Real-time observations of TRIP-induced ultrahigh strain hardening in a dual-phase CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy.

Strategies involving metastable phases have been the basis of the design of numerous alloys, yet research on metastable high-entropy alloys is still in its infancy. In dual-phase high-entropy alloys, the combination of local chemical environments and loading-induced crystal structure changes suggests a relationship between deformation mechanisms and chemical atomic distribution, which we examine in here in a Cantor-like Cr20Mn6Fe34Co34Ni6 alloy, comprising both face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal closed packed (hcp) phases. We observe that partial dislocation activities result in stable three-dimensional stacking-fault networks. Additionally, the fraction of the stronger hcp phase progressively increases during plastic deformation by forming at the stacking-fault network boundaries in the fcc phase, serving as the major source of strain hardening. In this context, variations in local chemical composition promote a high density of Lomer-Cottrell locks, which facilitate the construction of the stacking-fault networks to provide nucleation sites for the hcp phase transformation

Structural performance experiment by moving cart to mount measurement sensors

The development of a measurement system for the purpose of structural performance evaluation has been needed. This work introduces a moving cart system on which to mount measurement sensors to measure acceleration and sound pressure in the time domain and an impact hammer for external excitation. The measurement data are utilized to evaluate the structural performance based on a mixed approach to directly and indirectly collect response data by a microphone and an accelerometer, respectively. The reliability of the measurement data is improved by the utilization of multiple sensors. The structural state is investigated by the power spectral density estimate (PSE) or proper orthogonal mode (POM) of the sound pressure and acceleration data. The applicability of the system is illustrated in a field test

Association Kikuchi disease with Hashimoto thyroiditis: a case report and literature review

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a benign and self-limited disease characterized by fever and lymphadenopathy. The etiology of KFD is unknown, but an autoimmune cause has been suggested. Hashimoto thyroiditis is the most common autoimmune thyroid disorder in children and is known to be associated with other autoimmune diseases. Only a few cases of Hashimoto thyroiditis associated with KFD have been documented. We report a case of a 16-year-old girl who was first diagnosed with KFD and developed Hashimoto thyroiditis 2 years and 6 months later during her follow-up period. Physicians of patients with KFD should consider the possibility of autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Large and homogeneous mass enhancement in the rattling-induced superconductor KOs2_2O6_6

We have determined the Fermi surface in KOs$_2$O$_6$ ($T_c$ = 9.6 K and $B_{c2} \sim$ 32 T) via de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillation measurements and a band structure calculation. We find effective masses up to 26(1) $m_e$ ($m_e$ is the free electron mass), which are unusually heavy for compounds where the mass enhancement is mostly due to electron-phonon interactions. Orbit-resolved mass enhancement parameters $\lambda_{dHvA}$ are large but fairly homogeneous, concentrated in the range 5 -- 8. We discuss origins of the large homogeneous mass enhancement in terms of rattling motion of the K ions.Comment: Minor revisions, Fig.2a modifie

How Many Sentinel Lymph Nodes Are Enough for Accurate Axillary Staging in T1-2 Breast Cancer?

Purpose: During a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for breast cancer, the appropriate number of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) to be removed for accurate axillary staging is still controversial. We hypothesized that there might be an optimal threshold number of SLNs. We investigated how many SLNs should be removed to achieve an acceptable accuracy and ensure minimal morbidity. Methods: We reviewed data of 328 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent SLNB followed by complete level I and II axillary dissection between January 2004 and December 2005. The false negative rate (FNR) and accuracy of SLNB according to the number of removed SLNs were evaluated. Results: The mean number of SLNs removed was 3.0 (range, 1-14), and that of total retrieved axillary lymph nodes was 17.5 (range, 10-40). In total, 111 (33.8%) patients had positive nodes on the permanent pathological report. Among them, 12 patients had negative SLNs

Body extract of tail amputated zebrafish promotes culturing of primary fin cells from glass catfish

The most spectacular regenerative events in vertebrates are epimorphic regeneration. In this study, interestingly, a whole-body extract 24 h after tail amputation enhanced primary cell growth and viability compared to that of a non-tail amputated body. Additionally, these effects of extract treatment in vitro were dose-dependent occurring at concentrations of 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml. This is the first in vitro study on the interaction between primary fin cells from glass catfish and tail amputated body extracts of zebrafish. These results provide an essential knowledge base for rational approaches to tissue and organ regeneration.Keywords: Cell growth, cell viability, extract, glass catfish, regeneration, zebrafishAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(12), pp. 1449-145

Anti-amyloidogenic effect of menaquinone-7 on betaamyloid production and aggregation

Purpose: To investigate the beneficial effects of menaquinone-7 (MK-7), an isoform of vitamin K2, against beta-amyloid (Aβ) production and aggregation in Alzheimer's disease using in vitro assays. Methods: The cytotoxicity of MK-7 was determined by MTT assay. The amount of Aβ produced and secreted into the supernatant by APP-CHO cells treated with MK-7 was evaluated by ELISA. The expression of β-secretases and ADAM10, a representative α-secretase, was determined using western blot analysis. The production of sAPPβ and sAPPα fragments generated by β-secretases and αsecretase, respectively, were also determined by western blot analysis. The effect on Aβ aggregation was assessed using Thioflavin T (Th T) assay. Results: MK-7 (up to 75 nM) significantly decreased Aβ production in APP-CHO cells. This was accompanied by decreased expression of β-secretase and lower production of sAPPβ (p < 0.05). However, expression of ADAM10 and production of sAPPα were not significantly affected. In contrast, MK-7 significantly decreased Aβ aggregation in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Conclusion: MK-7 exerts anti-amyloidogenic effects via decreased production and lower aggregation of Aβ into oligomers and fibrils. Therefore, dietary supplementation with MK-7 may be beneficial for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

Short-Term Effects of Combined Serial Casting and Botulinum Toxin Injection for Spastic Equinus in Ambulatory Children with Cerebral Palsy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that combination therapy of serial cast and botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection can further enhance the effects of a BTX-A injection in ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have an equinus foot. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children in group A (30 legs of 21 children) received a serial casting application after an injection of BTX-A, and children in group B (25 legs of 17 children) received only a BTX-A injection. Assessments were performed before the intervention and 1 month after the intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, there were significant improvements in tone, dynamic spasticity, and passive range of motion (ROM) in both groups. However, the changes were greater in group A than in group B. Dimension D (standing) in Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66 was significantly improved in group A but not in group B. On the other hand, there were no significant changes in dimension E (walking, running, jumping) in GMFM-66 in either group. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that a serial casting application after BTX-A injection can enhance the benefits of BTX-A injection in children with cerebral palsy.ope