Effect of Texture of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Sheet on Mechanical Properties and Formability at High Strain Rate

The mechanical properties and formability of AZ31 magnesium alloy strips having different textures were investigated at a high strain rate based on that occuring in mass production by press forming. Forming at a high strain rate on the order of 10 0 s À1 requires a high temperature of over 473 K. To obtain accurate stress-strain curves, a high-speed testing machine that can maintain a constant true strain rate was used, and the change in gauge length on a test piece in a furnace was measured during the testing time of about 0.5 s. For the specimens, rolled strips consisting of fine grains (about 10 mm) and an extruded strip consisting of coarse grains (about 40 mm) were used. The {0001} textures of the extruded strip and one of the rolled strips were strongly oriented parallel to the rolled surface, but the texture of another rolling strip had two peaks that were inclined at 5 $15 deg in front of and behind the rolling direction. At the high strain rate of 10 0 s À1 , elongation decreased for every specimen. Nevertheless, a limiting drawing ratio (LDR) of 2:1$ 2:2 was obtained under uniform heating above 503 K in all the specimens except for the extruded strip. The high LDR of the rolled strip having a two-peak texture was maintained in forming at temperatures down to 473 K, in contrast to the LDR of the strongly oriented rolled strip, which reduced rapidly when formed at temperatures less than 503 K

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to < 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of & GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo