AIM: To describe the myocardial torsion mechanics in cardiac amyloidosis (CA), and evaluate the correlations between left ventricle (LV) torsion mechanics and conventional parameters using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging feature tracking (CMR-FT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients with light-chain CA (ALCA) were divided into three groups: group 1 with preserved systolic function (LV ejection fraction [LVEF] >= 50%, n=55), group 2 with mildly reduced systolic function (40% < LVEF <50%, n=51), and group 3 with reduced systolic function (LVEF <40%, n=33), and compared with age and gender-matched healthy controls (n=26). All patients underwent cine imaging and late gadolinium-enhancement (LGE). Cine images were analysed offline using CMR-FT to estimate torsion parameters RESULTS: Global torsion, base-mid torsion, and peak diastolic torsion rate (diasTR) were significantly impaired in patients with preserved systolic function (p<0.05 for all), whereas mid-apex torsion and peak systolic torsion rate (sysTR) were preserved (p>0.05 for both) compared with healthy controls. In patients with mildly reduced systolic function, global torsion and base-mid torsion were lower compared to those with preserved systolic function (p<0.05 for both), while mid-apex torsion, sysTR, and diasTR were preserved (p>0.05 for all). In patients with reduced systolic function, only sysTR was significantly worse compared with mildly reduced systolic function ( p <0.05). At multivariable analysis, right ventricle (RV) endsystolic volume RVESV index and NYHA class were independently related to global torsion, whereas LVEF was independently related to sysTR. RV ejection fraction (RVEF) was independently related to diasTR. LV global torsion performed well (AUC 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61, 0.77) in discriminating transmural from non-transmural LGE in AL -CA patients. CONCLUSION: LV torsion mechanics derived by CMR-FT could help to monitor LV systolic and diastolic function in AL -CA patients and function as a new imaging marker for LV dysfunction and LGE transmurality. (c) 2024 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the phase stability and precipitation mechanisms is crucial for engineering multiphase nano structured alloys with optimal mechanical properties. In this work, we studied the formation and temporal evolution of nanoprecipitates and their effect on mechanical properties of an fcc/L21 eutectic high-entropy alloy through a combination of experiments and analytical modeling. Aging the alloy at 1023 K results in the precipitation of coherent L12 nanoparticles in the fcc phase and coherent bcc nanoparticles in the L21 phase, leading to the formation of an fcc/L12 + L21/bcc hierarchical structure. Notably, the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) results reveal that the precipitation in both the fcc and L21 phases is not through a one-step nucleation, but a two-stage transformation consisting of an initial chemical separation via spinodal decomposition and subsequent structural ordering/disordering. The Gibbs free energy diagrams of the fcc and L21 phases were modeled through numerical techniques, and the spinodal decomposition regions of the two systems at different temperatures were calculated. Based on the modeling results, we discussed the phase stability and thermodynamics of spinodal decomposition of the two phases. In addition, the formation of hierarchical structure substantially enhances the strength of the alloy. Modeling of the strengthening mechanisms reveals that the order strengthening of L12 nanoparticles plays a major role in enhancing the yield strength of the alloy, whereas the contribution from the bcc nanoparticles can be negligible. Our findings provide insights into the phase stability, precipitation and strengthening mechanisms of hierarchical-structured alloys.

Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of embrittlement and de-embrittlement is crucial for the development of strategies toward advanced steels with improved performance. In this study, the solute interaction effects on grain boundary (GB) segregation, precipitation, and fracture of Fe–Ni–Ti–(Mo) maraging steels were systematically investigated through a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques, including scanning transmission electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, and first-principles calculations. Our results reveal that the Fe–Ni–Ti maraging steel suffers from serious intergranular embrittlement and the mechanism is related to the formation of coarse Ni3Ti precipitates and associated precipitate-free zones (PFZs) at GBs, which facilitate the crack initiation and growth along the GBs. Interestingly, adding Mo to the maraging steel effectively suppresses the intergranular embrittlement, thereby substantially improving the ductility. Atomistic analyses reveal that Mo de-embrittles the GBs by reducing the segregation of Ni and Ti, which substantially inhibits the formation of coarse Ni3Ti precipitates and PFZs at the GBs, thereby alleviating their harmful impact on the GB cracking. In addition, the Mo segregation enhances the GB cohesion, which may play a minor role in suppressing the GB fracture.

