On the Effect of Hot Rolling on Inclusion Size and Distribution in a Cast AISI 1070 Steel Railroad Wheel

The goal of this work is to examine the effect of hot deformation on shrinkage porosity and nonmetallic inclusions in an AISI 1070 grade steel industrially produced wheel casting. Steel cleanliness is an important consideration as it influences the mechanical properties of the final product. A high density of porosity and inclusions have been shown to be detrimental for mechanical properties, especially during hot rolling. Using a laboratory-scale rolling mill, cast preforms were subjected to a 66% cumulative reduction to determine the effect of thermomechanical processing on void closure and inclusions that may produce anisotropy in mechanical properties. Quantitative automated feature analysis, AFA, of inclusion type, size, morphology, and distribution was conducted utilizing an Aspex PICA 1020 scanning electron microscope to determine differences in inclusions and shrinkage porosity in the as-cast and as-rolled conditions. The results were compared with previously reported impact toughness values which indicated a trend with MnS projected length and average impact toughness in the T-L orientation. Reduction in shrinkage porosity was also verified utilizing 3D micro-X-ray CT scans. The AFA results showed a decrease in shrinkage porosity from 177 ppm in the as-cast condition to less than 35 ppm after rolling. Pores were in general much smaller and widely distributed after hot rolling and this would suggest improved impact properties. Analysis of nonmetallic inclusions revealed three primary categories of inclusions that included MnS, Al2O3, and complex inclusions that mainly consisted of MnS with an Al2O3 core, with small quantities of mixed silicates of Mn and Al and calcium aluminates (CaAl2O4)

A qualitative study of single-trauma and dual-trauma military couples

Trauma survivors and their partners may experience unique dynamics due to the ongoing effects of previous trauma exposure and current trauma symptoms. The current qualitative study attempted to compare and contrast single-trauma couples (one partner reports a trauma history or high traumatic load) with dual-trauma couples (both partners report a trauma history or high traumatic load) to further understand the systemic effects on couple functioning in a sample of military couples. Overall, both positive and negative effects from previous trauma on the couple relationship were reported by participants, including increased awareness, communication, support, coping strategies, and trauma-related triggers, with dual-trauma couples reporting more trauma-related triggers and communication problems. Clinical and research implications for further study are described

Non-invasive genotyping and spatial mark-recapture methods to estimate European pine marten density in forested landscapes

Accurate population density estimates are important for conservation but can be difficult to obtain where species are elusive or rare. Non-invasive genotyping from hair or faeces has provided a promising solution and allowed individual identification from genotypes to inform population assessment models. We use individual genotypes derived from hair samples and Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) models to estimate the population density of European pine marten (Martes martes) in three Scottish forests, then examine the effects of forest fragmentation on population size. Relative trends in pine marten abundance can be observed via changes in the number of scats in an area through time, but the link between this measure and population density remains unclear. We provide the first calibration of scat counts to enable population density estimation without the need for genetic analysis. Population density estimates ranged from 0.07 km-2 (95% CI 0.03 – 0.16) to 0.38 km-2 (95% CI 0.11 – 1.07), which were mid to low compared to other estimates from the Scottish population. An unequal sex ratio was found in one of the three forests. We found support for the previous finding that pine marten density in Scotland increases with forest fragmentation up to a threshold level (20 – 35% forest cover), beyond which it decreases. Our calibration suggests a non-linear relationship between scat counts and population density, although relatively small changes in population density result in marked changes in scat number. Following the recent re-introduction of pine martens to Wales, non-invasive genetic sampling for population estimation may provide an effective way of monitoring their progress

Clinical and Echocardiographic Findings in an Aged Population of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cardiac disease in dogs. It varies from dogs without clinical signs to those developing left-sided congestive heart failure, leading to death. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs) are particularly susceptible to MMVD. We hypothesised that within the elderly CKCS population, there is a sub-cohort of MMVD-affected dogs that do not have cardiac remodelling. The objectives of the present study were (i) to determine the prevalence and the degree of cardiac remodelling associated with MMVD; and (ii) assess the effect of age, gender, and body weight on echocardiographic status in a population of aged CKCSs. A total of 126 CKCSs ≥ 8 years old were prospectively included. They all had a physical and echocardiographic examination. A systolic murmur was detected in 89% of dogs; the presence of clinical signs was reported in 19% of them; and echocardiographic evidence of MMVD was described in 100%. Despite the high prevalence, 44.4% of the dogs were clear of echocardiographic signs of cardiac remodelling. Age was significantly associated with the presence and severity of cardiac remodelling and mitral valve prolapse. Our results showed that a proportion of elderly CKCS with confirmed MMVD did not undergo advanced stages of this pathology.This research was funded by the British CKCS Breed Club and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

The Coagulation and Immune Systems are Directly Linked through the Activation of Interleukin-1α by Thrombin

