Microstructure Evolution, Tensile/Nanoindentation Response, and Work-Hardening Behaviour of Prestrained and Subsequently Annealed LPBF 316L Stainless Steel.

Additive manufacturing is increasingly used to produce metallic biomaterials, and post-processing is gaining increasing attention for improving the properties of as-built components. This study investigates the effect of work hardening followed by recrystallisation annealing on the tensile and nanoindentation behaviour of laser powder bed-fused (LPBF) 316L stainless steel, with the aim of optimising its mechanical properties. As-built and thermally stabilised (at 900 °C) specimens were prestrained in a uniaxially tensile manner at room temperature (0.

Effect of Cross-Section on Low-Temperature Fracture Toughness of Marine Engineering Steel Thick Plate.

The cross-section effect leads to variations in the microstructure and thickness of marine engineering steel thick plates, which may result in delaminated tearing and a reduction in material plasticity and fracture toughness. The microstructural characterization of the matrix and the regions near the impact fracture at different depths by the thickness of the thick plate, as well as the crack propagation mechanism, was investigated. The low-temperature fracture toughness at the surface, quarter-thickness, and center at -40 °C were found to be 204 J, 215 J, and 98 J, respectively.

Multi-Omics Analysis of Aberrances and Functional Implications of IRF5 in Digestive Tract Tumours.

Oesophageal cancer (EC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy and includes oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) sub-types. Gene signatures predicting patient outcomes are not routinely used in clinical practice, particularly owing to batch effects and data standardisation. Here, we sought to establish and validate a reliable signature of senescence-related genes (SRGs) that would aid in predicting prognosis in patients with EC.

CT-based habitat radiomics for predicting treatment response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in esophageal cancer patients.

Introduction: We used habitat radiomics as an innovative tumor biomarker to predict the outcome of neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer.

Methods: This was a two-center retrospective clinical study in which pretreatment CT scans of 112 patients with esophageal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and surgery between November 2020 and July 2023 were retrospectively collected from two institutions. For training (n = 85) and external testing (n = 27), patients from both institutions were allocated.

Characterizing esophageal mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms: insights from a retrospective multicenter study of clinical outcomes and prognostic indicators.

Background: The esophageal mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasm (MiNEN) is an extremely rare but poor prognosis tumor.

Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of MiNEN and to investigate postoperative survival and prognostic factors.

Design: This retrospective study analyzed 69 patients diagnosed with esophageal MiNEN at two major esophageal cancer centers in China from January 2000 to December 2021.

Fungal mycobiome dysbiosis in choledocholithiasis concurrent with cholangitis.

Background: The gut mycobiome might have an important influence on the pathogenesis of choledocholithiasis concurrent with cholangitis (CC). The aim of this study was to characterize the fungal mycobiome profiles, explore the correlation and equilibrium of gut interkingdom network among bacteria-fungi-metabolites triangle in CCs.

Methods: In a retrospective case-control study, we recruited patients with CC (n = 25) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 25) respectively to analyze the gut fungal dysbiosis.

O-GlcNAcylation of hexokinase 2 modulates mitochondrial dynamics and enhances the progression of lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stands as the prevailing manifestation of lung cancer, with current therapeutic modalities linked to a dismal prognosis, necessitating further advancements. Hexokinase 2 (HK2), a critical enzyme positioned on the mitochondrial membrane, exerts control over diverse biological pathways, thereby regulating cancer. Nevertheless, the precise role and mechanism of HK2 in NSCLC remain inadequately elucidated, warranting comprehensive investigation.

Influence of Solute Drag Effect and Interphase Precipitation of Nb on Ferrite Transformation.

The significant impact of Nb on ferrite transformation, both in terms of solute drag effect (SDE) and interphase precipitation, was investigated quantitatively. Ferrite transformation kinetics were characterized using thermal expansion experiments and theoretical calculations. The microstructures were characterized using high-temperature confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM).

Enhancing the Tensile Properties and Ductile-Brittle Transition Behavior of the EN S355 Grade Rolled Steel via Cost-Saving Processing Routes.

