Better surface finish is believed to be one of the most important benefits of ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling. Many studies have shown that this benefit is most significant during slot-milling ...of a part when the vibration is applied in feed direction. To explicitly explain this phenomenon, an analytical model is proposed to predict surface roughness based on the trajectory of tool and the response of machined surface. The overall machined surface profile under tool trajectory depends on the tool tip movement, in addition to the tool deformation under cutting force and tool tip geometry. The movement of tool tip is governed by feed, spindle rotation, and ultrasonic vibration. The tool deformation depends on the milling force and stiffness. The geometry of tool tip is characterized by the tip radius and angle. Besides surface profile under tool trajectory, the response of machined surface is considered by assuming pure elastic deformation when the actual instantaneous cutting thickness is smaller than a critical value. In that case, part of the material is recovered so the actual machined surface profile is different from the profile under tool trajectory only. Surface roughness is then calculated based on the actual surface profile. Experiments are conducted on Aluminum alloy in both conventional and ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling under different spindle speed, feed, and vibration amplitude. Through the comparison between the analytical predictions and experimental measurements, the proposed model has high accuracy in all cases with average percentage error of 15%.
The strength of polycrystalline materials increases with decreasing grain size. Below a critical size, smaller grains might lead to softening, as suggested by atomistic simulations. The strongest ...size should arise at a transition in deformation mechanism from lattice dislocation activities to grain boundary-related processes. We investigated the maximum strength of nanotwinned copper samples with different twin thicknesses. We found that the strength increases with decreasing twin thickness, reaching a maximum at 15 nanometers, followed by a softening at smaller values that is accompanied by enhanced strain hardening and tensile ductility. The strongest twin thickness originates from a transition in the yielding mechanism from the slip transfer across twin boundaries to the activity of preexisting easy dislocation sources.
Excessive or insufficient application of fertilizer has raised broader concerns regarding soil and environmental degradation. One-time application of slow release fertilizer (SF) has been widely used ...to reduce yield gap with potential maize yield and improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). A 2-year field experiment (2018–2019) was conducted to evaluate the effects of SF rates from 0 to 405 kg N ha–1 (named F0, SF225, SF270, SF315, SF360, and SF405) and 405 kg N ha–1 of common fertilizer (CF405) on the grain yield, biomass and N accumulation, enzymatic activities related with carbon–nitrogen metabolism, NUE and economic analysis. Results indicated that the highest grain yields, NUEs and economic returns were achieved at SF360 in both varieties. The enzymatic activities related with carbon–nitrogen metabolism, pre- and post-silking accumulation of biomass and N increased with increasing SF rate, and they were the highest at SF360 and SF405. The grain yield at SF360 had no significant difference with that at SF405. However, the N partial factor productivity, N agronomic efficiency and N recovery efficiency at SF360 were 9.8, 6.6 and 8.9% higher than that at SF405. The results also indicated that the average grain yields, NUE and economic benefit at SF405 were 5.2, 12.3 and 18.1% higher than that at CF405. In conclusion, decreasing N rate from 405 kg ha–1 (CF) to 360 kg ha–1 (SF) could effectively reduce the yield gap between realized and potential maize yields. The N decreased by 11.1%, but the yield, NUE and economic benefit increased by 3.2, 22.2 and 17.5%, which created a simple, efficient and business-friendly system for spring maize production in Jiangsu Province, China.
Metals with a high density of nanometre-scale twins have demonstrated simultaneous high strength and good ductility, attributed to the interaction between lattice dislocations and twin boundaries. ...Maximum strength was observed at a critical twin lamella spacing (∼15 nm) by mechanical testing; hence, an explanation of how twin lamella spacing influences dislocation behaviours is desired. Here, we report a transition of dislocation nucleation from steps on the twin boundaries to twin boundary/grain boundary junctions at a critical twin lamella spacing (12-37 nm), observed with in situ transmission electron microscopy. The local stress concentrations vary significantly with twin lamella spacing, thus resulting in a critical twin lamella spacing (∼18 nm) for the transition of dislocation nucleation. This agrees quantitatively with the mechanical test. These results demonstrate that by quantitatively analysing local stress concentrations, a direct relationship can be resolved between the microscopic dislocation activities and macroscopic mechanical properties of nanotwinned metals.
