Lower cost automotive piston from 2124/SiC/25p metal-matrix composite

Engineered materials have made a breakthrough in a quest for materials with a combination of custom-made properties to suit particular applications. One of such materials is 2124/SiC/25p, a high-quality aerospace grade aluminium alloy reinforced with ultrafine particles of silicon carbide, manufactured by a powder metallurgy route. This aluminium matrix composite offers a combination of greater fatigue strength at elevated temperatures, lower thermal expansion and greater wear resistance in comparison with conventionally used piston materials. The microscale particulate reinforcement also offers good formability and machinability. Despite the benefits, the higher manufacturing cost often limits their usage in high-volume industries such as automotive where such materials could significantly improve the engine performance. This paper presents mechanical and forging data for a lower cost processing route for metal matrix composites. Finite element modelling and analysis were used to examine forging of an automotive piston and die wear. This showed that selection of the forging route is important to maximise die life. Mechanical testing of the forged material showed a minimal reduction in fatigue properties at the piston operating temperature

Low relative humidity triggers RNA-directed de novo DNA methylation and suppression of genes controlling stomatal development

Environmental cues influence the development of stomata on the leaf epidermis, and allow plants to exert plasticity in leaf stomatal abundance in response to the prevailing growing conditions. It is reported that Arabidopsis thaliana ‘Landsberg erecta’ plants grown under low relative humidity have a reduced stomatal index and that two genes in the stomatal development pathway, SPEECHLESS and FAMA, become de novo cytosine methylated and transcriptionally repressed. These environmentally-induced epigenetic responses were abolished in mutants lacking the capacity for de novo DNA methylation, for the maintenance of CG methylation, and in mutants for the production of short-interfering non-coding RNAs (siRNAs) in the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway. Induction of methylation was quantitatively related to the induction of local siRNAs under low relative humidity. Our results indicate the involvement of both transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene suppression at these loci in response to environmental stress. Thus, in a physiologically important pathway, a targeted epigenetic response to a specific environmental stress is reported and several of its molecular, mechanistic components are described, providing a tractable platform for future epigenetics experiments. Our findings suggest epigenetic regulation of stomatal development that allows for anatomical and phenotypic plasticity, and may help to explain at least some of the plant’s resilience to fluctuating relative humidity

Pre-conditioning the epigenetic response to high vapor pressure deficit increases the drought tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana

Epigenetic modification of the genome via cytosine methylation is a dynamic process that responds to changes in the growing environment. This modification can also be heritable. The combination of both properties means that there is the potential for the life experiences of the parental generation to modify the methylation profiles of their offspring and so potentially to ‘pre-condition’ them to better accommodate abiotic conditions encountered by their parents. We recently identified high vapor pressure deficit (vpd)-induced DNA methylation at two gene loci in the stomatal development pathway and an associated reduction in leaf stomatal frequency.1 Here, we test whether this epigenetic modification pre-conditioned parents and their offspring to the more severe water stress of periodic drought. We found that three generations of high vpd-grown plants were better able to withstand periodic drought stress over two generations. This resistance was not directly associated with de novo methylation of the target stomata genes, but was associated with the cmt3 mutant’s inability to maintain asymmetric sequence context methylation. If our finding applies widely, it could have significant implications for evolutionary biology and breeding for stressful environments

Governors and directors: Competing models of corporate governance

Why do we use the term ‘corporate governance’ rather than ‘corporate direction’? Early British joint stock companies were normally managed by a single ‘governor’. The ‘court of governors’ or ‘board of directors’ emerged slowly as the ruling body for companies. By the nineteenth century, however, companies were typically run by directors while not-for-profit entities such as hospitals, schools and charitable bodies had governors. The nineteenth century saw steady refinement of the roles of company directors, often in response to corporate scandals, with a gradual change from the notion of the director as a ‘representative shareholder’ to the directors being seen collectively as ‘representatives of the shareholders’. Governors in not-for-profit entities, however, were regarded as having broader responsibilities. The term ‘governance’ itself suggests that corporate boards should be studied as ‘political’ entities rather than merely through economic lenses such as agency theory