Chelating agent, including NaF, Na4EDTA, etc., has been introduced into the alkaline treatment of ZSM-5 zeolite. Compared with the general aqueous alkaline solution, all of the resulting chelating-alkaline media give similar alterations to the porosities. Regardless of the relative accessibility of chelating agent to the zeolite micropores, the maximum distribution of mesopore obviously shifts to the smaller dimension. Such shift in mesopore distribution is associated with the equilibrium between surface/interface etching and shielding, which is inherently directed by the transition of framework Al species. The spontaneous interplays between framework Al species and alkaline solution are altered due to the concurrent presence of chelating agent. It has been proved that the chelating agent join the transition by a joint complexation with OH− anions and the released aluminum cations. The resulting ternary intermediates ([Al(OH)nLm]y−) are proposed to be responsible for the alterations to the porosities due to their expanded shielding scope on the etched surface/interface. The corresponding steric or charge effect from chelating agent has been ascertained by the designed comparative treatment experiments. The used methodology and the related fundamental understandings may enrich the tailoring tool boxes for the hierarchical zeolites.

The synergistic effects of Mo, Ti, and Cr on nanoscale precipitation and mechanical properties of maraging stainless steels were systematically studied using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, atom probe tomography (APT), thermodynamic and first-principles calculations, and mechanical tests. Our results reveal a notable precipitation pathway involving the co-precipitation of Ni3Ti, Mo-enriched, and Cr-rich precipitates; their formations are not separated, but rather highly interacted. The APT results indicate that Mo partitions to the Ni3Ti precipitate core in the early stage of precipitation, which doubles the number density of Ni3Ti precipitates. Our calculations indicate that the Mo partitioning not only increases the chemical driving force, but also reduces the strain energy for nucleation, thereby accelerating Ni3Ti precipitation. As the precipitation proceeds, Mo atoms are rejected from the Ni3Ti precipitate core to the interface between the Ni3Ti precipitates and matrix, which leads to the heterogeneous nucleation of Mo-enriched precipitates on the outer surface of the Ni3Ti precipitates. This results in a substantial size refinement of Mo-enriched precipitates. In addition, the formation of Ni3Ti precipitates consumes Ni from the matrix, which substantially inhibits the spinodal decomposition and refines the size of Cr-rich precipitates. The cooperative strengthening of Ni3Ti, Mo-enriched, and Cr-rich co-precipitates leads to the development of new steels with a strength of 1.8 GPa; the contributions of these precipitates to the strengthening were quantitatively evaluated in terms of precipitate shearing and Orowan dislocation looping mechanisms.

Control of the formation and stability of reverted austenite is critical in achieving a favorable combination of strength,ductility,and toughness in high-strength steels.In this work,the effects of Cu precipitation on the austenite reversion and mechanical properties of maraging stainless steels were investigated by atom probe tomography,transmission electron microscopy,and mechanical tests.Our results indicate that Cu accelerates the austenite reversion kinetics in two manners:first,Cu,as an austenite stabilizer,increases the equilibrium austenite fraction and hence enhances the chemical driving force for the austenite forma-tion,and second,Cu-rich nanoprecipitates promote the austenite reversion by serving as heterogeneous nucleation sites and providing Ni-enriched chemical conditions through interfacial segregation.In addi-tion,the Cu precipitation hardening compensates the strength drop induced by the formation of soft reverted austenite.During tensile deformation,the metastable reverted austenite transforms to marten-site,which substantially improves the ductility and toughness through a transformation-induced plastic-ity(TRIP)effect.The Cu-added maraging stainless steel exhibits a superior combination of a yield strength of～1.3 GPa,an elongation of～15％,and an impact toughness of～58 J.

