GRAIN SHAPE EFFECT IN SUPERPLASTIC DEFORMATION

The method controlling grain shape in TMT processing and the effect of grain shape on char-acteristic parameters in superplastic deformation were discussed.The accommodation velocityof grahl boundary sliding,which is the dominant mechanism in superplastic deformation,andthe contribution of each mechanism to the total strain,as influenced by grain shape,were ana-lyzed.Grain shape has been shown to be an essential structural factor for superplasticity.Thenan analysis was made about the effect of grain shape on the region transition strain rate sothat a new concept,critical aspect for superplasticity,was worked out.These predictions werecompared with the measured results in an Al-Zn-Mg alloy.     

Multiple Abiotic Stresses Applied Simultaneously Elicit Distinct Responses in Two Contrasting Rice Cultivars

Rice crops are often subject to multiple abiotic stresses simultaneously in both natural and cultivated environments, resulting in yield reductions beyond those expected from single stress. We report physiological changes after a 4 day exposure to combined drought, salt and extreme temperature treatments, following a 2 day salinity pre-treatment in two rice genotypes—Nipponbare (a paddy rice) and IAC1131 (an upland landrace). Stomata closed after two days of combined stresses, causing intercellular CO2 concentrations and assimilation rates to diminish rapidly. Abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased at least five-fold but did not differ significantly between the genotypes. Tandem Mass Tag isotopic labelling quantitative proteomics revealed 6215 reproducibly identified proteins in mature leaves across the two genotypes and three time points (0, 2 and 4 days of stress). Of these, 987 were differentially expressed due to stress (cf. control plants), including 41 proteins that changed significantly in abundance in all stressed plants. Heat shock proteins, late embryogenesis abundant proteins and photosynthesis-related proteins were consistently responsive to stress in both Nipponbare and IAC1131. Remarkably, even after 2 days of stress there were almost six times fewer proteins differentially expressed in IAC1131 than Nipponbare. This contrast in the translational response to multiple stresses is consistent with the known tolerance of IAC1131 to dryland conditions.     

The transformative effect of top management governance choices on project team identity and relationship with the organization — An agency and stewardship approach

This study focuses on the relationship and identity changes within and between a project team and its organization following top management intervention in the context of a large international construction project. The study follows the project-as-practice orientation, examining the actions and behaviors of the project team through participant ethnography in the “praxis” of the project site over its entire duration. The longitudinal case allows the examination of the way the transition process established a new governance culture undermining the initial trust-based one and changed it from a virtual absence of mechanisms toward far more potent mechanisms of control, monitoring, and punishment. Simultaneously, the initial stewardship relationships and collectivist identity of the project team shifted toward agency relationships and individualistic identity. The triggers for the transformation process were identified as CEO succession, project failure, top management intervention driven changes in governance mechanisms, and perception of organizational betrayal of the project team.     

铝合金形变热处理工艺研究进展

综述了过去40年铝合金形变热处理工艺的发展过程和最新的研究动态,介绍了形变热处理对铝合金组织与性能的影响及其在工业上的应用.通过分析铝合金形变热处理工艺研究中存在的一些问题,说明继续深入地开展铝合金形变热处理的试验研究仍然十分必要;而针对具体合金,简化和优化其形变热处理工艺使之能够在工业化生产条件下广泛应用更是当务之急.     

C194铜合金引线框架材料的形变热处理

研究了形变热处理对C194铜合金引线框架材料组织和性能的影响。C194铜合金板坯经固溶处理后进行冷轧变形,然后分别在550℃和450℃进行两次时效处理,并在两次时效间再对合金实施不同程度的冷轧变形。结果表明,随着两次时效间的冷轧变形率从0％到80％变化,合金内的位错密度升高,γ-Fe相充分均匀析出;当这种冷轧变形率达到70％时,C194铜合金获得最佳的综合性能,抗拉强度提高到440MPa,电导率提高到72．7％ IACS。     

房地产上市企业高管团队职能背景对绩效的影响

运用中国房地产上市公司的数据,区分企业短期会计绩效和长期价值成长能力,研究了高管团队职能背景对企业绩效的影响。研究结果表明:对房地产上市公司而言,高管团队职能背景异质性与企业短期会计绩效呈显著正相关关系,对企业长期价值成长能力的影响不大。在3 种一般职能背景中,仅支持型职能背景与企业绩效呈显著相关关系,且与企业短期会计绩效呈负相关关系,与长期价值成长能力呈正相关关系。在2 种特殊职能背景下,有政府背景的高管与企业长期价值成长能力呈显著正相关关系     

Paclitaxel-Loaded Microparticles for Intratumoral Administration via the TMT Technique: Preparation,Characterization, and Preliminary Antitumoral Evaluation

