. A.; Mayer, A. E.; Selyutina, N. S.

2018-04-01

The role of instabilities of plastic flow at plastic deformation of various materials is one of the important cross-disciplinary problems which is equally important in physics, mechanics and material science. The strain rate sensitivities under slow and high strain rate conditions of loading have different physical nature. In the case of low strain rate, the sensitivity arising from the inertness of the defect structures evolution can be expressed by a single parameter characterizing the plasticity mechanism. In our approach, this is the value of the characteristic relaxation time. In the dynamic case, there are additional effects of “high-speed sensitivity” associated with the micro-localization of the plastic flow near the stress concentrators. In the frames of mechanical description, this requires to introduce additional strain rate sensitivity parameters, which is realized in numerous modifications of Johnson–Cook and Zerilli–Armstrong models. The consideration of both these factors is fundamental for an adequate description of the problems of dynamic deformation of highly inhomogeneous metallic materials such as steels and alloys. The measurement of the dispersion of particle velocities on the free surface of a shock-loaded material can be regarded as an experimental expression of the effect of micro-localization. This is also confirmed by our results of numerical simulation of the propagation of shock waves in a two-dimensional formulation and analytical estimations.

A wide extent of inter-strain diversity in virulent and vaccine strains of alphaherpesviruses.

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Moriah L Szpara

2011-10-01

limited sequence heterogeneity, which likely seeds future strain evolution.

Evolution of microstructural parameters and flow stresses toward limits in nickel deformed to ultra-high strains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Hongwang; Huang, Xiaoxu; Hansen, Niels

2008-01-01

A quantitative analysis of microstructure and strength as a function of strain is presented for polycrystalline nickel (99.5%) deformed by high-pressure torsion in the strain range vertical bar-300 (epsilon(VM), von Mises strain). Typical lamellar structures consisting of extended boundaries...

Evolution of microstructure and property of NiTi alloy induced by cold rolling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y.; Li, J.Y.; Liu, M.; Ren, Y.Y.; Chen, F.; Yao, G.C.; Mei, Q.S.

2015-01-01

We investigated the combination effect of plastic deformation and phase transformation on the evolution of microstructure and property of NiTi alloy. Samples of Ni 50.9 Ti 49.1 alloy were deformed by cold rolling to different strains/thickness reductions (4%–56%). X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and microhardness measurements were applied for characterization of the microstructure and property of the cold-rolled samples. Experimental results indicated the non-monotonic variations of microstructure parameters and mechanical property with strain, indicating the different processes in microstructure and property evolution of NiTi subjected to cold rolling. TEM observations further showed the dominating mechanisms of microstructure evolution at different strain levels, leading to the gradual reduction of grain size of NiTi to the nanoscale by cold rolling. The results were discussed and related to deformation of martensite, forward and reverse martensitic transformations and dynamic recrystallization. The present study provided experimental evidences for the enhanced formation of nanograins in NiTi by plastic deformation coupled with phase transformation. - Highlights: • Cold rolling of NiTi to thickness reductions from 4% to 56%. • Fluctuation behaviors in microstructure and property evolutions of NiTi. • Deformation coupled with phase transformation enhanced nanocrystallization of NiTi.

Strain engineering of magnetic state in vacancy-doped phosphorene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Jie [Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro–Nano Energy Materials and Devices, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan (China); Zhang, Chunxiao, E-mail: zhangchunxiao@xtu.edu.cn [Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro–Nano Energy Materials and Devices, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan (China); Li, Jin [Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro–Nano Energy Materials and Devices, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan (China); Guo, Zhixin [Department of Physics, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan (China); Xiao, Huaping, E-mail: hpxiao@xtu.edu.cn [Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro–Nano Energy Materials and Devices, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan (China); Zhong, Jianxin [Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro–Nano Energy Materials and Devices, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan (China)

2016-09-23

Inducing and manipulating the magnetism in two-dimensional materials play an important role for the development of the next-generation spintronics. In this letter, the effects of the biaxial strain on magnetic properties of vacancy-doped phosphorene are investigated using first-principles calculation. We find although only SV956 doping induces magnetism for unstrained phosphorene, the biaxial strain induces nonzero magnetic moment for SV5566 and DVa doped phosphorene. The biaxial strain also modulates the magnetic state for SV956, SV5566 and DVa doped phosphorene. The local magnetic moment derives from the spin polarization of the dangling bonds near the vacancy. The biaxial strain influences the local bonding configuration near the vacancy which determines the presence of dangling bonds, and then modulates the magnetic state. Our findings promise the synergistic effect of strain engineering and vacancy decoration is an effective method for the operation of phosphorene-based spintronic devices. - Highlights: • Investigation of the magnetic moment of vacancy-doped phosphorene by DFT calculation. • The modulation of the magnetic moment by the biaxial strain. • The analysis of the bonding configuration with the biaxial strain. • The analysis of the electronic structures to explain the evolution of the magnetic moment. • The effects of the biaxial strain on the band gap and doping levels.

A theoretical model of the evolution of virulence in sexually transmitted HIV/AIDS

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FAB Coutinho

1999-08-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The evolution of virulence in host-parasite relationships has been the subject of several publications. In the case of HIV virulence, some authors suggest that the evolution of HIV virulence correlates with the rate of acquisition of new sexual partners. In contrast some other authors argue that the level of HIV virulence is independent of the sexual activity of the host population. METHODS: Provide a mathematical model for the study of the potential influence of human sexual behaviour on the evolution of virulence of HIV is provided. RESULTS: The results indicated that, when the probability of acquisition of infection is a function both of the sexual activity and of the virulence level of HIV strains, the evolution of HIV virulence correlates positively with the rate of acquisition of new sexual partners. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that in the case of a host population with a low (high rate of exchange of sexual partners the evolution of HIV virulence is such that the less (more virulent strain prevails.

A theoretical model of the evolution of virulence in sexually transmitted HIV/AIDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Coutinho FAB

1999-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The evolution of virulence in host-parasite relationships has been the subject of several publications. In the case of HIV virulence, some authors suggest that the evolution of HIV virulence correlates with the rate of acquisition of new sexual partners. In contrast some other authors argue that the level of HIV virulence is independent of the sexual activity of the host population. METHODS: Provide a mathematical model for the study of the potential influence of human sexual behaviour on the evolution of virulence of HIV is provided. RESULTS: The results indicated that, when the probability of acquisition of infection is a function both of the sexual activity and of the virulence level of HIV strains, the evolution of HIV virulence correlates positively with the rate of acquisition of new sexual partners. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that in the case of a host population with a low (high rate of exchange of sexual partners the evolution of HIV virulence is such that the less (more virulent strain prevails.

Host imprints on bacterial genomes--rapid, divergent evolution in individual patients.

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Jaroslaw Zdziarski

Full Text Available Bacteria lose or gain genetic material and through selection, new variants become fixed in the population. Here we provide the first, genome-wide example of a single bacterial strain's evolution in different deliberately colonized patients and the surprising insight that hosts appear to personalize their microflora. By first obtaining the complete genome sequence of the prototype asymptomatic bacteriuria strain E. coli 83972 and then resequencing its descendants after therapeutic bladder colonization of different patients, we identified 34 mutations, which affected metabolic and virulence-related genes. Further transcriptome and proteome analysis proved that these genome changes altered bacterial gene expression resulting in unique adaptation patterns in each patient. Our results provide evidence that, in addition to stochastic events, adaptive bacterial evolution is driven by individual host environments. Ongoing loss of gene function supports the hypothesis that evolution towards commensalism rather than virulence is favored during asymptomatic bladder colonization.

Investigation of the Microstructure Evolution in a Fe-17Mn-1.5Al-0.3C Steel via In Situ Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction during a Tensile Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yan; Song, Wenwen; Bleck, Wolfgang

2017-09-25

The quantitative characterization of the microstructure evolution in high-Mn steel during deformation is of great importance to understanding its strain-hardening behavior. In the current study, in situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction was employed to characterize the microstructure evolution in a Fe-17Mn-1.5Al-0.3C steel during a tensile test. The microstructure at different engineering strain levels-in terms of ε-martensite and α'-martensite volume fractions, the stacking fault probability, and the twin fault probability-was analyzed by the Rietveld refinement method. The Fe-17Mn-1.5Al-0.3C steel exhibits a high ultimate tensile strength with a superior uniform elongation and a high strain-hardening rate. The remaining high strain-hardening rate at the strain level about 0.025 to 0.35 results from ε-martensite dominant transformation-induced-plasticity (TRIP) effect. The increase in the strain-hardening rate at the strain level around 0.35 to 0.43 is attributed to the synergetic α'-martensite dominant TRIP and twinning-induced-plasticity (TWIP) effects. An evaluation of the stacking fault energy (SFE) of the Fe-17Mn-1.5Al-0.3C steel by the synchrotron measurements shows good agreement with the thermodynamic calculation of the SFE.

A Model for High-Strain-Rate Deformation of Uranium-Niobium Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

F.L.Addessio; Q.H.Zuo; T.A.Mason; L.C.Brinson

2003-05-01

A thermodynamic approach is used to develop a framework for modeling uranium-niobium alloys under the conditions of high strain rate. Using this framework, a three-dimensional phenomenological model, which includes nonlinear elasticity (equation of state), phase transformation, crystal reorientation, rate-dependent plasticity, and porosity growth is presented. An implicit numerical technique is used to solve the evolution equations for the material state. Comparisons are made between the model and data for low-strain-rate loading and unloading as well as for heating and cooling experiments. Comparisons of the model and data also are made for low- and high-strain-rate uniaxial stress and uniaxial strain experiments. A uranium-6 weight percent niobium alloy is used in the comparisons of model and experiment.

Understanding strain transfer and basin evolution complexities in the Salton pull-apart basin near the Southern San Andreas Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Kell, A. M.; Sahakian, V. J.; Kent, G. M.; Driscoll, N. W.; Harding, A. J.; Baskin, R. L.; Barth, M.; Hole, J. A.; Stock, J. M.; Fuis, G. S.

2015-12-01

Active source seismic data in the Salton Sea provide insight into the complexity of the pull-apart system development. Seismic reflection data combined with tomographic cross sections give constraints on the timing of basin development and strain partitioning between the two dominant dextral faults in the region; the Imperial fault to the southwest and the Southern San Andreas fault (SSAF) to the northeast. Deformation associated with this step-over appears young, having formed in the last 20-40 k.a. The complexity seen in the Salton Sea is similar to that seen in pull-apart basins worldwide. In the southern basin of the Salton Sea, a zone of transpression is noted near the southern termination of the San Andreas fault, though this stress regime quickly transitions to a region of transtension in the northern reaches of the sea. The evolution seen in the basin architecture is likely related to a transition of the SSAF dying to the north, and giving way to youthful segments of the Brawley seismic zone and Imperial fault. Stratigraphic signatures seen in seismic cross-sections also reveal a long-term component of slip to the southwest on a fault 1-2 km west of the northeastern Salton Sea shoreline. Numerous lines of evidence, including seismic reflection data, high-resolution bathymetry within the Salton Sea, and folding patterns in the Borrego Formation to the east of the sea support an assertion of a previously unmapped fault, the Salton Trough fault (STF), parallel to the SAF and just offshore within the Salton Sea. Seismic observations are seen consistently within two datasets of varying vertical resolutions, up to depths of 4-5 km, suggesting that this fault strand is much longer-lived than the evolution seen in the southern sub-basin. The existence of the STF unifies discrepancies between the onshore seismic studies and data collected within the sea. The STF likely serves as the current bounding fault to the active pull-apart system, as it aligns with the "rung

Strain ratio ultrasound elastography increases the accuracy of colour-Doppler ultrasound in the evaluation of Thy-3 nodules. A bi-centre university experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantisani, Vito; Maceroni, Piero; D'Andrea, Vito; Patrizi, Gregorio; Di Segni, Mattia; De Vito, Corrado; Grazhdani, Hektor; Isidori, Andrea M; Giannetta, Elisa; Redler, Adriano; Frattaroli, Fabrizio; Giacomelli, Laura; Di Rocco, Giorgio; Catalano, Carlo; D'Ambrosio, Ferdinando

2016-05-01

To assess whether ultrasound elastography (USE) with strain ratio increases diagnostic accuracy of Doppler ultrasound in further characterisation of cytologically Thy3 thyroid nodules. In two different university diagnostic centres, 315 patients with indeterminate cytology (Thy3) in thyroid nodules aspirates were prospectively evaluated with Doppler ultrasound and strain ratio USE before surgery. Ultrasonographic features were analysed separately and together as ultrasound score, to assess sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to identify optimal cut-off value of the strain ratio were also provided. Diagnosis on a surgical specimen was considered the standard of reference. Higher strain ratio values were found in malignant nodules, with an optimum strain ratio cut-off of 2.09 at ROC analysis. USE with strain ratio showed 90.6% sensitivity, 93% specificity, 82.8% PPV, 96.4% NPV, while US score yielded a sensitivity of 52.9%, specificity of 84.3%, PPV 55.6% and NPV 82.9%. The diagnostic gain with strain ratio was statistically significant as proved by ROC areas, which was 0.9182 for strain ratio and 0.6864 for US score. USE with strain ratio should be considered a useful additional tool to colour-Doppler US, since it improves characterisation of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology. • Strain ratio measurements improve differentiation of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology • Elastography with strain ratio is more reliable than ultrasound features and ultrasound score • Strain ratio may help to better select patients with Thy 3 nodules candidate for surgery.

Combined model of strain-induced phase transformation and orthotropic damage in ductile materials at cryogenic temperatures

CERN Document Server

Garion, Cedric

2003-01-01

Ductile materials (like stainless steel or copper) show at cryogenic temperatures three principal phenomena: serrated yielding (discontinuous in terms of dsigma/depsilon), plastic strain-induced phase transformations and evolution of ductile damage. The present paper deals exclusively with the two latter cases. Thus, it is assumed that the plastic flow is perfectly smooth. Both in the case of damage evolution and for the gamma-alpha prime phase transformation, the principal mechanism is related to the formation of plastic strain fields. In the constitutive modeling of both phenomena, a crucial role is played by the accumulated plastic strain, expressed by the Odqvist parameter p. Following the general trends, both in the literature concerning the phase transformation and the ductile damage, it is assumed that the rate of transformation and the rate of damage are proportional to the accumulated plastic strain rate. The gamma-alpha prime phase transformation converts the initially homogenous material to a two-p...

Evolutionary engineering of a glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-negative, acetate-reducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain enables anaerobic growth at high glucose concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Guadalupe-Medina, Víctor; Metz, Benjamin; Oud, Bart; van Der Graaf, Charlotte M; Mans, Robert; Pronk, Jack T; van Maris, Antonius J A

2014-01-01

Glycerol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is required for redox-cofactor balancing in anaerobic cultures, causes yield reduction in industrial bioethanol production. Recently, glycerol formation in anaerobic S. cerevisiae cultures was eliminated by expressing Escherichia coli (acetylating) acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (encoded by mhpF) and simultaneously deleting the GPD1 and GPD2 genes encoding glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, thus coupling NADH reoxidation to reduction of acetate to ethanol. Gpd– strains are, however, sensitive to high sugar concentrations, which complicates industrial implementation of this metabolic engineering concept. In this study, laboratory evolution was used to improve osmotolerance of a Gpd– mhpF-expressing S. cerevisiae strain. Serial batch cultivation at increasing osmotic pressure enabled isolation of an evolved strain that grew anaerobically at 1 M glucose, at a specific growth rate of 0.12 h−1. The evolved strain produced glycerol at low concentrations (0.64 ± 0.33 g l−1). However, these glycerol concentrations were below 10% of those observed with a Gpd+ reference strain. Consequently, the ethanol yield on sugar increased from 79% of the theoretical maximum in the reference strain to 92% for the evolved strains. Genetic analysis indicated that osmotolerance under aerobic conditions required a single dominant chromosomal mutation, and one further mutation in the plasmid-borne mhpF gene for anaerobic growth. PMID:24004455

Simulation of strain localization in polycrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deryugin, Ye.Ye.; Payuk, V.A.; Lasko, G.V.

2002-01-01

In the work simulation of plastic deformation evolution is presented for the case of polycrystals under external loading. Strain localization in polycrystal is simulated analytically following an unconventional method. The model is based on new progressive relaxation elements methods. Emphasis of the model is combining of discrete methods and continual approach. It makes possible to present local sites of plastic deformation analytically in a continuous medium and to calculate their respective no uniform stress field

Modelling and simulation of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) in OFHC copper at very high strain rates

Science.gov (United States)

Testa, G.; Bonora, N.; Ruggiero, A.; Iannitti, G.; Persechino, I.; Hörnqvist, M.; Mortazavi, N.

2017-01-01

At high strain rates, deformation processes are essentially adiabatic and if the plastic work is large enough dynamic recrystallization can occur. In this work, an examination on microstructure evolution of OFHC copper in Dynamic Tensile Extrusion (DTE) test, performed at 400 m/s, was carried out. EBSD investigations, along the center line of the fragment remaining in the extrusion die, showed a progressive elongation of the grains, and an accompanying development of a strong + dual fiber texture. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DRX) occurred at larger strains, and it was showed that nucleation occurred during straining. A criterion for DRX to occur, based on the evolution of Zener-Hollomon parameter during the dynamic deformation process, is proposed. Finally, DTE test was simulated using the modified Rusinek-Klepaczko constitutive model incorporating a model for the prediction of DRX initiation.

Applications of the rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting technique to study microbial diversity, ecology and evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Satoshi; Sadowsky, Michael J

2009-04-01

A large number of repetitive DNA sequences are found in multiple sites in the genomes of numerous bacteria, archaea and eukarya. While the functions of many of these repetitive sequence elements are unknown, they have proven to be useful as the basis of several powerful tools for use in molecular diagnostics, medical microbiology, epidemiological analyses and environmental microbiology. The repetitive sequence-based PCR or rep-PCR DNA fingerprint technique uses primers targeting several of these repetitive elements and PCR to generate unique DNA profiles or 'fingerprints' of individual microbial strains. Although this technique has been extensively used to examine diversity among variety of prokaryotic microorganisms, rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting can also be applied to microbial ecology and microbial evolution studies since it has the power to distinguish microbes at the strain or isolate level. Recent advancement in rep-PCR methodology has resulted in increased accuracy, reproducibility and throughput. In this minireview, we summarize recent improvements in rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting methodology, and discuss its applications to address fundamentally important questions in microbial ecology and evolution.