Highly disordered superionic phases lead to high thermoelectric performance (ZT similar to 1.5) for Cu2M (M = S, Se, Te) alloys but bring challenges concerning thermal instability. Here we demonstrate that enhanced thermoelectric properties and improved thermal stability could be simultaneously realized in Cu2S through excessive I addition, mechanical alloying and radio-frequency (RF) hot pressing. The addition of excessive I beyond stoichiometric ratio not only induces higher Cu deficiency and thus better electrical properties for the prepared Cu2SIx (x = 0-0.15) alloys, but also leads to ultra-low thermal conductivity ascribed to multiple superionic phases and abundant nano-crystals. As a result, a ZT of 1.8 at 973 K is achieved for sample x = 0.10 (Cu2SI0.1), which is nearly twice the value of undoped Cu2S. Moreover, excessive I addition eliminates the ultrafast phase transformation that results in abrupt volume changes in pristine Cu2S and suppresses the rest transformations to be very sluggish. The high ZT value together with significantly suppressed phase transitions and impeded copper segregation enable the excessively I-added samples more beneficial for practical thermoelectric power generation. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and current status of surgical management for esophageal cancer in China. Methods: A national database was setup through a network platform. The clinical data of esophageal cancer treated by surgery was collected from 70 major hospitals in China between January 2009 and December 2014. Results: Complete data of 8 181 cases of esophageal cancer patients who underwent surgery were recorded in the database and recruited in the analysis. Among them, 6 052 cases were male and 2 129 were female, the average age was 60.5 years.The epidemiological investigation results showed that 148 cases (1.8%) had history of psychological trauma, 7 527 cases (92.0%) were lower social economic status, 5 072 cases (62.0%) were short of fresh vegetables and fruits, 6 544 cases (80.0%) ate rough food frequently, 3 722 cases (45.5%) drank untreated water directly from lake or river or shallow well, 3 436 cases (42.0%) had a unhealthy eating habit, including habits of eating food fast (507 cases, 6.2%), eating hot food or drinking hot tea/soup (998 cases, 12.2%), eating fried food (1 939 cases, 23.7%), 4 410 cases (53.9%) had the habits of smoking cigarettes and 2 822 cases (34.5%) drank white wine frequently.The pathological results showed that 7 813 cases (95.5%) were squamous cell carcinoma, 267 cases were adenocarcinoma (3.3%), 25 cases were adenosquamous cell carcinoma (0.3%) and 50 cases were small cell carcinoma (0.6%). A total of 1 800 cases (22.0%) received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy due to locally advanced disease or difficulty of resection. The esophagectomies were performed through left thoracotomy approach in 5 870 cases (71.8%), through right chest approach in 2 215 cases (27.1%), and the remain 96 cases (1.2%) received surgery though other approaches.A total of 8 001 cases (97.8%) underwent radical resection, the other 180 cases (2.2%) received palliative resection. The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 0.5%, the overall ≥ grade Ⅱ postoperative complication rate was 11.6% (951 cases). The 1-yr, 3-yr, and 5-yr overall actual survival rates were 82.6%, 61.6%, and 52.9%, respectively. Conclusions: The data analysis of the national database for esophageal cancer shows that bad eating habits or eating rough food without enough nutrients, lower social and economic status, drinking white wine and smoking cigarettes frequently may be correlated with tumorigenesis of esophageal cancer. However, strong evidences produced by prospective observation studies are needed. Overall, the long-term survival of esophageal cancer patients has been improved gradually due to the application of advanced surgical techniques and reasonable multimodality treatment.

Pure magnesium implants have a problem of faster degradation which leads to the collapse of the implant before the recovery of physiological organ. A new magnesium alloy viz Mg-2Zn-0.5Nd (ZN20) is designed using a well-known alloying method to decrease the degradation rate of pure magnesium metal and its implants so as to match the tissue recovery rate. MTT assay of the ZN20 alloy via a direct contact method for 2, 4 and 6 days using MC3T3-E1 cells showed cytotoxicity. Whereas, the MTT assay results of this alloy via ion-extract method showed non-cytotoxic behaviour. The degradation rate of ZN20 alloy in SBF was similar to 2.5% in 16 days which is comparable to the rate of regeneration and recovery of physiological tissue. The pH of the outer solution after degradation of ZN20 alloy for 3 days was around 9.31 +/- 0.05 which was higher than the initial pH of SBF used (pH 7.4). The reason for the cytotoxic behaviour of this alloy could be the increase in pH of immersion solution with the degradation of the alloy. Interestingly, the scanning electron microscope images followed by EDX spectrum of ZN20 alloy showed deposition of white crystalline mineralisation product (apatite) after 3, 7, 11 and 16 days of incubation in SBF at 37 degrees C. The FT-IR spectrum and X-ray chromatogram of the white substance confirmed the deposition of apatite (calcium phosphate) on their surfaces. These results concluded the bioactivity of ZN20 alloy and thus could be used as an implant material for regeneration of bones/tissues.

