Recyclability of 304L Stainless Steel in the Selective Laser Melting Process

During part fabrication by selective laser melting (SLM), a powder-bed fusion process in Additive Manufacturing (AM), a large amount of energy is input from the laser into the melt pool, causing generation of spatter and condensate, both of which have the potential to settle in the surrounding powder-bed compromising its reusability. In this study, 304L stainless steel powder is subjected to five reuses in the SLM process to assess its recyclability through characterization of both powder and mechanical properties. Powder was characterized morphologically by particle size distribution measurements, oxygen content with inert gas fusion analysis, and phase identification by X-ray diffraction. The evolution of powder properties with reuse was also correlated to tensile properties of the as-built material. The results show that reused powder coarsens and accrues more oxygen with each reuse. The effects of powder coarsening and oxygen increase on the tensile properties of fabricated parts are being investigated

Expression of the immunoregulatory molecule FcRH4 defines a distinctive tissue-based population of memory B cells

The FcRH4 transmembrane molecule, a member of the Fc receptor homologue family, can potently inhibit B cell receptor (BCR) signaling. We show that cell surface expression of this immunoregulatory molecule is restricted to a subpopulation of memory B cells, most of which lack the classical CD27 marker for memory B cells in humans. The FcRH4+ and FcRH4− memory B cells have undergone comparable levels of immunoglobulin isotype switching and somatic hypermutation, while neither subpopulation expresses the transcription factors involved in plasma cell differentiation. The FcRH4+ memory cells are morphologically distinctive large lymphocytes that express the CD69, CD80, and CD86 cell activation markers. They are also shown to be poised to secrete high levels of immunoglobulins in response to stimulation with T cell cytokines, but they fail to proliferate in response either to BCR ligation or Staphylococcus aureus stimulation. A heightened expression of the CCR1 and CCR5 chemokine receptors may facilitate their preferential localization in lymphoid tissues near epithelial surfaces. Cell surface FcRH4 expression thus marks a unique population of memory B cells with distinctive morphology, functional capabilities, and tissue localization

Use of mRNA- and protein-destabilizing elements to develop a highly responsive reporter system

Reporter assays are widely used in applications that require measurement of changes in gene expression over time (e.g. drug screening). With standard reporter vectors, the measurable effect of a treatment or compound (altered reporter activity) is substantially diluted and delayed, compared with its true effect (altered transcriptional activity). This problem is caused by the relatively long half-lives of both the reporter protein and its mRNA. As a result, the activities of compounds, ligands or treatments that have a relatively minor effect, or a substantial but transient effect, often remain undetected. To circumvent this problem, we introduced modular protein- and mRNA-destabilizing elements into a range of commonly used reporters. Our data show that both elements are required for maximal responses to both increases and decreases in transcriptional activity. The double-destabilized reporter vectors showed markedly improved performance in drug screening, kinetic assays and dose–response titrations

The transformation of funeral space in the Modern Shanghai : focusing on the original funeral space

Abstract not availableLaura S. Nyskohus, Amanda J. Watson, Geoffrey P. Margison, Richard K. Le Leu, Susan W. Kim, Trevor J. Lockett, Richard J. Head, Graeme P. Young, Ying H

Genome sequencing of the extinct Eurasian wild aurochs, Bos primigenius, illuminates the phylogeography and evolution of cattle

Background Domestication of the now-extinct wild aurochs, Bos primigenius, gave rise to the two major domestic extant cattle taxa, B. taurus and B. indicus. While previous genetic studies have shed some light on the evolutionary relationships between European aurochs and modern cattle, important questions remain unanswered, including the phylogenetic status of aurochs, whether gene flow from aurochs into early domestic populations occurred, and which genomic regions were subject to selection processes during and after domestication. Here, we address these questions using whole-genome sequencing data generated from an approximately 6,750-year-old British aurochs bone and genome sequence data from 81 additional cattle plus genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data from a diverse panel of 1,225 modern animals. Results Phylogenomic analyses place the aurochs as a distinct outgroup to the domestic B. taurus lineage, supporting the predominant Near Eastern origin of European cattle. Conversely, traditional British and Irish breeds share more genetic variants with this aurochs specimen than other European populations, supporting localized gene flow from aurochs into the ancestors of modern British and Irish cattle, perhaps through purposeful restocking by early herders in Britain. Finally, the functions of genes showing evidence for positive selection in B. taurus are enriched for neurobiology, growth, metabolism and immunobiology, suggesting that these biological processes have been important in the domestication of cattle. Conclusions This work provides important new information regarding the origins and functional evolution of modern cattle, revealing that the interface between early European domestic populations and wild aurochs was significantly more complex than previously thought

Simultaneous Cassini VIMS and UVIS observations of Saturn's southern aurora: Comparing emissions from H, H-2 and H-3(+) at a high spatial resolution

