The effect of welding speed on the properties of ASME SA516 grade 70 steel

Submerged arc welding (SAW) is often the method of choice in pressure vessel fabrication. This process features high production rates, welding energy and/or welding speed and requires minimal operator skill. The selection of appropriate parameters in SAW is essential, not only to optimize the welding process in order to maintain the highest level of productivity, but also to obtain the most desirable mechanical properties of the weld. The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of welding speed on the properties of SA516 Grade 70. Plates of SA516 Gr. 70 steel 17 mm x 915 mm x 122 mm were submerged arc welded with a welding current of 700 A and welding speeds of 15.3, 12.3 and 9.3 mm/s. Following the welding; strength, microstructure, hardness and impact toughness of the specimens were examined. Charpy impact testing was performed according to ASTM E 23 on specimens notched in the weld metal (WM) and in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), to measure the impact toughness. Fractography was performed on broken specimens using optical and scanning electron microscopy in order to correlate the mechanisms of fracture with the impact toughness values. The highest hardness values were in the coarse-grained HAZ followed by the WM with the lowest hardness in the parent metal (PM). The HAZ had higher impact toughness than the WM and PM for all welding speeds. The slowest welding speed (9.3 mm/s) obtained complete penetration and therefore produced the most visually sound weld. The fastest welding speed (15.3 mm/s) had the narrowest HAZ and showed good ductile-to-brittle transition behaviour for both the WM and HAZ specimens, but produced incomplete penetration defects. Welding speed had little affect on the notch toughness of the HAZ with only a 9 J rise in upper shelf energy and an 8 °C drop in the impact transition temperature (ITT) with increased welding speed from 9.3 to 15.3 mm/s. However, for the WM, there was a 63 J drop in the upper shelf energy but also a 41 °C improvement of the ITT between the 9.3 and 15.3 mm/s welding speeds

Dexamethasone Attenuates Hyperexcitability Provoked by Experimental Febrile Status Epilepticus.

The role of neuroinflammation in the mechanisms of epilepsy development is important because inflammatory mediators provide tractable targets for intervention. Inflammation is intrinsically involved in the generation of childhood febrile seizures (FSs), and prolonged FS [febrile status epilepticus (FSE)] precedes a large proportion of adult cases of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). As TLE is often refractory to therapy and is associated with serious cognitive and emotional problems, we investigated whether its development can be prevented using anti-inflammatory strategies. Using an immature rat model of FSE [experimental FSE (eFSE)], we administered dexamethasone (DEX), a broad anti-inflammatory agent, over 3 d following eFSE. We assessed eFSE-provoked hippocampal network hyperexcitability by quantifying the presence, frequency, and duration of hippocampal spike series, as these precede and herald the development of TLE-like epilepsy. We tested whether eFSE provoked hippocampal microgliosis, astrocytosis, and proinflammatory cytokine production in male and female rats and investigated blood-brain barrier (BBB) breaches as a potential contributor. We then evaluated whether DEX attenuated these eFSE sequelae. Spike series were not observed in control rats given vehicle or DEX, but occurred in 41.6% of eFSE-vehicle rats, associated with BBB leakage and elevated hippocampal cytokines. eFSE did not induce astrocytosis or microgliosis but provoked BBB disruption in 60% of animals. DEX significantly reduced spike series prevalence (to 7.6%) and frequency, and abrogated eFSE-induced cytokine production and BBB leakage (to 20%). These findings suggest that a short, postinsult intervention with a clinically available anti-inflammatory agent potently attenuates epilepsy-predicting hippocampal hyperexcitability, potentially by minimizing BBB disruption and related neuroinflammation

