On the absence of shear cracking and grain boundary cavitation in secondary tensile regions of Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy during hot (alpha plus beta)-compression

Deformation instabilities, such as shear cracking and grain boundary cavitation, which are observed in the secondary tensile region of Ti-6Al-4V alloy during compressive deformation in the (+)-phase field, do not form in Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy when processed under the same conditions. This has been attributed to the microstructural modifications, e.g. the absence of grain boundary and adjacent grain boundary retained layers and a lower proportion of 90(o)-misoriented -colonies that occur with boron addition.

Crystallographic texture and microstructure evolution during hot compression of Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy in the (alpha plus beta)-regime

Microstructure and texture are known to undergo drastic modifications due to trace hypoeutectic boron addition (similar to 0.1wt.%) for various titanium alloys e.g. Ti-6Al-4V. The deformation behaviour of such an alloy Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B is investigated in the (+) phase field and compared against that of the base alloy Ti-6Al-4V studied under selfsame conditions. The deformation microstructures for the two alloys display bending and kinking of lamellae in near and softening via globularization of lamella in near phase regimes, respectively. The transition temperature at which pure slip based deformation changes to softening is lower for the boron added alloy. The presence of TiB particles is largely held attributable for the early softening of Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy. The compression texture of both the alloys carry signature of pure phase defamation at lower temperature and phase transformation near the transus temperature. Texture is influenced by a complex interplay of the deformation and transformation processes in the intermediate temperature range. The contribution from phase transformation is prominent for Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy at comparatively lower temperature.

Insulin like growth factor binding protein 4 promotes GBM progression and regulates key factors involved in EMT and invasion

Insulin like growth factor binding protein 4 (IGFBP4) regulates growth and development of tissues and organs by negatively regulating IGF signaling. Among most cancers, IGFBP4 has growth inhibitory role and reported as a down-regulated gene, except for renal cell carcinoma, wherein IGFBP4 promotes tumor progression. IGFBP4 expression has been shown to be higher in increasing grades of astrocytoma. However, the functional role of IGFBP4 in gliomas has not been explored. Surgical biopsies of 20 normal brain and 198 astrocytoma samples were analyzed for IGFBP4 expression by qRT-PCR. Highest expression of IGFBP4 mRNA was seen in GBM tumors compared to control brain tissues (median log2 of 2.035, p < 0.0001). Immunohistochemical analysis of 53 tissue samples revealed predominant nuclear staining of IGFBP4, seen maximally in GBMs when compared to DA and AA tumors (median LI = 29.12 +/- A 16.943, p < 0.001). Over expression of IGFBP4 in U343 glioma cells resulted in up-regulation of molecules involved in tumor growth, EMT and invasion such as pAkt, pErk, Vimentin, and N-cadherin and down-regulation of E-cadherin. Functionally, IGFBP4 over expression in these cells resulted in increased proliferation, migration and invasion as assessed by MTT, transwell migration, and Matrigel invasion assays. These findings were confirmed upon IGFBP4 knockdown in U251 glioma cells. Our data suggest a pro-tumorigenic role for IGFBP4 in glioma.

Effect of chemical treatment on surface characteristics of sputter deposited Ti-rich NiTi shape memory alloy thin-films

NiTi thin-films were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering from single alloy target (Ni/Ti: 45/55 aL.%). The rate of deposition and thickness of sputter deposited films were maintained to similar to 35 nm min(-1) and 4 mu m respectively. A set of sputter deposited NiTi films were selected for specific chemical treatment with the solution comprising of de-ionized water, HF and HNO3 respectively. The influence of chemical treatment on surface characteristics of NiTi films before and after chemical treatment was investigated for their structure, micro-structure and composition using different analytical techniques. Prior to chemical treatment, the composition of NiTi films using energy dispersive X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), were found to be 51.8 atomic percent of Ti and 48.2 atomic percent of Ni. The structure and morphology of these films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD investigations, demonstrated the presence of dominant Austenite (110) phase along with Martensite phase, for untreated NiTi films whereas some additional diffraction peaks viz. (100), (101), and (200) corresponding to Rutile and Anatase phase of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) along with parent Austenite (110) phase were observed for chemically treated NiTi films. FTIR studies, it can be concluded that chemically treated films have higher tendency to form metal oxide/hydroxide than the untreated NiTi films. XPS investigations, demonstrated the presence of Ni-free surface and formation of a protective metal oxide (TiO2) layer on the surface of the films, in both the cases. The extent of the formation of surface oxide layer onto the surface of NiTi films has enhanced after chemical treatment. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reactive diffusion in the Ti-Si system and the significance of the parabolic growth constant