Increasing rate of daptomycin non-susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus in patients with atopic dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izabela Błażewicz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction : Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide that is bactericidal against Staphylococcus aureus , including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA strains. Daptomycin exerts its antimicrobial effect by a calcium-dependent interaction with the cytoplasmic membrane resulting in depolarization, ion loss and rapid cell death. Unfortunately, loss of daptomycin susceptibility in S. aureus in the clinical setting has been noted. Aim : To evaluate the susceptibility profile to daptomycin among S. aureus strains isloted from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD. Another point was to correlate the results obtained by broth microdilution method and Etest, which is commonly applied in clinical setting. Material and methods : One hundred patients with the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis were microbiologically assessed for the carriage of S. aureus . Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using broth-microdilution (BMD and Etests for daptomycin. Results : Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated from the majority of our patients, either from the skin (73% or the anterior nares (75%. Six of the 100 nasal swabs (6% and 5 of the 100 skin swabs (5% were positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. A total of 81 of 148 (54.7% daptomycin non-susceptible isolates of S. aureus were identified by BMD. Only 19 of 81 were also classified as non-susceptible by Etest. Conclusions : Clinicians and microbiologists should be aware of the possibility of the emergence of daptomycin non-susceptibility (or increase in minimal inhibitory concentration during prolonged therapy and closely monitor the susceptibility of persisting isolates that might be recovered during therapy.

Statistics of strain rates and surface density function in a flame-resolved high-fidelity simulation of a turbulent premixed bluff body burner

Science.gov (United States)

Sandeep, Anurag; Proch, Fabian; Kempf, Andreas M.; Chakraborty, Nilanjan

2018-06-01

The statistical behavior of the surface density function (SDF, the magnitude of the reaction progress variable gradient) and the strain rates, which govern the evolution of the SDF, have been analyzed using a three-dimensional flame-resolved simulation database of a turbulent lean premixed methane-air flame in a bluff-body configuration. It has been found that the turbulence intensity increases with the distance from the burner, changing the flame curvature distribution and increasing the probability of the negative curvature in the downstream direction. The curvature dependences of dilatation rate ∇ṡu → and displacement speed Sd give rise to variations of these quantities in the axial direction. These variations affect the nature of the alignment between the progress variable gradient and the local principal strain rates, which in turn affects the mean flame normal strain rate, which assumes positive values close to the burner but increasingly becomes negative as the effect of turbulence increases with the axial distance from the burner exit. The axial distance dependences of the curvature and displacement speed also induce a considerable variation in the mean value of the curvature stretch. The axial distance dependences of the dilatation rate and flame normal strain rate govern the behavior of the flame tangential strain rate, and its mean value increases in the downstream direction. The current analysis indicates that the statistical behaviors of different strain rates and displacement speed and their curvature dependences need to be included in the modeling of flame surface density and scalar dissipation rate in order to accurately capture their local behaviors.

Intrahost Evolution of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 Among Individuals With Reoccurring Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Azarian, Taj; Daum, Robert S; Petty, Lindsay A; Steinbeck, Jenny L; Yin, Zachary; Nolan, David; Boyle-Vavra, Susan; Hanage, W P; Salemi, Marco; David, Michael Z

2016-09-15

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) USA300 is the leading cause of MRSA infections in the United States and has caused an epidemic of skin and soft-tissue infections. Recurrent infections with USA300 MRSA are common, yet intrahost evolution during persistence on an individual has not been studied. This gap hinders the ability to clinically manage recurrent infections and reconstruct transmission networks. To characterize bacterial intrahost evolution, we examined the clinical courses of 4 subjects with 3-6 recurrent USA300 MRSA infections, using patient clinical data, including antibiotic exposure history, and whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of all available MRSA isolates (n = 29). Among sequential isolates, we found variability in diversity, accumulation of mutations, and mobile genetic elements. Selection for antimicrobial-resistant populations was observed through both an increase in the number of plasmids conferring multidrug resistance and strain replacement by a resistant population. Two of 4 subjects had strain replacement with a genetically distinct USA300 MRSA population. During a 5-year period in 4 subjects, we identified development of antimicrobial resistance, intrahost evolution, and strain replacement among isolates from patients with recurrent MRSA infections. This calls into question the efficacy of decolonization to prevent recurrent infections and highlights the adaptive potential of USA300 and the need for effective sampling. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dynamic 3D strain measurements with embedded micro-structured optical fiber Bragg grating sensors during impact on a CFRP coupon

Science.gov (United States)

Goossens, Sidney; Geernaert, Thomas; De Pauw, Ben; Lamberti, Alfredo; Vanlanduit, Steve; Luyckx, Geert; Chiesura, Gabriele; Thienpont, Hugo; Berghmans, Francis

2017-04-01

Composite materials are increasingly used in aerospace applications, owing to their high strength-to-mass ratio. Such materials are nevertheless vulnerable to impact damage. It is therefore important to investigate the effects of impacts on composites. Here we embed specialty microstructured optical fiber Bragg grating based sensors inside a carbon fiber reinforced polymer, providing access to the 3D strain evolution within the composite during impact. We measured a maximum strain of -655 μɛ along the direction of impact, and substantially lower values in the two in-plane directions. Such in-situ characterization can trigger insight in the development of impact damage in composites.

Determination of the strain hardening rate of metals and alloys by X ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadalbert, Robert

1977-01-01

This report for engineering graduation is based on the study of X ray diffraction line profile which varies with the plastic strain rate of the metal. After some generalities of strain hardening (consequence of a plastic deformation on the structure of a polycrystalline metal, means to study a strain hardened structure, use of X ray diffraction to analyse the strain hardened crystalline structure), the author reports the strain hardening rate measurement by using X ray diffraction. Several aspects are addressed: principles, experimental technique, apparatus, automation and programming of the measurement cycle, method sensitivity and precision. In the next part, the author reports applications: measurement of the strain hardening rate in different materials (tubes with hexagonal profile, cylindrical tubes in austenitic steel), and study of the evolution of strain hardening with temperature [fr

Metabolic Recruitment and Directed Evolution of Nucleoside Triphosphate Uptake in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Pezo, Valérie; Hassan, Camille; Louis, Dominique; Sargueil, Bruno; Herdewijn, Piet; Marlière, Philippe

2018-05-18

We report the design and elaboration of a selection protocol for importing a canonical substrate of DNA polymerase, thymidine triphosphate (dTTP) in Escherichia coli. Bacterial strains whose growth depend on dTTP uptake, through the action of an algal plastid transporter expressed from a synthetic gene inserted in the chromosome, were constructed and shown to withstand the simultaneous loss of thymidylate synthase and thymidine kinase. Such thyA tdk dual deletant strains provide an experimental model of tight nutritional containment for preventing dissemination of microbial GMOs. Our strains transported the four canonical dNTPs, in the following order of preference: dCTP > dATP ≥ dGTP > dTTP. Prolonged cultivation under limitation of exogenous dTTP led to the enhancement of dNTP transport by adaptive evolution. We investigated the uptake of dCTP analogues with altered sugar or nucleobase moieties, which were found to cause a loss of cell viability and an increase of mutant frequency, respectively. E. coli strains equipped with nucleoside triphosphate transporters should be instrumental for evolving organisms whose DNA genome is morphed chemically by fully substituting its canonical nucleotide components.

Modeling Shock Induced Plasticity in Copper Single Crystal: Numerical and Strain Localization Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shehadeh, M

2011-01-01

Multiscale dislocation dynamics plasticity (MDDP) simulations are carried out to address the following issues in modeling shock-induced plasticity: 1- the effect of finite element (FE) boundary conditions on shock wave characteristics and wave-dislocation interaction, 2- the effect of the evolution of the dislocation microstructure on lattice rotation and strain localization. While uniaxial strain is achieved with high accuracy using confined boundary condition, periodic boundary condition yields a disturbed wave profile due the edge effect. Including lattice rotation in the analysis leads to higher dislocation density and more localized plastic strain. (author)

Severe plastic deformation of copper by machining: Microstructure refinement and nanostructure evolution with strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swaminathan, S.; Brown, T.L.; Chandrasekar, S.; McNelley, T.R.; Compton, W.D.

2007-01-01

The microstructures of copper chips created by plane strain machining at ambient temperature have been analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The strain imposed in the chips was varied by changing the tool rake angle. Characterization of orthogonal faces of the chips showed the microstructure to be essentially uniform through the chip volume, indicative also of uniform deformation

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Genome Evolution in Patients and under the Hospital Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Céline Lucchetti-Miganeh

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative environmental species and an opportunistic microorganism, establishing itself in vulnerable patients, such as those with cystic fibrosis (CF or those hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU. It has become a major cause of nosocomial infections worldwide and a serious threat to Public Health because of overuse and misuse of antibiotics that have selected highly resistant strains against which very few therapeutic options exist. Herein is illustrated the intraclonal evolution of the genome of sequential isolates collected in a single CF patient from the early phase of pulmonary colonization to the fatal outcome. We also examined at the whole genome scale a pair of genotypically-related strains made of a drug susceptible, environmental isolate recovered from an ICU sink and of its multidrug resistant counterpart found to infect an ICU patient. Multiple genetic changes accumulated in the CF isolates over the disease time course including SNPs, deletion events and reduction of whole genome size. The strain isolated from the ICU patient displayed an increase in the genome size of 4.8% with major genetic rearrangements as compared to the initial environmental strain. The annotated genomes are given in free access in an interactive web application WallGene  designed to facilitate large-scale comparative analysis and thus allowing investigators to explore homologies and syntenies between P. aeruginosa strains, here PAO1 and the five clinical strains described.

Effects of C and Si on strain aging of strain-based API X60 pipeline steels

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Hyo Kyung; Lee, Dong Ho; Lee, Sunghak; Lee, Byeong-Joo; Hong, Seung-Pyo; Kim, Young-Woon; Yoo, Jang Yong; Hwang, Byoungchul; Shin, Sang Yong

2017-05-01

Four types of strain-based API X60 pipeline steels were fabricated by varying the C and Si contents, and the effects of C and Si on strain aging were investigated. The 0.05 wt% C steels consisted mainly of polygonal ferrite (PF), whereas the 0.08 wt% C steels consisted of acicular ferrite (AF). The volume fraction of AF increased with increasing C content because C is an austenite stabilizer element. The volume fractions of bainitic ferrite (BF) of the 0.15 wt% Si steels were higher than those of the 0.25 wt% Si steels, whereas the volume fractions of the secondary phases were lower. From the tensile properties before and after the aging process of the strainbased API X60 pipeline steels, the yield strength increased and the uniform and total elongation decreased, which is the strain aging effect. The strain aging effect in the strain-based API X60 pipeline steels was minimized when the volume fraction of AF was increased and secondary phases were distributed uniformly. On the other hand, an excessively high C content formed fine precipitates, and the strain aging effect occurred because of the interactions among dislocations and fine precipitates.

Genomic diversity of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yi-Peng; Cheng, Ruo-Lin; Xi, Yu; Zhang, Chuan-Xi

2013-07-01

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a baculovirus that selectively infects the domestic silkworm. In this study, six BmNPV strains were compared at the whole genome level. We found that the number of bro genes and the composition of the homologous regions (hrs) are the two primary areas of divergence within these genomes. When we compared the ORFs of these BmNPV variants, we noticed a high degree of sequence divergence in the ORFs that are not baculovirus core genes. This result is consistent with the results derived from phylogenetic trees and evolutionary pressure analyses of these ORFs, indicating that ORFs that are not core genes likely play important roles in the evolution of BmNPV strains. The evolutionary relationships of these BmNPV strains might be explained by their geographic origins or those of their hosts. In addition, the total number of hr palindromes seems to affect viral DNA replication in Bm5 cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Phase Transformations and Dynamic Material Strength on Hydrodynamic Instability Evolution in Metals

Science.gov (United States)

Opie, Saul

Hydrodynamic phenomena such as the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instabilities can be described by exponential/linear growth of surface perturbations at a bimaterial interface when subjected to constant/impulsive acceleration. A challenge in designing systems to mitigate or exploit these effects is the lack of accurate material models at large dynamic strain rates and pressures. In particular, little stress-strain constitutive information at large strain rates and pressures is available for transient material phases formed at high pressures, and the continuum effect the phase transformation process has on the instability evolution. In this work, a phase-aware isotropic strength model is developed and partially validated with a novel RM-based instability experiment in addition to existing data from the literature. With the validated material model additional simulations are performed to provide insight into to the role that robust material constitutive behavior (e.g., pressure, temperature, rate dependence) has on RM instability and how RM instability experiments can be used to characterize and validated expected material behavior. For phase aware materials, particularly iron in this work, the simulations predict a strong dependence on the Atwood number that single phase materials do not have. At Atwood numbers close to unity, and pressures in the high pressure stability region, the high pressure phase dominates the RM evolution. However, at Atwood numbers close to negative one, the RM evolution is only weakly affected by the high-pressure phase even for shocks well above the phase transformation threshold. In addition to RM evolution this work looks at the closely related shock front perturbation evolution. Existing analytical models for isentropic processes in gases and liquids are modified for metal equation of states and plastic behavior for the first time. It is found that the presence of a volume collapsing phase transformation with increased

The evolution of mechanical property change in irradiated austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, G.E.

1993-01-01

The evolution of mechanical properties in austenitic stainless steels during irradiation is reviewed. Changes in strength, ductility and fracture toughness are strongly related to the evolution of the damage microstructure and microstructurally-based models for strengthening reasonably correlate the data. Irradiation-induced defects promote work softening and flow localization which in turn leads to significant reductions in ductility and fracture toughness beyond about 10 dpa. The effects of irradiation on fatigue appear to be modest except at high temperature where helium embrittlement becomes important. The swelling-independent component of irradiation creep strain increases linearly with dose and is relatively insensitive to material variables and irradiation temperature, except at low temperatures where accelerated creep may occur as a result of low vacancy mobility. Creep rupture life is a strong function of helium content, but is less sensitive to metallurgical conditions. Irradiation-induced stress corrosion cracking appears to be related to the evolution of radiation-induced segregation/depletion at grain boundaries, and hence may not be significant at low irradiation temperatures. (orig.)

Effects of strain and strain-induced α′-martensite on passive films in AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Jinlong; Luo, Hongyun

2014-01-01

In this paper, the effects of strain and heat treatment on strain-induced α′-martensite of AISI 304 stainless steel tubes were measured by X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the effects of strain and content of α′-martensite on passivated property on the surface of the material in borate buffer solution were evaluated by electrochemical technique. The results showed that the volume fraction of α′-martensite increased gradually with the increase of tensile strain for as-received and solid solution samples. However, α′-martensite in as-received sample was more than that in the solid solution sample. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results showed that the solid solution treatment improved corrosion resistance of the steel, especially for samples with small strain. Moreover, acceptor densities were always higher than donor densities for as-received and solid solution samples. With the increase of strain, the increase tendency of acceptor density was more significant than that of donor density. We also found that the total density of the acceptor and donor almost increased linearly with the increase of α′-martensite. The present results indicated that the increased acceptor density might lead to the decreased corrosion resistance of the steel. - Highlights: • The solid solution treatment improved corrosion resistance of the stainless steel. • The deteriorated passivated property after strain could be attributed to the increased acceptor density. • The α′-martensite reduced corrosion resistance of the stainless steel

The strain path dependence of plastic deformation response of AA5754: Experiment and modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, Minh-Son; Hu, Lin; Iadicola, Mark; Creuziger, Adam; Rollett, Anthony D.

2013-01-01

This work presents modeling of experiments on a balanced biaxial (BB) pre-strained AA5754 alloy, subsequently reloaded uniaxially along the rolling direction and transverse direction. The material exhibits a complex plastic deformation response during the change in strain path due to 1) crystallographic texture, 2) aging (interactions between dislocations and Mg atoms) and 3) recovery (annihilation and re-arrangement of dislocations). With a BB prestrain of about 5 %, the aging process is dominant, and the yield strength for uniaxially deformed samples is observed to be higher than the flow stress during BB straining. The strain hardening rate after changing path is, however, lower than that for pre-straining. Higher degrees of pre-straining make the dynamic recovery more active. The dynamic recovery at higher strain levels compensates for the aging effect, and results in: 1) a reduction of the yield strength, and 2) an increase in the hardening rate of re-strained specimens along other directions. The yield strength of deformed samples is further reduced if these samples are left at room temperature to let static recovery occur. The synergistic influences of texture condition, aging and recovery processes on the material response make the modeling of strain path dependence of mechanical behavior of AA5754 challenging. In this study, the influence of crystallographic texture is taken into account by incorporating the latent hardening into a visco-plastic self-consistent model. Different strengths of dislocation glide interaction models in 24 slip systems are used to represent the latent hardening. Moreover, the aging and recovery effects are also included into the latent hardening model by considering strong interactions between dislocations and dissolved atom Mg and the microstructural evolution. These microstructural considerations provide a powerful capability to successfully describe the strain path dependence of plastic deformation behavior of AA5754

An Adaptive Laboratory Evolution Method to Accelerate Autotrophic Metabolism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Tian; Tremblay, Pier-Luc

2018-01-01

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is an approach enabling the development of novel characteristics in microbial strains via the application of a constant selection pressure. This method is also an efficient tool to acquire insights on molecular mechanisms responsible for specific phenotypes. ALE...... autotrophically and reducing CO2 into acetate more efficiently. Strains developed via this ALE method were also used to gain knowledge on the autotrophic metabolism of S. ovata as well as other acetogenic bacteria....

Influence of yeast strain, priming solution and temperature on beer bottle conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Marconi, Ombretta; Rossi, Serena; Galgano, Fernanda; Sileoni, Valeria; Perretti, Giuseppe

2016-09-01

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of microbreweries. Usually, craft beers are bottle conditioned; however, few studies have investigated beer refermentation. One of the objectives of this study was to evaluate the impacts of different experimental conditions, specifically yeast strain, priming solution and temperature, on the standard quality attributes, the volatile compounds and the sensory profile of the bottle-conditioned beer. The other aim was to monitor the evolution of volatile compounds and amino acids consumption throughout the refermentation process to check if it is possible to reduce the time necessary for bottle conditioning. The results indicate that the volatile profile was mainly influenced by the strain of yeast, and this may have obscured the possible impacts of the other parameters. Our results also confirm that the two yeast strains showed different metabolic activity, particularly with respect to esters production. Moreover, we found the Safbrew S-33® strain when primed with Siromix® and refermented at 30 °C yielded the fastest formation of higher alcohols while maintaining low production of off-flavours. These results suggest a formulation that may reduce the time needed for bottle conditioning without affecting the quality of the final beer which may simultaneously improve efficiency and economic profits. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prediction of material creep behaviour for strain based life assessment applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rantala, J H; Hurst, R C [EC JRC IAM, Petten (Netherlands); Bregani, F [ENEL, Milan (Italy)

1999-12-31

In this work the idea of using constant load uniaxial creep test results instead of constant stress results for developing a CDM creep model for the P92 material is demonstrated. Due to limited availability of creep test results this work is based on incomplete test data and a general stress rupture line. In spite of these limitations a material creep model was developed for use in a FE analysis. Using P91 material as an example, a method is proposed to account for differences in strain evolution as a function of stress which normally manifests itself as lower strain values at low stresses in a normalised time-strain plot. This allows the CDM model to be used both in FE analysis and in strain-based life assessment engineering calculations. (orig.) 3 refs.

