Wear behavior of graded Cr-CrN-Cr(1−x)Al(x)N coatings synthesized by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering for advanced machining operations

Graded Cr-CrN-Cr_(1?x)Al_(x)N coatings were synthesized onto M42 HSS substrates used in advanced machining operations by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUBMS). The tribological behavior of these graded coatings was explored in detail by advanced electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, nanoindentation and dry sliding wear tests. The presence and magnitude of residual stresses in these coatings were determined by the XRD – sin²ψ method, which revealed increasing compressive stresses with increasing Al content. The coating surface morphology, mechanical properties were determined prior to dry sliding wear by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation methods, which yielded decreasing surface roughness (R_a) as well as enhancement of hardness and modulus along with increase in H/E and H³/E² ratios with increasing Al content. Tribological investigation was performed with a pin-on-disc arrangement by keeping the sliding velocity (0.2?ms^?1) and normal axial load (10?N) constant and varying the sliding distance. Specific wear rates of the order ~ 10^–17 m³ N^?1 m^?1 were encountered for all coatings with the wear rates increasing as the Al content increased implying a decrease of wear resistance of the coatings. Abrasive wear has been found to be the dominant wear mechanism during dry sliding wear. Increasing modulus mismatch between coating and substrate can be mainly attributed to a decrease in wear resistance of the coatings.     

Cyclic deformation behavior of high-purity titanium single crystals: Part II. Microstructure and mechanism

Strain-controlled cyclic tests have been conducted on high-purity titanium single crystals with different orientations. The fatigue mechanisms of the titanium crystals were studied by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). It was found that single slip lines, wavy slip lines, double slip lines, twins, and associated slip lines occurred in differently oriented single crystals. A new type of fractographic morphology, parallel traces, was observed. Dislocation patterns and cyclic twins, as well as the mechanical response, were analyzed. The dependence of the deformation mechanisms on the orientations of the single crystals is discussed.     

Major antigenic proteins of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis are encoded by members of a multigene family

Western blot analysis of proteins from a cell culture isolate (USG3) of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent has identified a number of immunoreactive proteins, including major antigenic proteins of 43 and 45 kDa. Peptides derived from the 43- and 45-kDa proteins were sequenced, and degenerate PCR primers based on these sequences were used to amplify DNA from USG3. Sequencing of a 550-bp PCR product revealed that it encodes a protein homologous to the MSP-2 proteins of Anaplasma marginale. Concurrently, an expression library made from USG3 genomic DNA was screened with granulocytic Ehrlichia (GE)-positive immune sera. Analysis of two clones showed that they contain one partial and three full-length highly related genes, suggesting that they are part of a multigene family. Amino acid alignment showed conserved amino- and carboxy-terminal regions which flank a variable region. The conserved regions of these proteins are also homologous to the MSP-2 proteins of A. marginale; thus, they were designated GE MSP-2A (45 kDa), MSP-2B (34 kDa), and MSP-2C (38 kDa). The PCR fragment obtained as a result of peptide sequencing was completely contained within the msp-2A clone, and all of the sequenced peptides were found in the GE MSP-2 proteins. Recombinant MSP-2B protein and an MSP-2A fusion protein were expressed in Escherichia coli and reacted with human sera positive for the HGE agent by immunofluorescence assay. These data suggest that the 43- and 45-kDa proteins of the HGE agent are encoded by members of the GE MSP-2 multigene family.     

Molecular cloning and sequencing of three granulocytic Ehrlichia genes encoding high-molecular-weight immunoreactive proteins

Granulocytic Ehrlichia was isolated from canine blood obtained from animals challenged with field-collected Ixodes scapularis and propagated in HL60 cells. PCR primers specific for the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of the Ehrlichia genogroup comprising E. equi, E. phagocytophila, and the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) amplified DNA from extracts of these cells. Sequence analysis of this amplified DNA revealed that it is identical to the 16S rDNA sequence of the HGE agent. A genomic library was constructed with DNA from granulocytic Ehrlichia and screened with pooled sera from tick-challenged, granulocytic Ehrlichia-infected dogs. Several clones were isolated and sequenced. Three complete genes encoding proteins with apparent molecular masses of 100, 130, and 160 kDa were found. The recombinant proteins reacted with convalescent-phase sera from dogs and human patients recovering from HGE. This approach will be useful for identifying candidate diagnostic and vaccine antigens for granulocytic ehrlichiosis and aid in the classification of genogroup members.     

