Annealing effect on the Fracture Toughness of CrN/TiN Superlattice Systems

Coherently grown nanolayered thin films are generally known for their superior mechanical properties, compared to their monolithically grown constituents. Recently, we have shown that CrN/TiN superlattice films exhibit a bilayer period dependent peak in fracture toughness KIC. We propose that a dominating factor influencing these mechanical properties is the interface constitution between the layers. To proof this concept we modified the interfaces of CrN/TiN superlattice thin films with a bilayer period Λ of 9 and 18 nm by vacuum annealing experiments at different temperatures. This treatment promotes interdiffusion between CrN and TiN layers, leading to the formation of “blurred” interfaces and further on to interphases (CrN and TiN form a solid solution), as well as the reduction of coherency strains in the interface region. To calculate the fracture toughness of our hard coatings, we performed in-situ micromechanical cantilever bending tests on the ex-situ vacuum annealed samples. As expected for coatings without an age hardening effect, the hardness H decreases with increasing annealing temperature for both superlattice systems. For Λ = 9 nm the fracture toughness experiences a similar reduction following predictions given by the empirical H/E criteria. However, the coating with Λ = 18 nm does not follow this criteria and exhibits a peak in fracture toughness for an annealing temperature of Ta = 700 °C

Validation of a Method to Prepare Artificial Chylomicron Remnant-like Particles

1 página. Proceedings and Abstracts of the 2nd International Symposium on Chylomicrons in Disease-2 (ISCD2)Resumen póster.Peer reviewe

Corn response to two fertilization rates under SW Spain conditions

12 pages, 8 tables, 15 references.Corn cv. PRISMA response (growth, plant composition, and yield) was studied in relation to two fertilizer treatments: the high rate used in irrigated fields in SW Spain (1000 kg/ha 15–15–15 fertilizer plus two applications of 400 kg urea (46%N)/ha); and the same reduced to one‐third. Plant height ( 290 cm), specific leaf area (0.018 m2/g), ear weight (210 g), kernel weight per ear (185 g), and estimated yield (16 Mg/ha) were similar with both treatments. Plant nutrient contents were similar in the leaf level, with both treatments, although the N content of stalk and kernel (at harvest) were higher (P<0.05) when the high fertilization dose was applied. DRIS indices presented N and S as the more balanced nutrients, and in general the P and Mg contents were comparatively low, and Ca and K comparatively high. Amounts of N and P removed by corn (above‐ground part) were higher than those fertilized at the lower rate. Removed K was considerably higher than the loaded amount, whichever rate of fertilization was considered. When fertilized with a comparatively low rate (for irrigated regimes in SW Spain), the natural reserves of the previously fertilized sandy loam soil used in the assay contributed to achieve a high yield with a high‐yielding corn crop.Research carried out in the framework of the contract Nº STEPCT90-0032-C (DSCN) of the CE.Peer reviewe

Stroke genetics informs drug discovery and risk prediction across ancestries

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke — the second leading cause of death worldwide — were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry1,2. Here, in cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of 110,182 patients who have had a stroke (five ancestries, 33% non-European) and 1,503,898 control individuals, we identify association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci: 60 in primary inverse-variance-weighted analyses and 29 in secondary meta-regression and multitrait analyses. On the basis of internal cross-ancestry validation and an independent follow-up in 89,084 additional cases of stroke (30% non-European) and 1,013,843 control individuals, 87% of the primary stroke risk loci and 60% of the secondary stroke risk loci were replicated (P < 0.05). Effect sizes were highly correlated across ancestries. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping, in silico mutagenesis analysis3, and transcriptome-wide and proteome-wide association analyses revealed putative causal genes (such as SH3PXD2A and FURIN) and variants (such as at GRK5 and NOS3). Using a three-pronged approach4, we provide genetic evidence for putative drug effects, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as possible targets, with drugs already under investigation for stroke for F11 and PROC. A polygenic score integrating cross-ancestry and ancestry-specific stroke GWASs with vascular-risk factor GWASs (integrative polygenic scores) strongly predicted ischaemic stroke in populations of European, East Asian and African ancestry5. Stroke genetic risk scores were predictive of ischaemic stroke independent of clinical risk factors in 52,600 clinical-trial participants with cardiometabolic disease. Our results provide insights to inform biology, reveal potential drug targets and derive genetic risk prediction tools across ancestries

Pathogenetic Implications of BRAF Mutation Distribution in Stage IV Melanoma Patients