Ancient organisms have a combined coagulation and immune system, and although links between inflammation and haemostasis exist in mammals, they are indirect and slower to act. Here we investigated direct links between mammalian immune and coagulation systems by examining cytokine proproteins for potential thrombin protease consensus sites. We found that interleukin (IL)-1α is directly activated by thrombin. Thrombin cleaved pro-IL-1α at a site perfectly conserved across disparate species, indicating functional importance. Surface pro-IL-1α on macrophages and activated platelets was cleaved and activated by thrombin, while tissue factor, a potent thrombin activator, colocalised with pro-IL-1α in the epidermis. Mice bearing a mutation in the IL-1α thrombin cleavage site (R114Q) exhibited defects in efficient wound healing and rapid thrombopoiesis after acute platelet loss. Thrombin-cleaved IL-1α was detected in humans during sepsis, pointing to the relevance of this pathway for normal physiology and the pathogenesis of inflammatory and thrombotic diseases.This work was funded by British Heart Foundation Grants FS/09/005/26845, FS/13/3/30038, FS/18/19/33371 and RG/16/8/32388 to MC, RG/13/14/30314 to MB, the BHF Cambridge Centre for Research Excellence RE/13/6/30180, the Oxbridge BHF Regenerative Medicine Centre RM/13/3/30159, and the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre

The Iowa Homemaker vol.41, no.8

“I Was the Editor of the First Homemaker”, Bess Ferguson, page 4 And After May ’26?, page 5 1920s, Rose Summers, page 6 1930s, Laura Daily, page 6 1940s, Ruth Webber, page 7 1950s, Ruth Remy, page 7 Food Class for Foresters, Russel B. McKennan, page 8 Mortar Board Presents: Know Your Neighbor, page 9 Decorating Your Home With the Family in Mind, Jan Wheeler, page 10 Let’s Split A Pizza, Barbara Pierson, page 12 Easter Bonnet In An Hour, page 13 Here’s How We Look, page 14 The Younger Generation, Sherry Stoddard, page 15 Part-time Jobs After Marriage, Diane Sharbo, page 16 Looking Abroad, Barbara Brown, page 17 40 Years From Now, Anne Collison, page 1

More, please, for those with less: why we need to go further on the Universal Credit uplift

Members of the ‘COVID-19 and low-income families: researching together’ Special Interest Group of the COVID Realities project explain why the government must go further in its provision of financial support for families with children in the light of the coronavirus crisis

Dual predation by bacteriophage and bdellovibrio bacteriovorus can eradicate escherichia coli prey in situations where single predation cannot

Copyright © 2020 Hobley et al. Bacteria are preyed upon by diverse microbial predators, including bacteriophage and predatory bacteria, such as Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. While bacteriophage are used as antimicrobial therapies in Eastern Europe and are being applied for compassionate use in the United States, predatory bacteria are only just beginning to reveal their potential therapeutic uses. However, predation by either predator type can falter due to different adaptations arising in the prey bacteria. When testing poultry farm wastewater for novel Bdellovibrio isolates on Escherichia coli prey lawns, individual composite plaques were isolated containing both an RTP (rosette-tailed-phage)-like-phage and a B. bacteriovorus strain and showing central prey lysis and halos of extra lysis. Combining the purified phage with a lab strain of B. bacteriovorus HD100 recapitulated haloed plaques and increased killing of the E. coli prey in liquid culture, showing an effective side-by-side action of these predators compared to their actions alone. Using approximate Bayesian computation to select the best fitting from a variety of different mathematical models demonstrated that the experimental data could be explained only by assuming the existence of three prey phenotypes: (i) sensitive to both predators, (ii) genetically resistant to phage only, and (iii) plastic resistant to B. bacteriovorus only. Although each predator reduces prey availability for the other, high phage numbers did not abolish B. bacteriovorus predation, so both predators are competent to coexist and are causing different selective pressures on the bacterial surface while, in tandem, controlling prey bacterial numbers efficiently. This suggests that combinatorial predator therapy could overcome problems of phage resistance. Importance: With increasing levels of antibiotic resistance, the development of alternative antibacterial therapies is urgently needed. Two potential alternatives are bacteriophage and predatory bacteria. Bacteriophage therapy has been used, but prey/host specificity and the rapid acquisition of bacterial resistance to bacteriophage are practical considerations. Predatory bacteria are of interest due to their broad Gram-negative bacterial prey range and the lack of simple resistance mechanisms. Here, a bacteriophage and a strain of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, preyed side by side on a population of E. coli, causing a significantly greater decrease in prey numbers than either alone. Such combinatorial predator therapy may have greater potential than individual predators since prey surface changes selected for by each predator do not protect prey against the other predator

Connecting urban food plans to the countryside: leveraging Denver's food vision to explore meaningful rural-urban linkages

Includes bibliographical references (pages 14-18).Cities are increasingly turning to food policy plans to support goals related to food access, food security, the environment, and economic development. This paper investigates ways that rural farmers, communities, and economies can both support and be supported by metropolitan food-focused initiatives. Specifically, our research question asked what opportunities and barriers exist to developing food policies that support urban food goals, particularly related to local procurement, as well as rural economic development. To address this question, we described and analyzed a meeting of urban stakeholders and larger-scale rural producers related to Colorado’s Denver Food Vision and Plan. We documented and explored “findings” gleaned from a supply chain diagraming and data compilation process that were then used to inform an event that brought together diverse supply chain partners. Three findings stand out. First, facilitating dialog between urban food policymakers and rural producers to understand potential tensions, mitigate such tensions, and capitalize on opportunities is essential. Second, perceptions and expectations surrounding “good food” are nuanced—a timely finding given the number of preferred procurement programs emerging across the county. Third, critical evaluation is needed across a diverse set of value chain strategies (e.g., conventional and alternative distribution) if food policy intends to support heterogeneous producers, their communities, and urban food policy goals