The void swelling behavior of a newly developed austenitic stainless steel with uniformly distributed nanosized NbC precipitates (ARES-6) and commercial 316 stainless steel was evaluated using the ...heavy ion irradiation. The 5 MeV Ni3+ ion was irradiated at 500 °C to a dose of 8.5 dpa with a dose rate of 1.8 × 10−3 dpa/s at 600 nm from the surface. Measured at 600 nm region, ARES-6 showed nearly seven times less swelling compared to that of 316 stainless steel. By comparing the swelling for the solution annealed and hot-rolled ARES-6, it was confirmed that NbC precipitates as well as high Ni content contributed to the improved swelling resistance of the alloy. The dissolution of nanosized NbC precipitates during irradiation was observed, which could be the reason for the large discrepancy between estimated and observed swelling resistance of ARES-6.
The buildup of corrosion deposits, known as fouling, seriously hinders large-scale energy production. From nuclear power plants to geothermal reservoirs, fouling increases system pressure drops, ...impedes heat transfer, and accelerates corrosion, leading to derating and early failure. Here, we investigate the collodial interactions between multiple foulants and coated surfaces, with the aim of discovering principles for minimizing the adhesion of foulants to them. We hypothesize that matching the full refractive index spectrum of a coating to its surrounding fluid minimizes the adhesion of all foulants entrained within and that the Lifshitz theory is sufficient to predict which materials will be multi-foulant-resistant. First-principle calculations of Hamaker constants and refractive indices of six foulants on six coatings in water correlate well to direct measurements of adhesion by atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy. Amorphous 2% fluorine-doped tin oxide, crystalline SiO2, CaF2, and Na3AlF6, which all nearly match the refractive index spectrum of water, successfully resisted adhesion of six diverse foulant materials in aqueous AFM measurements. The validation of this design principle may be expanded to design multi-fouling-resistant coatings for any system in which van der Waals forces are the dominant adhesion mechanism.
•We show how many materials aging issues exhibit hallmarks of mesoscale science.•Combining theory, multiscale simulation, and experiments yields new insights.•Colloidal flow and radiation void ...swelling are given as illustrative examples.•These approaches can apply broadly to solve longstanding issues in materials aging.
The complexity of materials aging may be seen as a result of the interplay between several activation processes operating on multiple spatial and temporal scales. Though the disciplines involved may seem disparate at first, material aging fundamentally could be linked by the same set of underlying activations and responses of the system. We examine how recent studies of shear-induced deformation and rheological flow initiated in the soft-matter community can be leveraged to probe the mechanisms of radiation damage in nuclear materials. Bridging these two traditionally separate areas of research demonstrates the emerging notions of mesoscale science as a research frontier concerned with linking macroscale behavior to microscale processes in driven systems. We suggest the combining of microstructure-sensitive measurements with fundamental theories and mechanism-specific simulations is essential to addressing metastable materials responses of strongly activated states.
Outcome selection underpins clinical trial interpretation. Inconsistency in outcome selection and reporting hinders comparison of different trials' results, reducing the utility of research findings.
...We conducted an iterative consensus process to develop a set of Core Outcome Measures for Perioperative and Anaesthetic Care (COMPAC), following the established Core Outcome Measures for Effectiveness Trials (COMET) methodology. First, we undertook a systematic review of RCTs in high-impact journals to describe current outcome reporting trends. We then surveyed patients, carers, researchers, and perioperative clinicians about important outcomes after surgery. Finally, a purposive stakeholder sample participated in a modified Delphi process to develop a core outcome set for perioperative and anaesthesia trials.
Our systematic review revealed widespread inconsistency in outcome reporting, with variable or absent definitions, levels of detail, and temporal criteria. In the survey, almost all patients, carers, and clinicians rated clinical outcome measures critically important, but clinicians rated patient-centred outcomes less highly than patients and carers. The final core outcome set was: (i) mortality/survival (postoperative mortality, long-term survival); (ii) perioperative complications (major postoperative complications/adverse events; complications/adverse events causing permanent harm); (iii) resource use (length of hospital stay, unplanned readmission within 30 days); (iv) short-term recovery (discharge destination, level of dependence, or both); and (v) longer-term recovery (overall health-related quality of life).
This core set, incorporating important outcomes for both clinicians and patients, should guide outcome selection in future perioperative medicine or anaesthesia trials. Mapping these alongside standardised endpoint definitions will yield a comprehensive perioperative outcome framework.
Nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) is a major constituent of the corrosion deposits formed on the exterior of nuclear fuel cladding tubes during operation. NiFe2O4 has attracted much recent interest, mainly ...due to the impact of these deposits, known as CRUD, on the operation of commercial nuclear reactors. Although advances have been made in modeling CRUD nucleation and growth under a wide range of conditions, the thermophysical properties of NiFe2O4 at high temperatures have only been approximated, thereby limiting the accuracy of such models. In this study, samples of NiFe2O4 were synthesized to provide the thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity, and thermal expansion data from room temperature to 1300 K. These results were then used to determine thermal conductivity. Numerical fits are provided to facilitate ongoing modeling efforts. The Curie temperature determined through these measurements was in slight disagreement with literature values. Transmission electron microscopy investigation of multiple NiFe2O4 samples revealed that minor nonstoichiometry was likely responsible for variations in the Curie temperature. However, these small changes in composition did not impact the thermal conductivity of NiFe2O4, and thus are not expected to play a large role in governing reactor performance.
