Differential response and withdrawal profile of glucocorticoid-treated human trabecular meshwork cells

The goal of the study was to examine secreted protein response and withdrawal profiles from cultured human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells following short- and long-term glucocorticoid treatment. Primary cultures of five human HTM cell strains isolated from 5 different individual donor eyes were tested. Confluent HTM cells were differentiated in culture media containing 1% FBS for at least one week, and then treated with Dexamethasone (Dex, 100 nM) 3 times/week for 1 or 4 weeks. Cell culture supernatant was collected 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Secretion profiles of myocilin (MYOC), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and fibronectin (FN) were determined by Western blot analysis and MMP2 activity by zymography. Dex treatment reduced MMP2 expression and activity, returning to normal levels shortly after Dex withdrawal in 5 HTM cell strains. All five cell strains significantly upregulated MYOC in response to Dex treatment by an average of 17-fold, but recovery to basal levels after Dex withdrawal took vastly different periods of time depending on cell strain and treatment duration. Dex treatment significantly increased FN secretion in all strains but one, which decreased FN secretion in the presence of Dex. Interestingly, secretion of FN and MYOC negatively correlated during a 4 week recovery period following 4 weeks of Dex treatment. Taken together, the time course and magnitude of response and recovery for three different secreted, extracellular matrix-associated proteins varied greatly between HTM cell strains, which may underlie susceptibility to glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension

Effects of Hot-Hydrostatic Canned Extrusion on the Stock Utilization, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TiBw/TC4 Composites with Quasi-Continuous Network

In-situ TiB whisker-reinforced Ti–6Al–4V (TC4) titanium matrix composites (TiBw/TC4) with quasi-continuous networks were successfully fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing sintering. The effects of the hot-hydrostatic canned extrusion on stock utilization, microstructure and mechanical properties of the TiBw/TC4 composites were investigated. It was satisfactory that the utilization of composites could be obviously improved by canned extrusion compared to that extruded without canned extrusion. The microstructure results showed that after canned extrusion the grain was refined and the TiB whiskers were distributed from a random array state to a state in which the whiskers were distributed along the extrusion direction. The properties testing results revealed that the tensile strength, the hardness and the ductility of the composites all significantly improved after extrusion due to the grain refinement and orientation of the TiB whisker caused by extrusion. Tensile fracture results showed that when the TiB whiskers were randomly distributed only part of them played a role in strengthening the matrix during the deformation process (as-sintered composites), while when the TiB whiskers were oriented all whiskers could strengthen the matrix during the tensile testing process (as-extruded composites)

The Sticking Out Mechanism and Growth of TiB Whiskers from TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V Composites during Sintering

The process of TiB whiskers (TiBw) squeezed out and the growth of sticking out TiBw were investigated in TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V composites via adding 5 vol% TiB2 powders. TiB2 distributed along the surface of Ti-6Al-4V powders by low energy milling, resulted in the enrichment region of B and Ti elements. During sintering, TiBw nucleated and grew along the [010] direction with the diffusion of B and Ti atoms in the enrichment region. Due to larger thermal expansion ratio of TiBw, the TiBw were squeezed out from the Ti matrix, and the sticking out TiBw grew gradually with the diffusion of B and Ti atoms from the enrichment region. Because of the high interfacial strength between TiBw and Ti matrix, the matrix adhered to TiBw, and hindered the squeezing out of TiBw. Eventually, the cone TiBw stuck out the Ti matrix, and the other end of TiBw pinned in Ti matrix. Moreover, the diameter of TiBw near surface between TiB2 and Ti matrix was larger than other areas, resulting from the high concentration of B and Ti atoms. The solubilized B atoms near TiBw were absorbed by TiBw, which was considered as the other B source of TiBw

Room-Temperature and High-Temperature Tensile Mechanical Properties of TA15 Titanium Alloy and TiB Whisker-Reinforced TA15 Matrix Composites Fabricated by Vacuum Hot-Pressing Sintering

