A Novel Tensile Fracture Location of Friction Plug Welding (FPW) Joints.

The fracture position of a friction plug welding (FPW) joint is typically located at or near the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). Here, we found that microcracks in all FPW specimens initiate at the deformed plug center (DPC) zone and then propagate through the plug center along 45° shear surfaces, because the lowest hardness occurs at the DPC zone rather than the TMAZ or other zones, and the DPC zone presents a tilt fiber-like microstructure. Such a tilt microstructure stimulates formations and deformations of microvoids and propagation of microcracks along 45° shear surfaces.

Nonuniform-to-uniform structural transitions induced by ultrasonic vibrations.

Recent millimetre-scale studies proposed that ultrasonic vibrations (UVs) promote material flow in welding joints acting on dislocations. Here, we report atomic-scale results from molecular dynamics simulations of Mg-Al nanolayers joined by two means: only heat and heat accompanied by UVs (vibration amplitude, = 0.1-10 nm and vibration frequency, = 5.

Clinical effects of acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Several observational studies have shown that postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) may significantly worsen the prognosis of a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the recent evidence on the impact of AKI on clinical outcomes following TAVI. A comprehensive search in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library was performed for relevant studies by two independent investigators.

Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on hospitalization costs in older patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on hospitalization costs in older patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of data from the case retrieval system of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University located in Jinan city of Shandong Province was done for patients with acute MI from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012.

Results: Stenting was an important factor affecting older patients' total hospitalization costs (β=0.

Up-regulation of Slc39A2(Zip2) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Zinc is the most common trace mineral after iron in the human body. In organisms, zinc transporters help zinc influx and efflux from cells. A previous study has reported that Zip2 was up-regulated over 27-fold in human monocytic THP-1 cells, when intracellular zinc was depleted by TPEN.

[Protein profiles of serum in gastric cancer at a high-risk area by SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry].

Objective: To explore the specific and sensitive biomarkers for gastric cancer detection, a surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization protein chip mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was used to generate protein profiles of serum in gastric cancer at a high-risk area.

Methods: A total of 36 gastric cancer cases and 46 subjects with superficial gastritis were selected from Linqu county, Shandong province, a high-risk area of gastric cancer. Serum samples were collected and Q10 protein chips were used to detect the serum proteomic patterns, and the sensitivity and specificity were assessed.

IbMADS1 (Ipomoea batatas MADS-box 1 gene) is involved in tuberous root initiation in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas).

Background And Aims: The tuberization mechanism of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) has long been studied using various approaches. Morphological data have revealed that the tuberizing events result from the activation of the cambium, followed by cell proliferation. However, uncertainties still remain regarding the regulators participating in this signal-transduction pathway.