Angiogenesis is essential for cancer metastasis, thus the discovery and characterization of molecules that inhibit this process is important. Thalidomide is a teratogenic drug which is known to ...inhibit angiogenesis and effectively inhibit cancer metastasis, yet the specific cellular targets for its effect are not well known. We discovered that CUL5 (previously identified as VACM-1), a scaffold protein in E3 ligase complexes, is involved in thalidomide-dependent inhibition of endothelial cell growth. Our results show that in human endothelial cells (HUVEC), thalidomide-dependent decrease in cell growth was associated with decreased nuclear localization of CUL5. In HUVEC transfected with anti-VACM-1 siRNA, thalidomide failed to decrease cell growth. Previously it was established that the antiproliferative effect of CUL5 is inhibited in rat endothelial cells (RAMEC) transfected with mutated CUL5 which is constitutively modified by NEDD8, a ubiquitin-like protein. In this study, the antiproliferative response to thalidomide was compromised in RAMEC expressing mutated CUL5. These results suggest that CUL5 protein is involved in the thalidomide-dependent regulation of cellular proliferation in vitro. Consequently, CUL5 may be an important part of the mechanism for thalidomide-dependent inhibition of cellular proliferation, as well as a novel biomarker for predicting a response to thalidomide for the treatment of disorders such as multiple myeloma and HIV infection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Targeted irradiation of nanostructures by a finely focused ion beam provides routes to improved control of material modification and understanding of the physics of interactions between ion beams and ...nanomaterials. Here, we studied radiation damage in crystalline diamond and silicon nanostructures using a focused helium ion beam, with the former exhibiting extremely long-range ion propagation and large plastic deformation in a process visibly analogous to blow forming. We report the dependence of damage morphology on material, geometry, and irradiation conditions (ion dose, ion energy, ion species, and location). We anticipate that our method and findings will not only improve the understanding of radiation damage in isolated nanostructures, but will also support the design of new engineering materials and devices for current and future applications in nanotechnology.
OBJECTIVE:To determine the impact of tumor characteristics and treatment approach on (1) local recurrence, (2) scoliosis development and (3) patient-reported quality of life in children with sarcoma ...of the chest wall.
SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA:Children with chest wall sarcoma require multimodal therapy including chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation. Despite aggressive therapy which places them at risk for functional impairment and scoliosis, these patients are also at significant risk for local recurrence.
METHODS:A multi-institutional review of 175 children (median age 13 years) with chest wall sarcoma treated at seventeen Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative institutions between 2008-2017 was performed. Patient-reported quality of life was assessed prospectively using PROMIS surveys.
RESULTS:The most common diagnoses were Ewing sarcoma (67%) and osteosarcoma (9%). Surgical resection was performed in 85% and radiation in 55%. A median of 2 ribs were resected (IQR = 1–3), and number of ribs resected did not correlate with margin status (p = 0.36). Local recurrence occurred in 23% and margin status was the only predictive factor (HR 2.24, p = 0.039). With a median follow-up of 5 years, 13% developed scoliosis (median Cobb angle 26) and 5% required corrective spine surgery. Scoliosis was associated with posterior rib resection (HR 8.43; p = 0.003) and increased number of ribs resected (HR 1.78; p = 0.02). Overall, patient-reported quality of life is not impaired following chest wall tumor resection.
CONCLUSIONS:Local recurrence occurs in one-quarter of children with chest wall sarcoma and is independent of tumor type. Scoliosis occurs in 13% of patients, but patient-reported quality of life is excellent.
We used a large-scale, high-throughput DNA aptamer-based discovery proteomic platform to identify circulating biomarkers of cardiac remodeling and incident heart failure (HF) in community-dwelling ...individuals.
We evaluated 1895 FHS (Framingham Heart Study) participants (age 55±10 years, 54% women) who underwent proteomic profiling and echocardiography. Plasma levels of 1305 proteins were related to echocardiographic traits and to incident HF using multivariable regression. Statistically significant protein-HF associations were replicated in the HUNT (Nord-Trøndelag Health) study (n=2497, age 63±10 years, 43% women), and results were meta-analyzed. Genetic variants associated with circulating protein levels (pQTLs) were related to echocardiographic traits in the EchoGen (n=30 201) and to incident HF in the CHARGE (n=20 926) consortia.
Seventeen proteins associated with echocardiographic traits in cross-sectional analyses (false discovery rate <0.10), and 8 of these proteins had pQTLs associated with echocardiographic traits in EchoGen (
<0.0007). In Cox models adjusted for clinical risk factors, 29 proteins demonstrated associations with incident HF in FHS (174 HF events, mean follow-up 19 limits, 0.2-23.7 years). In meta-analyses of FHS and HUNT, 6 of these proteins were associated with incident HF (
<3.8×10
; 3 with higher risk: NT-proBNP N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide, TSP2 thrombospondin-2, MBL mannose-binding lectin; and 3 with lower risk: ErbB1 epidermal growth factor receptor, GDF-11/8 growth differentiation factor-11/8, and RGMC hemojuvelin). For 5 of the 6 proteins, pQTLs were associated with echocardiographic traits (
<0.0006) in EchoGen, and for RGMC, a protein quantitative trait loci was associated with incident HF (
=0.001).
A large-scale proteomics approach identified new predictors of cardiac remodeling and incident HF. Future studies are warranted to elucidate how biological pathways represented by these proteins may mediate cardiac remodeling and HF risk and to assess if these proteins can improve HF risk prediction.
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