Solid diffusion couple experiments are conducted to analyse the growth mechanism of the phases and the diffusion mechanism of the components in the Ti-Si system. The calculation of the parabolic growth constants and the integrated diffusion coefficients substantiates that the analysis is intrinsically prone to erroneous conclusions if it is based on just the parabolic growth constants determined for a multiphase interdiffusion zone. The location of the marker plane is detected based on the uniform grain morphology in the TiSi2 phase, which indicates that this phase grows mainly because of Si diffusion. The growth mechanism of the phases and morphological evolution in the interdiffusion zone are explained with the help of imaginary diffusion couples. The activation enthalpies for the integrated diffusion coefficient of TiSi2 and the Si tracer diffusion are calculated as 190 +/- 9 and 197 +/- 8 kJ/mol, respectively. The crystal structure, details on the nearest neighbours of the components, and their relative mobilities indicate that the vacancies are mainly present on the Si sublattice.

Filling-in Void and Sparse Regions in Protein Sequence Space by Protein-Like Artificial Sequences Enables Remarkable Enhancement in Remote Homology Detection Capability

Protein functional annotation relies on the identification of accurate relationships, sequence divergence being a key factor. This is especially evident when distant protein relationships are demonstrated only with three-dimensional structures. To address this challenge, we describe a computational approach to purposefully bridge gaps between related protein families through directed design of protein-like ``linker'' sequences. For this, we represented SCOP domain families, integrated with sequence homologues, as multiple profiles and performed HMM-HMM alignments between related domain families. Where convincing alignments were achieved, we applied a roulette wheel-based method to design 3,611,010 protein-like sequences corresponding to 374 SCOP folds. To analyze their ability to link proteins in homology searches, we used 3024 queries to search two databases, one containing only natural sequences and another one additionally containing designed sequences. Our results showed that augmented database searches showed up to 30% improvement in fold coverage for over 74% of the folds, with 52 folds achieving all theoretically possible connections. Although sequences could not be designed between some families, the availability of designed sequences between other families within the fold established the sequence continuum to demonstrate 373 difficult relationships. Ultimately, as a practical and realistic extension, we demonstrate that such protein-like sequences can be ``plugged-into'' routine and generic sequence database searches to empower not only remote homology detection but also fold recognition. Our richly statistically supported findings show that complementary searches in both databases will increase the effectiveness of sequence-based searches in recognizing all homologues sharing a common fold. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Mg composites containing nano-B4C hybridized micro-Ti particulates

In this work, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of extruded Mg composites containing micro-Ti particulates hybridized with varying contents of nano-B4C are investigated, and compared with Mg-5.6Ti. Microstructural characterization showed the presence of uniformly distributed micro-Ti particles embedded with nano-B4C particulates that resulted in significant grain refinement. Electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) analyses of Mg-(5.6Ti + x-B4C)(BM) hybrid composites showed that the addition of hybridized particle resulted in relatively more recrystallized grains, realignment of basal planes and extension of weak basal fibre texture when compared to Mg-5.6Ti. The evaluation of mechanical properties indicated improved strength with ductility retention in Mg-(5.6Ti + x-B4C)(BM) hybrid composites. When compared to Mg-5.6Ti, the superior strength properties of the Mg-(5.6Ti + xB(4)C)(BM) hybrid composites are attributed to the presence of nano-reinforcements, the uniform distribution of the hybridized particles, better interfacial bonding between the matrix and the reinforcement particles and the matrix grain refinement achieved by nano-B4C addition. The ductility enhancement obtained in hybrid composites can be attributed to the fibre texture spread and favourable basal plane orientation achieved due to nano B4C addition. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HCV-like IRESs sequester eIF3: advantage virus

In a recent Nature paper, Hashem et al. attempted to probe deeper into the elusive role of eIF3 in translation initiation of viruses with hepatitis C virus-like internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs), but instead uncovered a surprising role of these IRESs in displacing eIF3 from the 40S subunit, favoring viral translation.

The N-terminal region containing the zinc finger domain of tobacco streak virus coat protein is essential for the formation of virus-like particles

Tobacco streak virus (TSV), a member of the genus Ilarvirus (family Bromoviridae), has a tripartite genome and forms quasi-isometric virions. All three viral capsids, encapsidating RNA 1, RNA 2 or RNA 3 and subgenomic RNA 4, are constituted of a single species of coat protein (CP). Formation of virus-like particles (VLPs) could be observed when the TSV CP gene was cloned and the recombinant CP (rCP) was expressed in E. coli. TSV VLPs were found to be stabilized by Zn2+ ions and could be disassembled in the presence of 500 mM CaCl2. Mutational analysis corroborated previous studies that showed that an N-terminal arginine-rich motif was crucial for RNA binding; however, the results presented here demonstrate that the presence of RNA is not a prerequisite for assembly of TSV VLPs. Instead, the N-terminal region containing the zinc finger domain preceding the arginine-rich motif is essential for assembly of these VLPs.

