Tensile Properties and Microstructures of Laser-Formed Ti-6Al-4V

The room temperature tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy prepared under two different processing routes were evaluated and compared. One group of samples was prepared by conventional casting-forging-rolling into flat plates. The other group was prepared by using Triton\u27s Laser Free-Form Fabrication (LF3)(TM) processes, i.e., a laser was used to melt pre-alloyed powders of the required metallic composition as they were dropped onto a moveable substrate programmed to move in such a manner as to form a solid alloy plate. Five populations of Ti-6Al-4V were evaluated: a standard wrought form, an as-deposited form, a machined as-deposited form, a heat-treated as-deposited form, and a machined as-deposited and heat-treated form. The poorest mechanical properties occurred with the rough surfaces, likely due to existing microcracks and stress concentrations. The LF3 (TM) as-deposited material had mechanical properties comparable to, if not higher than, the mechanical properties of the wrought material. Further evaluations of the laser-formed material for complex spacecraft piece parts were warranted, specifically in regards to improving the surface finish of the materials

Strings in an arbitrary constant magnetic field with arbitrary constant metric and stringy form factors

We quantize the open string in an arbitrary constant magnetic field with a non factorized metric on a torus. We then discuss carefully the vertexes which describe the emission of dipole open strings and closed strings in the non compact limit. Finally we compute various stringy form factors which in the compact case induces a Kaehler and complex structure dependence and suppression of some amplitudes with KK states.Comment: 45 page

The effects of periconceptional maternal alcohol intake and a postnatal high-fat diet on obesity and liver disease in male and female rat offspring

The effects of maternal alcohol consumption around the time of conception on offspring are largely unknown and difficult to determine in a human population. This study utilized a rodent model to examine if periconceptional alcohol (PC:EtOH), alone or in combination with a postnatal high-fat diet (HFD) resulted in obesity and liver dysfunction. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control or ethanol-containing liquid diet (12.5% EtOH v/v) from 4 days prior to mating until 4 days of gestation (n=12/group). A subset of offspring was fed a HFD between 3-8 months of age. In males, PC:EtOH and HFD increased total body fat mass (PPC:EtOH&lt;0.05; PHFD&lt;0.0001), whereas in females, only HFD increased fat mass (PHFD&lt;0.0001). PC:EtOH increased microvesicular liver steatosis in male, but not female offspring. Plasma triglycerides, HDL and cholesterol were increased in PC:EtOH-exposed males (PPC:EtOH&lt;0.05); and LDL, cholesterol and leptin in PC:EtOH-exposed females (PPC:EtOH&lt;0.05). mRNA levels of Tnf-α and Lep in visceral adipose tissue were increased by PC:EtOH in both sexes (PPC:EtOH&lt;0.05) and IL-6 mRNA was increased in males (PPC:EtOH&lt;0.05). This was associated with reduced miR-26a expression, a known regulator of IL6 and TNFα. Alcohol exposure around conception increases obesity risk, alters plasma lipid and leptin profiles and induces liver steatosis in a sex-specific manner. These programmed phenotypes were similar to those caused by a postnatal HFD, particularly in male offspring. These results have implications for the health of offspring whose mothers consumed alcohol around the time of conception.</p

The effects of periconceptional maternal alcohol intake and a postnatal high-fat diet on obesity and liver disease in male and female rat offspring

The effects of maternal alcohol consumption around the time of conception on offspring are largely unknown and difficult to determine in a human population. This study utilized a rodent model to examine if periconceptional alcohol (PC:EtOH), alone or in combination with a postnatal high-fat diet (HFD) resulted in obesity and liver dysfunction. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control or ethanol-containing liquid diet (12.5% EtOH v/v) from 4 days prior to mating until 4 days of gestation (n=12/group). A subset of offspring was fed a HFD between 3-8 months of age. In males, PC:EtOH and HFD increased total body fat mass (PPC:EtOH<0.05; PHFD<0.0001), whereas in females, only HFD increased fat mass (PHFD<0.0001). PC:EtOH increased microvesicular liver steatosis in male, but not female offspring. Plasma triglycerides, HDL and cholesterol were increased in PC:EtOH-exposed males (PPC:EtOH<0.05); and LDL, cholesterol and leptin in PC:EtOH-exposed females (PPC:EtOH<0.05). mRNA levels of Tnf-α and Lep in visceral adipose tissue were increased by PC:EtOH in both sexes (PPC:EtOH<0.05) and IL-6 mRNA was increased in males (PPC:EtOH<0.05). This was associated with reduced miR-26a expression, a known regulator of IL6 and TNFα. Alcohol exposure around conception increases obesity risk, alters plasma lipid and leptin profiles and induces liver steatosis in a sex-specific manner. These programmed phenotypes were similar to those caused by a postnatal HFD, particularly in male offspring. These results have implications for the health of offspring whose mothers consumed alcohol around the time of conception