Correlation between porosity and processing parameters in TiAl6V4 produced by selective laser melting

This study presents the correlation between process parameters and porosity formation in a TiAl6V4 alloy produced by selective laser melting. The porosity is investigated by 2D and 3D methods aiming to identify the mechanisms of void formation, their morphology as well as volume fraction as a function of the energy density. An evident minimumvolume fraction is observed between process parameters with significant overheating and insufficient fusion. It is shown that these two marginal regions define two mechanisms of void formation. Two dominant types of voids morphology are identified and examined regarding pore orientation versus their elongation, which together with the curvature distribution analysis allow revealing critical defects

Current Challenges in the Management of Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis is a relatively rare, but deadly cause of sepsis, with an overall mortality ranging from 20 to 25% in most series. Although the classic clinical classification into syndromes of acute or subacute endocarditis have not completely lost their usefulness, current clinical forms have changed according to the profound epidemiological changes observed in developed countries. In this review, we aim to address the changing epidemiology of endocarditis, several recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of endocarditis and endocarditis-triggered sepsis, new useful diagnostic tools as well as current concepts in the medical and surgical management of this disease. Given its complexity, the management of infective endocarditis requires the close collaboration of multidisciplinary endocarditis teams that must decide on the diagnostic approach; the appropriate initial treatment in the critical phase; the detection of patients needing surgery and the timing of this intervention; and finally the accurate selection of patients for out-of-hospital treatment, either at home hospitalization or with oral antibiotic treatment

Understanding and Managing Sepsis in Patients With Cancer in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance

Sepsis is a frequent complication in immunosuppressed cancer patients and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients that is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The worldwide emergence of antimicrobial resistance is of special concern in this population because any delay in starting adequate empirical antibiotic therapy can lead to poor outcomes. In this review, we aim to address: (1) the mechanisms involved in the development of sepsis and septic shock in these patients; (2) the risk factors associated with a worse prognosis; (3) the impact of adequate initial empirical antibiotic therapy given the current era of widespread antimicrobial resistance; and (4) the optimal management of sepsis, including adequate and early source control of infection, optimized antibiotic use based on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics changes in these patients, and the role of the new available antibiotics

Microstructural, mechanical, and fracture characterization of metal matrix composite manufactured by accumulative roll bonding

Accumulative roll bonding is a severe plastic-forming process proposed to manufacture ceramic particle-reinforced multilayered metal matrix composites. In this work, low-cost composite multilayered laminate was produced by roll bonding commercially pure aluminum 1100 with 5% in volume of reinforcing microscale silicon carbide particles. Microstructural features, hardness, tensile properties in the presence of stress concentrators, and wear resistance were assessed. Fracture surface inspection was carried out to determine operating failure mechanisms. Hardness was significantly enhanced, whereas tensile properties only moderately improved by ceramic particles incorporation. The main reasons were some degree of recrystallization, work-hardening relief due to periodic annealing, minimum grain refinement, and somewhat agglomerated carbide particles. Though tensile properties increments were not much attractive, exceptional increase in wear performance was achieved due to the addition of particulate carbon-rich ceramic phase, which acted as solid lubricant mitigating abrasion, adhesion, and delamination wear mechanisms. The manufactured composite laminate can be worthwhile in applications where low cost, notch insensitivity, and superior wear and weather resistances are design requirements, as outdoor decks and patios.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

NoMeplot: analysis of DNA methylation and nucleosome occupancy at the single molecule

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44597-2.We are very grateful to Peter A. Jones for sharing protocols and advice and we thank Serafin Moral for constructive and useful discussion.Recent technical advances highlight that to understand mammalian development and human disease we need to consider transcriptional and epigenetic cell-to-cell differences within cell populations. This is particularly important in key areas of biomedicine like stem cell differentiation and intratumor heterogeneity. The recently developed nucleosome occupancy and methylome (NOMe) assay facilitates the simultaneous study of DNA methylation and nucleosome positioning on the same DNA strand. NOMe-treated DNA can be sequenced by sanger (NOMe-PCR) or high throughput approaches (NOMe-seq). NOMe-PCR provides information for a single locus at the single molecule while NOMe-seq delivers genome-wide data that is usually interrogated to obtain population-averaged measures. Here, we have developed a bioinformatic tool that allow us to easily obtain locus-specific information at the single molecule using genome-wide NOMe-seq datasets obtained from bulk populations. We have used NOMePlot to study mouse embryonic stem cells and found that polycomb-repressed bivalent gene promoters coexist in two different epigenetic states, as defined by the nucleosome binding pattern detected around their transcriptional start site.This study was supported by the Spanish ministry of economy and competitiveness (SAF2013-40891-R; BFU2016-75233-P) and the andalusian regional government (PC-0246-2017). David Landeira is a Ramón y Cajal researcher of the Spanish ministry of economy and competitiveness (RYC-2012- 10019)