Spontaneous assembly of iridium nanochain-like structures: surface enhanced Raman scattering activity using visible light

A facile, environmentally friendly approach to synthesize branched Ir nanochain-like structures under mild conditions, using polyfunctional capping molecules in an aqueous medium is reported; the nanostructures exhibit a surface plasmon resonance peak (SPR) in the visible region and serve as an active substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering studies.

Enhancement in creep resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy due to boron addition

The addition of B, up to about 0.1 wt%, to Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) reduces its as-cast grain and colony sizes by an order of magnitude. In this paper, the creep resistance of this alloy modified with 0.06 and 0.11 wt% B additions was investigated in the temperature range of 475-550 degrees C and compared with that of the base alloy. Conventional dead-weight creep tests as well as stress relaxation tests were employed for this purpose. Experimental results show that the B addition enhances both elevated temperature strength and creep properties of Ti64, especially at the lower end of the temperatures investigated. The steady state creep rate in the alloy with 0.11 wt% B was found to be an order of magnitude lower than that in the base alloy, and both the strain at failure as well as the time for rupture increases with the B content. These marked improvements in the creep resistance due to B addition to Ti64 were attributed primarily to the increased number of inter-phase interfaces - a direct consequence of the microstructural refinement that occurs with the B addition - that provide resistance to dislocation motion. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced superplasticity for (alpha plus beta)-hot rolled Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy by means of dynamic globularization

Thermo-mechanically processed Ti-6Al-4V alloy, with (0.1 wt.%) and without boron addition, has been subjected to tensile test under superplastic deformation conditions (Temperature, T = 850 degrees C and initial strain rate, (epsilon) over dot = 3 x 10(-4) s(-1)). The boron added alloy exhibited higher elongation (similar to 430%) in comparison to the base alloy without boron (similar to 365%). Superior ductility of the boron added alloy has been attributed to an enhanced alpha/beta interfacial boundary sliding. This was caused by riotous dynamic globularization leading to the abundant presence of equiaxed primary alpha grains with refined sizes and narrow distribution in the deforming microstructure. Cavities do occur around TiB particles during deformation; the cavities are, however, extremely localized and do not cause macroscopic cracking. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neoarchean continental growth through arc magmatism in the Nilgiri Block, southern India

The formation and growth of continental crust in the Archean have been evaluated through models of subduction-accretion and mantle plume. The Nilgiri Block in southern India exposes exhumed Neoarchean lower crust, uplifted to heights of 2500 m above sea level along the north western margin of the Peninsula. Major lithologies in this block include charnockite with or without garnet, anorthosite-gabbro suite, pyroxenite, amphibolite and hornblende-biotite gneiss (TTG). All these rock types are closely associated as an arc magmatic suite, with diffuse boundaries and coeval nature. The charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneisses (TTG) show SiO2 content varying from 64 to 73 wt.%. The hornblende-biotite gneisses (TTG) are high-Al type with Al2O3 >15 wt.% whereas the charnockites show Al2O3 <15 wt.%. The composition of charnockite is mainly magnesian and calcic to calc-alkaline. The mafic-ultramafic rocks show composition close to that of tholeiitic series. The low values of K(2)o (<3 wt.%), (K/Rb)/K2O (<500), Zr/Ti, and trace element ratios like (La/Yb)n/(Sr/Y), (Y/Nb), (Y + Nb)/Rb, (Y+Ta)/Rb, Yb/Ta indicate a volcanic arc signature for these rocks. The geochemical signature is consistent with arc magmatic rocks generated through oceanic plate subduction. The primitive mantle normalized trace element patterns of these rocks display enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and comparable high field strength elements (HFSE) in charnockite and hornblende-biotite gneisses (TTG) consistent with subduction-related origin. Primitive mantle normalized REE pattern displays an enrichment in LREE in the chamockite and hornblende-biotite gneisses (TTG) as compared to a flat pattern for the mafic rocks. The chondrite normalized REE patterns of zircons of all the rock types reveal cores with high HREE formed at ca. 2700 Ma and rims with low HREE formed at 2500-2450 Ma. Log-transformed La/Th-Nb/Th-Sm/Th-Yb/Th discrimination diagram for the mafic and ultramafic rocks from Nilgiri displays a transition from mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB) to island arc basalt (IAB) suggesting a MORB source. The U-Pb zircon data from the charnockites, mafic granulites and hornblende-biotite gneisses (TTG) presented in our study show that the magma generation during subduction and accretion events in this block occurred at 2700-2500 Ma. Together with the recent report on Neoarchean supra-subduction zone ophiolite suite at its southern margin, the Nilgiri Block provides one of the best examples for continental growth through vertical stacking and lateral accretion in a subduction environment during the Neoarchean. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.