Structural rolled steels are the primary products of modern ferrous metallurgy. Consequently, enhancing the mechanical properties of rolled steel using energy-saving processing routes without furnace heating for additional heat treatment is advisable. This study compared the effect on the mechanical properties of structural steel for different processing routes, like conventional hot rolling, normalizing rolling, thermo-mechanically controlled processing (TMCP), and TMCP with accelerating cooling (AC) to 550 °C or 460 °C.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Microstructure and Tensile Behavior of Nb-Containing Microalloyed Steels.

The present investigation endeavors to explore the influence of rare earth elements on the strength and plasticity characteristics of low-carbon microalloyed steel under tensile loading conditions. The findings from the conducted tensile tests indicate that the incorporation of rare earths leads to a notable enhancement in the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility properties of the steel. A comparative analysis of the microstructures reveals that the presence of rare earths significantly refines and optimizes the microstructure of the microalloyed steel.

MH-STRALP: A scoring system for prognostication in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common medical emergency and early assessment of its outcomes is vital for treatment decisions.

Aim: To develop a new scoring system to predict its prognosis.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 692 patients with UGIB were enrolled from two centers and divided into a training ( = 591) and a validation cohort ( = 101).

The association between serum copper concentration and prevalence of diabetes among US adults with hypertension (NHANES 2011-2016).

The objective of this study was to examine the association between the serum copper concentration and the prevalence of diabetes among US adults with hypertension using the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study population was selected from adults aged over 20 years old in the three survey cycles of NHANES from 2011 to 2016. Logistic regression model analyses were applied to determine the independent risky effect of copper to the prevalence of diabetes.

The Performance of Niobium-Microalloying Ultra-High-Strength Bridge Cable Steel during Hot Rolling.

This study focuses on exploring the effects of niobium (Nb)-microalloying on the properties of steel for ultra-high-strength bridge cables during hot-rolling processes. We employed a combination of dual-pass compression tests, stress-strain curve analysis, and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) techniques to investigate the influence of Nb-microalloying on the static recrystallization behavior and grain size of the steel. The key findings reveal that Nb-microalloying effectively inhibits static recrystallization, particularly at higher temperatures, significantly reducing the volume fraction of recrystallized grains, resulting in a finer grain size and enhanced deformation resistance.

Phase Transformation Temperature Prediction in Steels via Machine Learning.

The phase transformation temperature plays an important role in the design, production and heat treatment process of steels. In the present work, an improved version of the gradient-boosting method LightGBM has been utilized to study the influencing factors of the four phase transformation temperatures, namely Ac1, Ac3, the martensite transformation start (MS) temperature and the bainitic transformation start (BS) temperature. The effects of the alloying element were discussed in detail by comparing their influencing mechanisms on different phase transformation temperatures.

The feedback loop of EFTUD2/c-MYC impedes chemotherapeutic efficacy by enhancing EFTUD2 transcription and stabilizing c-MYC protein in colorectal cancer.

Background: Chemoresistance presents a significant obstacle in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), yet the molecular basis underlying CRC chemoresistance remains poorly understood, impeding the development of new therapeutic interventions. Elongation factor Tu GTP binding domain containing 2 (EFTUD2) has emerged as a potential oncogenic factor implicated in various cancer types, where it fosters tumor growth and survival. However, its specific role in modulating the sensitivity of CRC cells to chemotherapy is still unclear.

Preparation, Characterization, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Mn@SiO Nanowires.

The deposition time was controlled to prepare Mn nanowires of different lengths and diameters on templates of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with different pore sizes. The surface of as-prepared Mn nanowires was modified with SiO using the sol-gel method to improve their dispersion in aqueous solution. The effects of the diameter and length of the as-prepared Mn nanowires coated with SiO on the relaxivity were investigated.

Preparation, characterization, and magnetic resonance imaging of Fe nanowires.

A facile template method was employed to synthesize Fe nanowires of different sizes, dimensions. Comprehensive analyses were conducted to explore their morphology, structure, composition, and magnetic properties. The surface of as-prepared Fe nanowires was modified with SiO by sol-gel method to improve the dispersion of as-prepared Fe nanowires in aqueous solution.