Rapid and accurate access to large-scale, high-resolution crop-type distribution maps is important for agricultural management and sustainable agricultural development. Due to the limitations of ...remote sensing image quality and data processing capabilities, large-scale crop classification is still challenging. This study aimed to map the distribution of crops in Heilongjiang Province using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images. We obtained Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images from all the covered study areas in the critical period for crop growth in 2018 (May to September), combined monthly composite images of reflectance bands, vegetation indices and polarization bands as input features, and then performed crop classification using a Random Forest (RF) classifier. The results show that the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 monthly composite images combined with the RF classifier can accurately generate the crop distribution map of the study area, and the overall accuracy (OA) reached 89.75%. Through experiments, we also found that the classification performance using time-series images is significantly better than that using single-period images. Compared with the use of traditional bands only (i.e., the visible and near-infrared bands), the addition of shortwave infrared bands can improve the accuracy of crop classification most significantly, followed by the addition of red-edge bands. Adding common vegetation indices and Sentinel-1 data to the crop classification improved the overall classification accuracy and the OA by 0.2 and 0.6%, respectively, compared to using only the Sentinel-2 reflectance bands. The analysis of timeliness revealed that when the July image is available, the increase in the accuracy of crop classification is the highest. When the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images for May, June, and July are available, an OA greater than 80% can be achieved. The results of this study are applicable to large-scale, high-resolution crop classification and provide key technologies for remote sensing-based crop classification in small-scale agricultural areas.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients have a poor prognosis, with invasion and metastasis as major causes of mortality. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway regulates a ...wide range of cellular processes crucial for tumorigenesis, and PIK3CA amplification and mutation are among the most common genetic alterations in human HNSCC. Compared with the well-documented roles of the PI3K pathway in cell growth and survival, the roles of the PI3K pathway in tumor invasion and metastasis have not been well delineated. We generated a PIK3CA genetically engineered mouse model (PIK3CA-GEMM) in which wild-type PIK3CA is overexpressed in head and neck epithelium. Although PIK3CA overexpression alone was not sufficient to initiate HNSCC formation, it significantly increased tumor susceptibility in an oral carcinogenesis mouse model. PIK3CA overexpression in mouse oral epithelium increased tumor invasiveness and metastasis by increasing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and by enriching a cancer stem cell phenotype in tumor epithelial cells. In addition to these epithelial alterations, we also observed marked inflammation in tumor stroma. AKT is a central signaling mediator of the PI3K pathway. However, molecular analysis suggested that progression of PIK3CA-driven HNSCC is facilitated by 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase (PDK1) and enhanced transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling rather than by AKT. Examination of human HNSCC clinical samples revealed that both PIK3CA and PDK1 protein levels correlated with tumor progression, highlighting the significance of this pathway. In summary, our results offer significant insight into how PIK3CA overexpression drives HNSCC invasion and metastasis, providing a rationale for targeting PI3K/PDK1 and TGFβ signaling in advanced HNSCC patients with PIK3CA amplification.
Objective
Female C57BL/6 mice exhibit less severe chondropathy than male mice. This study was undertaken to test the robustness of this observation and explore underlying mechanisms.
Methods
...Osteoarthritis was induced in male and female C57BL/6 or DBA/1 mice (n = 6–15 per group) by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) or partial meniscectomy (PMX). Some mice were ovariectomized (OVX) (n = 30). In vivo repair after focal cartilage defect or joint immobilization (sciatic neurectomy) following DMM was assessed. Histologic analysis, evaluation of gene expression in whole knees, and behavioral analysis using Laboratory Animal Behavior Observation Registration and Analysis System (LABORAS) and Linton incapacitance testing (n = 7–10 mice per group) were performed.
Results
Female mice displayed less severe chondropathy (20–75% reduction) across both strains and after both surgeries. Activity levels after PMX were similar for male and female mice. Some repair‐associated genes were increased in female mouse joints after surgery, but no repair differences were evident in vivo. Despite reduced chondropathy, female mice developed pain‐like behavior at the same time as male mice. At the time of established pain‐like behavior (10 weeks after PMX), pain‐associated genes were significantly up‐regulated in female mice, including Gdnf (mean ± SEM fold change 2.54 ± 0.30), Nrtn (6.71 ± 1.24), Ntf3 (1.92 ± 0.27), and Ntf5 (2.89 ± 0.48) (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, and P < 0.001, respectively, versus male mice). Inflammatory genes were not regulated in painful joints in mice of either sex.
