Analysis on high-temperature oxidation and growth stress of iron-based alloy using phase field method

High-temperature oxidation is an important property to evaluate thermal protection materials. However, since oxidation is a complex process involving microstructure evolution, its quantitative analysis has always been a challenge. In this work, a phase field method （PFM） based on the thermodynamics theory is developed to simulate the oxidation behavior and oxidation induced growth stress. It involves microstructure evolution and solves the problem of quantitatively computational analysis for the oxidation behavior and growth stress. Employing this method, the diffusion process, oxidation performance, and stress evolution axe predicted for Fe-Cr-A1-Y alloys. The numerical results agree well with the experimental data. The linear relationship between the maximum growth stress and the environment oxygen concentration is found. PFM provides a powerful tool to investigate high-temperature oxidation in complex environments.

A Novel Deflection Method for Measuring the Growth Stress of Thermally Growing Oxide Scales

A kind of new deflection technique has been developed for measuring the growth stress of thermally growing oxide scales during high temperature oxidation of alloys. The average growth stresses in oxide scales such as Al2O3, NiO and Cr2O3 formed on the surface of the superalloys can be investigated by this technique. Unlike the comventional deflection method, the novel method does not need to apply a coating for preventing one main face of thin strip specimen from oxidizing and can be used under the condition of longer time and higher temperature.

LARCH AND WHITE BIRCH GROWTH STRESSES'EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS

In this paper, the equations of tree growth stresses are given by using thick -walled cylinder theory under the assumption that tree trunk is considered as a homogeneous orthogonal anisotropic cylinder. Through a lot of calculation of the experimental data, some figs. of growth stresses' distributions are given, and growth stresses distributions are analyzed.

Role of gelatinous layer in growth stress generation in tension wood

To elucidate what controls the magnitude of longitudinal growth stress in tension wood, anatomical measurements of gelatinous fibres were carried out on poplar tension wood (Populus I4551). Sections were cut from embedded blocks to avoid a border artefact described earlier. Results showed that: 1) no gelatinous fibres were observed under a growth strain level from 0.06% to 0.08%; 2) almost all of the non-conductive tissues contained gelatinous fibres above a growth strain level from 0.15% to 0.19%; 3) the amount of fibres, the amount of fibres with gelatinous layer, per unit of tissue area, and the thickness of the gelatinous layers controlled most of the magnitude of growth stress; 4) the contribution of the S2 layer in both fibre types could also play a role in the growth stress generation.

Investigation of average growth stresses in Cr_2O_3 scales measured by a novel deflection method

The stress in the oxide film plays an important role to keep it intact so it is necessary to determine the stress in the oxide scale. Average growth stresses in Cr 2O 3 scales formed on Ni base alloy (Ni80Cr20) at 1?000?℃ in air were investigated by a novel deflection technique. It is found that the growth stress in the oxide scale is basically compressive and its average order is 100?MPa. The stress values are high for the thin scales and become low for thick scales after oxidized for 10?h. The planar stress distribution in metals is complex. It is both compressive and tensile at the beginning of oxidation procedure, and then become only tensile during further oxidation.

Modeling of growth stress gradient effect on the oxidation rate at high temperature

A new oxidation kinetics model is established for high-temperature oxidation. We assume that the interface reaction is fast enough and the oxidation rate is controlled by diffusion process at high temperature. By introducing the growth stress gradient we modify the classical oxidation parabolic law. The modified factor of the oxidation rate constant is a function of growth strain, environment oxygen concentration, and temperature. The modeling results show that the stress gradient effect on the oxidation rate cannot be ignored. Growth strain will dominate whether the stress gradient effect promotes or slows down the oxidation process. The stress gradient effect becomes weaker at higher temperature. This effect is amplified at higher concentrations of environmental oxygen. Applied mechanical loads do not affect the oxidation rate. This model is available for high temperature oxidation of metals and alloys.