Here, for the first time, temporally coincident and spatially overlapping Cassini VIMS and UVIS observations of Saturn's southern aurora are presented. Ultraviolet auroral H and H-2 emissions from UVIS are compared to infrared H-3(+) emission from VIMS. The auroral emission is structured into three arcs - H, H-2 and H-3(+) are morphologically identical in the bright main auroral oval (similar to 73 degrees S), but there is an equatorward arc that is seen predominantly in H (similar to 70 degrees S), and a poleward arc (similar to 74 degrees S) that is seen mainly in H-2 and H-3(+). These observations indicate that, for the main auroral oval, UV emission is a good proxy for the infrared H-3(+) morphology (and vice versa), but for emission either poleward or equatorward this is no longer true. Hence, simultaneous UV/IR observations are crucial for completing the picture of how the atmosphere interacts with the magnetosphere

Ultrathin compound semiconductor on insulator layers for high performance nanoscale transistors

Over the past several years, the inherent scaling limitations of electron devices have fueled the exploration of high carrier mobility semiconductors as a Si replacement to further enhance the device performance. In particular, compound semiconductors heterogeneously integrated on Si substrates have been actively studied, combining the high mobility of III-V semiconductors and the well-established, low cost processing of Si technology. This integration, however, presents significant challenges. Conventionally, heteroepitaxial growth of complex multilayers on Si has been explored. Besides complexity, high defect densities and junction leakage currents present limitations in the approach. Motivated by this challenge, here we utilize an epitaxial transfer method for the integration of ultrathin layers of single-crystalline InAs on Si/SiO2 substrates. As a parallel to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology14,we use the abbreviation "XOI" to represent our compound semiconductor-on-insulator platform. Through experiments and simulation, the electrical properties of InAs XOI transistors are explored, elucidating the critical role of quantum confinement in the transport properties of ultrathin XOI layers. Importantly, a high quality InAs/dielectric interface is obtained by the use of a novel thermally grown interfacial InAsOx layer (~1 nm thick). The fabricated FETs exhibit an impressive peak transconductance of ~1.6 mS/{\mu}m at VDS=0.5V with ON/OFF current ratio of greater than 10,000 and a subthreshold swing of 107-150 mV/decade for a channel length of ~0.5 {\mu}m

Domain-and species-specific monoclonal antibodies recognize the Von Willebrand Factor-C domain of CCN5

The CCN family of proteins typically consists of four distinct peptide domains: an insulin-like growth factor binding protein-type (IGFBP) domain, a Von Willebrand Factor C (VWC) domain, a thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSP1) domain, and a carboxy-terminal (CT) domain. The six family members participate in many processes, including proliferation, motility, cell-matrix signaling, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Accumulating evidence suggests that truncated and alternatively spliced isoforms are responsible for the diverse functions of CCN proteins in both normal and pathophysiologic states. Analysis of the properties and functions of individual CCN domains further corroborates this idea. CCN5 is unique among the CCN family members because it lacks the CT-domain. To dissect the domain functions of CCN5, we are developing domain-specific mouse monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies have the advantages of great specificity, reproducibility, and ease of long-term storage and production. In this communication, we injected mixtures of GST-fused rat CCN5 domains into mice to generate monoclonal antibodies. To identify the domains recognized by the antibodies, we constructed serial expression plasmids that express dual-tagged rat CCN5 domains. All of the monoclonal antibodies generated to date recognize the VWC domain, indicating it is the most highly immunogenic of the CCN5 domains. We characterized one particular clone, 22H10, and found that it recognizes mouse and rat CCN5, but not human recombinant CCN5. Purified 22H10 was successfully applied in Western Blot analysis, immunofluorescence of cultured cells and tissues, and immunoprecipitation, indicating that it will be a useful tool for domain analysis and studies of mouse-human tumor models

The Ubiquitin Ligase Ubr2, a Recognition E3 Component of the N-End Rule Pathway, Stabilizes Tex19.1 during Spermatogenesis

Ubiquitin E3 ligases target their substrates for ubiquitination, leading to proteasome-mediated degradation or altered biochemical properties. The ubiquitin ligase Ubr2, a recognition E3 component of the N-end rule proteolytic pathway, recognizes proteins with N-terminal destabilizing residues and plays an important role in spermatogenesis. Tex19.1 (also known as Tex19) has been previously identified as a germ cell-specific protein in mouse testis. Here we report that Tex19.1 forms a stable protein complex with Ubr2 in mouse testes. The binding of Tex19.1 to Ubr2 is independent of the second position cysteine of Tex19.1, a putative target for arginylation by the N-end rule pathway R-transferase. The Tex19.1-null mouse mutant phenocopies the Ubr2-deficient mutant in three aspects: heterogeneity of spermatogenic defects, meiotic chromosomal asynapsis, and embryonic lethality preferentially affecting females. In Ubr2-deficient germ cells, Tex19.1 is transcribed, but Tex19.1 protein is absent. Our results suggest that the binding of Ubr2 to Tex19.1 metabolically stabilizes Tex19.1 during spermatogenesis, revealing a new function for Ubr2 outside the conventional N-end rule pathway