Maternal Exposure to Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) or Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Leads to Long-Term Changes in Hypothalamic Gene Expression and Sexual Behavior

Xenobiotic exposure during pregnancy and lactation has been linked to perinatal changes in male reproductive outcomes and other endocrine parameters. This pilot study wished to assess whether brief maternal exposure of rats to xenobiotics dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or diethylstilbestrol (DES) might also cause long-term changes in hypothalamic gene expression or in reproductive behavior of the resulting offspring. Time-mated female Sprague Dawley rats were given either DBP (500 mg/kg body weight, every second day from GD14.5 to PND6), DES (125 µg/kg body weight at GD14.5 and GD16.5 only), or vehicle (n = 8–12 per group) and mild endocrine disruption was confirmed by monitoring postnatal anogenital distance. Hypothalamic RNA from male and female offspring at PND10, PND24 and PND90 was analyzed by qRT-PCR for expression of aromatase, oxytocin, vasopressin, ER-alpha, ER-beta, kisspeptin, and GnRH genes. Reproductive behavior was monitored in male and female offspring from PND60 to PND90. Particularly, DES treatment led to significant changes in hypothalamic gene expression, which for the oxytocin gene was still evident at PND90, as well as in sexual behavior. In conclusion, maternal xenobiotic exposure may not only alter endocrine systems in offspring but, by impacting on brain development at a critical time, can have long-term effects on male or female sexual behavior.     

Interspecies Behavioral Variability of Medaka Fish Assessed by Comparative Phenomics

Recently, medaka has been used as a model organism in various research fields. However, even though it possesses several advantages over zebrafish, fewer studies were done in medaka compared to zebrafish, especially with regard to its behavior. Thus, to provide more information regarding its behavior and to demonstrate the behavioral differences between several species of medaka, we compared the behavioral performance and biomarker expression in the brain between four medaka fishes, Oryzias latipes, Oryzias dancena, Oryzias woworae, and Oryzias sinensis. We found that each medaka species explicitly exhibited different behaviors to each other, which might be related to the different basal levels of several biomarkers. Furthermore, by phenomics and genomic-based clustering, the differences between these medaka fishes were further investigated. Here, the phenomic-based clustering was based on the behavior results, while the genomic-based clustering was based on the sequence of the nd2 gene. As we expected, both clusterings showed some resemblances to each other in terms of the interspecies relationship between medaka and zebrafish. However, this similarity was not displayed by both clusterings in the medaka interspecies comparisons. Therefore, these results suggest a re-interpretation of several prior studies in comparative biology. We hope that these results contribute to the growing database of medaka fish phenotypes and provide one of the foundations for future phenomics studies of medaka fish.     

Thermal evaluation of the use of porous ceramic plates on ventilated façades—part II: Thermal behavior

The effects of porous ceramic plates on the thermal behavior of ventilated façades were evaluated, and the results are presented herein. Thermal behavior in a ventilated façade of specimens containing 40 wt% of lime mud and a firing temperature of 1100°C was evaluated and compared with a commercial porcelain ceramic tile, which was the reference material. An experimental apparatus was designed to evaluate the thermal performance of the studied ventilated façades. The results revealed that the ventilated façade composed of the studied porous ceramic tiles produced a greater reduction in temperature between the external environmental and the interior of a box representing a building (ΔT5) of 65.7°C, compared with the façade composed of the commercial porcelain ceramic tiles (ΔT5 = 56.0°C) and even the traditional façade (ΔT5 = 49.1°C). Thus, porous ceramic tiles based on byproducts are promising candidates for ventilated façade systems.     

含硅镍低密度钢的温拉伸力学行为及强韧机制

 为了分析硅镍合金化奥氏体基低密度钢在中温环境下的拉伸变形行为,采用Instron电子拉力试验机对Fe-28.64Mn-8.99Al-1.68Si-1.39Ni-1.0C(Mn29Al9Si2Ni,质量分数/%)低密度钢在23~300 ℃下进行了温拉伸试验,研究了该钢的温拉伸力学行为,并采用SEM、TEM和热力学计算对该钢的强韧化机制进行了研究。结果表明,随着应变的增加,温拉伸应力-应变曲线主要包括弹性变形、均匀塑性变形和断裂等几个过程,没有明显的屈服现象。随着温度的提高,该钢的强度逐渐降低,塑性(断后伸长率)先增加后减小再升高,于200 ℃时出现塑性低谷,此时该钢的应力-应变曲线和应变硬化率曲线均具有明显的锯齿状特征,应变硬化率随应变的增加变化不大。而该钢在其他温度下的应力-应变曲线和应变硬化率曲线没有发现明显的“锯齿状”特征,应变硬化率随应变的增加而平缓下降。试验钢在23~300 ℃下的主要强韧化机制为κ-碳化物强化、应变强化、孪生诱发塑性和动态应变时效强化。较低温度下位错可动性较差对孪生诱发的促进作用、镍元素和硅元素对孪生的抑制作用、较高温度下孪生现象的减弱和温度对动态应变时效的促进或抑制作用等使得试验钢在23、100和300 ℃时存在明显的孪生诱发塑性,而在200 ℃时存在明显的动态应变时效强化的主要原因。动态应变时效强化是该钢在200 ℃时出现塑性低谷的主要原因。     