Background: BRAF mutation frequencies in melanoma subtypes have clinical implications and offer pathogenetic clues. Objectives: To characterize BRAF mutation status in melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) patients, in histological melanoma subtypes and by localization of primary tumors. Methods: In 179 patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma, BRAF mutation status, histological subtype and localization of primary (except for 29 MUP patients) were analyzed. Results: BRAF mutations were found in 44.3%, of which 80.5% were BRAF V600E and 19.5% showed non-V600E BRAF mutations. BRAF mutation frequency depended on histological subtype (57.4% superficial spreading melanoma, 54.7% nodular melanoma, 11.1% mucosal melanoma, 28.6% acral lentiginous melanoma) and concerning non-V600E BRAF mutations on localization of primary. In MUP the BRAF mutation pattern resembled superficial spreading and nodular melanomas. Conclusion: BRAF mutation frequencies depend on histological subtype and localization of primary melanoma. Non-V600E BRAF mutations mostly occur in patients with primaries on ‘head and neck' as well as ‘trunk' but not on ‘extremities'

Thermal stability of macroparticles in Ti0.27Al0.21N0.52 coatings

The presence of macroparticles in cathodic arc evaporated coatings is considered to be one major drawback of this synthesis method. We demonstrate with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) that the thermal stability of a macroparticle in the industrial benchmark coating (Ti,Al)N does not limit the overall coating thermal stability up to 1000 °C because metal-rich macroparticles exhibit a higher thermal stability than the c-(Ti,Al)N matrix. It is shown that the superior stability of the macroparticle is enabled by the self-organized formation of a c-TiN based diffusion barrier shell around the macroparticle

Crystallite size-dependent metastable phase formation of TiAlN coatings

Abstract It is well known that surface energy differences thermodynamically stabilize nanocrystalline γ-Al2O3 over α-Al2O3. Here, through correlative ab initio calculations and advanced material characterization at the nanometer scale, we demonstrate that the metastable phase formation of nanocrystalline TiAlN, an industrial benchmark coating material, is crystallite size-dependent. By relating calculated surface and volume energy contributions to the total energy, we predict the chemical composition-dependent phase boundary between the two metastable solid solution phases of cubic and wurzite Ti1−xAlxN. This phase boundary is characterized by the critical crystallite size d critical . Crystallite size-dependent phase stability predictions are in very good agreement with experimental phase formation data where x was varied by utilizing combinatorial vapor phase condensation. The wide range of critical Al solubilities for metastable cubic Ti1−xAlxN from x max = 0.4 to 0.9 reported in literature and the sobering disagreement thereof with DFT predictions can at least in part be rationalized based on the here identified crystallite size-dependent metastable phase formation. Furthermore, it is evident that predictions of critical Al solubilities in metastable cubic TiAlN are flawed, if the previously overlooked surface energy contribution to the total energy is not considered

Monitoring treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation by phase resolved Doppler OCT

Purpose : In contrast to most conventional imaging techniques, Doppler OCT is able to provide depth-resolved information about intra- and transretinal blood flow non-invasively. We performed an exploratory prospective, observational cohort study to evaluate Doppler OCT for monitoring the effect of treatment in patients with retinal angiomatous proliferation (type 3 CNV). Methods : Twelve treatment-naïve patients were included, with a median age of 79 years (range 65-90). They were diagnosed with type 3 CNV based on fundus examination, fluorescein angiography and indocyanine-green angiography. Patients were additionally imaged with an experimental 1040 nm swept-source phase resolved Doppler OCT instrument before and after treatment. Patients were treated with either intravitreal bevacizumab or triamcinolone injection(s) with or without photodynamic therapy (PDT). Abnormal blood flow after treatment was defined as unchanged, decreased or absent. Results : Good quality Doppler OCT images before and after treatment could be obtained in 9 patients. After the first treatment series the type 3 CNV lesion was absent in 7 patients, in 1 patient the Doppler OCT depicted decreased flow in the lesion and 1 patient showed unchanged abnormal blood flow. Only in 1 out of 4 patients complete resolution was seen after a single bevacizumab injection. Combined therapy of bevacizumab with PDT showed complete resolution in 5 out of 5 patients (see figure). Conclusions : Doppler OCT is able to detect changes in abnormal blood flow after treatment of type 3 CNV. This type of imaging may become an important non-invasive monitoring tool for optimizing treatment strategies in type 3 CNV patients and possibly in other types of macular degeneration