In our pursuit to develop suitable therapeutic particulate systems for intratumoral delivery by the targeted multi-therapy (TMT) technique, we describe the preparation of paclitaxel-loaded poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) (drug loading 35–38%, wt/wt; size 0.7–5 μm). Magnetite (15%, wt/wt) was also incorporated in some preparations for a future magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided delivery. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments showed that paclitaxel was not encapsulated in its initial crystalline form. The paclitaxel in vitro release pattern showed a biphasic tendency with a burst effect followed by a sustained release (28% released amount after 1 month), which was accompanied with MP erosion and degradation signs as confirmed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) micrographs. The paclitaxel-loaded MPs demonstrated a dose-dependent antitumor effect on human uterine cancer cells, with an IC₅₀ value relatively close to that of commercial Taxol®. This paclitaxel delivery system represents a potent antiprofilerative and radiosensitizer agent for intratumoral administration via the TMT technique.     

Recovery of Silver from X-Ray Film Processing Effluents Using Trimercapto-s-triazine (TMT)

In this study, the recovery of silver from waste X-ray photographic solutions by precipitation using trimercapto-s-triazine (TMT) was studied. Taguchi L₂₅ (5³) orthogonal design was adopted for the study. The effects of concentration of thiosulphate (5.2–200 g/L), TMT (Ag:TMT = 6.6–2.2), temperature (20–60°C) and pH (4.37–8.00) on the extent of the precipitation of silver were investigated. The findings have shown that the concentration of TMT and pH are the most significant factors affecting the recovery of silver while the effect of temperature (20–60°C) is insignificant under the conditions tested. The increase in the concentration of TMT and pH was found to improve the extent of precipitation of silver. TMT was also found to be an effective agent to reduce silver concentrations below the regulatory limit value of 5 ppm. Characterization of the precipitates was performed to identify silver-TMT compounds formed.     

Heat Shock Alters the Proteomic Profile of Equine Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The aim of this research was to determine the impact of heat stress on cell differentiation in an equine mesenchymal stem cell model (EMSC) through the application of heat stress to primary EMSCs as they progressed through the cell specialization process. A proteomic analysis was performed using mass spectrometry to compare relative protein abundances among the proteomes of three cell types: progenitor EMSCs and differentiated osteoblasts and adipocytes, maintained at 37 °C and 42 °C during the process of cell differentiation. A cell-type and temperature-specific response to heat stress was observed, and many of the specific differentially expressed proteins were involved in cell-signaling pathways such as Notch and Wnt signaling, which are known to regulate cellular development. Furthermore, cytoskeletal proteins profilin, DSTN, SPECC1, and DAAM2 showed increased protein levels in osteoblasts differentiated at 42 °C as compared with 37 °C, and these cells, while they appeared to accumulate calcium, did not organize into a whorl agglomerate as is typically seen at physiological temperatures. This altered proteome composition observed suggests that heat stress could have long-term impacts on cellular development. We propose that this in vitro stem cell culture model of cell differentiation is useful for investigating molecular mechanisms that impact cell development in response to stressors.     

Proteomic Analysis of Roots Response to Potassium Deficiency and the Effect of TaHAK1-4A on K+ Uptake in Wheat

Potassium (K⁺) is essential for plant growth and stress responses. A deficiency in soil K⁺ contents can result in decreased wheat quality and productivity. Thus, clarifying the molecular mechanism underlying wheat responses to low-K⁺ (LK) stress is critical. In this study, a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic analysis was performed to investigate the differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in roots of the LK-tolerant wheat cultivar “KN9204” at the seedling stage after exposure to LK stress. A total of 104 DAPs were identified in the LK-treated roots. The DAPs related to carbohydrate and energy metabolism, transport, stress responses and defense, and post-translational modifications under LK conditions were highlighted. We identified a high-affinity potassium transporter (TaHAK1-4A) that was significantly up-regulated after the LK treatment. Additionally, TaHAK1-4A was mainly expressed in roots, and the encoded protein was localized in the plasma membrane. The complementation assay in yeast suggested that TaHAK1-4A mediates K⁺ uptake under extreme LK conditions. The overexpression of TaHAK1-4A increased the fresh weight and root length of Arabidopsis under LK conditions and improved the growth of Arabidopsis athak5 mutant seedlings, which grow poorly under LK conditions. Moreover, silencing of TaHAK1-4A in wheat roots treated with LK stress decreased the root length, dry weight, K⁺ concentration, and K⁺ influx. Accordingly, TaHAK1-4A is important for the uptake of K⁺ by roots exposed to LK stress. Our results reveal the protein metabolic changes in wheat induced by LK stress. Furthermore, we identified a candidate gene potentially relevant for developing wheat lines with increased K⁺ use efficiency.