Simulation of Channel Segregation During Directional Solidification of In—75 wt pct Ga. Qualitative Comparison with In Situ Observations

International audienceFreckles are common defects in industrial casting. They result from thermosolutal convection due to buoyancy forces generated from density variations in the liquid. The present paper proposes a numerical analysis for the formation of channel segregation using the three-dimensional (3D) cellular automaton (CA)—finite element (FE) model. The model integrates kinetics laws for the nucleation and growth of a microstructure with the solution of the conservation equations for the casting, while introducing an intermediate modeling scale for a direct representation of the envelope of the dendritic grains. Directional solidification of a cuboid cell is studied. Its geometry, the alloy chosen as well as the process parameters are inspired from experimental observations recently reported in the literature. Snapshots of the convective pattern, the solute distribution, and the morphology of the growth front are qualitatively compared. Similitudes are found when considering the coupled 3D CAFE simulations. Limitations of the model to reach direct simulation of the experiments are discussed

Pparγ2 Is a Key Driver of Longevity in the Mouse

Aging involves a progressive physiological remodeling that is controlled by both genetic and environmental factors. Many of these factors impact also on white adipose tissue (WAT), which has been shown to be a determinant of lifespan. Interrogating a transcriptional network for predicted causal regulatory interactions in a collection of mouse WAT from F2 crosses with a seed set of 60 known longevity genes, we identified a novel transcriptional subnetwork of 742 genes which represent thus-far-unknown longevity genes. Within this subnetwork, one gene was Pparg (Nr1c3), an adipose-enriched nuclear receptor previously not associated with longevity. In silico, both the PPAR signaling pathway and the transcriptional signature of Pparγ agonist rosiglitazone overlapped with the longevity subnetwork, while in vivo, lowered expression of Pparg reduced lifespan in both the lipodystrophic Pparg1/2-hypomorphic and the Pparg2-deficient mice. These results establish Pparγ2 as one of the determinants of longevity and suggest that lifespan may be rather determined by a purposeful genetic program than a random process

Nat Genet

The function of the majority of genes in the mouse and human genomes remains unknown. The mouse embryonic stem cell knockout resource provides a basis for the characterization of relationships between genes and phenotypes. The EUMODIC consortium developed and validated robust methodologies for the broad-based phenotyping of knockouts through a pipeline comprising 20 disease-oriented platforms. We developed new statistical methods for pipeline design and data analysis aimed at detecting reproducible phenotypes with high power. We acquired phenotype data from 449 mutant alleles, representing 320 unique genes, of which half had no previous functional annotation. We captured data from over 27,000 mice, finding that 83% of the mutant lines are phenodeviant, with 65% demonstrating pleiotropy. Surprisingly, we found significant differences in phenotype annotation according to zygosity. New phenotypes were uncovered for many genes with previously unknown function, providing a powerful basis for hypothesis generation and further investigation in diverse systems.Comment in : Genetic differential calculus. [Nat Genet. 2015] Comment in : Scaling up phenotyping studies. [Nat Biotechnol. 2015

Détermination des contraintes résiduelles par diffraction des rayons X dans des alliages d'aluminium utilisés dans l'industrie automobile

The influence of thermal treatment on mechanical stress state of Al alloy samples and cylinder head have been study by X ray diffraction. The experimental difficulties produced by an important grain size of the alloys led us to the optimization of the parameters of the X ray diffraction setup. The systematic study of the factors influence would imply a prohibitive number of experiments, whereas the methodology of Taguchi experiment plans allows a definition of each factor role and of optional conditions of the X ray diffraction setup with a very low number of experiments. Then the minimization of the uncertainty on stress results has been reached. In the case of cylinder head, after quench, the stress state is heterogeneous ($\rm -100MPa < \sigma < 0MPa$) and a strong anisotropy is evidenced. The thermal annealing generates an homogenization of the stress state and a decreasing of its amplitude. This is in good accordance with the results obtained from the thermo-mechanical model used.Cette étude s'inscrit dans le cadre de la maîtrise des procédés de traitement thermique des alliages d'aluminium utilisés dans l'industrie automobile. Nous avons caractérisé par diffraction des rayons X, l'état mécanique d'éprouvettes et de culasses en aluminium à différents stades de traitement. L'application de la méthodologie des plans d'expériences Taguchi, nous a permis d'optimiser les paramètres de mesures afin d'obtenir des valeurs de contraintes avec une très faible incertitude. Après trempe, le champ de contraintes est hétérogène ($-100 < \sigma < 0$MPa) et fortement anisotrope dans le cas des zones analysées sur culasse. Après revenu, on constate un abaissement moyen des contraintes de 40MPa ainsi qu'une homogénéisation de l'état mécanique. Ces résultats expérimentaux sont en bon accord avec le modèle thermo-mécanique utilisé