Enhanced mechanical properties in β-Ti alloy aged from recrystallized ultrafine β grains

Ultrafine β grain structures with recrystallized morphologies were fabricated by severe plastic deformation and subsequent annealing in Ti-10Mo-8 V-1Fe-3.5Al alloy. The minimum mean β grain size of 480 nm was obtained for the first time as a recrystallized structure in Ti alloys. Precipitation behavior of α in subsequent aging significantly changed with decreasing the recrystallized β grain size. Both tensile strength and total ductility of the aged Ti-alloy were increased by the β grain refinement. Tensile strength of 1.6 GPa and total elongation of 9.1% were achieved in the aged specimen having the prior β grain size of 480 nm, which was attributed to its finer and more homogeneous precipitated microstructure having a mixture of nanoscale thin-plate α and globular α without side α plates along β grain boundaries

Achieving large super-elasticity through changing relative easiness of deformation modes in Ti-Nb-Mo alloy by ultra-grain refinement

Large super-elasticity approaching its theoretically expected value was achieved in Ti-13.3Nb-4.6Mo alloy having an ultrafine-grained β-phase. In-situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the dominant yielding mechanism changed from dislocation slip to martensitic transformation by decreasing the β-grain size down to sub-micrometer. Different grain size dependence of the critical stress to initiate dislocation slip and martensitic transformation, which was reflected by the transition of yielding behavior, was considered to be the main reason for the large super-elasticity in the ultrafine-grained specimen. The present study clarified that ultra-grain refinement down to sub-mirometer scale made dislocation slips more difficult than martensitic transformation, leading to an excellent super-elasticity close to the theoretical limit in the β-Ti alloy

Device-independent verification of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering

If the presence of entanglement could be certified in a device-independent (DI) way, it is likely to provide various quantum information processing tasks with unconditional security. Recently, it was shown that a DI protocol, combining measurement-device-independent techniques with self-testing, is able to verify all entangled states, however, it imposes demanding requirements on its practical implementation. Here, we present a less-demanding protocol based on Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering, which is achievable with current technology. Particularly, we first establish a complete framework for DI verification of EPR steering and show that all steerable states can be verified. Then, we analyze the three-measurement setting case, allowing for imperfections of self-testing. Finally, a four-photon experiment is implemented to device-independently verify EPR steering and to further demonstrate that even Bell local states can be faithfully verified. Our findings pave the way for realistic applications of secure quantum information tasksComment: 6+8 pages; Comments are welcom

Cold-induced modulation and functional analyses of the DRE-binding transcription factor gene, GmDREB3, in soybean (Glycine max L.)

DREB (dehydration-responsive element-binding protein) transcription factors have important roles in the stress-related regulation network in plants. A DREB orthologue, GmDREB3, belonging to the A-5 subgroup of the DREB subfamily, was isolated from soybean using the RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. Northern blot analysis showed that expression of GmDREB3 in soybean seedlings was induced following cold stress treatment for 0.5 h and was not detected after 3 h. However, it was not induced by drought and high salt stresses or by abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. This response was similar to those of members in the A-1 subgroup and different from those of other members in the A-5 subgroup, suggesting that the GmDREB3 gene was involved in an ABA-independent cold stress-responsive signal pathway. Furthermore, analysis of the GmDREB3 promoter elucidated its cold-induced modulation. A promoter fragment containing bases −1058 to −664 was involved in response to cold stress, and its effect was detected for 1 h after treatment, but a transcriptional repressor appeared to impair this response by binding to a cis-element in the region −1403 to −1058 at 24 h after the beginning of cold stress. Moreover, the GmDREB3 protein could specifically bind to the DRE element in vitro, and activated expression of downstream reporter genes in yeast cells. In addition, overexpression of GmDREB3 enhanced tolerance to cold, drought, and high salt stresses in transgenic Arabidopsis. Physiological analyses indicated that the fresh weight and osmolality of GmDREB3 transgenic Arabidopsis under cold stress were higher than those of wild-type controls. GmDREB3 transgenic tobacco accumulated higher levels of free proline under drought stress and retained higher leaf chlorophyll levels under high salt stress than wild-type tobacco. In addition, constitutive expression of GmDREB3 in transgenic Arabidopsis caused growth retardation, whereas its expression under control of the stress-inducible Rd29A promoter minimized negative effects on plant growth under normal growth conditions, indicating that a combination of the Rd29A promoter and GmDREB3 might be useful for improving tolerance to environmental stresses in crop plants

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The Somatic Genomic Landscape of Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma

We describe the landscape of somatic genomic alterations of 66 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas (ChRCCs) based on multidimensional and comprehensive characterization, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and whole genome sequencing. The result is consistent that ChRCC originates from the distal nephron compared to other kidney cancers with more proximal origins. Combined mtDNA and gene expression analysis implicates changes in mitochondrial function as a component of the disease biology, while suggesting alternative roles for mtDNA mutations in cancers relying on oxidative phosphorylation. Genomic rearrangements lead to recurrent structural breakpoints within TERT promoter region, which correlates with highly elevated TERT expression and manifestation of kataegis, representing a mechanism of TERT up-regulation in cancer distinct from previously-observed amplifications and point mutations