The decline, fall, and rise of a large urban colonising bird

Context. The process of urbanisation results in dramatic landscape changes with long-lasting and sometimes irreversible consequences for the biota as urban sensitive species are eliminated. The Australian brush-turkey (Alectura lathami) is a recent urban colonist despite atypical traits for an urban adapter. Contrary to observed range declines and initial reports of decreased reproductive success in cities, Australian brush-turkeys have increased their range in urban areas. Aims. Historical atlas and present citizen science data were used to examine the changing distribution of the Australian brush-turkey at continental and city scales, and the changing land use in urban areas occupied by the species. We assess which environmental and landscape features are driving observed distribution changes over time. Methods. We describe and map changes at the continental scale between 1839–2019. We then assessed colonisation of the cities of Brisbane and Sydney (located 900 km apart) over the period 1960–2019. At the city scale, we quantified the changing land use within Australian brush-turkey occupied areas over time using classification of satellite imagery. Key results. The Australian brush-turkey’s geographical range has shifted over the last century, with the species receding from the western and southwestern parts of their range, while expanding in the northwest. Areas occupied in the cities of Brisbane and Sydney have expanded, with more recently occupied areas containing less vegetation and more developed land than previously occupied areas. Conclusions. Our results confirm that Australian brush-turkeys are successfully colonising urban areas, including major cities, and are likely to continue moving into urban areas, despite declines elsewhere in their natural range. The species is not limited to suburbs with a high proportion of greenspace, as Australian brush-turkeys are increasingly occurring in highly developed areas with limited vegetation. Implications. This study highlights that species which were locally extirpated from urban areas, and thought to be unlikely candidates for recolonisation, can successfully occupy human modified habitats. Successful expansion is likely to be associated with key behavioural traits, urban greening, and legal protection from human persecution

Nuclear Localization of Huntingtin mRNA Is Specific to Cells of Neuronal Origin

Huntington\u27s disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder representing an ideal candidate for gene silencing with oligonucleotide therapeutics (i.e., antisense oligonucleotides [ASOs] and small interfering RNAs [siRNAs]). Using an ultra-sensitive branched fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method, we show that approximately 50% of wild-type HTT mRNA localizes to the nucleus and that its nuclear localization is observed only in neuronal cells. In mouse brain sections, we detect Htt mRNA predominantly in neurons, with a wide range of Htt foci observed per cell. We further show that siRNAs and ASOs efficiently eliminate cytoplasmic HTT mRNA and HTT protein, but only ASOs induce a partial but significant reduction of nuclear HTT mRNA. We speculate that, like other mRNAs, HTT mRNA subcellular localization might play a role in important neuronal regulatory mechanisms

Bycatch species composition over time by tuna purse-seine fishery in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean.

Post-print

BRCA2 polymorphic stop codon K3326X and the risk of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers

Background: The K3326X variant in BRCA2 (BRCA2*c.9976A>T; p.Lys3326*; rs11571833) has been found to be associated with small increased risks of breast cancer. However, it is not clear to what extent linkage disequilibrium with fully pathogenic mutations might account for this association. There is scant information about the effect of K3326X in other hormone-related cancers. Methods: Using weighted logistic regression, we analyzed data from the large iCOGS study including 76 637 cancer case patients and 83 796 control patients to estimate odds ratios (ORw) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for K3326X variant carriers in relation to breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer risks, with weights defined as probability of not having a pathogenic BRCA2 variant. Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, we also examined the associations of K3326X with breast and ovarian cancer risks among 7183 BRCA1 variant carriers. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The K3326X variant was associated with breast (ORw = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.40, P = 5.9x10- 6) and invasive ovarian cancer (ORw = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.43, P = 3.8x10-3). These associations were stronger for serous ovarian cancer and for estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer (ORw = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.70, P = 3.4x10-5 and ORw = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.28 to 1.76, P = 4.1x10-5, respectively). For BRCA1 mutation carriers, there was a statistically significant inverse association of the K3326X variant with risk of ovarian cancer (HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.84, P = .013) but no association with breast cancer. No association with prostate cancer was observed. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that the K3326X variant is associated with risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers independent of other pathogenic variants in BRCA2. Further studies are needed to determine the biological mechanism of action responsible for these associations

Different strategies to achieve Pb-tolerance by the two Trebouxia algae coexisting in the lichen Ramalina farinacea