Prediction of material creep behaviour for strain based life assessment applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rantala, J.H.; Hurst, R.C. [EC JRC IAM, Petten (Netherlands); Bregani, F. [ENEL, Milan (Italy)

1998-12-31

In this work the idea of using constant load uniaxial creep test results instead of constant stress results for developing a CDM creep model for the P92 material is demonstrated. Due to limited availability of creep test results this work is based on incomplete test data and a general stress rupture line. In spite of these limitations a material creep model was developed for use in a FE analysis. Using P91 material as an example, a method is proposed to account for differences in strain evolution as a function of stress which normally manifests itself as lower strain values at low stresses in a normalised time-strain plot. This allows the CDM model to be used both in FE analysis and in strain-based life assessment engineering calculations. (orig.) 3 refs.

The Contribution of Genetic Recombination to CRISPR Array Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kupczok, Anne; Landan, Giddy; Dagan, Tal

2015-06-16

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a microbial immune system against foreign DNA. Recognition sequences (spacers) encoded within the CRISPR array mediate the immune reaction in a sequence-specific manner. The known mechanisms for the evolution of CRISPR arrays include spacer acquisition from foreign DNA elements at the time of invasion and array erosion through spacer deletion. Here, we consider the contribution of genetic recombination between homologous CRISPR arrays to the evolution of spacer repertoire. Acquisition of spacers from exogenic arrays via recombination may confer the recipient with immunity against unencountered antagonists. For this purpose, we develop a novel method for the detection of recombination in CRISPR arrays by modeling the spacer order in arrays from multiple strains from the same species. Because the evolutionary signal of spacer recombination may be similar to that of pervasive spacer deletions or independent spacer acquisition, our method entails a robustness analysis of the recombination inference by a statistical comparison to resampled and perturbed data sets. We analyze CRISPR data sets from four bacterial species: two Gammaproteobacteria species harboring CRISPR type I and two Streptococcus species harboring CRISPR type II loci. We find that CRISPR array evolution in Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae can be explained solely by vertical inheritance and differential spacer deletion. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we find an excess of single spacers potentially incorporated into the CRISPR locus during independent acquisition events. In Streptococcus thermophilus, evidence for spacer acquisition by recombination is present in 5 out of 70 strains. Genetic recombination has been proposed to accelerate adaptation by combining beneficial mutations that arose in independent lineages. However, for most species under study, we find that CRISPR evolution is shaped mainly by spacer acquisition and

Increased androgenic sensitivity in the hind limb muscular system marks the evolution of a derived gestural display.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangiamele, Lisa A; Fuxjager, Matthew J; Schuppe, Eric R; Taylor, Rebecca S; Hödl, Walter; Preininger, Doris

2016-05-17

Physical gestures are prominent features of many species' multimodal displays, yet how evolution incorporates body and leg movements into animal signaling repertoires is unclear. Androgenic hormones modulate the production of reproductive signals and sexual motor skills in many vertebrates; therefore, one possibility is that selection for physical signals drives the evolution of androgenic sensitivity in select neuromotor pathways. We examined this issue in the Bornean rock frog (Staurois parvus, family: Ranidae). Males court females and compete with rivals by performing both vocalizations and hind limb gestural signals, called "foot flags." Foot flagging is a derived display that emerged in the ranids after vocal signaling. Here, we show that administration of testosterone (T) increases foot flagging behavior under seminatural conditions. Moreover, using quantitative PCR, we also find that adult male S. parvus maintain a unique androgenic phenotype, in which androgen receptor (AR) in the hind limb musculature is expressed at levels ∼10× greater than in two other anuran species, which do not produce foot flags (Rana pipiens and Xenopus laevis). Finally, because males of all three of these species solicit mates with calls, we accordingly detect no differences in AR expression in the vocal apparatus (larynx) among taxa. The results show that foot flagging is an androgen-dependent gestural signal, and its emergence is associated with increased androgenic sensitivity within the hind limb musculature. Selection for this novel gestural signal may therefore drive the evolution of increased AR expression in key muscles that control signal production to support adaptive motor performance.

Phase decomposition and morphology characteristic in thermal aging Fe–Cr alloys under applied strain: A phase-field simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yongsheng; Zhu Hao; Zhang Lei; Cheng Xiaoling

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Effects of variation mobility and applied strain on phase decomposition of Fe–Cr alloy were studied. ► Rate of phase decomposition rises as aging temperature and concentration increase. ► Phase transformation mechanism affects the volume fraction of equilibrium phase. ► Elongate morphology is intensified at higher aging temperature under applied strain. - Abstract: The phase decomposition and morphology evolution in thermal aging Fe–Cr alloys were investigated using the phase field method. In the simulation, the effects of atomic mobility, applied strain, alloy concentration and aging temperature were studied. The simulation results show that the rate of phase decomposition is influenced by the aging temperature and the alloy concentration, the equilibrium volume fractions (V f e ) of Cr-rich phase increases as aging temperature rises for the alloys of lower concentration, and the V f e decreases for the alloys with higher concentration. Under the applied strain, the orientation of Cr-rich phase is intensified as the aging temperature rises, and the stripe morphology is formed for the middle concentration alloys. The simulation results are helpful for understanding the phase decomposition in Fe–Cr alloys and the designing of duplex stainless steels working at high temperature.

ANISOTROPIC STRAIN-HARDENING IN POLYCRYSTALLINE COPPER AND ALUMINUM

NARCIS (Netherlands)

HESS, F

1993-01-01

A new viscoplastic model for the plastic stress-strain behaviour of f.c.c. metals is presented. In this model the strain hardening results from increasing dislocation densities. The observed stagnation of strain hardening after strain reversals is explained by a lowering of the increase in

Coseismic Strain Steps of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake Indicate EW Extension of Tibetan Plateau and Increased Hazard South to Epicenter

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, G.; Shen, X.; Tang, J.; Fukuda, Y.

2008-12-01

The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Ms8.0) occurred at the east edge of Tibetan Plateau. It is the biggest seismic disaster in China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. To determine the effects of the earthquake on the deformation field of Tibetan Plateau, we collect and analyze continuing strain data of three stations before and after the earthquake in Tibetan Plateau observed by capacitance-type bore-hole strainmeters (Chi, 1985). We collect strain data in NS, EW, NE-SW and NW-NS directions at each borehole. Then we deduce the co-seismic strain steps at time point 14:28 of May 12, 2008 (at this time point the earthquake occurred) with the data before and after the earthquake using the least squares method. Our observation shows that in Tibetan Plateau significant co-seismic strain steps are accompanied with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Extension in EW direction is observed at interior and north Tibetan Plateau which indicates a rapid EW extension of the whole Plateau. Field investigation shows that the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake is a manifestation of eastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau (Dong et al., 2008). Eastwards growth of the Tibetan Plateau results naturally in the extension of the Plateau in EW direction. Our co-seismic strain observation agrees well with the conclusion from surface rupture investigation. The magnitude of co-seismic strain step equals to five times of average year extensional strain rate throughout the plateau interior. Shortening in SE- NW direction is observed at the east edge of the Plateau. As hints that the eastward extension of Tibetan Plateau is resisted by Sichuan rigid basin which increases the potential earthquake hazard around the observation station, manifests the declaration from co-seismic stress changes calculation (Persons et al., 2008). Our observed co-seismic strain steps are in total lager than theoretical calculations of dislocation theories which indicate that magnitude of the great earthquake should be bigger than 7.9. Due

Mesoscopic Strains Maps in Woven Composite Laminas During Off-axis Tension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicoletto G.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The mechanics of woven carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP composites is influenced by the complex architecture of the reinforcement phase. Computational (i.e. finite element based approaches have been used increasingly to model not only the global laminate stiffness, but also damage evolution and laminate strength. The modeling combines the identification of the architectural unit cell (UC, the selection of suitable constitutive models of the different phases, the creation of a fine discretization of the UC in finite elements, the application of an incremental solution procedure that solves iteratively for the stresses and strains in the UC, [1]. The experimental validation of computational models is carried out mainly at the macroscopical level, i.e. simulation of the macroscopic stress-strain curve. Damage, however, is a localized, straindependent phenomenon and therefore only accurate strain distribution within the UC (at the mesolevel can identify critical conditions in terms of damage location, extension and evolution. The validation of computational damage procedures is a key task and full-field optical strain analysis methods appear the ideal instrument. However, only limited examples of direct finte element method (FEM vs experimental strain correlation are found because of the limited sensitivity and spatial resolution of some techniques and the complexity and applicative difficulty of others. The aim of the present paper is to present the application of the digital image correlation (DIC technique, [2], to the full-field strain analysis at the mesoscopic level (i.e. within the UC of a woven CFRP lamina when the direction of loading forms an angle to the material direction. The material under consideration is a woven carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite. Orthogonal yarns, each made of of several thousand fibers, are woven according the twill-weave architecture is shown in Fig. 1a. Single-ply laminas were manufactured and tested to

4D strain localisation and fracture propagation in granite: the relative contribution of seismic and aseismic mechanisms to damage evolution during an in-situ triaxial deformation experiment at SOLEIL synchrotron

Science.gov (United States)

Cartwright-Taylor, A. L.; Fusseis, F.; Butler, I. B.; Flynn, M.; King, A.

2017-12-01

We present 4D x-ray data documenting strain localisation and fracture propagation in a microgranite, collected during a triaxial deformation experiment on the imaging beamline PSICHE at SOLEIL synchrotron. We loaded to failure a 2.97 mm diameter x 9.46 mm long cylindrical sample of Ailsa Craig microgranite, heat treated to 600 °C. The sample was deformed at 15 MPa confining pressure and 3x10-5 s-1 strain rate in a novel, x-ray transparent triaxial deformation apparatus, designed and built at the University of Edinburgh. 21 microtomographic volumes were acquired in intervals of 5-20 MPa (decreasing as failure approached), including one scan at peak differential stress of 200 MPa and three post-failure scans. A constant stress level was maintained during scanning and individual datasets were collected in 10 minutes using a white beam with an energy maximum at 66 keV in a spiral configuration. Reconstructions yielded image stacks of 1700x1700x4102 voxels with a voxel size of 2.7 μm. We analysed strain localisation and fracture propagation in the time series data. Local changes in volumetric and shear strains between time steps were quantified using 3D digital image correlation [1]. Fractures were segmented using a Multiscale Hessian fracture filter [2] and analysed for their orientations, dimensions and spatial distributions, and changes in these between time steps. In combination, these analyses show the extent and evolution of both local aseismic deformation and microcracking and their relative contributions to the overall damage evolution. Our data provides direct evidence of ongoing deformation processes, complementing the seminal results of Lockner et al. [3], who first imaged fault growth using acoustic emissions locations. Our results provide further insight into the aseismic mechanisms that dissipate >90% of the overall strain energy [4], and the interactions between these mechanisms and the developing microcracks. They also provide experimental verification

Resurgence of canine parvovirus 2a strain in the domestic dog population from Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderón, Marina Gallo; Romanutti, Carina; Wilda, Maximiliano; D' Antuono, Alejandra; Keller, Leticia; Giacomodonato, Mónica N; Mattion, Nora; La Torre, José

2015-09-15

Ninety-three rectal swab samples were taken, from dogs suspected of canine parvovirus (CPV) infection and analyzed by PCR. A fragment of the VP2 gene, was amplified in 41 (44%) of them, resulting CPV positive samples. Sequencing analysis of these PCR products showed that 37 samples (90.2%) belonged to the CPV2c type, whereas four samples (9.8%) were identified as CPV2a, which has not been found since 2008. It was also found that 24 out of 37 CPV2c samples (65%), carried the mutation Thr440Ala, whereas this mutation was absent in the four CPV2a strains reported herein. Using phylogenetic analysis of the full length VP2 gene, which was amplified by PCR in six local samples, it was seen that CPV2a Argentine strains reported in this study, were genetically closer to a previous local CPV2a isolate (year 2003) and to a South African CPV2a strain, than to any of the recently reported Uruguayan CPV2a strains. The results obtained in this work, together with those reported previously in Uruguay strongly suggest that, in spite of the geographical proximity, wild type CPV strains undergo different evolutive pathways in each country, resulting in the prevalence of different strains in related dog populations. Further extensive epidemiological studies are needed in order to improve the understanding of CPV evolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic analysis of environmental strains of the plant pathogen Phytophthora capsici reveals heterogeneous repertoire of effectors and possible effector evolution via genomic island.

Science.gov (United States)

Iribarren, María Josefina; Pascuan, Cecilia; Soto, Gabriela; Ayub, Nicolás Daniel

2015-11-01

Phytophthora capsici is a virulent oomycete pathogen of many vegetable crops. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the recognition of the RXLR effector AVR3a1 of P. capsici (PcAVR3a1) triggers a hypersensitive response and plays a critical role in mediating non-host resistance. Here, we analyzed the occurrence of PcAVR3a1 in 57 isolates of P. capsici derived from globe squash, eggplant, tomato and bell pepper cocultivated in a small geographical area. The occurrence of PcAVR3a1 in environmental strains of P. capsici was confirmed by PCR in only 21 of these pathogen isolates. To understand the presence-absence pattern of PcAVR3a1 in environmental strains, the flanking region of this gene was sequenced. PcAVR3a1 was found within a genetic element that we named PcAVR3a1-GI (PcAVR3a1 genomic island). PcAVR3a1-GI was flanked by a 22-bp direct repeat, which is related to its site-specific recombination site. In addition to the PcAVR3a1 gene, PcAVR3a1-GI also encoded a phage integrase probably associated with the excision and integration of this mobile element. Exposure to plant induced the presence of an episomal circular intermediate of PcAVR3a1-GI, indicating that this mobile element is functional. Collectively, these findings provide evidence of PcAVR3a1 evolution via mobile elements in environmental strains of Phytophthora. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evolution of increased competitiveness in cows trades off with reduced milk yield, fertility and more masculine morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sartori, Cristina; Mazza, Serena; Guzzo, Nadia; Mantovani, Roberto

2015-08-01

In some species females compete for food, foraging territories, mating, and nesting sites. Competing females can exhibit morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations typical of males, which are commonly considered as secondary sexual traits. Competition and the development of traits increasing competitiveness require much energy and may exert adverse effects on fecundity and survival. From an evolutionary perspective, positive selection for increased competitiveness would then result in evolution of reduced values for traits related to fitness such as fecundity and survival. There is recent evidence for such evolutionary trade-offs involving male competition, but no study has considered competing females so far. Using data from competitions for dominance in cows (Bos taurus), we found negative genetic correlations between traits providing success in competition, that is, fighting ability and fitness traits related to milk production and with fertility (the inverse of parity-conception interval). Fighting ability also showed low but positive genetic correlations with "masculine" morphological traits, and negative correlations with "feminine" traits. A genetic change in traits over time has occurred due to selection on competitiveness, corresponding to an evolutionary process of "masculinization" counteracting the official selection for milk yield. Similar evolutionary trade-off between success in competition and fitness components may be present in various species experiencing female competition. © 2015 The Author(s). Evolution © 2015 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Has Human Evolution Stopped?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan R. Templeton

2010-07-01

Full Text Available It has been argued that human evolution has stopped because humans now adapt to their environment via cultural evolution and not biological evolution. However, all organisms adapt to their environment, and humans are no exception. Culture defines much of the human environment, so cultural evolution has actually led to adaptive evolution in humans. Examples are given to illustrate the rapid pace of adaptive evolution in response to cultural innovations. These adaptive responses have important implications for infectious diseases, Mendelian genetic diseases, and systemic diseases in current human populations. Moreover, evolution proceeds by mechanisms other than natural selection. The recent growth in human population size has greatly increased the reservoir of mutational variants in the human gene pool, thereby enhancing the potential for human evolution. The increase in human population size coupled with our increased capacity to move across the globe has induced a rapid and ongoing evolutionary shift in how genetic variation is distributed within and among local human populations. In particular, genetic differences between human populations are rapidly diminishing and individual heterozygosity is increasing, with beneficial health effects. Finally, even when cultural evolution eliminates selection on a trait, the trait can still evolve due to natural selection on other traits. Our traits are not isolated, independent units, but rather are integrated into a functional whole, so selection on one trait can cause evolution to occur on another trait, sometimes with mildly maladaptive consequences.

Plasmid-encoded biosynthetic genes alleviate metabolic disadvantages while increasing glucose conversion to shikimate in an engineered Escherichia coli strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Alberto; Martínez, Juan A; Millard, Pierre; Gosset, Guillermo; Portais, Jean-Charles; Létisse, Fabien; Bolivar, Francisco

2017-06-01

Metabolic engineering strategies applied over the last two decades to produce shikimate (SA) in Escherichia coli have resulted in a battery of strains bearing many expression systems. However, the effects that these systems have on the host physiology and how they impact the production of SA are still not well understood. In this work we utilized an engineered E. coli strain to determine the consequences of carrying a vector that promotes SA production from glucose with a high-yield but that is also expected to impose a significant cellular burden. Kinetic comparisons in fermentors showed that instead of exerting a negative effect, the sole presence of the plasmid increased glucose consumption without diminishing the growth rate. By constitutively expressing a biosynthetic operon from this vector, the more active glycolytic metabolism was exploited to redirect intermediates toward the production of SA, which further increased the glucose consumption rate and avoided excess acetate production. Fluxomics and metabolomics experiments revealed a global remodeling of the carbon and energy metabolism in the production strain, where the increased SA production reduced the carbon available for oxidative and fermentative pathways. Moreover, the results showed that the production of SA relies on a specific setup of the pentose phosphate pathway, where both its oxidative and non-oxidative branches are strongly activated to supply erythrose-4-phosphate and balance the NADPH requirements. This work improves our understanding of the metabolic reorganization observed in E. coli in response to the plasmid-based expression of the SA biosynthetic pathway. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1319-1330. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Increase of chromium tolerance in Scenedesmus acutus after sulfur starvation: Chromium uptake and compartmentalization in two strains with different sensitivities to Cr(VI).