Esophageal cancer has a high incidence among malignancies in China, but a comprehensive picture of the status of its surgical management in China has hitherto not been available. A nationwide database has recently been established to address this issue.METHOD:A National Database was setup through a network platform, and data was collected from 70 high-volume centers (>100 esophagectomies/per year) across China. Data was entered between January 2009 and December 2014, and was analyzed in June 2015 after a minimal follow-up of 6 months for all patients. 8181 patients with complete data who received surgery for primary esophageal cancer on the Database were included in the analysis.RESULT:In this series, there were 6052 males and 2129 females, with a mean age of 60.5 years (range: 22-90 years). The pathology in 95.5% of patients was squamous cell carcinoma. The pathological stage distribution was 1.2% in stage 0, 2.5% in Ia, 11.5% in Ib, 14.8% in IIa, 36.1% in IIb, 19.3% in IIIa, 8.3% in IIIb, 6.2% in IIIc. 1800 patients (22.0%) with locally advanced disease received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy and 3592 patients (43.9%) underwent postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The esophagectomies were performed through left thoracotomy approach in 5870 cases (72.6%), through right chest approach in 2215 cases (27.4%) including right thoracotomy (21.3%) and VATS (6.1%). The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 0.6% (43 patients), and the overall postoperative complication rate was 11.6% (951 patients). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 82.6%, 61.6%, and 52.9%, respectively.CONCLUSION:This National Registry Database from high-volume centers provides a comprehensive picture of surgical management for esophageal cancer in China for the first time. Squamous cell carcinoma predominates, but there is heterogeneity with respect to the surgical approach and perioperative oncologic management. Overall, surgical mortality and morbidity rates are low, and good survival rates have been achieved due to improvement of surgical treatment technology in recent years.

Al-Ga-In-Sn alloys were prepared by using traditional casting metallurgy method with different additions of Al-5Ti-1B grain refiner. Their microstructures were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersed X-ray (EDX). The Al grains of alloys are refined significantly from 129 mu m to 57 mu m with increasing Ti content from 0.03 wt% to 0.24 wt%. Many thin dendrites that are a few micrometers thick are observed within Al grains. Al-water reactivities were performed under different water temperatures. The alloy with Ti content of 0.12 wt% shows the maximum H-2 generation rate under different water temperatures, which is above 5 times of Ti-free alloy. The H-2 yields of alloys drop from 87% to 30% with rising Ti content from 0.03 wt% to 0.24 wt% at the water temperature of 30 degrees C, but they rise to about 90% when the water temperature is above 50 degrees C. The growth mechanism of alloys and the effect of grain refinement on Al-water re activities are discussed. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Al alloys containing 3 wt.% of Ga, In and Sn were prepared using arc melting technique. Their microstructures were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersed X-ray, and interface reactions were detected using differential scanning calorimeter. The alloys consist of different low melting point phases at Al grain boundaries, which melting points depend on the compositions of alloys. Al-water reactivities were investigated under different water temperatures. The reaction temperatures above 40 degrees C are much higher than the melting point of ternary Ga In Sn (GIS) eutectic of 10.4 degrees C, indicating that GIS eutectic is already not the mechanism of Al water reaction. The reaction temperature and the reaction rate of alloys vary with the mass ratio of In/Sn. Reasons concerning the microstructure changes and Al-water re activities are discussed. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LaNi38Al10Mn0.2 alloy was prepared by vacuum induction melting and melt-spinning. The effects of different preparation techniques of the as-cast, cast then annealed, as-spun and spun then annealed alloys on the microstructure and hydrogen storage properties were investigated. The results indicated that the non-CaCus phases in the alloy became tinier and more dispersive after annealing or melt-spinning compared to those of the as-cast one. But in the spun then annealed alloy, the non-CaCus phases disappeared and only a single-phase with CaCus type structure was found. For all the alloys, the cell volume was in. creased in an order of as-cast < spun then annealed < cast then annealed < as-spun, and the change of plateau pressure showed the opposite trend with that of the cell volume. The plateau could be flattened after melt-spinning or annealing, and the spun then annealed alloy showed the minimum plateau slope. The absorption kinetics of the alloy was promoted after melt-spinning or annealing. It is suggested that the change in cell volume and compositional homogeneity resulting from different preparation techniques contribute to the difference of the hydrogen storage properties of the investigated alloys. Copyright (C) 2016, The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology. Published by Elsevier Limited.

Lead phosphate Pb3(PO4)2 was investigated by in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) combined with diamond anvil cell technique up to 60.9 GPa. A pressure-induced phase transition of Pb3(PO4)2 was observed from monoclinic (C2/c) to trigonal () phases at about 1.7 GPa at room temperature. The high-pressure annealing experiment indicates that the trigonal phase of Pb3(PO4)2 is stable at least up to 60.9 GPa. Isothermal pressure–volume relationship of trigonal Pb3(PO4)2 is well described by the third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state with V0 = 533(1) Å3, K0 = 89(4) GPa and K0′ = 5.8(2). In trigonal Pb3(PO4)2, the a-axis is more compressible than the c-axis, showing an anisotropy elasticity. XANES results reveal the evolution of Pb local environment, i.e. the first-shell coordination number of Pb1 changes from 9 to 12 and the average Pb–O bond length increases at the crossover of C2/c-to- phase transition.