Effect of Austempering Processes on the Tensile Properties and the Work-Hardening Behavior of Austempered Bainitic Steels Below the Martensite Start Temperature.

The tensile properties and work-hardening behavior of austempered bainitic steels below martensite start temperature (Ms) were investigated and compared with those of bainitic steel austempered above Ms. The results show that the tensile strength and yield strength increased from 1096 MPa and 734 MPa to 1203 MPa and 951 MPa, respectively, when the austempering temperature was decreased from 400 °C to 300 °C. However, the total elongation decreased from 23% to 16%.

Spin-orbit splitting and piezoelectric properties of Janus GeXY (X ≠ Y = P, As, Sb and Bi).

The coexistence of spin-orbit coupling and piezoelectricity in a single material may have potential application in multifunctional devices, including spintronics, nanorobotics and piezotronics. Spin-orbit coupling provides a new means to manipulate electron's spin without an additional external magnetic field, while piezoelectricity refers to the interplay between mechanical stresses and electric polarization. Using first-principles calculations, the structural, electronic, optical, spin, and piezoelectric properties of the Janus GeXY (X ≠ Y = P, As, Sb, and Bi) monolayers were systematically investigated.

High-Entropy Spinel Ferrites with Broadband Wave Absorption Synthesized by Simple Solid-Phase Reaction.

In this work, high-entropy (HE) spinel ferrites of (FeCoNiCrM)O (M = Zn, Cu, and Mn) (named as HEO-Zn, HEO-Cu, and HEO-Mn, respectively) were synthesized by a simple solid-phase reaction. The as-prepared ferrite powders possess a uniform distribution of chemical components and homogeneous three-dimensional (3D) porous structures, which have a pore size ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers. All three HE spinel ferrites exhibited ultrahigh structural thermostability at high temperatures even up to 800 °C.

Application Research on Nb Microalloying of High-Carbon Pearlite Bridge Cable Wire Rods.

The application of Nb microalloying to high-carbon pearlite bridge cable wire rod steel has always been controversial, especially in the actual production process, which will be affected by the cooling rate, holding temperature and final bonding temperature. In this paper, the experimental characterization, finite element simulation and phase diagram calculation of the test steel were carried out, then the microstructure and properties of different parts of Nb microalloying of bridge cable wire rods were compared and analyzed. The phase transition interval of pearlite during the water-cooling process of bridge cable wire rods is increased due to the refinement of austenite grains, and the significant increase in the end temperature of the phase transition makes the average interlamellar spacing of pearlite increase.

Study on the Single Sheet Measurement Method for AC Magnetic Measurement on Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel.

To quickly and accurately measure the AC magnetic properties of grain-oriented electrical steel by means of the existing measuring system designed for the magnetizing current method (MC), specifically the SST (92) single sheet method, in this work, the H-coil (HC) measuring system, which directly senses the magnetic field strength of the tested sample, was designed to measure the AC magnetic properties of the grain-oriented electrical steel. The assumed effective magnetic path length introduced in the MC method was corrected by comparing the measurement results obtained by means of HC and MC methods. The results found that specific total loss measured by the HC method was significantly lower than that measured by the classical magnetizing current (MC) method.

Effects of Laser Cutting Parameters on the Magnetic Properties of 50W350 High-Grade Non-Oriented Electrical Steel.

Based on the application demand of laser cutting technology in non-oriented electrical steel, the influencing mechanisms of laser cutting parameters on the magnetic properties of 50W350 high-grade non-oriented electrical steel were investigated in this work. The specific total loss was utilized to evaluate the quality of cutting methods and the cutting parameter combinations. The results showed that the deterioration of the specific total loss was mainly due to the increase in hysteresis loss.

Local Corrosion Behaviors in the Coarse-Grained Heat-Affected Zone in a Newly Developed Zr-Ti-Al-RE Deoxidized High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel.

Oxide metallurgy technology can improve the microstructure of a coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) but introduces extra inclusions. Local corrosion behavior of the CGHAZ of a Zr-Ti-Al-RE deoxidized steel was investigated in this work using theoretical calculations and experimental verification. The modified inclusions have a (Zr-Mg-Al-Ca-RE)O core claded by a CaS and TiN shell.