Characterization of surface films that develop on pre-oxidized copper in anoxic simulated groundwater with sulphide

Surface films formed on pre-oxidized copper in anoxic simulated groundwater with sulphide were characterized by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), open circuit potential (OCP) measurements, and via analysing the water chemistry and weight changes in the specimens. Additionally, films developed under identical conditions on pre-oxidized and ground copper specimens were characterized by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). The results revealed that the sulphide content in the groundwater significantly influences the morphology, composition and thickness of the surface film. The build-up of Cu2S was evidenced at the sulphide contents of 32 mg/L and 320 mg/L. GDOES depth profiling revealed that sulphur and oxygen coexisted in the film all through its thickness, yet the surface was essentially rich in sulphur. The results from characterization are presented in detail in this paper and discussed from the perspective of capabilities of the used methods

Penetration of corrosive species into copper exposed to simulated O2-free groundwater by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS)

ToF-SIMS analysis of copper samples after exposures to simulated groundwater with and without sulfide addition was performed to investigate the penetration of corrosive species containing H, S, O, and Cl, into copper. Depth profiles show extent of penetration and 2D/3D images reveal local elemental distribution of the corrosive species at different depths inside copper. Pre-oxidation did not reduce the penetration while sulfide additional in groundwater and exposure at 60 \ub0C significantly promoted the penetration. The extent of penetration of the corrosive species into copper demonstrates the need for risk assessment of complex corrosion forms such as sulfide-induced embrittlement and cracking

Geometric morphometrics defines shape differences in the cortical area map of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred mice

BACKGROUND: We previously described planar areal differences in adult mouse visual, somatosensory, and neocortex that collectively discriminated C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred strain identity. Here we use a novel application of established methods of two-dimensional geometric morphometrics to examine shape differences in the cortical area maps of these inbred strains. RESULTS: We used Procrustes superimposition to align a reliable set of landmarks in the plane of the cortical sheet from tangential sections stained for the cytochrome oxidase enzyme. Procrustes superimposition translates landmark configurations to a common origin, scales them to a common size, and rotates them to minimize an estimate of error. Remaining variation represents shape differences. We compared the variation in shape between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J relative to that within each strain using a permutation test of Goodall's F statistic. Significant differences in shape in the posterior medial barrel subfield (PMBSF), as well as differences in shape across primary sensory areas, characterize the cortical area maps of these common inbred, isogenic strains. CONCLUSION: C57BL/6J and DBA/2J have markedly different cortical area maps, in both size and shape. These differences suggest polymorphism in genetic factors underlying cortical specification, even between common isogenic strains. Comparing cortical phenotypes between normally varying inbred mice or between genetically modified mice can identify genetic contributions to cortical specification. Geometric morphometric analysis of shape represents an additional quantitative tool for the study of cortical development, regardless of whether it is studied from phenotype to gene or gene to phenotype

Corrosion challenges towards a sustainable society

A global transition towards more sustainable, affordable and reliable energy systems is being stimulated by the Paris Agreement and the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This poses a challenge for the corrosion industry, as building climate-resilient energy systems and infrastructures brings with it a long-term direction, so as a result the long-term behaviour of structural materials (mainly metals and alloys) becomes a major prospect. With this in mind "Corrosion Challenges Towards a Sustainable Society" presents a series of cases showing the importance of corrosion protection of metals and alloys in the development of energy production to further understand the science of corrosion, and bring the need for research and the consequences of corrosion into public and political focus. This includes emphasis on the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions, on the lifetime of infrastructures, implants, cultural heritage artefacts, and a variety of other topics

Dissection of a QTL Hotspot on Mouse Distal Chromosome 1 that Modulates Neurobehavioral Phenotypes and Gene Expression

A remarkably diverse set of traits maps to a region on mouse distal chromosome 1 (Chr 1) that corresponds to human Chr 1q21–q23. This region is highly enriched in quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control neural and behavioral phenotypes, including motor behavior, escape latency, emotionality, seizure susceptibility (Szs1), and responses to ethanol, caffeine, pentobarbital, and haloperidol. This region also controls the expression of a remarkably large number of genes, including genes that are associated with some of the classical traits that map to distal Chr 1 (e.g., seizure susceptibility). Here, we ask whether this QTL-rich region on Chr 1 (Qrr1) consists of a single master locus or a mixture of linked, but functionally unrelated, QTLs. To answer this question and to evaluate candidate genes, we generated and analyzed several gene expression, haplotype, and sequence datasets. We exploited six complementary mouse crosses, and combed through 18 expression datasets to determine class membership of genes modulated by Qrr1. Qrr1 can be broadly divided into a proximal part (Qrr1p) and a distal part (Qrr1d), each associated with the expression of distinct subsets of genes. Qrr1d controls RNA metabolism and protein synthesis, including the expression of ∼20 aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Qrr1d contains a tRNA cluster, and this is a functionally pertinent candidate for the tRNA synthetases. Rgs7 and Fmn2 are other strong candidates in Qrr1d. FMN2 protein has pronounced expression in neurons, including in the dendrites, and deletion of Fmn2 had a strong effect on the expression of few genes modulated by Qrr1d. Our analysis revealed a highly complex gene expression regulatory interval in Qrr1, composed of multiple loci modulating the expression of functionally cognate sets of genes