Anatomy and transcriptomics of the common jingle shell (Bivalvia, Anomiidae) support a sensory function for bivalve tentacles.

Animals have evolved numerous mechanisms to perceive and interact with the environment that can be translated into different sensory modalities. However, the genomic and phenotypic features that support sensory functions remain enigmatic for many invertebrates, such as bivalves, an ecologically and economically important taxonomic group. No repertoire of sensory genes has been characterized in bivalves, representing a significant knowledge gap in molluscan sensory biology.

Complex dislocation loop networks as natural extensions of the sink efficiency of saturated grain boundaries in irradiated metals.

The development of radiation-tolerant structural materials is an essential element for the success of advanced nuclear energy concepts. A proven strategy to increase radiation resistance is to create microstructures with a high density of internal defect sinks, such as grain boundaries (GBs). However, as GBs absorb defects, they undergo internal transformations that limit their ability to capture defects indefinitely.

Fast-throughput simulations of laser-based additive manufacturing in metals to study the influence of processing parameters on mechanical properties.

Laser-powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (LPBF-AM) of metals is rapidly becoming one of the most important materials processing pathways for next-generation metallic parts and components in a number of important applications. However, the large parametric space that characterizes laser-based LPBF-AM makes it challenging to understand what are the variables controlling the microstructural and mechanical property outcomes. Sensitivity studies based on direct LPBF-AM processing are costly and lengthy to conduct, and are subjected to the specifications and variability of each printer.

Vacancy Energetics and Diffusivities in the Equiatomic Multielement Nb-Mo-Ta-W Alloy.

In this work, we study vacancy energetics in the equiatomic Nb-Mo-Ta-W alloy, especially vacancy formation and migration energies, using molecular statics calculations based on a spectral neighbor analysis potential specifically developed for Nb-Mo-Ta-W. We consider vacancy properties in bulk environments as well as near edge dislocation cores, including the effect of short-range order (SRO) by preparing supercells through Metropolis Monte-Carlo relaxations and temperature on the calculation. The nudged elastic band (NEB) method is applied to study vacancy migration energies.

Implications of Microstructure in Helium-Implanted Nanocrystalline Metals.

Helium bubbles are known to form in nuclear reactor structural components when displacement damage occurs in conjunction with helium exposure and/or transmutation. If left unchecked, bubble production can cause swelling, blistering, and embrittlement, all of which substantially degrade materials and-moreover-diminish mechanical properties. On the mission to produce more robust materials, nanocrystalline (NC) metals show great potential and are postulated to exhibit superior radiation resistance due to their high defect and particle sink densities; however, much is still unknown about the mechanisms of defect evolution in these systems under extreme conditions.