Conclusion
We confirm strong structural joint protection in female mice that is not due to activity or intrinsic repair differences. Female mice develop pain at the same time as males, but induce a distinct set of neurotrophins. We speculate that heightened pain sensitivity in female mice protects the joint by preventing overuse.
This study demonstrates that electrodes in a bioelectrochemical system (BES) can potentially serve as a nonexhaustible electron acceptor for in situ bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil. ...The deployment of BES not only eliminates aeration or supplement of electron acceptors as in contemporary bioremediation but also significantly shortens the remediation period and produces sustainable electricity. More interestingly, the study reveals that microbial metabolism and community structure distinctively respond to the bioelectrochemically enhanced remediation. Tubular BESs with carbon cloth anode (CCA) or biochar anode (BCA) were inserted into raw water saturated soils containing petroleum hydrocarbons for enhancing in situ remediation. Results show that total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal rate almost doubled in soils close to the anode (63.5–78.7%) than that in the open circuit positive controls (37.6–43.4%) during a period of 64 days. The maximum current density from the BESs ranged from 73 to 86 mA/m2. Comprehensive microbial and chemical characterizations and statistical analyses show that the residual TPH has a strongly positive correlation with hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms (HDM) numbers, dehydrogenase activity, and lipase activity and a negative correlation with soil pH, conductivity, and catalase activity. Distinctive microbial communities were identified at the anode, in soil with electrodes, and soil without electrodes. Uncommon electrochemically active bacteria capable of hydrocarbon degradation such as Comamonas testosteroni, Pseudomonas putida, and Ochrobactrum anthropi were selectively enriched on the anode, while hydrocarbon oxidizing bacteria were dominant in soil samples. Results from genus or phylum level characterizations well agree with the data from cluster analysis. Data from this study suggests that a unique constitution of microbial communities may play a key role in BES enhancement of petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation in soils.
The imprinted, developmentally regulated H19 long noncoding RNA has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diverse human cancers, but the underlying mechanisms have remained poorly understood. Here, ...we report that H19 promotes tumor cell migration and invasion by inhibiting let-7, a potent tumor suppressor microRNA that functions to posttranscriptionally suppress the expression of oncogenes that regulate cell growth and motility. We show that H19 depletion impairs, whereas its overexpression enhances the motility and invasiveness of tumor cells. These phenomena occur, at least in part through affecting let-7-mediated regulation of metastasis-promoting genes, including Hmga2, c-Myc and Igf2bp3. This H19/let-7-dependent regulation is recapitulated in vivo where co-expressions of oncogenes and H19 exist in both primary human ovarian and endometrial cancers. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the anti-diabetic drug metformin inhibits tumor cell migration and invasion, partly by downregulating H19 via DNA methylation. Our results reveal a novel mechanism underpinning H19-mediated regulation in metastasis and may explain why in some cases increased let-7 expression unexpectedly correlates with poor prognosis, given the widely accepted role for let-7 as a tumor suppressor. Targeting this newly identified pathway might offer therapeutic opportunities.
Optimal planting density and proper fertilization method are important factors to improve maize yield and nutrient utilization. A two-year (2016 and 2017) field experiment was conducted with three ...plant densities (6.0, 7.5 and 9.0 plants m–2) and three fertilization modes (no fertilizer, 0F; one-off application of slow-released fertilizer, SF; twice application of conventional fertilizer, CF). Results indicated that the grain yields and N, P and K use efficiencies under SF with the optimal planting density (7.5 plants m–2) were the highest among all the treatments in 2016 and 2017. Compared with CF, SF could increase post-silking dry matter accumulation and promote N, P and K uptake at pre- and post-silking stages; this treatment increased grain N, P and K concentrations and resulted in high N, P and K use efficiencies. Nutrient (N, P and K) absorption efficiencies and partial productivity, and nutrient (N and P) recovery efficiency in SF treatment were significantly higher than those in CF treatments under the planting density of 7.5 plants m–2. Under both SF and CF conditions, the grain yield, total N accumulation and nutrient use efficiencies initially increased, peaked at planting density of 7.5 plants m–2, and then decreased with increasing plant density. Based on the yield and nutrient use efficiency in two years, plant density of 7.5 plants m–2 with SF can improve both the grain yield and N, P and K use efficiency of spring maize in Jiangsu Province, China.
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