Science.gov (United States)

Marieschi, M; Gorbi, G; Zanni, C; Sardella, A; Torelli, A

2015-10-01

In photosynthetic organisms sulfate constitutes the main sulfur source for the biosynthesis of GSH and its precursor Cys. Hence, sulfur availability can modulate the capacity to cope with environmental stresses, a phenomenon known as SIR/SED (Sulfur Induced Resistance or Sulfur Enhanced Defence). Since chromate may compete for sulfate transport into the cells, in this study chromium accumulation and tolerance were investigated in relation to sulfur availability in two strains of the unicellular green alga Scenedesmus acutus with different Cr-sensitivities. Paradoxically, sulfur deprivation has been demonstrated to induce a transient increase of Cr-tolerance in both strains. Sulfur deprivation is known to enhance the sulfate uptake/assimilation pathway leading to important consequences on Cr-tolerance: (i) reduced chromate uptake due to the induction of high affinity sulfate transporters (ii) higher production of cysteine and GSH which can play a role both through the formation of unsoluble complexes and their sequestration in inert compartments. To investigate the role of the above mentioned mechanisms, Cr accumulation in total cells and in different cell compartments (cell wall, membranes, soluble and miscellaneous fractions) was analyzed in both sulfur-starved and unstarved cells. Both strains mainly accumulated chromium in the soluble fraction, but the uptake was higher in the wild-type. In this type a short period of sulfur starvation before Cr(VI) treatment lowered chromium accumulation to the level observed in the unstarved Cr-tolerant strain, in which Cr uptake seems instead less influenced by S-starvation, since no significant decrease was observed. The increase in Cr-tolerance following S-starvation seems thus to rely on different mechanisms in the two strains, suggesting the induction of a mechanism constitutively active in the Cr-tolerant strain, maybe a high affinity sulfate transporter also in the wild-type. Changes observed in the cell wall and

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis Reveals Evolutional Traits for Adaptation to Plant-Associated Habitats

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Nan; Yang, Dongqing; Kendall, Joshua R. A.; Borriss, Rainer; Druzhinina, Irina S.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Shen, Qirong; Zhang, Ruifu

2016-01-01

Bacillus subtilis and its sister species B. amyloliquefaciens comprise an evolutionary compact but physiologically versatile group of bacteria that includes strains isolated from diverse habitats. Many of these strains are used as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in agriculture and a plant-specialized subspecies of B. amyloliquefaciens—B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum, has recently been recognized, here we used 31 whole genomes [including two newly sequenced PGPR strains: B. amyloliquefaciens NJN-6 isolated from Musa sp. (banana) and B. subtilis HJ5 from Gossypium sp. (cotton)] to perform comparative analysis and investigate the genomic characteristics and evolution traits of both species in different niches. Phylogenomic analysis indicated that strains isolated from plant-associated (PA) habitats could be distinguished from those from non-plant-associated (nPA) niches in both species. The core genomes of PA strains are more abundant in genes relevant to intermediary metabolism and secondary metabolites biosynthesis as compared with those of nPA strains, and they also possess additional specific genes involved in utilization of plant-derived substrates and synthesis of antibiotics. A further gene gain/loss analysis indicated that only a few of these specific genes (18/192 for B. amyloliquefaciens and 53/688 for B. subtilis) were acquired by PA strains at the initial divergence event, but most were obtained successively by different subgroups of PA stains during the evolutional process. This study demonstrated the genomic differences between PA and nPA B. amyloliquefaciens and B. subtilis from different niches and the involved evolutional traits, and has implications for screening of PGPR strains in agricultural production. PMID:28066362

Strain rate dependence of twinning at 450 Degree-Sign C and its effect on microstructure of an extruded magnesium alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Q., E-mail: qma@cavs.msstate.edu [Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759 (United States); Li, B.; Oppedal, A.L.; Whittington, W.R.; Horstemeyer, S.J.; Marin, E.B.; Wang, P.T. [Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759 (United States); Horstemeyer, M.F. [Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762 (United States)

2013-01-01

Deformation twinning in magnesium alloys at elevated temperatures has received relatively little attention because it is generally deemed that dislocation slip dominates plastic deformation. In this work, twinning at 450 Degree-Sign C in an extruded Mg-Al-Mn magnesium alloy (AM30) was studied by interrupted compression tests at various strain rates within a practical range for lab-scale extrusion (<1.0 s{sup -1}). Microstructure and texture evolution were examined by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) at different strain levels. The results show that sporadic twins started to appear at strain rate of 0.1 s{sup -1}, whereas profuse twinning was activated at strain rates of 0.5 and 0.8 s{sup -1}. The deformation twins quickly lost original morphology because of dynamic recrystallization. These results show that deformation twinning has a significant effect on microstructural and texture evolution of wrought Mg alloys at elevated temperatures within practical strain rate range.

Teaching genetics prior to teaching evolution improves evolution understanding but not acceptance

Science.gov (United States)

Mead, Rebecca; Hejmadi, Momna

2017-01-01

What is the best way to teach evolution? As microevolution may be configured as a branch of genetics, it being a short conceptual leap from understanding the concepts of mutation and alleles (i.e., genetics) to allele frequency change (i.e., evolution), we hypothesised that learning genetics prior to evolution might improve student understanding of evolution. In the UK, genetics and evolution are typically taught to 14- to 16-y-old secondary school students as separate topics with few links, in no particular order and sometimes with a large time span between. Here, then, we report the results of a large trial into teaching order of evolution and genetics. We modified extant questionnaires to ascertain students’ understanding of evolution and genetics along with acceptance of evolution. Students were assessed prior to teaching, immediately post teaching and again after several months. Teachers were not instructed what to teach, just to teach in a given order. Regardless of order, teaching increased understanding and acceptance, with robust signs of longer-term retention. Importantly, teaching genetics before teaching evolution has a significant (p Teaching genetics first additionally had positive effects on genetics understanding, by increasing knowledge. These results suggest a simple, minimally disruptive, zero-cost intervention to improve evolution understanding: teach genetics first. This same alteration does not, however, result in a significantly increased acceptance of evolution, which reflects a weak correlation between knowledge and acceptance of evolution. Qualitative focus group data highlights the role of authority figures in determination of acceptance. PMID:28542179

Teaching genetics prior to teaching evolution improves evolution understanding but not acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mead, Rebecca; Hejmadi, Momna; Hurst, Laurence D

2017-05-01

What is the best way to teach evolution? As microevolution may be configured as a branch of genetics, it being a short conceptual leap from understanding the concepts of mutation and alleles (i.e., genetics) to allele frequency change (i.e., evolution), we hypothesised that learning genetics prior to evolution might improve student understanding of evolution. In the UK, genetics and evolution are typically taught to 14- to 16-y-old secondary school students as separate topics with few links, in no particular order and sometimes with a large time span between. Here, then, we report the results of a large trial into teaching order of evolution and genetics. We modified extant questionnaires to ascertain students' understanding of evolution and genetics along with acceptance of evolution. Students were assessed prior to teaching, immediately post teaching and again after several months. Teachers were not instructed what to teach, just to teach in a given order. Regardless of order, teaching increased understanding and acceptance, with robust signs of longer-term retention. Importantly, teaching genetics before teaching evolution has a significant (p genetics was taught first. Teaching genetics first additionally had positive effects on genetics understanding, by increasing knowledge. These results suggest a simple, minimally disruptive, zero-cost intervention to improve evolution understanding: teach genetics first. This same alteration does not, however, result in a significantly increased acceptance of evolution, which reflects a weak correlation between knowledge and acceptance of evolution. Qualitative focus group data highlights the role of authority figures in determination of acceptance.

Dislocation structure evolution in 304L stainless steel and weld joint during cyclic plastic deformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hao; Jing, Hongyang; Zhao, Lei; Han, Yongdian; Lv, Xiaoqing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Joining Technology, Tianjin 300072 (China); Xu, Lianyong, E-mail: xulianyong@tju.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Joining Technology, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2017-04-06

Dislocation structures and their evolution of 304L stainless steel and weld metal made with ER308L stainless steel welding wire subjected to uniaxial symmetric strain-controlled loading and stress-controlled ratcheting loading were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The correlation between the cyclic response and the dislocation structure has been studied. The experiment results show that the cyclic behaviour of base metal and weld metal are different. The cyclic behaviour of the base metal consists of primary hardening, slight softening and secondary hardening, while the weld metal shows a short hardening within several cycles followed by the cyclic softening behaviour. The microscopic observations indicate that in base metal, the dislocation structures evolve from low density patterns to those with higher dislocation density during both strain cycling and ratcheting deformation. However, the dislocation structures of weld metal change oppositely form initial complicated structures to simple patterns and the dislocation density gradually decrease. The dislocation evolution presented during the strain cycling and ratcheting deformation is summarized, which can qualitatively explain the cyclic behaviour and the uniaxial ratcheting behaviour of two materials. Moreover, the dislocation evolution in the two types of tests is compared, which shows that the mean stress has an effect on the rate of dislocation evolution during the cyclic loading.

Evolution of Dengue Virus Type 3 Genotype III in Venezuela: Diversification, Rates and Population Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Dengue virus (DENV) is a member of the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. DENV are comprised of four distinct serotypes (DENV-1 through DENV-4) and each serotype can be divided in different genotypes. Currently, there is a dramatic emergence of DENV-3 genotype III in Latin America. Nevertheless, we still have an incomplete understanding of the evolutionary forces underlying the evolution of this genotype in this region of the world. In order to gain insight into the degree of genetic variability, rates and patterns of evolution of this genotype in Venezuela and the South American region, phylogenetic analysis, based on a large number (n = 119) of envelope gene sequences from DENV-3 genotype III strains isolated in Venezuela from 2001 to 2008, were performed. Results Phylogenetic analysis revealed an in situ evolution of DENV-3 genotype III following its introduction in the Latin American region, where three different genetic clusters (A to C) can be observed among the DENV-3 genotype III strains circulating in this region. Bayesian coalescent inference analyses revealed an evolutionary rate of 8.48 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year (s/s/y) for strains of cluster A, composed entirely of strains isolated in Venezuela. Amino acid substitution at position 329 of domain III of the E protein (A→V) was found in almost all E proteins from Cluster A strains. Conclusions A significant evolutionary change between DENV-3 genotype III strains that circulated in the initial years of the introduction in the continent and strains isolated in the Latin American region in recent years was observed. The presence of DENV-3 genotype III strains belonging to different clusters was observed in Venezuela, revealing several introduction events into this country. The evolutionary rate found for Cluster A strains circulating in Venezuela is similar to the others previously established for this genotype in other regions of the world. This suggests a lack of correlation

Evolution of Dengue Virus Type 3 Genotype III in Venezuela: Diversification, Rates and Population Dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moratorio Gonzalo

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dengue virus (DENV is a member of the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. DENV are comprised of four distinct serotypes (DENV-1 through DENV-4 and each serotype can be divided in different genotypes. Currently, there is a dramatic emergence of DENV-3 genotype III in Latin America. Nevertheless, we still have an incomplete understanding of the evolutionary forces underlying the evolution of this genotype in this region of the world. In order to gain insight into the degree of genetic variability, rates and patterns of evolution of this genotype in Venezuela and the South American region, phylogenetic analysis, based on a large number (n = 119 of envelope gene sequences from DENV-3 genotype III strains isolated in Venezuela from 2001 to 2008, were performed. Results Phylogenetic analysis revealed an in situ evolution of DENV-3 genotype III following its introduction in the Latin American region, where three different genetic clusters (A to C can be observed among the DENV-3 genotype III strains circulating in this region. Bayesian coalescent inference analyses revealed an evolutionary rate of 8.48 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year (s/s/y for strains of cluster A, composed entirely of strains isolated in Venezuela. Amino acid substitution at position 329 of domain III of the E protein (A→V was found in almost all E proteins from Cluster A strains. Conclusions A significant evolutionary change between DENV-3 genotype III strains that circulated in the initial years of the introduction in the continent and strains isolated in the Latin American region in recent years was observed. The presence of DENV-3 genotype III strains belonging to different clusters was observed in Venezuela, revealing several introduction events into this country. The evolutionary rate found for Cluster A strains circulating in Venezuela is similar to the others previously established for this genotype in other regions of the world. This suggests a

X-ray microbeam measurements of individual dislocation cell elastic strains in deformed single-crystal copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levine, Lyle E. [National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Larson, Ben C [ORNL; Yang, Wenge [Carnegie Institution of Washington; Kassner, Michael E. [University of Southern California; Tischler, Jonathan Zachary [ORNL; Delos-Reyes, Michael A. [University of Southern California; Fields, Richard J. [National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Liu, Wenjun [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

2006-01-01

The distribution of elastic strains (and thus stresses) at the sub-micrometer length scale within deformed metal single crystals has surprisingly broad implications for our understanding of important physical phenomena. These include the evolution of the complex dislocation structures that govern mechanical behavior within individual grains [1-4], the transport of dislocations through such structures [5-7], changes in mechanical properties that occur during reverse loading [8-10] (e.g. sheet metal forming), and the analyses of diffraction line profiles for microstructural studies of these phenomena [11-17]. We present the first direct, spatially-resolved measurements of the elastic strains within individual dislocation cells in copper single crystals deformed in tension and compression along <100> axes. Broad distributions of elastic strains are found, with profound implications for theories of dislocation structure evolution [4,18], dislocation transport [5-7], and the extraction of dislocation parameters from X-ray line profiles [11-17,19].

Engineering related neutron diffraction measurements probing strains, texture and microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clausen, Bjorn [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Brown, Donald W [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Tome, Carlos N [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Balogh, Levente [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Vogel, Sven C [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

Neutron diffraction has been used for engineering applications for nearly three decades. The basis of the technique is powder diffraction following Bragg's Law. From the measured diffraction patterns information about internal, or residual, strain can be deduced from the peak positions, texture information can be extracted from the peak intensities, and finally the peak widths can provide information about the microstructure, e.g. dislocation densities and grain sizes. The strains are measured directly from changes in lattice parameters, however, in many cases it is non-trivial to determine macroscopic values of stress or strain from the measured data. The effects of intergranular strains must be considered, and combining the neutron diffraction measurements with polycrystal deformation modeling has proven invaluable in determining the overall stress and strain values of interest in designing and dimensioning engineering components. Furthelmore, the combined use of measurements and modeling has provided a tool for elucidating basic material properties, such as critical resolved shear stresses for the active deformation modes and their evolution as a function of applied deformation.

Directed evolution of xylose isomerase for improved xylose catabolism and fermentation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sun-Mi; Jellison, Taylor; Alper, Hal S

2012-08-01

The heterologous expression of a highly functional xylose isomerase pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae would have significant advantages for ethanol yield, since the pathway bypasses cofactor requirements found in the traditionally used oxidoreductase pathways. However, nearly all reported xylose isomerase-based pathways in S. cerevisiae suffer from poor ethanol productivity, low xylose consumption rates, and poor cell growth compared with an oxidoreductase pathway and, additionally, often require adaptive strain evolution. Here, we report on the directed evolution of the Piromyces sp. xylose isomerase (encoded by xylA) for use in yeast. After three rounds of mutagenesis and growth-based screening, we isolated a variant containing six mutations (E15D, E114G, E129D, T142S, A177T, and V433I) that exhibited a 77% increase in enzymatic activity. When expressed in a minimally engineered yeast host containing a gre3 knockout and tal1 and XKS1 overexpression, the strain expressing this mutant enzyme improved its aerobic growth rate by 61-fold and both ethanol production and xylose consumption rates by nearly 8-fold. Moreover, the mutant enzyme enabled ethanol production by these yeasts under oxygen-limited fermentation conditions, unlike the wild-type enzyme. Under microaerobic conditions, the ethanol production rates of the strain expressing the mutant xylose isomerase were considerably higher than previously reported values for yeast harboring a xylose isomerase pathway and were also comparable to those of the strains harboring an oxidoreductase pathway. Consequently, this study shows the potential to evolve a xylose isomerase pathway for more efficient xylose utilization.

Genomics and Biochemistry of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wine Yeast Strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldarov, M A; Kishkovskaia, S A; Tanaschuk, T N; Mardanov, A V

2016-12-01

Saccharomyces yeasts have been used for millennia for the production of beer, wine, bread, and other fermented products. Long-term "unconscious" selection and domestication led to the selection of hundreds of strains with desired production traits having significant phenotypic and genetic differences from their wild ancestors. This review summarizes the results of recent research in deciphering the genomes of wine Saccharomyces strains, the use of comparative genomics methods to study the mechanisms of yeast genome evolution under conditions of artificial selection, and the use of genomic and postgenomic approaches to identify the molecular nature of the important characteristics of commercial wine strains of Saccharomyces. Succinctly, data concerning metagenomics of microbial communities of grapes and wine and the dynamics of yeast and bacterial flora in the course of winemaking is provided. A separate section is devoted to an overview of the physiological, genetic, and biochemical features of sherry yeast strains used to produce biologically aged wines. The goal of the review is to convince the reader of the efficacy of new genomic and postgenomic technologies as tools for developing strategies for targeted selection and creation of new strains using "classical" and modern techniques for improving winemaking technology.

Molecular characterization of different equine-like G3 rotavirus strains from Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietsch, Corinna; Liebert, Uwe G

2018-01-01

The genetic heterogeneity of rotaviruses constitutes a substantial burden to human and animal health. Occasional interspecies transmissions can generate novel virus strains in the human population. We detected equine-like G3P[8] strains in feces sampled from three children in Germany in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Thereof two showed a DS-1-like backbone. In one strain the NSP2 gene segment was of distinct genotype (G3-P[8]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N1-T2-E2-H2). Phylogenetic analyses of the German strains showed a relation to other equine-like G3 rotaviruses circulating in different countries. The reconstruction of reassortment events in the evolution of novel equine-like G3 rotaviruses suggests an independent introduction of the three strains into the local human rotavirus population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanism for microstructural evolution induced by high temperature deformation in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Sirui; Wang, Chunju; Ma, Mingzhen; Shan, Debin; Guo, Bin

2016-01-01

In the Zr_4_1_._2Ti_1_3_._8Cu_1_2_._5Ni_1_0Be_2_2_._5 (Vit1) alloy undergoing high temperature deformation, its thermal properties and microstructure are quite different from those in the annealing alloy. In order to research the coupled effect of temperature and plastic strain on microstructural evolution of Zr-based amorphous, uniaxial compression test of Vit1 alloy with good amorphous nature has been performed, and then the structural state and thermal properties of Vit1 alloy after thermal deformation and isothermal annealing in the supercooled liquid region were investigated. It is revealed that the deformed specimens possess higher characteristic temperature and lower enthalpy change of microstructural relaxation. In addition, the smaller inter-atomic distance and higher order degree of atomic arrangement can be observed in those deformed Vit1 alloy. That can be deduced that thermal deformation is in favor of the microstructural evolution from a metastable amorphous state to stable crystallization state, because plastic strain promotes the annihilation of free volume and provide excess driving force of atomic diffusion. However, upon increasing the ambient temperature, the influence of plastic deformation on microstructure gradually decreased owing to the decreasing proportion of the plastic deformation-induced annihilation of free volume during the whole thermal deformation process. - Highlights: • The deformed specimens possess closer microstructure and higher characteristic temperatures. • The order degree of microstructures in deformed specimens is higher than that in annealed specimens. • Thermal deformation accelerates the microstructural evolution of Zr-based BMGs. • The influence of thermal deformation on microstructure decreases with the temperature increasing.