Unsteady turbulence in tidal bores: Effects of bed roughness

A tidal bore is a wave propagating upstream as the tidal flow turns to rising. It forms during spring tide conditions when the flood tide is confined to a narrow funneled channel. To date, theoretical and numerical studies rely upon physical experiments to validate the developments, but the experimental data are limited mostly to visual observations and sometimes free-surface measurements. Herein turbulent velocity measurements were obtained in a large-size laboratory facility with a fine spatial and temporal resolution. The instantaneous velocity measurements showed rapid flow deceleration at all vertical elevations, and large fluctuations of all velocity components were recorded beneath the bore and secondary waves. A comparison between undular (nonbreaking) and breaking bores suggested some basic differences. In an undular bore, large velocity fluctuations were recorded beneath the first wave crest and the secondary waves showing a long-lasting effect after the bore passage. In a breaking bore, some large turbulent stresses were observed next to the shear zone in a region of high velocity gradients, while some transient flow recirculation was recorded next to the bed. The effects of bed roughness were tested further. The boundary friction contributed to some wave attenuation and dispersion, and the free-surface data showed some agreement with the wave dispersion theory for intermediate gravity waves. The instantaneous velocity data showed however a significant effect of the boundary roughness on the velocity field next to the boundary (z/d(o)< 0.2) for both undular and breaking bores. Overall the findings were consistent with field observations of tidal bores and highlighted the significant impact of undular (nonbreaking) bores on natural systems

Urinary levels of N-nitroso compounds in relation to risk of gastric cancer: Findings from the Shanghai cohort study

Background: N-Nitroso compounds are thought to play a significant role in the development of gastric cancer. Epidemiological data, however, are sparse in examining the associations between biomarkers of exposure to N-nitroso compounds and the risk of gastric cancer. Methods: A nested case-control study within a prospective cohort of 18,244 middle-aged and older men in Shanghai, China, was conducted to examine the association between urinary level of N-nitroso compounds and risk of gastric cancer. Information on demographics, usual dietary intake, and use of alcohol and tobacco was collected through in-person interviews at enrollment. Urinary levels of nitrate, nitrite, N-nitroso-2-methylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (NMTCA), N-nitrosoproline (NPRO), N-nitrososarcosine (NSAR), N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (NTCA), as well as serum H. pylori antibodies were quantified in 191 gastric cancer cases and 569 individually matched controls. Logistic regression method was used to assess the association between urinary levels of N-nitroso compounds and risk of gastric cancer. Results: Compared with controls, gastric cancer patients had overall comparable levels of urinary nitrate, nitrite, and N-nitroso compounds. Among individuals seronegative for antibodies to H. pylori, elevated levels of urinary nitrate were associated with increased risk of gastric cancer. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for the second and third tertiles of nitrate were 3.27 (95% confidence interval = 0.76-14.04) and 4.82 (95% confidence interval = 1.05-22.17), respectively, compared with the lowest tertile (P for trend = 0.042). There was no statistically significant association between urinary levels of nitrite or N-nitroso compounds and risk of gastric cancer. Urinary NMTCA level was significantly associated with consumption of alcohol and preserved meat and fish food items. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that exposure to nitrate, a precursor of N-nitroso compounds, may increase the risk of gastric cancer among individuals without a history of H. pylori infection

Physical Modelling of the Flow Field in an Undular Tidal Bore

A tidal bore may form in a converging channel with a funnel shape when the tidal range exceeds 6-9 m. The advancing surge has a major impact on the estuarine ecosystem. Physical modelling of an undular bore has been conducted based upon a quasi-steady flow analogy. The experimental data highlight rapid flow redistributions between successive wave troughs and crests as well as large bottom shear stress variations. The results suggest a sediment transport process combining scour beneath wave troughs associated with upward matter dispersion between a trough and the following wave crest. The process is repeated at each trough and significant sediment transport takes place with deposition in upstream intertidal zones. The conceptual model is supported by field observations showing murky waters after the bore passage and long-lasting chaotic waves