Lichen thalli are permeable to airborne substances, including heavy metals, which are harmful to cell metabolism. Ramalina farinacea shows a moderate tolerance to Pb. This lichen comprises two Trebouxia phycobionts, provisionally referred to as TR1 and TR9, with distinct physiological responses to acute oxidative stress. Thus, there is a more severe decay in photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments in TR1 than in TR9. Similarly, under oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes and HSP70 protein decrease in TR1 but increase in TR9. Since Pb toxicity is associated with increased ROS formation, we hypothesized greater Pb tolerance in this phycobiont. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to characterize the physiological differences in the responses of TR1 and TR9 to Pb exposure. Liquid cultures of isolated phycobionts were incubated for 7 days in the presence of Pb(NO3)2. Thereafter, extracellular and intracellular Pb accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthesis (as modulated chlorophyll fluorescence) were analyzed along with the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APx), and catalase (CAT), and the stress-related protein HSP70. Pb uptake increased with the amount of supplied Pb in both algae. However, while significantly more metal was immobilized extracellularly by TR9, the amount of intracellular Pb accumulation was three times higher in TR1. In neither of the phycobionts were significant effects on photosynthetic pigments or photosynthetic electron transport observed. While under control conditions GR, SOD, and APx levels were significantly higher in TR1 than in TR9, only in the latter were these enzymes induced by Pb. This resulted in quantitatively similar antioxidant activities in the two algae when exposed to Pb. In conclusion, the phycobionts of R. farinacea make use of two different strategies against stress, in which the integration of distinct anatomical and physiological features affords similar levels of Pb tolerance.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2009-13429-C02-01/02) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 174/2008 and GVACOMP2011-205). We are grateful to the Central Support Service in Experimental Research (SCSIE), University of Valencia (Spain), for the TEM studies. We acknowledge Dr. Said Agouram (SCSIE, University of Valencia, Spain) for TEM-EDXS characterizations and for helpful discussions during the TEM investigations. We thank Wendy Ran and Daniel Sheerin for the English revision of the manuscript.Álvarez, R.; Del Hoyo, A.; García Breijo, FJ.; Reig Armiñana, J.; Del Campo, EM.; Guéra, A.; Barreno, E.... (2012). Different strategies to achieve Pb-tolerance by the two Trebouxia algae coexisting in the lichen Ramalina farinacea. Journal of Plant Physiology. 169(18):1797-1806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2012.07.005S179718061691

Political and Judicial Checks on Corruption: Evidence from American State Governments

The paper investigates the effects of checks and balances on corruption. Within a presidential system, effective separation of powers is achieved under divided government, with the executive and legislative branches being controlled by different political parties. When government is unified, no effective separation exists even within a presidential system, but, we argue, can be partially restored by having an accountable judiciary. Our empirical findings show that divided government and elected, rather than appointed, state supreme court judges are associated with lower corruption and, furthermore, that the effect of an accountable judiciary is stronger under unified government, where government cannot control itself. The effect of an accountable judiciary seems to be driven primarily by judges chosen through direct elections, rather than those exposed to a retention vote following appointment

Hyaluronic acid synthesis, degradation, and crosslinking in equine osteoarthritis: TNF-α-TSG-6-mediated HC-HA formation

Background TNF-α-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) protein, a TNF-α-responsive hyaladherin, possesses enzymatic activity that can catalyze covalent crosslinks of the polysaccharide hyaluronic acid (HA) to another protein to form heavy chain-hyaluronic acid (HC-HA) complexes in pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we examined HA synthase and inflammatory gene expression; synovial fluid HA, TNF-α, and viscosity; and TSG-6-mediated HC-HA complex formation in an equine OA model. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the TNF-α-TSG-6-HC-HA signaling pathway across multiple joint tissues, including synovial membrane, cartilage, and synovial fluid, and (2) determine the impact of OA on synovial fluid composition and biophysical properties. Methods HA and inflammatory cytokine concentrations (TNF-α, IL-1β, CCL2, 3, 5, and 11) were analyzed in synovial fluid from 63 OA and 25 control joints, and HA synthase (HAS1-3), TSG-6, and hyaluronan-degrading enzyme (HYAL2, HEXA) gene expression was measured in synovial membrane and cartilage. HA molecular weight (MW) distributions were determined using agarose gel electrophoresis and solid-state nanopore measurements, and HC-HA complex formation was detected via immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. SEC-MALS was used to evaluate TSG-6-mediated HA crosslinking, and synovial fluid and HA solution viscosities were analyzed using multiple particle-tracking microrheology and microfluidic measurements, respectively. Results TNF-α concentrations were greater in OA synovial fluid, and TSG6 expression was upregulated in OA synovial membrane and cartilage. TSG-6-mediated HC-HA complex formation was greater in OA synovial fluid and tissues than controls, and HC-HA was localized to both synovial membrane and superficial zone chondrocytes in OA joints. SEC-MALS demonstrated macromolecular aggregation of low MW HA in the presence of TSG-6 and inter-α-inhibitor with concurrent increases in viscosity. Conclusions Synovial fluid TNF-α concentrations, synovial membrane and cartilage TSG6 gene expression, and HC-HA complex formation were increased in equine OA. Despite the ability of TSG-6 to induce macromolecular aggregation of low MW HA with resultant increases in the viscosity of low MW HA solutions in vitro, HA concentration was the primary determinant of synovial fluid viscosity rather than HA MW or HC-HA crosslinking. The TNF-α-TSG-6-HC-HA pathway may represent a potential therapeutic target in OA