Mechanism for microstructural evolution induced by high temperature deformation in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Sirui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Wang, Chunju [Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing, Ministry of Education, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Ma, Mingzhen [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Shan, Debin, E-mail: shandebin@hit.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing, Ministry of Education, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Guo, Bin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2016-08-15

In the Zr{sub 41.2}Ti{sub 13.8}Cu{sub 12.5}Ni{sub 10}Be{sub 22.5} (Vit1) alloy undergoing high temperature deformation, its thermal properties and microstructure are quite different from those in the annealing alloy. In order to research the coupled effect of temperature and plastic strain on microstructural evolution of Zr-based amorphous, uniaxial compression test of Vit1 alloy with good amorphous nature has been performed, and then the structural state and thermal properties of Vit1 alloy after thermal deformation and isothermal annealing in the supercooled liquid region were investigated. It is revealed that the deformed specimens possess higher characteristic temperature and lower enthalpy change of microstructural relaxation. In addition, the smaller inter-atomic distance and higher order degree of atomic arrangement can be observed in those deformed Vit1 alloy. That can be deduced that thermal deformation is in favor of the microstructural evolution from a metastable amorphous state to stable crystallization state, because plastic strain promotes the annihilation of free volume and provide excess driving force of atomic diffusion. However, upon increasing the ambient temperature, the influence of plastic deformation on microstructure gradually decreased owing to the decreasing proportion of the plastic deformation-induced annihilation of free volume during the whole thermal deformation process. - Highlights: • The deformed specimens possess closer microstructure and higher characteristic temperatures. • The order degree of microstructures in deformed specimens is higher than that in annealed specimens. • Thermal deformation accelerates the microstructural evolution of Zr-based BMGs. • The influence of thermal deformation on microstructure decreases with the temperature increasing.

Intramyocardial strain estimation from cardiac cine MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Elnakib, Ahmed; Beache, Garth M; Gimel'farb, Georgy; El-Baz, Ayman

2015-08-01

Functional strain is one of the important clinical indicators for the quantification of heart performance and the early detection of cardiovascular diseases, and functional strain parameters are used to aid therapeutic decisions and follow-up evaluations after cardiac surgery. A comprehensive framework for deriving functional strain parameters at the endocardium, epicardium, and mid-wall of the left ventricle (LV) from conventional cine MRI data was developed and tested. Cine data were collected using short TR-/TE-balanced steady-state free precession acquisitions on a 1.5T Siemens Espree scanner. The LV wall borders are segmented using a level set-based deformable model guided by a stochastic force derived from a second-order Markov-Gibbs random field model that accounts for the object shape and appearance features. Then, the mid-wall of the segmented LV is determined based on estimating the centerline between the endocardium and epicardium of the LV. Finally, a geometrical Laplace-based method is proposed to track corresponding points on successive myocardial contours throughout the cardiac cycle in order to characterize the strain evolutions. The method was tested using simulated phantom images with predefined point locations of the LV wall throughout the cardiac cycle. The method was tested on 30 in vivo datasets to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed framework to index functional strain parameters. The cine MRI-based model agreed with the ground truth for functional metrics to within 0.30 % for indexing the peak systolic strain change and 0.29 % (per unit time) for indexing systolic and diastolic strain rates. The method was feasible for in vivo extraction of functional strain parameters. Strain indexes of the endocardium, mid-wall, and epicardium can be derived from routine cine images using automated techniques, thereby improving the utility of cine MRI data for characterization of myocardial function. Unlike traditional texture-based tracking, the

Strain-induced band engineering in monolayer stanene on Sb(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Gou, Jian; Kong, Longjuan; Li, Hui; Zhong, Qing; Li, Wenbin; Cheng, Peng; Chen, Lan; Wu, Kehui

2017-10-01

The two-dimensional (2D) allotrope of tin with low buckled honeycomb structure named stanene is proposed to be an ideal 2D topological insulator with a nontrivial gap larger than 0.1 eV. Theoretical works also pointed out the topological property of stanene amenability to strain tuning. In this paper we report the successful realization of high quality, monolayer stanene film as well as monolayer stanene nanoribbons on Sb(111) surface by molecular-beam epitaxy, providing an ideal platform to the study of stanene. More importantly, we observed a continuous evolution of the electronic bands of stanene across the nanoribbon, related to the strain field gradient in stanene. Our work experimentally confirmed that strain is an effective method for band engineering in stanene, which is important for fundamental research and application of stanene.

Oxygen availability and strain combination modulate yeast growth dynamics in mixed culture fermentations of grape must with Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Englezos, Vasileios; Cravero, Francesco; Torchio, Fabrizio; Rantsiou, Kalliopi; Ortiz-Julien, Anne; Lambri, Milena; Gerbi, Vincenzo; Rolle, Luca; Cocolin, Luca

2018-02-01

Starmerella bacillaris (synonym Candida zemplinina) is a non-Saccharomyces yeast that has been proposed as a co-inoculant of selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains in mixed culture fermentations to enhance the analytical composition of the wines. In order to acquire further knowledge on the metabolic interactions between these two species, in this study we investigated the impact of oxygen addition and combination of Starm. bacillaris with S. cerevisiae strains on the microbial growth and metabolite production. Fermentations were carried out under two different conditions of oxygen availability. Oxygen availability and strain combination clearly influenced the population dynamics throughout the fermentation. Oxygen concentration increased the survival time of Starm. bacillaris and decreased the growth rate of S. cerevisiae strains in mixed culture fermentations, whereas it did not affect the growth of the latter in pure culture fermentations. This study reveals new knowledge about the influence of oxygen availability on the successional evolution of yeast species during wine fermentation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transition from positive to neutral in mutation fixation along with continuing rising fitness in thermal adaptive evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishimoto, Toshihiko; Iijima, Leo; Tatsumi, Makoto; Ono, Naoaki; Oyake, Ayana; Hashimoto, Tomomi; Matsuo, Moe; Okubo, Masato; Suzuki, Shingo; Mori, Kotaro; Kashiwagi, Akiko; Furusawa, Chikara; Ying, Bei-Wen; Yomo, Tetsuya

2010-10-21

It remains to be determined experimentally whether increasing fitness is related to positive selection, while stationary fitness is related to neutral evolution. Long-term laboratory evolution in Escherichia coli was performed under conditions of thermal stress under defined laboratory conditions. The complete cell growth data showed common continuous fitness recovery to every 2°C or 4°C stepwise temperature upshift, finally resulting in an evolved E. coli strain with an improved upper temperature limit as high as 45.9°C after 523 days of serial transfer, equivalent to 7,560 generations, in minimal medium. Two-phase fitness dynamics, a rapid growth recovery phase followed by a gradual increasing growth phase, was clearly observed at diverse temperatures throughout the entire evolutionary process. Whole-genome sequence analysis revealed the transition from positive to neutral in mutation fixation, accompanied with a considerable escalation of spontaneous substitution rate in the late fitness recovery phase. It suggested that continually increasing fitness not always resulted in the reduction of genetic diversity due to the sequential takeovers by fit mutants, but caused the accumulation of a considerable number of mutations that facilitated the neutral evolution.

Effect of structure evolution induced by ultrasonic peening on the corrosion behavior of AISI-321 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mordyuk, B.N.; Prokopenko, G.I.; Vasylyev, M.A.; Iefimov, M.O.

2007-01-01

A nanocrystalline surface layer was produced on an AISI-321 stainless steel by severe plastic deformation via ultrasonic peening (UP). The microstructural evolution of the surface layer was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The volume fraction of strain-induced α-martensite as a function of the effective strain (e-bar) was evaluated quantitatively using XRD and magnetic measurements. Considering the e-bar magnitudes and the TEM data obtained, it is concluded that a grain refinement of austenitic structure passes ahead of the α-martensite formation, particularly in the top surface layer. The nanocrystalline austenitic grain structure (mean grain size∼15nm) was observed at e-bar=0.45, while the startup of the strain-induced martensitic transformation was revealed at the strain extent of 0.62. The nanostructured surface layer formed after straining to e-bar=0.8 already contains mainly the martensite nanograins characterized by an average size of about 10nm. Grain size increased gradually up to 60nm within the layer containing both austenite and martensite phases at a depth of about 30μm from the treated surface. Both the microhardness behavior of the stainless steel surface and its corrosion performance in 3.5% NaCl solution can be enhanced by the UP. They are shown to be in correlation with: (i) the grain refinement process and (ii) the increase in the volume fraction of strain-induced α-martensite

Effect of dynamic strain aging on isotropic hardening in low cycle fatigue for carbon manganese steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zhi Yong; Chaboche, Jean-Louis; Wang, Qing Yuan; Wagner, Danièle; Bathias, Claude

2014-01-01

Carbon–manganese steel A48 (French standard) is used in steam generator pipes of nuclear reactor pressure vessels at high temperatures (about 200 °C). The steel is sensitive to dynamic strain aging in monotonic tensile test and low cycle fatigue test at certain temperature range and strain rate. Its isotropic hardening behavior observed from experiments has a hardening, softening and hardening evolution with the effect of dynamic strain aging. The isotropic hardening model is improved by coupling the dislocation and dynamic strain aging theory to describe the behavior of A48 at 200 °C

Effect of dynamic strain aging on isotropic hardening in low cycle fatigue for carbon manganese steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Zhi Yong, E-mail: huangzy@scu.edu.cn [Sichuan University, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29 Jiuyanqiao Wangjiang Road, Chengdu 610064 (China); Chaboche, Jean-Louis [ONERA, DMSM, 29 avenue de la Division Lecerc, F-92320 Chatillon (France); Wang, Qing Yuan [Sichuan University, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No. 29 Jiuyanqiao Wangjiang Road, Chengdu 610064 (China); Wagner, Danièle; Bathias, Claude [Université ParisOuest Nanterre La Défense (France)

2014-01-01

Carbon–manganese steel A48 (French standard) is used in steam generator pipes of nuclear reactor pressure vessels at high temperatures (about 200 °C). The steel is sensitive to dynamic strain aging in monotonic tensile test and low cycle fatigue test at certain temperature range and strain rate. Its isotropic hardening behavior observed from experiments has a hardening, softening and hardening evolution with the effect of dynamic strain aging. The isotropic hardening model is improved by coupling the dislocation and dynamic strain aging theory to describe the behavior of A48 at 200 °C.

Understanding the effects of strain on morphological instabilities of a nanoscale island during heteroepitaxial growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Lu; Wang, Jing; Wang, Shibin; Li, Linan; Shen, Min; Wang, Zhiyong; Chen, Zhenfei; Zhao, Yang [Tianjin Key Laboratory of Modern Engineering Mechanics, Tianjin 300072 (China); Department of Mechanics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2015-07-21

A comprehensive morphological stability analysis of a nanoscale circular island during heteroepitaxial growth is presented based on continuum elasticity theory. The interplay between kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms is revealed by including strain-related kinetic processes. In the kinetic regime, the Burton-Cabrera-Frank model is adopted to describe the growth front of the island. Together with kinetic boundary conditions, various kinetic processes including deposition flow, adatom diffusion, attachment-detachment kinetics, and the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier can be taken into account at the same time. In the thermodynamic regime, line tension, surface energy, and elastic energy are considered. As the strain relief in the early stages of heteroepitaxy is more complicated than commonly suggested by simple consideration of lattice mismatch, we also investigate the effects of external applied strain and elastic response due to perturbations on the island shape evolution. The analytical expressions for elastic fields induced by mismatch strain, external applied strain, and relaxation strain are presented. A systematic approach is developed to solve the system via a perturbation analysis which yields the conditions of film morphological instabilities. Consistent with previous experimental and theoretical work, parametric studies show the kinetic evolution of elastic relaxation, island morphology, and film composition under various conditions. Our present work offers an effective theoretical approach to get a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between different growth mechanisms and how to tailor the growth mode by controlling the nature of the crucial factors.

A Shear Strain Route Dependency of Martensite Formation in 316L Stainless Steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Suk Hoon; Kim, Tae Kyu; Jang, Jinsung; Oh, Kyu Hwan

2015-06-01

In this study, the effect of simple shearing on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel were investigated. Two different shear strain routes were obtained by twisting cylindrical specimens in the forward and backward directions. The strain-induced martensite phase was effectively obtained by alteration of the routes. Formation of the martensite phase clearly resulted in significant hardening of the steel. Grain-size reduction and strain-induced martensitic transformation within the deformed structures of the strained specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy - electron back-scattered diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and the TEM-ASTAR (transmission electron microscopy - analytical scanning transmission atomic resolution, automatic crystal orientation/phase mapping for TEM) system. Significant numbers of twin networks were formed by alteration of the shear strain routes, and the martensite phases were nucleated at the twin interfaces.

In operando X-ray diffraction strain measurement in Ni3Sn2 - Coated inverse opal nanoscaffold anodes for Li-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Glazer, Matthew P. B.; Wang, Junjie; Cho, Jiung; Almer, Jonathan D.; Okasinski, John S.; Braun, Paul V.; Dunand, David C.

2017-11-01

Volume changes associated with the (de)lithiation of a nanostructured Ni3Sn2 coated nickel inverse opal scaffold anode create mismatch stresses and strains between the Ni3Sn2 anode material and its mechanically supporting Ni scaffold. Using in operando synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements, elastic strains in the Ni scaffold are determined during cyclic (dis)charging of the Ni3Sn2 anode. These strains are characterized using both the center position of the Ni diffraction peaks, to quantify the average strain, and the peak breadth, which describes the distribution of strain in the measured volume. Upon lithiation (half-cell discharging) or delithiation (half-cell charging), compressive strains and peak breadth linearly increase or decrease, respectively, with charge. The evolution of the average strains and peak breadths suggests that some irreversible plastic deformation and/or delamination occurs during cycling, which can result in capacity fade in the anode. The strain behavior associated with cycling of the Ni3Sn2 anode is similar to that observed in recent studies on a Ni inverse-opal supported amorphous Si anode and demonstrates that the (de)lithiation-induced deformation and damage mechanisms are likely equivalent in both anodes, even though the magnitude of mismatch strain in the Ni3Sn2 is lower due to the lower (de)lithiation-induced contraction/expansion.

Structural evolution and mechanisms of fatigue in polycrystalline brass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vejloe Carstensen, J.

1998-03-01

The plastic strain controlled fatigue behaviour of polycrystalline Cu-15%Zn and Cu-30%Zn has been investigated with the aim of studying the effect of slip mode modification by the addition of zinc to copper. It has been clearly demonstrated, that true cyclic saturation does not occur in the plastic strain controlled fatigue of brass. This complicates the contstruction of a cyclic stress-strain (CSS) curve and thus the comparison with copper. A method to overcome this complication has been suggested. Surface observations on fatigued brass specimens show that individual grains tend to deform by Sachs type single slip. This behaviour has been described by the self-consistent Sachs-Eshelby model, which provides estimates of the CSS curve for brass polycrystals. Successive stages of primary hardening, softening and secondary hardening has been observed in the plastic strain controlled fatigue of brass. It has been found that the primary hardening is attributed to an increase of intergranular stresses whereas the secondary hardening apparently is attributed to an increase of friction stresses. Investigations of the structural evolution show that the softening behaviour can be explained by the presence of short-range order (SRO). SRO promote the formation of extended dipole arrays which hardens the material. The formation of intense shear bands destroy the dipole arrays, which explains the cyclic softening. The present results reveal that Cu-30%Zn in a pure planar slip alloy, while Cu-15%Zn displays both planar and wavy slip. The mechanical and structural behaviour observed in brass resembles recent observations in 316L austenitic stainless steels, and the present results reveal that Cu-30%Zn and 316L have approximately the same fatigue life curve. This emphasizes brass as being a convenient model system for the industrially important austenitic steels. (au)

Crystallization engineering as a route to epitaxial strain control

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Andrew R. Akbashev

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The controlled synthesis of epitaxial thin films offers opportunities for tuning their functional properties via enabling or suppressing strain relaxation. Examining differences in the epitaxial crystallization of amorphous oxide films, we report on an alternate, low-temperature route for strain engineering. Thin films of amorphous Bi–Fe–O were grown on (001SrTiO3 and (001LaAlO3 substrates via atomic layer deposition. In situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of the crystallization of the amorphous films into the epitaxial (001BiFeO3 phase reveal distinct evolution profiles of crystallinity with temperature. While growth on (001SrTiO3 results in a coherently strained film, the same films obtained on (001LaAlO3 showed an unstrained, dislocation-rich interface, with an even lower temperature onset of the perovskite phase crystallization than in the case of (001SrTiO3. Our results demonstrate how the strain control in an epitaxial film can be accomplished via its crystallization from the amorphous state.

Strain-tuned optoelectronic properties of hollow gallium sulphide microspheres

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Zhang, Yin; Chen, Chen; Liang, C. Y.; Liu, Z. W.; Li, Y. S.; Che, Renchao

2015-10-01

Sulfide semiconductors have attracted considerable attention. The main challenge is to prepare materials with a designable morphology, a controllable band structure and optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report a facile chemical transportation reaction for the synthesis of Ga2S3 microspheres with novel hollow morphologies and partially filled volumes. Even without any extrinsic dopant, photoluminescence (PL) emission wavelength could be facilely tuned from 635 to 665 nm, depending on its intrinsic inhomogeneous strain distribution. Geometric phase analysis (GPA) based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging reveals that the strain distribution and the associated PL properties can be accurately controlled by changing the growth temperature gradient, which depends on the distance between the boats used for raw material evaporation and microsphere deposition. The stacking-fault density, lattice distortion degree and strain distribution at the shell interfacial region of the Ga2S3 microspheres could be readily adjusted. Ab initio first-principles calculations confirm that the lowest conductive band (LCB) is dominated by S-3s and Ga-4p states, which shift to the low-energy band as a result of the introduction of tensile strain, well in accordance with the observed PL evolution. Therefore, based on our strain driving strategy, novel guidelines toward the reasonable design of sulfide semiconductors with tunable photoluminescence properties are proposed.Sulfide semiconductors have attracted considerable attention. The main challenge is to prepare materials with a designable morphology, a controllable band structure and optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report a facile chemical transportation reaction for the synthesis of Ga2S3 microspheres with novel hollow morphologies and partially filled volumes. Even without any extrinsic dopant, photoluminescence (PL) emission wavelength could be facilely tuned from 635 to 665 nm, depending on its

[Identification and phylogenetic analysis of one strain of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus separated from yoghourt].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chuan; Zhang, Chaowu; Pei, Xiaofang; Liu, Hengchuan

2007-11-01

For being further applied and studied, one strain of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (wch9901) separated from yoghourt which had been identified by phenotype characteristic analysis was identified by 16S rDNA and phylogenetic analyzed. The 16S rDNA of wch9901 was amplified with the genomic DNA of wch9901 as template, and the conservative sequences of the 16S rDNA as primers. Inserted 16S rDNA amplified into clonal vector pGEM-T under the function of T4 DNA ligase to construct recombined plasmid pGEM-wch9901 16S rDNA. The recombined plasmid was identified by restriction enzyme digestion, and the eligible plasmid was presented to sequencing company for DNA sequencing. Nucleic acid sequence was blast in GenBank and phylogenetic tree was constructed using neighbor-joining method of distance methods by Mega3.1 soft. Results of blastn showed that the homology of 16S rDNA of wch9901 with the 16S rDNA of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains was higher than 96%. On the phylogenetic tree, wch9901 formed a separate branch and located between Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus LGM2 evolution branch and another evolution branch which was composed of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus DL2 evolution cluster and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus JSQ evolution cluster. The distance between wch9901 evolution branch and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus LGM2 evolution branch was the closest. wch9901 belonged to Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. wch9901 showed the closest evolution relationship to Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus LGM2.