Turbulence measurements in positive surges and bores

A positive surge results from a sudden change in flow that increases the flow depth. New experiments were conducted in a large channel. Most positive surge tests were conducted with a horizontal bed slope, a constant flow rate and uncontrolled flow conditions. The only dependant variable was the downstream gate opening after closure. Detailed turbulence measurements were performed with high-temporal resolution using side-looking acoustic Doppler velocimetry. Two types of positive surge were observed: undular surge for Froude numbers less than 1.7, and weak (breaking) surges above. Instantaneous velocity measurements beneath advancing surges showed a marked effect of the surge passage on the velocity field. Streamwise velocities showed rapid flow deceleration at all vertical elevations. Large fluctuations of longitudinal and transverse velocities were recorded beneath the surges, including some unsteady flow recirculation beneath a weak surge front. Turbulent stresses were deduced from high-pass filtered data. The results showed large normal and tangential Reynolds stresses beneath the surges. A comparison between undular and weak surges suggested some major difference. In weak surge flows, the data showed rapid flow separation beneath the surge front. In undular surges, maximum Reynolds stresses were observed beneath and just before each wave crest behind the leading wave

Increasing stomatal conductance inresponse to rising atmospheric CO2

Background and Aims: Studies have indicated that plant stomatal conductance (gs) decreases in response to elevated atmospheric CO2, a phenomenon of significance for the global hydrological cycle. However, gs increases across certain CO2 ranges have been predicted by optimisation models. The aim of this work was to demonstrate that under certain environmental condition, gs can increase in response to elevated CO2. Methods: When using (i) an extensive, up-to-date, synthesis of gs responses in FACE experiments, (ii) in situ measurements across four biomes showing dynamic gs responses to a CO2 rise of ~50ppm (characterising the change in this greenhouse gas over the past three decades) and (iii) a photosynthesis-stomatal conductance model, it is demonstrated that gs can in some cases increase in response to increasing atmospheric CO2. Key Results: Field observations are corroborated by an extensive synthesis of gs responses in FACE experiments showing that 11.8% of gs responses under experimentally elevated CO2 are positive. They are further supported by a strong data-model fit (r2=0.607) using a stomatal optimization model applied to the field gs dataset. A parameter space identified in the Farquhar-Ball-Berry photosynthesis-stomatal conductance model confirms field observations of increasing gs under elevated CO2 in hot dry conditions. It was shown that contrary to the general assumption, positive gs responses to elevated CO2, although relatively rare, are a feature of woody taxa adapted to warm, low-humidity conditions, and that this response is also demonstrated in global simulations using the Community Land Model (CLM4). Conclusions: The results contradict the over-simplistic notion that global vegetation always responds with decreasing gs to elevated CO2, a finding that has important implications for predicting future vegetation feedbacks on the hydrological cycle at the regional level.Irish Research CouncilScience Foundation Irelan

Detection of siRNA-directed DNA methylation and gene silencing in response to salinity stress

Small RNAs are able to organise a lot of biological machineries in organisms. Different types of sRNAs play divergent roles in the regulation of gene expression in plants, including RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), which results from double-stranded RNAs and is often capable of directing DNA cytosine methylation at target sequences. Cytosine methylation forms the basis of an epigenetic regulatory system that has been shown to be involved in abiotic and biotic stress responses of plants. In this study applied a direct delivery method to introduce SOS1-siRNA (small interfering RNA) and HKT1-siRNA into Arabidopsis thaliana to test their ability to direct DNA methylation within promoters of the AtSOS1 and AtHKT1 genes in response to salt stress during the growth period. There was clear evidence of the siRNAs’ uptake and that the AtSOS1 promoter was methylated in the presence of HKT1-siRNA when treated with salt. In addition, lethal effects were observed on the phenotype, which suggested that AtSOS1 and AtHKT1 genes’ expressions had been affected. Direct siRNA delivery was therefore used successfully and it caused significant effects on the phenotype of plants. This method has the potential to allow targeted regulation of gene expression in response to stress.Hatem K. Abbas, Mike Wilkinson, Penny Tricke