A molecular dynamics study on the mechanical response of thermal-pressure rejuvenated CuxZr100-x metallic glasses.

A molecular dynamics study was performed on the mechanical response of thermal-pressure rejuvenated CuxZr100-x metallic glasses. The effect of temperature (50, 300, 600 K) and pressure (0-50 GPa) on the rejuvenation process and the mechanical properties of CuxZr100-x including stress-strain response, shear localization formation and elastic modulus were investigated. The thermal-pressure rejuvenation process involves transitioning the system to a higher potential energy state and a lower atomic volume, demonstrating the significant influence of pressure on rejuvenation. Our findings reveal that increasing pressure at specific temperatures and material compositions results in reduced yield stress and stress drop. They also indicate that with increasing pressure, the system undergoes a transition towards homogeneity, resulting in enhanced ductility compared to its initial amorphous state. Additionally, high temperatures contribute to lower values of Young's, shear, and bulk moduli, as well as decreased yield stress and stress drop. Consequently, the system becomes more homogeneous, promoting rejuvenation. Furthermore, we observed that the final yield strength of the system increases with higher Cu content for all structures at specific pressures and temperatures. The level of rejuvenation is additionally impacted by the amount of Cu, and structures containing varying content of Cu demonstrate varying degrees of rejuvenation. To validate our findings, we utilized Voronoi analysis, which revealed a higher fraction of densely-packed clusters in the samples. Finally, a total of 10 materials properties were calculated and explored using statistical analysis which shows there are different correlations between pressure, temperature and atomic composition with mechanical properties.

Association of IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms with susceptibility to breast cancer - a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have evaluated the association of IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms with a risk of breast cancer in different populations, but the results remain inconsistent and inconclusive. Thus, we performed this meta-analysis to explore the associations. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, SID, and CNKI for all eligible studies published up to October 1, 2020. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the intensity of associations. RESULTS: A total of 12 case-control studies including seven studies with 2,370 cases and 2,314 controls on IL-8 -251T>A, and five studies with 900 cases and 882 con-trols on IL-18 -607C>A polymorphism were selected. Pooled data showed that IL-8 -251T>A (AT vs. TT: OR= 1.187; 95% CI 1.038-1.356; P = 0.012) and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms (A vs. T: OR = 1.205; 95% CI 1.055-1.377; P = 0.006; AA vs. TT: OR = 1.379; 95% CI 1.056-1.802; P = 018; and AA vs. AT+TT: OR = 1.329; 95% CI 1.053-1.678; P = 0.017) were associated with increased risk of breast cancer in overall. Moreover, when the studies were stratified by ethnicity, the IL-8 -251T>A was significantly associated with breast cancer risk in Africans. Publication bias tests provide no evidence of presence of publication bias in a meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis results revealed that the IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to breast cancer. However, further multicenter studies with larger sample sizes in different ethnicities are required to make a better assessment of these associations.

Integrated waste management for rural development in Egypt.

Rural areas generate a large amount of plant and animal residues that can be recycled and utilized instead of relocation and/or burning. This will lead to increasing the benefits from agricultural sector in rural communities and ensuring a better environment. To increase the economic output and environmental benefits of recycling agricultural residues, integrated system should be considered, e.g., energy--compost-recycled water system; composting--co-composting system; food-feed compost system, ensilage of crop residues. The present work was a pilot study for optimizing integrated systems for bioconversion agricultural residues completed by establishing a Training Center for Recycling Agricultural Residues (TCRAR) thereby ensuring the dissemination of the technical, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects to farmers, live stock producers, extensions service staff, and private sector. Three integrated subsystems for bioconversion of agricultural residues were developed. They were based on (i) energy--manure-recycled water system, (ii) composting and co-composting system, and (iii) food-feed/compost system.

Gluconeogenic activity in response to chronic administration of amphetamine sulphate and drug withdrawal.

1. Chronic amphetamine administration (10 mg/kg) to young rats (Rattus norvegius) (40-90 g) produced an initial hyperglycemia following the initial drug administration. This was followed by progressive hypoglycemia with the continuous drug treatment. 2. The present data also demonstrate increases in levels of serum ACTH and corticosterone that were maintained after drug withdrawal, in the case of corticosterone. 3. The Analysis of the transaminase activity revealed the occurrence of significant increases in serum GOT level. Furthermore, progressive increase in the G-6-Pase activity was recorded, reaching its maximum level by the end of the experiment, which demonstrates that induced amphetamine toxicity is time-dependent.

Effects of bretylium on rat cardiac muscle: the electrophysiological effects and its uptake and binding in normal and immunosympathectomized rat hearts.

Bretylium produced electrophysiological effects on both rat atrium and ventricle in vitro at concentrations ranging from 2 times 10- minus 5 to 10- minus three M. Those effects included lengthening of action potential duration and effective refractory period; increasing effective refractory period/action potential duration; decreasing dv/dt of phase zero of the action potential and suppressing the action potential amplitude and overshoot. These effects, which could serve as a basis for the antiarrhythmic action of bretylium, were observed also in hearts from immunosympathectomized rats confirming a direct effect of this drug on the electrical properties of the cardiac muscle cells. In vivo and in vitro exposure of the myocardium to 14-C-bretylium showed that this drug is concentrated in cardiac ventricle and that this concentrating ability of the heart may be responsible for attaining effective antiarrhythmic concentrations in the myocardium at low plasma concentrations of the drug. Uptake of bretylium by the sympathetic nerves never amounted to more than 15% of the total bretylium binding by the cardiac ventricle and this neuronal uptake became insignificant compared to total bretylium uptake at concentrations greater than 10- minus 6 M. Subcellular distribution of the bretylium bound to the cardiac ventricle from immunosympathectomized rats suggested a binding to plasma membranes. Efflux studies indicate that this binding was tight, although reversible. These results indicate that underlying the antiarrhythmic effects of bretylium is an accumulation of the drug by cardiac muscle cells and a direct effect of the drug on the electrical properties of the cardiac muscle membrane independent of any action on the adrenergic neuron.