Inoculation with Pseudomonas spp. Containing ACC-Deaminase Partially Eliminates the Effects of Drought Stress on Growth,Yield,and Ripening of Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Two preselected plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate(ACC) -deaminase(EC 4.1.99.4) were used to investigate their potential to ameliorate the effects of drought stress on growth,yield,and ripening of pea(Pisum sativum L.) . Inoculated and uninoculated(control) seeds of pea cultivar 2000 were sown in pots(four seeds pot-1) and placed in a wire house. The plants were exposed to drought stress at different stages of growth(vegetative,flowering,and pod formation) by skipping the respective irrigation. Results revealed that inoculation of peas with PGPR containing ACC-deaminase significantly decreased the "drought stress imposed effects" on the growth and yield of peas. Exposure of plants to drought stress at vegetative growth stage significantly decreased shoot growth by 41% in the case of uninoculated plants,whereas,by only 18% in the case of inoculated plants compared to nonstressed uninoculated control. Grain yield was decreased when plants were exposed to drought stress at the flowering and pod formation stage,but inoculation resulted in better grain yield(up to 62% and 40% higher,respectively) than the respective uninoculated nonstressed control. Ripening of pods was also delayed in plants inoculated with PGPR,which may imply decreased endogenous ethylene production in inoculated plants. This premise is further supported by the observation that inoculation with PGPR reduced the intensity of classical "triple" response in etiolated pea seedlings,caused by externally applied ACC. It is very probable that the drought stress induced inhibitory effects of ethylene could be partially or completely eliminated by inoculation with PGPR containing ACC-deaminase.

Effects of small peptides, probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on growth performance, digestive enzymes, and oxidative stress in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides, juveniles reared in artificial seawater

Aquaculture production efficiency may increase by using feed additives. This study investigated the effects of different dietary additives [w/w: 2% small peptides, 0.01% probiotics( Bacillus licheniformis) and 0.2% prebiotics(inulin)] on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and oxidative stress in juvenile Epinephelus coioides reared in artificial seawater of two salt concentrations(13.5 vs. 28.5). Weight gain rate was significantly higher in fish fed the diet supplemented with small peptides, B. licheniformis, inulin, or synbiotics than that in fish fed the basal diet; the greatest weight gain rate was found in fish fed the small peptide treatment [56.0% higher than basal diet]. Higher feed efficiency was detected in fish fed the diet supplemented with small peptides than that of fish in the other dietary treatments. Total protease activity in the stomach and intestines was highest in fish fed the small peptide-treated diet, whereas lipase activity was highest in those fed synbiotics(combination of Bacillus licheniformis and inulin) than that in fish fed the other treatments. Antioxidant enzyme(total superoxide dismutase and catalase) activities and hepatic malondialdehyde content were higher in fish receiving the dietary supplements and maintained in artificial seawater containing 13.5 salinity compared with those in the control(28.5). Hepatic catalase activity in grouper fed the diets with small peptides or synbiotics decreased significantly compared with that in control fish. Overall, the three types of additives improved growth rate of juvenile grouper and digestive enzymes activities to varying degrees but did not effectively improve antioxidant capacity under low-salinity stress conditions.

Growth and physiological responses of Agriophyllum squarrosum to sand burial stress

Agriophyllum squarrosum is an annual desert plant widely distributed on mobile and semi-mobile dunes in all the sandy deserts of China. We studied the growth and physiological properties of A. squarrosum seedlings under different sand burial depths in 2010 and 2011 at Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia to understand the ability and mechanism that A. squarrosum withstands sand burial. The results showed that A. squarrosum had a strong ability to withstand sand burial. Its survival rate, plant height and biomass increased significantly at a burial depth 25% of seedling height and decreased significantly only when the burial depth exceeded the height of the seedlings; some plants still survived even if the burial depth reached 266% of a seedling height. The malondialdehyde （MDA） content and membrane permeability of the plant did not change significantly as long as the burial depth was not greater than the seedling height; lipid peroxidation increased and cell membranes were damaged if the burial depth was increased further. When subjected to sand burial stress, superoxide dismutase （SOD） and peroxidase （POD） activities and free proline content increased in the seedlings, while the catalase （CAT） activity and soluble sugar content decreased. Sand burial did not lead to water stress. Reductions in photosynthetic area and cell membrane damage caused by sand burial may be the major mechanisms increasing mortality and inhibiting growth of the seedling. But the increases in SOD and POD activities and proline content must play a certain role in reducing sand burial damage.