Relaxor behavior and superior ferroelectricity of Y2O3-doped (Ba0.98Ca0.02) (Ti0.94Sn0.04Zr0.02)O3 lead-free ceramics

To upgrade the electric properties of lead-free piezoceramics, (1–x)(Ba_0.98Ca_0.02Ti_0.94Sn_0.04Zr_0.02)O₃-xY₂O₃ (abbreviated as (1–x)BCTSZ-xY, x = 0 mol%, 0.02 mol%, 0.04 mol%, 0.06 mol%, 0.08 mol% and 0.1 mol%) ceramics were successfully synthesized by traditional solid-state sintering method. The phase structure and microstructure of ceramics were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and piezoresponse force microscopyeramics (PFM). The electric properties of ceramics were researched through piezoelectric, dielectric and ferroelectric test instruments. The results show that all samples have pure perovskite structure and favorable electric properties. The optimal electric properties which especially include superior ferroelectric properties are gained when Y₂O₃ content is 0.06 mol% (d₃₃ = 419 pC/N, k_p = 52%, T_c = 89.5 °C, ε_r = 26900, tanδ = 2.86%, P_r = 14.41 μC/cm², E_c = 1.8 kV/cm). Moreover, the temperature-dependent dielectricity of samples shows apparent relaxor behavior under different frequencies. The Curie–Weiss law further proves that all samples are typical relaxor ferroelectrics, and the relaxor degree of samples decreases with increase of Y₂O₃ content. In conclusion, Y₂O₃ plays a significant role in enhancing electric properties of BCTSZ ceramics.     

Effects of can parameters on canned—forging process of TiAl base alloy（Ⅱ）——Mechanical behavior

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两相共晶NiAl-9Mo合金的蠕变行为

研究了热等静压态的NiAl-9Mo合金在850-950℃和50-100 MPa下的蠕变行为.在试验应力和温度下,该合金蠕变曲线呈现出较短的减速阶段和较长的稳态蠕变阶段;其稳态蠕变速率可用幂指数蠕变方程来描述,应力指数值为4.75±0.25,表观激活能为 410.5±4.5kJ/mol.加速蠕变阶段蠕变速率的增加是由于裂纹的形成和扩展,且其断裂数据遵循Monkman-Grant规律.蠕变断口呈现出塑性断裂和沿晶蠕变断裂的混合特征,但后者比例较大,同一温度下随着应力的增大,沿晶断裂的比例呈现下降的趋势.     

原位反应自发渗透法TiC／AZ91D镁基复合材料及AZ91D镁合金的拉伸变形与断裂行为

利用原位反应自发渗透技术合成了47．5％碳化钛TiC（体积分数，下同）增强AZ91D镁基复合材料，对比研究了该复合材料与铸态镁合金AZ91D基体的室温与高温拉伸变形行为，观察了拉伸断口微观组织形貌，并分析了这两种材料的断裂特征。结果表明，TiC／Mg复合材料具有良好的高温力学性能，在拉伸变形速率为0．001s^-1以及温度为723K，时其拉伸强度可达91．1MPa，而此时相同变形条件下的铸态AZ91D镁合金拉伸断裂强度只有41．1MPa，增幅达120％。而在室温下，镁基复合材料的拉伸断裂强度仅高出基体铸态镁合金23．4％。镁基复合材料的断裂应变较低，高低温时均表现为脆性断裂；而镁合金则由室温下的脆性断裂向高温下的韧性断裂过渡。     

快速凝固铝硅合金粉末加热过程中硅颗粒的粗化行为

利用差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、电子显微镜等设备对Al-12.8%Si合金粉末的原始状态及热处理后的状态进行了分析。发现其显微组织有两个连续的变化过程:在156℃时,固溶在基体Al中的过饱和Si开始析出,并在340℃发生粗化,随着加热温度的升高,粗化现象仍然存在。另外,对Si颗粒的粗化机理进行了研究,发现其粗化符合经典的LSW理论。     

单晶高温合金/Al2O3型壳界面行为研究

采用直接浇注法制备金属型壳界面行为试样，其金属为单晶高温合金DD3、DD6，型壳为Al2O3。通过金相显微镜、扫描电镜及能谱分析对试样表面进行研究。结果表明，采用Al2O3型壳铸造出的DD3、DD6单晶铸件外表面光洁，Al2O3型壳可用于DD3、DD6单晶高温合金的熔模铸造工艺。