Evaluation and modification of inclusion characteristics in HK40 heatresistant cast steel

Specifications of inclusions such as the type, morphology, number, composition, size, and place of inclusions in HK40 heat-resistant casting steel were studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive spectroscopy system. The effects of calcium silicide (CaSi) addition on these characteristics were evaluated at two pouring temperatures of 1420℃ and 1470℃. It was found that most of the appeared inclusions were in the type of chromium oxide. CaSi addition had a significant effect on the morphological modification, size and distribution of inclusions as well as changing the composition to oxide-sulfide compounds.     

Genetic diversity of rhizobial populations recovered from three Lotus species cultivated in the infra-arid Tunisian soils

Eighty-three bacterial strains isolated from root nodules of Lotus creticus, L. pusillus, and L. arabicus grown in infra-arid Tunisian soils were characterized using a polyphasic approach including phenotypic analysis, rep-PCR and PCR-RFLP analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. Phenotypically, all isolates are fast growers the majority of which grow at a pH of between 5.5 and 9. Most of the tested isolates tolerate NaCl concentrations from 1.39% to 3.48%. By rep-PCR fingerprinting, the genomic similarity varied from 30% to 98%. All tested isolates were clustered into 32 rep-PCR clusters at the similarity level of 80%. The genomic divergence of strains revealed by rep/PCR analysis appeared to be very important since a molecular polymorphism delimiting symbionts for each species of Lotus was identified. With the high-resolution of rep-PCR profiles of the isolates obtained using Pearson’s/UPGMA analysis, the isolates were resolved into 60 different profiling groups to undergo 16S ARDRA analyses. The analysis of all restriction fragments from each strain based on the UPGMA algorithm from the combined patterns showed that Lotus isolates are very diverse and that they were affiliated to Sinorhizobium, Rhizobium, and Mesorhizobium genera.     

The clonal and mutational evolution spectrum of primary triple-negative breast cancers

Primary triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), a tumour type defined by lack of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and ERBB2 gene amplification, represent approximately 16% of all breast cancers. Here we show in 104 TNBC cases that at the time of diagnosis these cancers exhibit a wide and continuous spectrum of genomic evolution, with some having only a handful of coding somatic aberrations in a few pathways, whereas others contain hundreds of coding somatic mutations. High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that only approximately 36% of mutations are expressed. Using deep re-sequencing measurements of allelic abundance for 2,414 somatic mutations, we determine for the first time-to our knowledge-in an epithelial tumour subtype, the relative abundance of clonal frequencies among cases representative of the population. We show that TNBCs vary widely in their clonal frequencies at the time of diagnosis, with the basal subtype of TNBC showing more variation than non-basal TNBC. Although p53 (also known as TP53), PIK3CA and PTEN somatic mutations seem to be clonally dominant compared to other genes, in some tumours their clonal frequencies are incompatible with founder status. Mutations in cytoskeletal, cell shape and motility proteins occurred at lower clonal frequencies, suggesting that they occurred later during tumour progression. Taken together, our results show that understanding the biology and therapeutic responses of patients with TNBC will require the determination of individual tumour clonal genotypes.     

Visualizing heavy fermions emerging in a quantum critical Kondo lattice

In solids containing elements with f orbitals, the interaction between f-electron spins and those of itinerant electrons leads to the development of low-energy fermionic excitations with a heavy effective mass. These excitations are fundamental to the appearance of unconventional superconductivity and non-Fermi-liquid behaviour observed in actinide- and lanthanide-based compounds. Here we use spectroscopic mapping with the scanning tunnelling microscope to detect the emergence of heavy excitations with lowering of temperature in a prototypical family of cerium-based heavy-fermion compounds. We demonstrate the sensitivity of the tunnelling process to the composite nature of these heavy quasiparticles, which arises from quantum entanglement of itinerant conduction and f electrons. Scattering and interference of the composite quasiparticles is used to resolve their energy-momentum structure and to extract their mass enhancement, which develops with decreasing temperature. The lifetime of the emergent heavy quasiparticles reveals signatures of enhanced scattering and their spectral lineshape shows evidence of energy-temperature scaling. These findings demonstrate that proximity to a quantum critical point results in critical damping of the emergent heavy excitation of our Kondo lattice system.     

Heat shock protein gene expression during Xenopus development

Stress-induced heat shock protein gene expression is developmentally regulated during early embryogen esis of the frog, Xenopus laevis. For example, a number of heat shock protein genes, such as hsp70, hsp90, and ubiquitin are not heat-inducible until after the midblastula stage of embryogenesis. Furthermore, the family of small heat shock protein genes, hsp30, are differentially expressed after the midblastula stage as well as being regulated at the level of mRNA stability. Many of these stress proteins are also synthesized constitutively during oogenesis and embryogenesis during which they may act as molecular chaperones as well as being involved in sequestering proteins in an inactive state until required by the developing embryo. Furthermore the induction of these stress protein genes has been correlated with enhanced thermoresistance. During stressful conditions heat shock proteins probably prevent aggregation or misfolding of damaged protei ns within the embryo.     

The dynamics of measles in sub-Saharan Africa

Although vaccination has almost eliminated measles in parts of the world, the disease remains a major killer in some high birth rate countries of the Sahel. On the basis of measles dynamics for industrialized countries, high birth rate regions should experience regular annual epidemics. Here, however, we show that measles epidemics in Niger are highly episodic, particularly in the capital Niamey. Models demonstrate that this variability arises from powerful seasonality in transmission-generating high amplitude epidemics-within the chaotic domain of deterministic dynamics. In practice, this leads to frequent stochastic fadeouts, interspersed with irregular, large epidemics. A metapopulation model illustrates how increased vaccine coverage, but still below the local elimination threshold, could lead to increasingly variable major outbreaks in highly seasonally forced contexts. Such erratic dynamics emphasize the importance both of control strategies that address build-up of susceptible individuals and efforts to mitigate the impact of large outbreaks when they occur.     

A single-step synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene sheets decorated withcobalt hydroxide nanoflakes for the determination of dopamine

Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide(NrGO)sheets decorated with Co(OH)_2nanoflakes were prepared by a single-step hydrothermal process.The morphological and structural characterizations of as synthesized Nr GO@Co(OH)_2nanoflakes were performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),EDX-mapping and X-ray diffraction(XRD).Nr GO@Co(OH)_2nanoflakes modified glassy carbon electrode(GCE)was used for electrochemical sensing of dopamine in neutral medium.The nanocomposite modified electrode showed enhanced electrochemical sensing ability for the detection of dopamine and the limit of detection(Lo D)was found to be 0.201μM with a sensitivity value of 0.0286±0.002 m A m M~(-1).Interference studies revealed that Nr GO@Co(OH)_2─GCE endow excellent selectivity for DA detection even in the presence of higher concentration of common co-existing physiological interfering analytes.Additionally,proposed sensor demonstrated excellent performance in urine samples with promising reproducibility and stability.     

负载型钯催化剂用于氯代芳烃Suzuki交叉偶联反应的研究进展

Suzuki交叉偶联反应是一类典型的形成碳-碳单键的反应,是以金属钯(Pd)为催化剂,卤代芳烃与有机硼酸化合物进行的交叉偶联反应.相对于传统仅用价廉易得的氯代芳烃化合物为反应原料的Suzuki交叉偶联反应,负载型Pd催化剂有着催化高效、分离简便、可重复使用等优点.简述了不同载体负载的Pd催化剂对于氯代芳烃的Suzuki交叉偶联反应的研究进展.