In this paper, the microstructure, the room-temperature and high-temperature tensile mechanical properties of monolithic TA15 alloy and TiB whisker-reinforced TA15 titanium matrix composites (TiBw/TA15) fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing sintering were investigated. The microstructure results showed that there were no obvious differences in the microstructure between monolithic TA15 alloy and TiBw/TA15 composites, except whether or not the grain boundaries contained TiBw. After sintering, the matrix microstructure presented a typical Widmanstätten structure and the size of primary β grain was consistent with the size of spherical TA15 titanium metallic powders. This result demonstrated that TiBw was not the only factor limiting grain coarsening of the primary β grain. Moreover, the grain coarsening of α colonies was obvious, and high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) were distributed within the primary β grain. In addition, TiBw played an important role in the microstructure evolution. In the composites, TiBw were randomly distributed in the matrix and surrounded by a large number of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). Globularization of α phase occurred prior, near the TiBw region, because TiBw provided the nucleation site for the equiaxed α phase. The room-temperature and high-temperature tensile results showed that TiBw distributed at the primary β grain boundaries can strengthen the grain boundary, but reduce the connectivity of the matrix. Therefore, compared to the monolithic TA15 alloy fabricated by the same process, the tensile strength of the composites increased, and the tensile elongation decreased. Moreover, with the addition of TiBw, the fracture mechanism was changed to a mixture of brittle fracture and ductile failure (composites) from ductile failure (monolithic TA15 alloy). The fracture surfaces of TiBw/TA15 composites were the grain boundaries of the primary β grain where the majority of TiB whiskers distributed, i.e., the surfaces of the spherical TA15 titanium metallic powders

A New Mechanism of Dynamic Phase Transformations in An Isothermal Forged Beta–Gamma Intermetallic Alloy

A new mechanism of dynamic phase transformations of α2 ↔ γ in an isothermally forged γ-TiAl-based alloy that occur simultaneously during a short-term exposure at 1000 °C is identified in this study. In the heating process, γ phase significantly decreases through a phase transformation of γ → α2, while new γ lamellae are precipitated in the interior of equiaxed grains of α2 phase through a phase transformation of α2 → γ. The reasons for the presence of these two inverse phase transformations α2 ↔ γ occurring simultaneously are discussed

Effects of Texture and Grain Size on the Yield Strength of ZK61 Alloy Rods Processed by Cyclic Extrusion and Compression

The ZK61 alloy rods with different grain sizes and crystallographic texture were successfully fabricated by cyclic extrusion and compression (CEC). Their room-temperature tension & compression yield strength displayed a significant dependence on grain size and texture, essentially attributed to {10-12} twinning. The texture variations were characterized by the angle θ between the c-axis of the grain and the extrusion direction (ED) during the process. The contour map of room-temperature yield strength as a function of grain size and the angle θ was obtained. It showed that both the tension yield strength and the compression yield strength of ZK61 alloy were fully consistent with the Hall-Patch relationship at a certain texture, but the change trends of the tension yield strength and the compression yield strength were completely opposite at the same grain size while texture altered. The friction stresses of different deformation modes calculated based on the texture confirmed the tension yield strength of the CECed ZK61 alloy rods, which was determined by both the basal slip and the tension twinning slip during the tension deformation at room temperature, while the compression yield strength was mainly determined by the basal slip during the compression deformation

Grain Refinement of Ti-15Mo-3Al-2.7Nb-0.2Si Alloy with the Rotation of TiB Whiskers by Powder Metallurgy and Canned Hot Extrusion

In situ synthesized TiB whiskers (TiBw) reinforced Ti-15Mo-3Al-2.7Nb-0.2Si alloys were successfully manufactured by pre-sintering and canned hot extrusion via adding TiB2 powders. During pre-sintering, most TiB2 were reacted with Ti atoms to produce TiB. During extrusion, the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) of β grains was promoted with the rotation of TiBw, and CDRXed grains were strongly inhibited by TiBw with hindering dislocation motion. Eventually, the grain sizes of composites decreased obviously. Furthermore, the stress transmitted from the matrix to TiBw for strengthening in a tensile test, besides grain refinement. Meanwhile, the fractured TiBw and microcracks around them contributed to fracturing

Hot Deformation Behavior, Processing Maps and Microstructural Evolution of the Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr Alloy

Isothermal hot compression experiments were conducted on Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy to investigate hot deformation behavior at the temperature range of 573–773 K and the strain rate range of 0.001 s−1–10 s−1 using a Gleeble-3500D thermomechanical simulator. The results showed that the rheological curve showed a typical work hardening stage, and there were three different stages: work hardening, transition and steady state. A strain compensation constitutive model was established to predict the flow stress of the Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy, and the results proved that it had high predictability. The main deformation mechanism of the Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy was dislocation climbing. The processing maps were established to distinguish the unstable region from the working region. The maps showed that the instability generally occurred at high strain rates and low temperatures, and the common forms of instability were cracking and flow localization. The optimum machining range of the alloy was determined to be 592–773 K and 0.001–0.217 s−1. With the increase in deformation temperature, the grain size of the alloy grew slowly at the 573–673 K temperature range and rapidly at the 673–773 K temperature range