Effect of strain rate and temperature on strain hardening behavior of a dissimilar joint between Ti–6Al–4V and Ti17 alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S.Q.; Liu, J.H.; Chen, D.L.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Only stage III hardening occurs after yielding in Ti–6Al–4V/Ti17 dissimilar joints. • Voce stress and strength of the joints increase with increasing strain rate. • With increasing strain rate, hardening capacity and strain hardening exponent decrease. • With increasing temperature, hardening capacity and strain hardening exponent increase. • Strain rate sensitivity of the joints decreases as the true strain increases. - Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of strain rate and temperature on the tensile properties, strain hardening behavior, strain rate sensitivity, and fracture characteristics of electron beam welded (EBWed) dissimilar joints between Ti–6Al–4V and Ti17 (Ti–5Al–4Mo–4Cr–2Sn–2Zr) titanium alloys. The welding led to significant microstructural changes across the joint, with hexagonal close-packed martensite (α′) and orthorhombic martensite (α″) in the fusion zone (FZ), α′ in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) on the Ti–6Al–4V side, and coarse β in the HAZ on the Ti17 side. A distinctive asymmetrical hardness profile across the dissimilar joint was observed with the highest hardness in the FZ and a lower hardness on the Ti–6Al–4V side than on the Ti17 side, where a soft zone was present. Despite a slight reduction in ductility, the yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the joints lay in-between the two base metals (BMs) of Ti–6Al–4V and Ti17, with the Ti17 alloy having a higher strength. While the YS, UTS, and Voce stress of the joints increased, both hardening capacity and strain hardening exponent decreased with increasing strain rate or decreasing temperature. Stage III hardening occurred in the joints after yielding. The hardening rate was strongly dependent on the strain rate and temperature. As the strain rate increased or temperature decreased, the strain hardening rate increased at a given true stress. The strain rate sensitivity evaluated via

Universal or Specific? A Modeling-Based Comparison of Broad-Spectrum Influenza Vaccines against Conventional, Strain-Matched Vaccines.

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Rahul Subramanian

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Despite the availability of vaccines, influenza remains a major public health challenge. A key reason is the virus capacity for immune escape: ongoing evolution allows the continual circulation of seasonal influenza, while novel influenza viruses invade the human population to cause a pandemic every few decades. Current vaccines have to be updated continually to keep up to date with this antigenic change, but emerging 'universal' vaccines-targeting more conserved components of the influenza virus-offer the potential to act across all influenza A strains and subtypes. Influenza vaccination programmes around the world are steadily increasing in their population coverage. In future, how might intensive, routine immunization with novel vaccines compare against similar mass programmes utilizing conventional vaccines? Specifically, how might novel and conventional vaccines compare, in terms of cumulative incidence and rates of antigenic evolution of seasonal influenza? What are their potential implications for the impact of pandemic emergence? Here we present a new mathematical model, capturing both transmission dynamics and antigenic evolution of influenza in a simple framework, to explore these questions. We find that, even when matched by per-dose efficacy, universal vaccines could dampen population-level transmission over several seasons to a greater extent than conventional vaccines. Moreover, by lowering opportunities for cross-protective immunity in the population, conventional vaccines could allow the increased spread of a novel pandemic strain. Conversely, universal vaccines could mitigate both seasonal and pandemic spread. However, where it is not possible to maintain annual, intensive vaccination coverage, the duration and breadth of immunity raised by universal vaccines are critical determinants of their performance relative to conventional vaccines. In future, conventional and novel vaccines are likely to play complementary roles in

Studying the effect of stress relaxation and creep on lattice strain evolution of stainless steel under tension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.; Clausen, B.; Tomé, C.N.; Wu, P.D.

2013-01-01

Due to relatively long associated count times, in situ strain measurements using neutron diffraction requires periodic interruption of the test to collect the diffraction data by holding either the stress or the strain constant. As a consequence, stress relaxation or strain creep induced by the interrupts is inevitable, especially at loads which are close to the flow stress of the material. An in situ neutron diffraction technique, which consists in performing the diffraction measurements using continuous event-mode data collection while conducting the mechanical loading monotonically with a very slow loading rate, is proposed here to avoid the effects associated with interrupts. The lattice strains in stainless steel under uniaxial tension are measured using the three techniques, and the experimental results are compared to study the effect of stress relaxation and strain creep on the lattice strain measurements. The experimental results are simulated using both the elastic viscoplastic self-consistent (EVPSC) model and the elastic plastic self-consistent (EPSC) model. Both the EVPSC and EPSC models give reasonable predictions for all the three tests, with EVPSC having the added advantage over EPSC that it allows us to address the relaxation and creep effects in the interrupted tests

Natural evolution, disease, and localization in the immune system

Science.gov (United States)

Deem, Michael

2004-03-01

Adaptive vertebrate immune system is a wonder of modern evolution. Under most circumstances, the dynamics of the immune system is well-matched to the dynamics of pathogen growth during a typical infection. Some pathogens, however, have evolved escape mechanisms that interact in subtle ways with the immune system dynamics. In addition, negative interactions the immune system, which has evolved over 400 000 000 years, and vaccination,which has been practiced for only 200 years, are possible. For example,vaccination against the flu can actually increase susceptibility to the flu in the next year. As another example, vaccination against one of the four strains of dengue fever typically increases susceptibility against the other three strains. Immunodominance also arises in the immune system control of nascent tumors--the immune system recognizes only a small subset of the tumor specific antigens, and the rest are free to grow and cause tumor growth. In this talk, I present a physical theory of original antigenic sin and immunodominance. How localization in the immune system leads to the observed phenomena is discussed. 1) M. W. Deem and H. Y. Lee, ``Sequence Space Localization in the Immune System Response to Vaccination and Disease,'' Phys. Rev. Lett. 91 (2003) 068101

Influence of strain gradients on lattice rotation in nano-indentation experiments: A numerical study

KAUST Repository

Demiral, Murat

2014-07-01

In this paper the texture evolution in nano-indentation experiments was investigated numerically. To achieve this, a three-dimensional implicit finite-element model incorporating a strain-gradient crystal-plasticity theory was developed to represent accurately the deformation of a body-centred cubic metallic material. A hardening model was implemented to account for strain hardening of the involved slip systems. The surface topography around indents in different crystallographic orientations was compared to corresponding lattice rotations. The influence of strain gradients on the prediction of lattice rotations in nano-indentation was critically assessed. © 2014 Elsevier B.V..

Influence of strain gradients on lattice rotation in nano-indentation experiments: A numerical study

KAUST Repository

Demiral, Murat; Roy, Anish; El Sayed, Tamer S.; Silberschmidt, Vadim V.

2014-01-01

In this paper the texture evolution in nano-indentation experiments was investigated numerically. To achieve this, a three-dimensional implicit finite-element model incorporating a strain-gradient crystal-plasticity theory was developed to represent accurately the deformation of a body-centred cubic metallic material. A hardening model was implemented to account for strain hardening of the involved slip systems. The surface topography around indents in different crystallographic orientations was compared to corresponding lattice rotations. The influence of strain gradients on the prediction of lattice rotations in nano-indentation was critically assessed. © 2014 Elsevier B.V..

Strain hardening of aluminium alloy 3004 in the deep drawing and ironing processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courbon, J.; Duval, J.L.

1993-01-01

The evolution of material hardening resulting from the canmaking operations on aluminium beverage cans has been investigated. Tensile tests in cup walls revealed that deep drawing induced softening in the hoop direction and hardening in the meridian direction. This anisotropy is retained in the ironing operation. Changes in strain path on a heavily cold-rolled material probably cause such a complex behaviour. To determine hardening laws for deep drawing, simple shear tests were thus performed because of the strain path similarity. They allowed to determine hardening laws over larger strains than tension could reach and revealed a saturation of stress. Altogether they proved adapted to the understanding of deep drawing. (orig.)

CRISPR-cas subtype I-Fb in Acinetobacter baumannii: evolution and utilization for strain subtyping.

Science.gov (United States)

Karah, Nabil; Samuelsen, Ørjan; Zarrilli, Raffaele; Sahl, Jason W; Wai, Sun Nyunt; Uhlin, Bernt Eric

2015-01-01

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are polymorphic elements found in the genome of some or all strains of particular bacterial species, providing them with a system of acquired immunity against invading bacteriophages and plasmids. Two CRISPR-Cas systems have been identified in Acinetobacter baumannii, an opportunistic pathogen with a remarkable capacity for clonal dissemination. In this study, we investigated the mode of evolution and diversity of spacers of the CRISPR-cas subtype I-Fb locus in a global collection of 76 isolates of A. baumannii obtained from 14 countries and 4 continents. The locus has basically evolved from a common ancestor following two main lineages and several pathways of vertical descent. However, this vertical passage has been interrupted by occasional events of horizontal transfer of the whole locus between distinct isolates. The isolates were assigned into 40 CRISPR-based sequence types (CST). CST1 and CST23-24 comprised 18 and 9 isolates, representing two main sub-clones of international clones CC1 and CC25, respectively. Epidemiological data showed that some of the CST1 isolates were acquired or imported from Iraq, where it has probably been endemic for more than one decade and occasionally been able to spread to USA, Canada, and Europe. CST23-24 has shown a remarkable ability to cause national outbreaks of infections in Sweden, Argentina, UAE, and USA. The three isolates of CST19 were independently imported from Thailand to Sweden and Norway, raising a concern about the prevalence of CST19 in Thailand. Our study highlights the dynamic nature of the CRISPR-cas subtype I-Fb locus in A. baumannii, and demonstrates the possibility of using a CRISPR-based approach for subtyping a significant part of the global population of A. baumannii.

CRISPR-cas Subtype I-Fb in Acinetobacter baumannii: Evolution and Utilization for Strain Subtyping

Science.gov (United States)

Karah, Nabil; Samuelsen, Ørjan; Zarrilli, Raffaele; Sahl, Jason W.; Wai, Sun Nyunt; Uhlin, Bernt Eric

2015-01-01

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are polymorphic elements found in the genome of some or all strains of particular bacterial species, providing them with a system of acquired immunity against invading bacteriophages and plasmids. Two CRISPR-Cas systems have been identified in Acinetobacter baumannii, an opportunistic pathogen with a remarkable capacity for clonal dissemination. In this study, we investigated the mode of evolution and diversity of spacers of the CRISPR-cas subtype I-Fb locus in a global collection of 76 isolates of A. baumannii obtained from 14 countries and 4 continents. The locus has basically evolved from a common ancestor following two main lineages and several pathways of vertical descent. However, this vertical passage has been interrupted by occasional events of horizontal transfer of the whole locus between distinct isolates. The isolates were assigned into 40 CRISPR-based sequence types (CST). CST1 and CST23-24 comprised 18 and 9 isolates, representing two main sub-clones of international clones CC1 and CC25, respectively. Epidemiological data showed that some of the CST1 isolates were acquired or imported from Iraq, where it has probably been endemic for more than one decade and occasionally been able to spread to USA, Canada, and Europe. CST23-24 has shown a remarkable ability to cause national outbreaks of infections in Sweden, Argentina, UAE, and USA. The three isolates of CST19 were independently imported from Thailand to Sweden and Norway, raising a concern about the prevalence of CST19 in Thailand. Our study highlights the dynamic nature of the CRISPR-cas subtype I-Fb locus in A. baumannii, and demonstrates the possibility of using a CRISPR-based approach for subtyping a significant part of the global population of A. baumannii. PMID:25706932

Parallel Evolution of High-Level Aminoglycoside Resistance in Escherichia coli Under Low and High Mutation Supply Rates

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Claudia Ibacache-Quiroga

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance is a major concern in public health worldwide, thus there is much interest in characterizing the mutational pathways through which susceptible bacteria evolve resistance. Here we use experimental evolution to explore the mutational pathways toward aminoglycoside resistance, using gentamicin as a model, under low and high mutation supply rates. Our results show that both normo and hypermutable strains of Escherichia coli are able to develop resistance to drug dosages > 1,000-fold higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration for their ancestors. Interestingly, such level of resistance was often associated with changes in susceptibility to other antibiotics, most prominently with increased resistance to fosfomycin. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that all resistant derivatives presented diverse mutations in five common genetic elements: fhuA, fusA and the atpIBEFHAGDC, cyoABCDE, and potABCD operons. Despite the large number of mutations acquired, hypermutable strains did not pay, apparently, fitness cost. In contrast to recent studies, we found that the mutation supply rate mainly affected the speed (tempo but not the pattern (mode of evolution: both backgrounds acquired the mutations in the same order, although the hypermutator strain did it faster. This observation is compatible with the adaptive landscape for high-level gentamicin resistance being relatively smooth, with few local maxima; which might be a common feature among antibiotics for which resistance involves multiple loci.

Strain gradient drives shear banding in metallic glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Zhi-Li; Wang, Yun-Jiang; Chen, Yan; Dai, Lan-Hong

2017-09-01

Shear banding is a nucleation-controlled process in metallic glasses (MGs) involving multiple temporal-spatial scales, which hinders a concrete understanding of its structural origin down to the atomic scale. Here, inspired by the morphology of composite materials, we propose a different perspective of MGs as a hard particle-reinforced material based on atomic-scale structural heterogeneity. The local stable structures indicated by a high level of local fivefold symmetry (L5FS) act as hard "particles" which are embedded in the relatively soft matrix. We demonstrate this concept by performing atomistic simulations of shear banding in CuZr MG. A shear band is prone to form in a sample with a high degree of L5FS which is slowly quenched from the liquid. An atomic-scale analysis on strain and the structural evolution reveals that it is the strain gradient effect that has originated from structural heterogeneity that facilitates shear transformation zones (STZs) to mature shear bands. An artificial composite model with a high degree of strain gradient, generated by inserting hard MG strips into a soft MG matrix, demonstrates a great propensity for shear banding. It therefore confirms the critical role strain gradient plays in shear banding. The strain gradient effect on shear banding is further quantified with a continuum model and a mechanical instability analysis. These physical insights might highlight the strain gradient as the hidden driving force in transforming STZs into shear bands in MGs.

Microstructural evolution of AZ31 magnesium alloy subjected to sliding friction treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Lu, Jinwen; Huo, Wangtu; Zhang, Yusheng; Wei, Q.

2018-06-01

Microstructural evolution and grain refinement mechanism in AZ31 magnesium alloy subjected to sliding friction treatment were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy. The process of grain refinement was found to involve the following stages: (I) coarse grains were divided into fine twin plates through mechanical twinning; then the twin plates were transformed to lamellae with the accumulation of residual dislocations at the twin boundaries; (II) the lamellae were separated into subgrains with increasing grain boundary misorientation and evolution of high angle boundaries into random boundaries by continuous dynamic recrystallisation (cDRX); (III) the formation of nanograins. The mechanisms for the final stage, the formation of nanograins, can be classified into three types: (i) cDRX; (ii) discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation (dDRX); (iii) a combined mechanism of prior shear-band and subsequent dDRX. Stored strain energy plays an important role in determining deformation mechanisms during plastic deformation.

Microstructural evolution in Fe-0.13P-0.05C steel during compression at elevated temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Y.; K, Rajput S.; P, Chaudhari G.; V, Dabhade V.

2018-03-01

The microstructural evolution was studied in order to adjust the processing parameters for hot forming. Fe-0.13P-0.05C steel was subjected to hot compression tests using a thermo-mechanical simulator. The tests were performed at the temperatures ranging from 800°C-950°C. The strain rates chosen at all these temperatures were 0.01, 0.1 and 1 s‑1. The effects of the strain rates and hot compression temperatures on the microstructural aspects of the steel were examined using optical microscopy. The outcomes indicate that the mean grain dimension of the hot compressed Fe-0.13P-0.05C steel escalates with increases in the deformation temperature and also with decreases in strain rate. Dynamic recrystallization was observed to be the instrument of grain refinement. The minimum grain dimension of 5.6 μm was attained at 800°C and 0.1s‑1.

Tectonic Evolution of Jabal Tays Ophiolite Complex, Eastern Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

AlHumidan, Saad; Kassem, Osama; Almutairi, Majed; Al-Faifi, Hussain; Kahal, Ali

2017-04-01

Microstructural analysis is important for investigation of tectonic evaluation of Jable Tays area. Furthermore, the Jable Tays ophiolite complex is effected by Al Amar -Idsas fault. The nature of the Al Amar-Idsas fault is a part of the Eastern Arabian Shield, which was subjected to multiple interpretations. Through fieldwork investigation, microscopic examination, and microstructural analysis, we aim to understand the evolution and tectonic setting of the Jable Tays area. Finite-strain data displays that the Abt schist, the metavolcanics and the metagranites are highly to moderately deformed. The axial ratios in the XZ section range from 1.40 to 2.20. The long axes of the finite-strain ellipsoids trend NW- SE and W-E in the Jable Tays area while, their short axes are subvertical to subhorizontal foliations. The strain magnitude does not increase towards the tectonic contacts between the Abt schist and metavolcano-sedimentary. While majority of the obtained data indicate a dominant oblate with minor prolate strain symmetries in the Abt schist, metavolcano-sedimentary and metagranites. The strain data also indicate flattening with some constriction. We assume that the Abt schist and the metavolcano-sedimentry rocks have similar deformation behavior. The finite strain in the studied rocks accumulated during the metamorphism that effected by thrusting activity. Based on these results, we finally concluded that the contact between Abt schist and metavolcano-sedimentary rocks were formed during the progressive thrusting under brittle to semi-ductile deformation conditions by simple shear that also involved a component of vertical shortening, causing subhorizontal foliation in Jable Tays area.

Probing genomic diversity and evolution of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 by NimbleGen tiling arrays

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Liao Hui

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Our previous studies revealed that a new disease form of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS is associated with specific Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2 strains. To achieve a better understanding of the pathogenicity and evolution of SS2 at the whole-genome level, comparative genomic analysis of 18 SS2 strains, selected on the basis of virulence and geographic origin, was performed using NimbleGen tiling arrays. Results Our results demonstrate that SS2 isolates have highly divergent genomes. The 89K pathogenicity island (PAI, which has been previously recognized as unique to the Chinese epidemic strains causing STSS, was partially included in some other virulent and avirulent strains. The ABC-type transport systems, encoded by 89K, were hypothesized to greatly contribute to the catastrophic features of STSS. Moreover, we identified many polymorphisms in genes encoding candidate or known virulence factors, such as PlcR, lipase, sortases, the pilus-associated proteins, and the response regulator RevS and CtsR. On the basis of analysis of regions of differences (RDs across the entire genome for the 18 selected SS2 strains, a model of microevolution for these strains is proposed, which provides clues into Streptococcus pathogenicity and evolution. Conclusions Our deep comparative genomic analysis of the 89K PAI present in the genome of SS2 strains revealed details into how some virulent strains acquired genes that may contribute to STSS, which may lead to better environmental monitoring of epidemic SS2 strains.

A synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of non-proportional strain-path effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, D.M.; Erinosho, T.; Dunne, F.P.E.; Todd, R.I.; Connolley, T.; Mostafavi, M.; Kupfer, H.; Wilkinson, A.J.

2017-01-01

Common alloys used in sheet form can display a significant ductility benefit when they are subjected to certain multiaxial strain paths. This effect has been studied here for a polycrystalline ferritic steel using a combination of Nakajima bulge testing, X-ray diffraction during biaxial testing of cruciform samples and crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modelling. Greatest gains in strain to failure were found when subjecting sheets to uniaxial loading followed by balanced biaxial deformation, resulting in a total deformation close to plane-strain. A combined strain of approximately double that of proportional loading was achieved. The evolution of macrostrain, microstrain and texture during non-proportional loading were evaluated by in-situ high energy synchrotron diffraction. The results have demonstrated that the inhomogeneous strain accumulation from non-proportional deformation is strongly dependent on texture and the applied strain-ratio of the first deformation pass. Experimental diffraction evidence is supported by results produced by a novel method of CPFE-derived diffraction simulation. Using constitutive laws selected on the basis of good agreement with measured lattice strain development, the CPFE model demonstrated the capability to replicate ductility gains measured experimentally.

Elucidating and tuning the strain-induced non-linear behavior of polymer nanocomposites: a detailed molecular dynamics simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Jianxiang; Liu, Jun; Gao, Yangyang; Li, Xiaolin; Zhang, Liqun

2014-07-28

By setting up a coarse-grained model of polymer nanocomposites, we monitored the change in the elastic modulus as a function of the strain, derived from the stress-strain behavior by determining uniaxial tension and simple shear of two typical spatial distribution states (aggregation and dispersion) of nanoparticles (NPs). In both these cases, we observed that the elastic modulus decreases non-linearly with the increase of strain and reaches a low plateau at larger strains. This phenomenon is similar to the so-called "Payne effect" for elastomer nanocomposites. Particularly, the modulus of the aggregation case is more sensitive to the imposed strain. By examining the structural parameters, such as the number of neighboring NPs, coordination number of NPs, root-mean-squared average force exerted on the NPs, local strain, chain conformations (bridge, dangle, loop, interface bead and connection bead), and the total interaction energy of NP-polymer and NP-NP, we inferred that the underlying mechanism of the aggregation case is the disintegration of the NP network or clusters formed through direct contact; however, for the dispersion case, the non-linear behavior is attributed to the destruction of the NP network or clusters formed through the bridging of adsorbed polymer segments among the NPs. The former physical network is influenced by NP-NP interaction and NP volume fraction, while the latter is influenced by NP-polymer interaction and NP volume fraction. Lastly, we found that for the dispersion case, further increasing the inter-particle distance or grafting NPs with polymer chains can effectively reduce the non-linear behavior due to the decrease of the physical network density. In general, this simulation work, for the first time, establishes the correlation between the micro-structural evolution and the strain-induced non-linear behavior of polymer nanocomposites, and sheds some light on how to reduce the "Payne effect".

A Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain induces a heme oxygenase dependent increase in Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalil Karimi

Full Text Available We investigated the consequences of feeding with a Lactobacillus species on the immune environment in GALT, and the role of dendritic cells and heme oxygenase-1 in mediating these responses. Feeding with a specific strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus induced a significant increase in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ functional regulatory T cells in GALT. This increase was greatest in the mesenteric lymph nodes and associated with a marked decrease in TNF and IFNγ production. Dendritic cell regulatory function and HO-1 expression was also increased. The increase in Foxp3+ T cells could be prevented by treatment with a heme oxygenase inhibitor. However, neither inhibition of heme oxygenase nor blockade of IL-10 and TGFβ prevented the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production. In conclusion Lactobacillus feeding induced a tolerogenic environment in GALT. HO-1 was critical to the enhancement of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells while additional, as yet unknown, pathways were involved in the down-regulation of inflammatory cytokine production by T cells.

Microstrain temperature evolution in β-eucryptite ceramics: Measurement and model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruno, G.; Garlea, V.O.; Muth, J.; Efremov, A.M.; Watkins, T.R.; Shyam, A.

2012-01-01

Mechanisms of microcracking and stress release in β-eucryptite ceramics were investigated by applying a combination of neutron diffraction (ND), dilatometry and the Integrity Factor Model (IFM). It was observed that the macroscopic thermal expansion of solid samples closely follows the lattice thermal expansion as a function of temperature, and both are dominated by microcracks closing (during heating) and opening (during cooling). Analogous experiments on powders showed that the stresses that manifest peak shift are indeed relieved by comminution, and that the resulting lattice thermal expansion can be considered as unconstrained. By means of Rietveld refinement of the ND data, the evolution with temperature of peak width parameters linked to strain distributions along the basal, pyramidal and axial planes could also be extracted. The peak width parameters S HKL correlated well with the strains calculated by peak shift and with the model results. Furthermore, while the peak shifts showed that the powders are basically stress free, the S HKL showed a strong evolution of the peak width. Powders carry, therefore, a measurable strain distribution inside the particles, owing to the thermal expansion anisotropy of the crystallites. The IFM allowed this behavior to be rationalized, and the effect of microcracking on thermal expansion to be quantified. Experimental data allowed accurate numerical prediction of microcracking on cooling and of the evolution of microstresses. They also allowed the derivation of the material elastic modulus from bulk thermal expansion curves through the IFM concept. Ultrasound resonance measurements of the elastic modulus strongly support these theoretical predictions.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori strains lacking dupA is associated with an increased risk of gastric ulcer and gastric cancer development.

Science.gov (United States)

Abadi, Amin Talebi Bezmin; Taghvaei, Tarang; Wolfram, Lutz; Kusters, Johannes G

2012-01-01

Recently, dupA was reported as a new virulence factor in Helicobacter pylori, but its association with gastroduodenal disorders and its mode of action are still unclear. Here, an association of the dupA status with different disease groups was determined and a biological explanation for the observed associations was tested. In total, 216 H. pylori isolates were obtained from 232 presumed H. pylori-infected patients. A positive association was observed between the occurrence of duodenal ulcer (DU) and the presence of dupA [odds ratio (OR) 24.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 10.6-54.8]. In addition, an inverse association between the occurrence of gastric cancer (GC) [OR 0.16; 95 % CI 0.05-0.47] and gastric ulcer (GU) [OR 0.34; 95 % CI 0.16-0.68] with the presence of dupA was observed. A putative explanation for the observed associations might be a more corpus-located infection (pan-gastritis) by the dupA-positive strains due to their increased acid resistance. Indeed, a strong association between dupA-positive H. pylori isolated from gastritis patients and in vitro acid resistance was observed (PdupA-positive strains suggests that these strains are adapted to a stomach with high gastric acid output. This may in part explain the observed associations, as an increased gastric acid output is thought to be typical for an antrum-predominant H. pylori infection and, whilst this is associated with an increased risk of DU formation, it also decreases the risk for the genesis of GUs and GC.

Simulated gastrointestinal conditions increase adhesion ability of Lactobacillus paracasei strains isolated from kefir to Caco-2 cells and mucin.

Science.gov (United States)

Bengoa, Ana Agustina; Zavala, Lucía; Carasi, Paula; Trejo, Sebastián Alejandro; Bronsoms, Silvia; Serradell, María de Los Ángeles; Garrote, Graciela Liliana; Abraham, Analía Graciela

2018-01-01

Gastrointestinal conditions along the digestive tract are the main stress to which probiotics administrated orally are exposed because they must survive these adverse conditions and arrive alive to the intestine. Adhesion to epithelium has been considered one of the key criteria for the characterization of probiotics because it extends their residence time in the intestine and as a consequence, can influence the health of the host by modifying the local microbiota or modulating the immune response. Nevertheless, there are very few reports on the adhesion properties to epithelium and mucus of microorganisms after passing through the gastrointestinal tract. In the present work, we evaluate the adhesion ability in vitro of L. paracasei strains isolated from kefir grains after acid and bile stress and we observed that they survive simulated gastrointestinal passage in different levels depending on the strain. L. paracasei CIDCA 8339, 83120 and 83123 were more resistant than L. paracasei CIDCA 83121 and 83124, with a higher susceptibility to simulated gastric conditions. Proteomic analysis of L. paracasei subjected to acid and bile stress revealed that most of the proteins that were positively regulated correspond to the glycolytic pathway enzymes, with an overall effect of stress on the activation of the energy source. Moreover, it is worth to remark that after gastrointestinal passage, L. paracasei strains have increased their ability to adhere to mucin and epithelial cells in vitro being this factor of relevance for maintenance of the strain in the gut environment to exert its probiotic action. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolution of High Cellulolytic Activity in Symbiotic Streptomyces through Selection of Expanded Gene Content and Coordinated Gene Expression

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Bradon R.; Takasuka, Taichi E.; Wendt-Pienkowski, Evelyn; Doering, Drew T.; Raffa, Kenneth F.; Fox, Brian G.; Currie, Cameron R.

2016-01-01

The evolution of cellulose degradation was a defining event in the history of life. Without efficient decomposition and recycling, dead plant biomass would quickly accumulate and become inaccessible to terrestrial food webs and the global carbon cycle. On land, the primary drivers of plant biomass deconstruction are fungi and bacteria in the soil or associated with herbivorous eukaryotes. While the ecological importance of plant-decomposing microbes is well established, little is known about the distribution or evolution of cellulolytic activity in any bacterial genus. Here we show that in Streptomyces, a genus of Actinobacteria abundant in soil and symbiotic niches, the ability to rapidly degrade cellulose is largely restricted to two clades of host-associated strains and is not a conserved characteristic of the Streptomyces genus or host-associated strains. Our comparative genomics identify that while plant biomass degrading genes (CAZy) are widespread in Streptomyces, key enzyme families are enriched in highly cellulolytic strains. Transcriptomic analyses demonstrate that cellulolytic strains express a suite of multi-domain CAZy enzymes that are coregulated by the CebR transcriptional regulator. Using targeted gene deletions, we verify the importance of a highly expressed cellulase (GH6 family cellobiohydrolase) and the CebR transcriptional repressor to the cellulolytic phenotype. Evolutionary analyses identify complex genomic modifications that drive plant biomass deconstruction in Streptomyces, including acquisition and selective retention of CAZy genes and transcriptional regulators. Our results suggest that host-associated niches have selected some symbiotic Streptomyces for increased cellulose degrading activity and that symbiotic bacteria are a rich biochemical and enzymatic resource for biotechnology. PMID:27276034

The effects of strain rate and carbon concentration on the dynamic strain aging of cold rolled Ni-based alloy in high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuang, Wenjun; Was, Gary S.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: The stress amplitude of serrations first increases with decreasing strain rate and then gradually saturates. The matrix carbon concentration affects the stress amplitude and the tendency to saturation. - Abstract: The effect of strain rate on dynamic strain aging of cold-rolled Ni-based alloy was investigated. With decreasing strain rate, the stress amplitude of serrations first increased and then saturated. Compared with the solution-annealed condition, the thermally-treated condition produced smaller stress amplitudes that saturated at a lower strain rate. Observations are consistent with a mechanism in which the locking strength of solute atmospheres first increases with increasing solute atom arrival at dislocations and gradually saturates as solute reaches a critical level

Tuberculosis vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG Russia is a natural recA mutant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Böttger Erik C

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The current tuberculosis vaccine is a live vaccine derived from Mycobacterium bovis and attenuated by serial in vitro passaging. All vaccine substrains in use stem from one source, strain Bacille Calmette-Guérin. However, they differ in regions of genomic deletions, antigen expression levels, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy. Results As a RecA phenotype increases genetic stability and may contribute restricting the ongoing evolution of the various BCG substrains while maintaining their protective efficacy, we aimed to inactivate recA by allelic replacement in BCG vaccine strains representing different phylogenetic lineages (Pasteur, Frappier, Denmark, Russia. Homologous gene replacement was achieved successfully in three out of four strains. However, only illegitimate recombination was observed in BCG substrain Russia. Sequence analyses of recA revealed that a single nucleotide insertion in the 5' part of recA led to a translational frameshift with an early stop codon making BCG Russia a natural recA mutant. At the protein level BCG Russia failed to express RecA. Conclusion According to phylogenetic analyses BCG Russia is an ancient vaccine strain most closely related to the parental M. bovis. We hypothesize that recA inactivation in BCG Russia occurred early and is in part responsible for its high degree of genomic stability, resulting in a substrain that has less genetic alterations than other vaccine substrains with respect to M. bovis AF2122/97 wild-type.

Angiogenesis is induced by airway smooth muscle strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasaneen, Nadia A; Zucker, Stanley; Lin, Richard Z; Vaday, Gayle G; Panettieri, Reynold A; Foda, Hussein D

2007-10-01

Angiogenesis is an important feature of airway remodeling in both chronic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Airways in those conditions are exposed to excessive mechanical strain during periods of acute exacerbations. We recently reported that mechanical strain of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) led to an increase in their proliferation and migration. Sustained growth in airway smooth muscle in vivo requires an increase in the nutritional supply to these muscles, hence angiogenesis. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that cyclic mechanical strain of HASM produces factors promoting angiogenic events in the surrounding vascular endothelial cells. Our results show: 1) a significant increase in human lung microvascular endothelial cell (HMVEC-L) proliferation, migration, and tube formation following incubation in conditioned media (CM) from HASM cells exposed to mechanical strain; 2) mechanical strain of HASM cells induced VEGF expression and release; 3) VEGF neutralizing antibodies inhibited the proliferation, migration, and tube formations of HMVEC-L induced by the strained airway smooth muscle CM; 4) mechanical strain of HASM induced a significant increase in hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) mRNA and protein, a transcription factor required for VEGF gene transcription; and 5) mechanical strain of HASM induced HIF-1alpha/VEGF through dual phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and ERK pathways. In conclusion, exposing HASM cells to mechanical strain induces signal transduction pathway through PI3K/Akt/mTOR and ERK pathways that lead to an increase in HIF-1alpha, a transcription factor required for VEGF expression. VEGF release by mechanical strain of HASM may contribute to the angiogenesis seen with repeated exacerbation of asthma and COPD.

Prophage Rs551 and Its Repressor Gene orf14 Reduce Virulence and Increase Competitive Fitness of Its Ralstonia solanacearum Carrier Strain UW551.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Abdelmonim Ali; Stulberg, Michael J; Huang, Qi

2017-01-01

We previously characterized a filamentous lysogenic bacteriophage, ϕRs551, isolated directly from the race 3 biovar 2 phylotype IIB sequevar 1 strain UW551 of Ralstonia solanacearum grown under normal culture conditions. The genome of ϕRs551 was identified with 100% identity in the deposited genomes of 11 race 3 biovar 2 phylotype IIB sequevar 1 strains of R. solanacearum , indicating evolutionary and biological importance, and ORF14 of ϕRs551 was annotated as a putative type-2 repressor. In this study, we determined the effect of the prophage and its ORF14 on the virulence and competitive fitness of its carrier strain UW551 by deleting the orf14 gene only (the UW551 orf14 mutant), and nine of the prophage's 14 genes including orf14 and six out of seven structural genes (the UW551 prophage mutant), respectively, from the genome of UW551. The two mutants were increased in extracellular polysaccharide production, twitching motility, expression of targeted virulence and virulence regulatory genes ( pilT, egl, pehC, hrPB, and phcA ), and virulence, suggesting that the virulence of UW551 was negatively regulated by ϕRs551, at least partially through ORF14. Interestingly, we found that the wt ϕRs551-carrying strain UW551 of R. solanacearum significantly outcompeted the wt strain RUN302 which lacks the prophage in tomato plants co-inoculated with the two strains. When each of the two mutant strains was co-inoculated with RUN302, however, the mutants were significantly out-competed by RUN302 for the same colonization site. Our results suggest that ecologically, ϕRs551 may play an important role by regulating the virulence of and offering a competitive fitness advantage to its carrier bacterial strain for persistence of the bacterium in the environment, which in turn prolongs the symbiotic relationship between the phage ϕRs551 and the R. solanacearum strain UW551. Our study is the first toward a better understanding of the co-existence between a lysogenic phage and

Effects of applied strain on nanoscale self-interstitial cluster formation in BCC iron

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Ning; Setyawan, Wahyu; Kurtz, Richard J.; Wang, Zhiguang

2017-09-01

The effect of applied strains on the configurational evolution of self-interstitial clusters in BCC iron (Fe) is explored with atomistic simulations. A novel cluster configuration is discovered at low temperatures (family of 〈 hkl 〉 loops is calculated as a function of strain. The results show that loop anisotropy is governed by the angle between the stress direction and the orientation of the 〈 111 〉 crowdions in the loop, and directly linked to the stress induced preferred nucleation of self-interstitial atoms.

Analysis of the VP2 protein gene of canine parvovirus strains from affected dogs in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Soma, Takehisa; Taharaguchi, Satoshi; Ohinata, Tsuyoshi; Ishii, Hiroshi; Hara, Motonobu

2013-04-01

To clarify the evolution of canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) that has recently been epidemic in Japan, VP2 gene sequences at positions 3556-4166 were analyzed in 107 CPV-2 strains obtained from rectal swabs of diarrheic dogs from 2009 to 2011. CPV-2b (95 strains) was more frequently detected than CPV-2a (nine strains), while CPV-2c was not detected. Remaining three strains were identified as the original type CPV-2, which should be derived from vaccines. These findings are similar to the previous results involving Japanese strains, suggesting there has been no great change in the recent CPV-2 epidemic in Japan. This epidemic is the same as that in Taiwan. Furthermore, a 324-lle mutant, which has been reported in Korean and Chinese strains, was detected in 66.7% of CPV-2a strains. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM and Microcephalin is not explained by increased intelligence.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mekel-Bobrov, N.; Posthuma, D.; Gilbert, S.L.; Lind, P.; Gosso, M.F.; Luciano, M.; Harris, S.E.; Bates, T.C.; Polderman, T.J.C.; Whalley, L.J.; Fox, H.; Starr, J.M.; Evans, P.D.; Montgomery, GW; Fernandes, C.; Heutink, P.; Martin, N.G.; Boomsma, D.I.; Deary, I.J.; Wright, M.J.; de Geus, E.J.C.; Lahn, B.T.