In situ high-pressure X-ray diffraction experiments and reverse Monte Carlo simulations on Pd81Si19 glassy alloy were performed up to ∼35GPa. High-quality structure factor data with a q range up to 13.5Å−1 were obtained. The pressure dependence of the relative volume of Pd81Si19 glassy alloy can be well described by a third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state with bulk modulus of B0=229GPa and a pressure derivative of B0′=2.7. The continuous and monotonic change of relative volume as a function of pressure does not indicate any first-order phase transitions in Pd81Si19 glassy alloy in the studied pressure range. The pressure dependence of the atomic structures was systematically investigated by means of bond angle distribution, the Honeycutt and Andersen index, Voronoi tessellation, total and partial coordination numbers, and local chemical ordering analyses. It is found that the topological and chemical atomic structures of the Pd81Si19 glassy alloy do not change much with pressure, indicating the stability of this material under pressure.

The AT-rich interactive domain 1A gene (ARID1A) plays an important role in malignant tumorigenesis, but its role in gliomas remains unclear. This study aims to identify a possible biomarker that could be used in the diagnosis and tumour grade assessment of gliomas. Additionally, the biological role of ARID1A was further characterized in glioma cells. Data were collected from sporadic glioma specimens (n = 55) and normal brain tissues (n = 5), and ARID1A expression was examined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. We verified the differential expression of ARID1A and evaluated the associations of ARID1A expression with the pathological characteristics of gliomas. An ARID1A overexpression plasmid was constructed and transfected into the human glioblastoma cell line U87, and cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined. Our results showed that the ARID1A mRNA in gliomas was significantly down-regulated compared with that in normal brain tissues. As the pathological grade (World Health Organization classification 2007) increased, the expression of ARID1A decreased. Overexpression of ARID1A was able to inhibit cell proliferation and arrest cell cycle progression in the G1/S phase as well as induce cell apoptosis in glioma cells. Furthermore, ARID1A overexpression was accompanied by the suppression of glioma cell proliferation via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway and decreased expression of pAKT and pS6K. Therefore, ARID1A may be a useful target for the diagnosis and therapy of gliomas. Introduction Glioma is the most common primary central nervous system tumour and often results in the death of patients within 1–2 years1. The aggressive nature of glioma is characterized by intense cell proliferation, diffuse infiltration and high resistance to apoptosis2. With few advances in early detection, most patients are at advanced stages at the time of diagnosis, which decreases the chances for successful treatment3. To date, no tumour marker has been found to detect glioma at a potentially curative stage, and the factors that mediate glioma proliferation and recurrence are still poorly understood4. Consequently, there is a meaningful urgency to identify critical carcinogenic pathways and discover potential genes as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. The AT-rich interactive domain 1A gene (ARID1A), which encodes one of the subunits in the switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodelling complex, has been shown to function as a tumour suppressor in various cancer types5,6. Recent studies found that ARID1A was mutated in 46% of ovarian clear cell carcinomas, 30% of endometrioid carcinomas, 13% of hepatitis B virusassociated hepatocellular carcinomas and 10% of gastrointestinal neoplasms. Mutations were also identified in 2%–8% of pancreatic, breast, brain (medulloblastomas), prostate and lung tumours6–8. These data suggest that the loss of ARID1A may play an important role in the process of carcinogenesis. Therefore, ARID1A is a candidate for targeted therapy for various cancers. Restoring ARID1A expression significantly inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation in gastric and ovarian cancer cells9,10. Moreover, it appears to be a good biomarker for the early diagnosis of cancer. Some researchers found ARID1A mutation or loss to be an early event in the carcinogenesis of endometrioid uterine carcinomas. Also, the loss of ARID1A was associated with an advanced invasion depth of endometrioid uterine carcinomas and gastric cancer10,11. Unfortunately, the expression of ARID1A and its role in gliomas remain largely unknown. In this current study, we used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis to investigate the correlation between ARID1A expression and glioma grade. To explore its associated molecular mechanisms in glioma cells, we examined the effect of ARID1A gene overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. These findings will be useful in identifying potential candidates for the diagnosis and targeted therapy of glioma. Materials and methods Patients and tissue samples A total of 55 glioma specimens were collected in this study. These specimens were obtained from patients who underwent either explorative or radical surgery at the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (Hunan, China) from February 2011 to May 2012 after informed consent was obtained. The gliomas were histopathologically and clinically diagnosed and classified according to World Health Organization (WHO) * Corresponding authors Email: xylancet@yahoo.com.cn; min.li@uth. tmc.edu 1 Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China 2 The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA