354 research outputs found
A further study of the kinetics of recrystallization and grain growth of cold rolled TWIP steel
Over last decades, the twinning - induced plasticity Fe-Mn-C (TWIP) steels have been the focus
on huge amount of research works due to their
prominent strength – ductility compounding which
develops from the occurrence of extended mechanical twinning during plastic deformation under
mechanical loads (Grässel and Frommeyer, 1998;
Frommeyer et al., 2000; Cornette et al., 2005; Scott
et al., 2006; Bouaziz et al., 2008; Hamada et al.,
2010; Bouaziz et al., 2011; De Cooman et al., 2011;
Galán et al., 2012; Gil Sevillano and De las Cuevas,
2012; Chen et al., 2013; De las Cuevas et al., 2014;
Ghasri-Khouzani and McDermid, 2015; Pierce
et al., 2015; De las Cuevas and Gil Sevillano, 2017).
In TWIP steels, the fully austenitic microstructure can be retained by means of high level alloying
with elements such as Mn, Al and Si. Al and Si are
mainly used to adjust the magnitude of the stacking
fault energy, gSFE, of austenite (Frommeyer et al.,
2000). Furthermore, they also strengthen the steel
by solid solution hardening and stabilize austenite
owing to their ability of slowing down the precipitation of carbides, especially cementite, leaving more
carbon available for the enrichment of austenite
(Leslie and Rauch, 1978)
Headache of recent onset in adults: a prospective population-based study
One hundred consecutive adult patients with headache of recent onset were
prospectively studied. Every patient was examined by craneal CT scan. Their
mean age was 46 years (range 17-82). Neurological examination was normal
in 80 patients. Organic headache represented 39% of the entire group, and
26% of them had a normal neurological examination. The yield of CT scan
in patients with headaches and a normal neurological examination was
22.5% (95% IC: 14%-33%); of which we encountered the following
pathologies: intracranial tumors (13), hydrocephalus (2), arachnoid cyst (l),
toxoplasmic abscess (1) and parenchymal hemorrhage (1). The clinical
characteristics of the headache on their own was insufficient to rule out the
possibility of an intracranial tumor. Neuroimaging studies should be
performed in all adult patients with non-vascular headache of recent onset, I and previously headache-free individual
Time-Expanded F-OTDR based on binary sequences
In this paper, the capabilities of time-expanded phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (TE F-OTDR) using binary sequences are demonstrated. We present a highly flexible and integrable TE F-OTDR approach that allows a customized distributed optical fiber sensor (range, spatial resolution, and acoustic sampling) by simply changing the length of the binary sequence and the reference clock frequencies of the binary sequence generators. The here presented architecture eliminates the need for the cumbersome arbitrary signal generators used to date to create the dual-comb spectra for interrogating the fiber. In this approach, the use of large binary sequences allows us to obtain dual combs in a simple and cost-effective way. Spatial resolution of ~1 cm is achieved, attaining ~15, 000 independent measurements points along the interrogated fiber, with a capability of sensing ~30, 000 measurements points
Enhanced In Vivo Activity of Cefditoren in Pre-Immunized Mice against Penicillin-Resistant S. pneumoniae (Serotypes 6B, 19F and 23F) in a Sepsis Model
Background
Specific antibodies are likely to be present before S. pneumoniae infection. We explored cefditoren (CDN) total and free values of serum concentrations exceeding the MIC (t>MIC) related to efficacy in a mice sepsis model, and the effect of specific gammaglobulins on in-vitro phagocytosis and in-vivo efficacy.
Methodology/Principal Findings
We used three pneumococcal isolates (serotype, MIC of CDN): Strain 1 (6B, 1 µg/ml), Strain 2 (19F, 2 µg/ml) and Strain 3 (23F, 4 µg/ml). Hyperimmune serum (HS) was obtained from mice immunized with heat-inactivated strains. In-vitro, phagocytosis by HS diluted 1/10 in presence/absence of sub-inhibitory concentrations was measured by flow cytometry including fluorescent bacteria and a neutrophil cell line. In-vivo dose-ranging experiments with HS (dilutions 1/2–1/16) and CDN (6.25 mg/kg–100 mg/kg tid for 48 h) were performed to determine the minimal protective dilution/dose (highest survival) and the non-protective highest dilution/dose (highest mortality: HS-np dilution and CDN-np dose) over 7 days. Efficacy of CDN-np in animals pre-immunized with HS-np (combined strategy) was explored and blood bacterial clearance determined. The CDN measured protein binding was 86.9%. In-vitro, CDN significantly increased phagocytosis (vs. HS 1/10). In non pre-immunized animals, t>MIC values for CDN of ≈35% (total) and ≈19% (free) were associated with 100% survival. Significant differences in survival were found between HS-np alone (≤20%) or CDN-np alone (≤20%) vs. the combined strategy (90%, 60% and 60% for Stains 1, 2 and 3), with t>MIC (total/free) of 22.8%/14.3%, 26.8%/16.0%, and 22.4%/12.7% for Strains 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Prior to the second dose (8 h), median bacterial counts were significantly lower in animals surviving vs. dead at day 7.
Conclusions/Significance
In mice (CDN protein binding similar to humans) total t>MIC values of ≈35% (≈19% free) were efficacious, with a decrease in the required values in pre-immunized animals. This reinforces that immunoprotection to overcome resistance may provide lifesaving strategies.This study was supported by an unrestricted grant from Tedec-Meiji Farma S.A., Madrid, Spain. Tedec-Meiji Farma S.A. had a role in providing reagents, materials and analysis toolsPeer reviewe
Lattice dynamics and correlated atomic motion from the atomic pair distribution function
The mean-square relative displacements (MSRD) of atomic pair motions in
crystals are studied as a function of pair distance and temperature using the
atomic pair distribution function (PDF). The effects of the lattice vibrations
on the PDF peak widths are modelled using both a multi-parameter Born
von-Karman (BvK) force model and a single-parameter Debye model. These results
are compared to experimentally determined PDFs. We find that the near-neighbor
atomic motions are strongly correlated, and that the extent of this correlation
depends both on the interatomic interactions and crystal structure. These
results suggest that proper account of the lattice vibrational effects on the
PDF peak width is important in extracting information on static disorder in a
disordered system such as an alloy. Good agreement is obtained between the BvK
model calculations of PDF peak widths and the experimentally determined peak
widths. The Debye model successfully explains the average, though not detailed,
natures of the MSRD of atomic pair motion with just one parameter. Also the
temperature dependence of the Debye model largely agrees with the BvK model
predictions. Therefore, the Debye model provides a simple description of the
effects of lattice vibrations on the PDF peak widths.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure
Left-right symmetry at LHC and precise 1-loop low energy data
Despite many tests, even the Minimal Manifest Left-Right Symmetric Model
(MLRSM) has never been ultimately confirmed or falsified. LHC gives a new
possibility to test directly the most conservative version of left-right
symmetric models at so far not reachable energy scales. If we take into account
precise limits on the model which come from low energy processes, like the muon
decay, possible LHC signals are strongly limited through the correlations of
parameters among heavy neutrinos, heavy gauge bosons and heavy Higgs particles.
To illustrate the situation in the context of LHC, we consider the "golden"
process . For instance, in a case of degenerate heavy neutrinos
and heavy Higgs masses at 15 TeV (in agreement with FCNC bounds) we get
fb at TeV which is consistent with muon
decay data for a very limited masses in the range (3008 GeV, 3040 GeV).
Without restrictions coming from the muon data, masses would be in the
range (1.0 TeV, 3.5 TeV). Influence of heavy Higgs particles themselves on the
considered LHC process is negligible (the same is true for the light, SM
neutral Higgs scalar analog). In the paper decay modes of the right-handed
heavy gauge bosons and heavy neutrinos are also discussed. Both scenarios with
typical see-saw light-heavy neutrino mixings and the mixings which are
independent of heavy neutrino masses are considered. In the second case heavy
neutrino decays to the heavy charged gauge bosons not necessarily dominate over
decay modes which include only light, SM-like particles.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figs, KL-KS and new ATLAS limits taken into accoun
β-Lactam Effects on Mixed Cultures of Common Respiratory Isolates as an Approach to Treatment Effects on Nasopharyngeal Bacterial Population Dynamics
BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes and Haemophilus influenzae are bacteria present in the nasopharynx as part of normal flora. The ecological equilibrium in the nasopharynx can be disrupted by the presence of antibiotics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A computerized two-compartment pharmacodynamic model was used to explore beta-lactam effects on the evolution over time of a bacterial load containing common pharyngeal isolates by simulating free serum concentrations obtained with amoxicillin (AMX) 875 mg tid, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC) 875/125 mg tid and cefditoren (CDN) 400 mg bid regimens over 24 h. Strains and MICs (microg/ml) of AMX, AMC and CDN were: S. pyogenes (0.03, 0.03 and 0.015), S. pneumoniae (2, 2 and 0.25), a beta-lactamase positive H. influenzae (BL(+); >16, 2 and 0.06) and a beta-lactamase positive AMC-resistant H. influenzae (BLPACR, >16, 8 and 0.06). Mixture of identical 1:1:1:1 volumes of each bacterial suspension were prepared yielding an inocula of approximately 4 x 10(6) cfu/ml. Antibiotic concentrations were measured both in bacterial and in bacteria-free antibiotic simulations. beta-lactamase production decreased AMX concentrations and fT(>MIC) against S. pneumoniae (from 43.2% to 17.7%) or S. pyogenes (from 99.9% to 24.9%), and eradication was precluded. The presence of clavulanic acid countered this effect of co-pathogenicity, and S. pyogenes (but not BL(+) and S. pneumoniae) was eradicated. Resistance of CDN to TEM beta-lactamase avoided this co-pathogenicity effect, and CDN eradicated S. pyogenes and H. influenzae strains (fT(>MIC) >58%), and reduced in 94% S. pneumoniae counts (fT(>MIC) approximately 25%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Co-pathogenicity seems to be gradual since clavulanic acid countered this effect for strains very susceptible to AMX as S. pyogenes but not for strains with AMX MIC values in the limit of susceptibility as S. pneumoniae. There is a potential therapeutic advantage for beta-lactamase resistant cephalosporins with high activity against streptococci
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