2007-01-01

Recent studies have made great strides towards identifying putative genetic events underlying the evolution of the human brain and its emergent cognitive capacities. One of the most intriguing findings is the recurrent identification of adaptive evolution in genes associated with primary

Indirect evolution of social fitness inequalities and facultative social exploitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Ramith R; Fiegna, Francesca; Velicer, Gregory J

2018-03-28

Microbial genotypes with similarly high proficiency at a cooperative behaviour in genetically pure groups often exhibit fitness inequalities caused by social interaction in mixed groups. Winning competitors in this scenario have been referred to as 'cheaters' in some studies. Such interaction-specific fitness inequalities, as well as social exploitation (in which interaction between genotypes increases absolute fitness), might evolve due to selection for competitiveness at the focal behaviour or might arise non-adaptively due to pleiotropy, hitchhiking or genetic drift. The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus sporulates during cooperative development of multicellular fruiting bodies. Using M. xanthus lineages that underwent experimental evolution in allopatry without selection on sporulation, we demonstrate that interaction-specific fitness inequalities and facultative social exploitation during development readily evolved indirectly among descendant lineages. Fitness inequalities between evolved genotypes were not caused by divergence in developmental speed, as faster-developing strains were not over-represented among competition winners. In competitions between ancestors and several evolved strains, all evolved genotypes produced more spores than the ancestors, including losers of evolved-versus-evolved competitions, indicating that adaptation in non-developmental contexts pleiotropically increased competitiveness for spore production. Overall, our results suggest that fitness inequalities caused by social interaction during cooperative processes may often evolve non-adaptively in natural populations. © 2018 The Authors.

Influence of boron on strain hardening behaviour and ductility of low carbon hot rolled steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deva, Anjana; Jha, B.K.; Mishra, N.S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Unique feature of low strain hardening exponent (n) with high total elongation has been discussed in industrially produced low carbon boron containing steel. → n has been correlated with the micro structural changes occurring during deformation of steel. → This feature of low n and high % elongation has potential for higher cold reducibility. → The work is being reported for the first time on industrially produced low carbon boron containing steel. - Abstract: The beneficial effect of boron on mechanical properties of low carbon Al-killed steel has been reported in recent past. However, the effect of boron on strain hardening exponent (n) and ductility has not been fully understood. This aspect has been discussed in present work. The results of mill trials with reference to n and ductility with boron added steel are compared to those for commercial grade. The lowering of 'n' with increased total elongation in boron bearing steel has been related to the microstructural evolution as a result of boron addition.

Microstructure evolution and dynamic recrystallization behavior of a powder metallurgy Ti-22Al-25Nb alloy during hot compression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, Jianbo [Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Yang, Yue [Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Xu, Yan, E-mail: xuyan_916@163.com [Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Xu, Bo [Institute of Petrochemistry Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150040, (China); Luo, Junting [Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Zhang, Kaifeng [National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2017-01-15

The flow behavior of a powder metallurgy (P/M) Ti-22Al-25Nb alloy during hot compression tests has been investigated at a strain rate of 0.01 s{sup −1} and a temperature range of 980–1100 °C up to various true strains from 0.1 to 0.9. The effects of deformation temperature and strain on microstructure characterization and nucleation mechanisms of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) were assessed by means of Optical microscope (OM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques, respectively. The results indicated that the process of DRX was promoted by increasing deformation temperature and strain. By regression analysis, a power exponent relationship between peak stresses and sizes of stable DRX grains was developed. In addition, it is suggested that the discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) controlled nucleation mechanisms for DRX grains operated simultaneously during the whole hot process, and which played the leading role varied with hot process parameters of temperature and strain. It was further demonstrated that the CDRX featured by progressive subgrain rotation was weakened by elevating deformation temperatures. - Highlights: •Flow behavior of a P/M Ti-22Al-25Nb is studied by hot compression tests. •Microstructure evolution of alloy is affected by deformation temperature and strain. •The relationship between peak stress and stable DRX grain size was developed. •The process of DRX was promoted by increasing deformation temperature and strain. •Nucleation mechanisms of DRX were identified by EBSD analysis and TEM observation.

Microstructure evolution and dynamic recrystallization behavior of a powder metallurgy Ti-22Al-25Nb alloy during hot compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, Jianbo; Yang, Yue; Xu, Yan; Xu, Bo; Luo, Junting; Zhang, Kaifeng

2017-01-01

The flow behavior of a powder metallurgy (P/M) Ti-22Al-25Nb alloy during hot compression tests has been investigated at a strain rate of 0.01 s −1 and a temperature range of 980–1100 °C up to various true strains from 0.1 to 0.9. The effects of deformation temperature and strain on microstructure characterization and nucleation mechanisms of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) were assessed by means of Optical microscope (OM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques, respectively. The results indicated that the process of DRX was promoted by increasing deformation temperature and strain. By regression analysis, a power exponent relationship between peak stresses and sizes of stable DRX grains was developed. In addition, it is suggested that the discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) controlled nucleation mechanisms for DRX grains operated simultaneously during the whole hot process, and which played the leading role varied with hot process parameters of temperature and strain. It was further demonstrated that the CDRX featured by progressive subgrain rotation was weakened by elevating deformation temperatures. - Highlights: •Flow behavior of a P/M Ti-22Al-25Nb is studied by hot compression tests. •Microstructure evolution of alloy is affected by deformation temperature and strain. •The relationship between peak stress and stable DRX grain size was developed. •The process of DRX was promoted by increasing deformation temperature and strain. •Nucleation mechanisms of DRX were identified by EBSD analysis and TEM observation.

Lactic Acid Production from Pretreated Hydrolysates of Corn Stover by a Newly Developed Bacillus coagulans Strain

OpenAIRE

Jiang, Ting; Qiao, Hui; Zheng, Zhaojuan; Chu, Qiulu; Li, Xin; Yong, Qiang; Ouyang, Jia

2016-01-01

An inhibitor-tolerance strain, Bacillus coagulans GKN316, was developed through atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutation and evolution experiment in condensed dilute-acid hydrolysate (CDH) of corn stover. The fermentabilities of other hydrolysates with B. coagulans GKN316 and the parental strain B. coagulans NL01 were assessed. When using condensed acid-catalyzed steam-exploded hydrolysate (CASEH), condensed acid-catalyzed liquid hot water hydrolysate (CALH) and condensed acid-...

Accurate hardening modeling as basis for the realistic simulation of sheet forming processes with complex strain-path changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levkovitch, Vladislav; Svendsen, Bob

2007-01-01

Sheet metal forming involves large strains and severe strain-path changes. Large plastic strains lead in many metals to the development of persistent dislocation structures resulting in strong flow anisotropy. This induced anisotropic behavior manifests itself in the case of a strain path change through very different stress-strain responses depending on the type of the strain-path change. While many metals exhibit a drop of the yield stress (Bauschinger effect) after a load reversal, some metals show an increase of the yield stress after an orthogonal strain-path change (so-called cross hardening). To model the Bauschinger effect, kinematic hardening has been successfully used for years. However, the usage of the kinematic hardening leads automatically to a drop of the yield stress after an orthogonal strain-path change contradicting tests exhibiting the cross hardening effect. Another effect, not accounted for in the classical elasto-plasticity, is the difference between the tensile and compressive strength, exhibited e.g. by some steel materials. In this work we present a phenomenological material model whose structure is motivated by polycrystalline modeling that takes into account the evolution of polarized dislocation structures on the grain level - the main cause of the induced flow anisotropy on the macroscopic level. The model considers besides the movement of the yield surface and its proportional expansion, as it is the case in conventional plasticity, also the changes of the yield surface shape (distortional hardening) and accounts for the pressure dependence of the flow stress. All these additional attributes turn out to be essential to model the stress-strain response of dual phase high strength steels subjected to non-proportional loading

Accurate Hardening Modeling As Basis For The Realistic Simulation Of Sheet Forming Processes With Complex Strain-Path Changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levkovitch, Vladislav; Svendsen, Bob

2007-01-01

Sheet metal forming involves large strains and severe strain-path changes. Large plastic strains lead in many metals to the development of persistent dislocation structures resulting in strong flow anisotropy. This induced anisotropic behavior manifests itself in the case of a strain path change through very different stress-strain responses depending on the type of the strain-path change. While many metals exhibit a drop of the yield stress (Bauschinger effect) after a load reversal, some metals show an increase of the yield stress after an orthogonal strain-path change (so-called cross hardening). To model the Bauschinger effect, kinematic hardening has been successfully used for years. However, the usage of the kinematic hardening leads automatically to a drop of the yield stress after an orthogonal strain-path change contradicting tests exhibiting the cross hardening effect. Another effect, not accounted for in the classical elasto-plasticity, is the difference between the tensile and compressive strength, exhibited e.g. by some steel materials. In this work we present a phenomenological material model whose structure is motivated by polycrystalline modeling that takes into account the evolution of polarized dislocation structures on the grain level - the main cause of the induced flow anisotropy on the macroscopic level. The model considers besides the movement of the yield surface and its proportional expansion, as it is the case in conventional plasticity, also the changes of the yield surface shape (distortional hardening) and accounts for the pressure dependence of the flow stress. All these additional attributes turn out to be essential to model the stress-strain response of dual phase high strength steels subjected to non-proportional loading

Plastic strain caused by contraction of pores in polycrystalline graphites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ioka, Ikuo; Yoda, Shinichi; Konishi, Takashi.

1989-01-01

The effects of porosity on mechanical properties and deformation behavior of four isotropic polycrystalline graphites were studied. The pore size distributions of the graphites were measured using a conventional mercury penetration technique. The average pore radius of ISO-88 graphite was about one-tenth of that of ISEM-1, IG-11 or IG-15 graphites. Young's modulus of the graphites decreased with increasing porosity. The stress-strain curve of each graphite was measured in its lateral and axial directions. Young's modulus of graphite decreased with increasing load. The plastic strain at a given compressive load was calculated from the stress-strain curve and the initial gradient of the unloading curve at the load. The ratio of lateral plastic strain to axial plastic strain for the graphites was less than 0.5, indicating that the volume of the graphites decreased during compressive loading. By assuming that the volume change was caused by contraction of pores, plastic strain associated with contraction of pores was calculated from the axial plastic strain and lateral plastic strain by slips along the basal planes. The plastic strain increased with increasing axial plastic strain and porosity of graphite. (author)

Strain measurements of nuclear power plant steam generator antiseismic supports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulichevsky, R.

1997-01-01

The nuclear power plants steam generators have different types of structural supports. One of these types are the antiseismic supports, which are intended to be under stress only if a seismic event takes place. Nevertheless, the antiseismic supports lugs, that are welded to the steam generator vessel, are subjected to thermal fatigue because of the temperature cycles related with the shut down and start up operations performed during the life of the nuclear power plant. In order to evaluate the stresses that the lugs are subjected to, several strain gages were welded on two supports lugs, positioned at two heights of one of the Embalse nuclear power plant steam generators. In this paper, the instrumentation used and the strain measurements obtained during two start up operations are presented. The influence of the plant start up operation parameters on the lugs strain evolution is also analyzed. (author) [es

Increased household financial strain, the Great Recession and child health-findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Caoimhe; Law, Catherine; Pearce, Anna

2017-03-09

There is a growing body of evidence associating financial strain (FS) with poor health but most of this research has been cross-sectional and adult-focused. During the 'Great Recession' many UK households experienced increased FS. The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of increased FS on child health. We analysed the Millennium Cohort Study, a longitudinal study of children born in the UK between 2000 and 2002. Surveys at 7 years (T1, 2008) and 11 years (T2, 2012) spanned the 'Great Recession'. Three measures of increased FS were defined; 'became income poor' (self-reported household income dropped below the 'poverty line' between T1 and T2); 'developed difficulty managing' (parental report of being 'financially comfortable' at T1 and finding it 'difficult to manage' at T2); 'felt worse off' (parental report of feeling financially 'worse off' at T2 compared with T1). Poisson regression was used to estimate risk ratios (RR), adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% CIs for six child health outcomes: measured overweight/obesity, problematic behaviour as scored by parents and teachers, and parental reports of fair/poor general health, long-standing illness and bedwetting at T2 (N=13 112). In subanalyses we limited our sample to those who were above the poverty line at T2. Compared with those who were not financially strained at both time points, children in households which experienced increased FS were at an increased risk of all unhealthy outcomes examined. In most cases, these increased risks persisted after adjustment for confounding and when limiting the sample to those above the poverty line. FS is associated with a range of new or continued poor child health outcomes. During times of widespread economic hardship, such as the 'Great Recession', measures should be taken to buffer children and their families from the impact of FS, and these should not be limited to those who are income poor. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For

Role of stacking fault energy on the deformation characteristics of copper alloys processed by plane strain compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Danaf, Ehab A.; Al-Mutlaq, Ayman; Soliman, Mahmoud S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Different compositions of Cu-Zn and Cu-Al alloys are plane strain compressed. → Strain hardening rates, microstructure and texture evolution are documented. → SFE has an indirect effect rather a critical dislocation density controls twinning. → Cu-Al exhibited the need for higher dislocation density for twin initiation. → Onset of twinning occurs in the copper alloys tested with a normalized SFE ≤ 10-3. - Abstract: Samples of Cu-Al and Cu-Zn alloys with different compositions were subjected to large strains under plane strain compression (PSC), a process that simulates the rolling operation. Four compositions in the Cu-Al system, namely 1, 2, 4.7 and 7 wt.% Al and three compositions in the Cu-Zn system of 10, 20 and 30 wt.% Zn, were investigated. Adding Al or Zn to Cu effectively lowers the stacking fault energy (SFE) of the alloy and changes the deformation mechanism from dislocation slipping to dislocation slipping and deformation twinning. True stress-true strain responses in PSC were documented and the strain hardening rates were calculated and correlated to the evolved microstructure. The onset of twinning in low SFE alloys was not directly related to the low value of SFE, but rather to build up of a critical dislocation density during strain hardening in the early stage of deformation (ε < 0.1). The evolution of texture was documented for the Cu-Al samples using X-ray diffraction for samples plane strain compressed to true axial strains of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0. Orientation distribution function (ODF) plots were generated and quantitative information on the volume fraction of ideal rolling orientations were depicted and correlated with the stacking fault energy.

Exploring optimization parameters to increase ssDNA recombineering in Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus reuteri.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Pijkeren, Jan-Peter; Neoh, Kar Mun; Sirias, Denise; Findley, Anthony S; Britton, Robert A

2012-01-01

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) recombineering is a technology which is used to make subtle changes in the chromosome of several bacterial genera. Cells which express a single-stranded DNA binding protein (RecT or Bet) are transformed with an oligonucleotide which is incorporated via an annealing and replication-dependent mechanism. By in silico analysis we identified ssDNA binding protein homologs in the genus Lactobacillus and Lactococcus lactis. To assess whether we could further improve the recombineering efficiency in Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 we expressed several RecT homologs in this strain. RecT derived from Enterococcus faecalis CRMEN 19 yielded comparable efficiencies compared with a native RecT protein, but none of the other proteins further increased the recombineering efficiency. We successfully improved recombineering efficiency 10-fold in L. lactis by increasing oligonucleotide concentration combined with the use of oligonucleotides containing phosphorothioate-linkages (PTOs). Surprisingly, neither increased oligonucleotide concentration nor PTO linkages enhanced recombineering in L. reuteri 6475. To emphasize the utility of this technology in improving probiotic features we modified six bases in a transcriptional regulatory element region of the pdu-operon of L. reuteri 6475, yielding a 3-fold increase in the production of the antimicrobial compound reuterin. Directed genetic modification of lactic acid bacteria through ssDNA recombineering will simplify strain improvement in a way that, when mutating a single base, is genetically indistinguishable from strains obtained through directed evolution.

Simulating the evolution of the human family: cooperative breeding increases in harsh environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Smaldino, Paul E; Newson, Lesley; Schank, Jeffrey C; Richerson, Peter J

2013-01-01

Verbal and mathematical models that consider the costs and benefits of behavioral strategies have been useful in explaining animal behavior and are often used as the basis of evolutionary explanations of human behavior. In most cases, however, these models do not account for the effects that group structure and cultural traditions within a human population have on the costs and benefits of its members' decisions. Nor do they consider the likelihood that cultural as well as genetic traits will be subject to natural selection. In this paper, we present an agent-based model that incorporates some key aspects of human social structure and life history. We investigate the evolution of a population under conditions of different environmental harshness and in which selection can occur at the level of the group as well as the level of the individual. We focus on the evolution of a socially learned characteristic related to individuals' willingness to contribute to raising the offspring of others within their family group. We find that environmental harshness increases the frequency of individuals who make such contributions. However, under the conditions we stipulate, we also find that environmental variability can allow groups to survive with lower frequencies of helpers. The model presented here is inevitably a simplified representation of a human population, but it provides a basis for future modeling work toward evolutionary explanations of human behavior that consider the influence of both genetic and cultural transmission of behavior.

Simulating the evolution of the human family: cooperative breeding increases in harsh environments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul E Smaldino

Full Text Available Verbal and mathematical models that consider the costs and benefits of behavioral strategies have been useful in explaining animal behavior and are often used as the basis of evolutionary explanations of human behavior. In most cases, however, these models do not account for the effects that group structure and cultural traditions within a human population have on the costs and benefits of its members' decisions. Nor do they consider the likelihood that cultural as well as genetic traits will be subject to natural selection. In this paper, we present an agent-based model that incorporates some key aspects of human social structure and life history. We investigate the evolution of a population under conditions of different environmental harshness and in which selection can occur at the level of the group as well as the level of the individual. We focus on the evolution of a socially learned characteristic related to individuals' willingness to contribute to raising the offspring of others within their family group. We find that environmental harshness increases the frequency of individuals who make such contributions. However, under the conditions we stipulate, we also find that environmental variability can allow groups to survive with lower frequencies of helpers. The model presented here is inevitably a simplified representation of a human population, but it provides a basis for future modeling work toward evolutionary explanations of human behavior that consider the influence of both genetic and cultural transmission of behavior.

Enhancement of 2,3-butanediol production from Jerusalem artichoke tuber extract by a recombinant Bacillus sp. strain BRC1 with increased inulinase activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jang Min; Oh, Baek-Rock; Kang, In Yeong; Heo, Sun-Yeon; Seo, Jeong-Woo; Park, Seung-Moon; Hong, Won-Kyung; Kim, Chul Ho

2017-07-01