Spatial characteristics of the difference between MISR and MODIS aerosol optical depth retrievals over mainland Southeast Asia

The difference between aerosol optical depths (AODs) retrieved from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is examined over mainland Southeast Asia from a spatial perspective. Though ideally the difference between these measurement methods should be small and randomly distributed over space, our analysis suggests that this difference has a strong negative relationship with MODIS AODs and tend to be spatially clustered. We quantify the spatial dependence in MISR/MODIS AOD differences and explore the extent to which the spatial patterns in these differences can be explained by variables that reflect the influence of physical environment and human activities. While these variables show a strong relationship with MISR/MODIS AOD differences, the results also suggest that further research is needed to fully understand the spatial dependence in these differences.     

Cue reactivity as a predictor of drinking among male alcoholics.

Social learning theories suggest that conditioned responses may increase the risk for relapse. Responses to alcohol use cues (cue reactivity) are associated with variables suggestive of risk but little research exists on the relationship of cue reactivity to treatment outcome. Alcoholic men admitted for detoxification to a treatment program (n?=?45) underwent a cue reactivity assessment protocol, and 91% received 3-mo follow-up interviews. Greater salivary reactivity predicted greater frequency of drinking during follow-up. Attentional factors added independent variance to the prediction of drinking outcome, with greater attention to stimulus or to response predicting less drinking. Cue reactivity did not predict length of hospital stay or latency to first drink. Results are discussed in the context of information processing, social learning theories, and clinical implications for relapse prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of Manufacturing Process on the Biocompatibility and Mechanical Properties of Ti-30Ta Alloy

Ti alloys have been widely used in the aerospace, chemical, and biomedical industries for their high strength/weight ratio and corrosion resistance. However, Nitinol's usage in the latter industry has been fraught with concerns of allergic and toxic effects of Ni released from implants. Recently, much attention has been placed on the development of Ni-free Ti-Ta alloys, which are considered prime candidates for applications such as metal-on-metal spinal disk replacements, orthopedic implants, cardiovascular stents, dental posts, and guide wires. In this research, the biocompatibility of Ti-30Ta alloys manufactured by powder metallurgy (PM) and arc melting (ARC) were investigated. The corrosion resistance of each alloy was determined in accordance with ASTM F 2129-08 in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and PBS with amino acids at 37 °C. The concentration of metal ions released during corrosion was measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to assess the morphology of the alloys before and after corrosion. Vicker's hardness tests were performed to compare the hardness and tensile strength of the alloys. Human osteoblast cells were successfully grown on the surface of both alloys.     

Expression of the thyroid hormone receptor gene, erbAalpha, in B lymphocytes: alternative mRNA processing is independent of differentiation but correlates with antisense RNA levels

The erbAalpha gene encodes two alpha-thyroid hormone receptor isoforms, TRalpha1 and TRalpha2, which arise from alternatively processed mRNAs, erbAalpha1 (alpha1) and erb alpha2 (alpha2). The splicing and alternative polyadenylation patterns of these mRNAs resemble that of mRNAs encoding different forms of immunoglobulin heavy chains, which are regulated at the level of alternative processing during B cell differentiation. This study examines the levels of erbAalpha mRNA in eight B cell lines representing four stages of differentiation in order to determine whether regulation of the alternatively processed alpha1 and alpha2 mRNAs parallels the processing of immunoglobulin heavy chain mRNAs. Results show that the pattern of alpha1 and alpha2 mRNA expression is clearly different from that observed for immunoglobulin heavy chain mRNAs. B cell lines display characteristic ratios of alpha1/alpha2 mRNA at distinct stages of differentiation. Furthermore, expression of an overlapping gene, Rev-ErbAalpha (RevErb), was found to correlate strongly with an increase in the ratio of alpha1/alpha2 mRNA. These results suggest that alternative processing of erbAalpha mRNAs is regulated by a mechanism which is distinct from that regulating immunoglobulin mRNA. The correlation between RevErb and erbAalpha mRNA is consistent with negative regulation of alpha2 via antisense interactions with the complementary RevErb mRNA.     

Crossing an Interface: Ferroelectric Control of Tunnel Currents in Magnetic Complex Oxide Heterostructures

Experimental results on entirely complex oxide ferromagnetic/ferroelectric/ferromagnetic tunnel junctions are presented in which the tunneling magnetoresistance is modified by applying low electric field pulses to the junctions. The experiments indicate that ionic displacements associated with the polarization reversal in the ferroelectric barrier affect the complex band structure at ferromagnetic–ferroelectric interfaces. The results are discussed in the framework of the theoretically predicted magnetoelectric interface effect and may lead to novel multistate memory devices.     

Spectral broadening of stochastic light intensity-smoothed by asaturated semiconductor optical amplifier

We present calculations of the intensity smoothing of stochastic light by a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). We predict spectral changes of the light that are due to amplitude-to-phase coupling in the gain medium. The intensity smoothing of noisy optical signals with an SOA carries a penalty of spectral broadening (increased phase noise) that increases with increasing alpha parameter (linewidth enhancement factor). The spectral broadening also increases with increasing strength of the intensity fluctuations being smoothed