Effect of acid phosphatase produced by Trichoderma asperellum Q1 on growth of Arabidopsis under salt stress

Salt stress is a major environmental factor that inhibits crop growth.Trichoderma spp.are the most efficient biocontrol fungi and some of the strains can stimulate plant growth.Phosphate solubilization is known as one of the main mechanisms in promoting plant growth,but the underlying mechanisms of phosphate solubilization in the salinity still need to be explored.The Trichoderma asperellum Q1 isolated and identified in our lab is a beneficial rhizosphere biocontrol fungus with a high phosphate solubilization activity.It could produce acid and alkaline phosphatases when using insoluble organic phosphorus as the sole phosphorus source,the salt stress increased the phosphorus-solubilization ability of the strain and the activities of the two enzymes.Furthermore,an acid phosphatase was purified from the fermentation broth by ammonium sulphate precipitation,ion-exchange,and gel filtration chromatography.Its molecular weight was 55 k Da as determined by SDS-PAGE.The purified acid phosphatase was used to investigate growth performance of Arabidopsis thaliana by plate assay and the result showed that it contributed to Arabidopsis growth by transforming organic phosphate into a soluble inorganic form under salt stress.To our knowledge,this is the first report on acid phosphatase purification from T.asperellum and its function in regulation of plant growth under salt stress.

Modeling of Fatigue Crack Growth Closure Considering the Integrative Effect of Cyclic Stress Ratio,Specimen Thickness and Poisson's Ratio

Key components of large structures in aeronautics industry are required to be made light and have long enough fatigue lives.It is of vital importance to estimate the fatigue life of these structures accurately.Since the FCG process is affected by various factors,no universal model exists due to the complexity of the mechanisms.Most of the existing models are obtained by fitting the experimental data and could hardly describe the integrative effect of most existing factors simultaneously.In order to account for the integrative effect of specimen parameters,material property and loading conditions on FCG process,a new model named integrative influence factor model（IIF） is proposed based on the plasticity-induced crack closure theory.Accordingly to the predictions of crack opening ratio（γ） and effective stress intensity factor range ratio（U） with different material under various loading conditions,predictions of γ and U by the IIF model are completely identical to the theoretical results from the plane stress state to the plane strain state when Poisson＇s ratio equals 1/3.When Poisson＇s ratio equals 0.3,predictions of γ and U by the IIF model are larger than the predictions by the existing model,and more close to the theoretical results.In addition,it describes the influence of R ratios on γ and U effectively in the whole region from-1.0 to 1.0.Moreover,several sets of test data of FCG rates in 5 kinds of aluminum alloys with various specimen thicknesses under different loading conditions are used to validate the IIF model,most of the test data are situated on the predicted curves or between the two curves that represent the specimen with different thicknesses under the same stress ratio.Some of the test data slightly departure from the predictions by the IIF model due to the surface roughness and errors in measurement.Besides,based on the analysis of the physical rule of crack opening ratios,a relative thickness of specimen is defined to describe the influence of material property,specimen thickness and so forth on FCG characteristics conveniently.In conclusion,the relative thickness of specimen simplifies the expression of FCG characteristic and provides a general parameter to analyze the fatigue characteristics of different materials with various thicknesses under different loading conditions.The IIF model describes the integrative effect of existing influence factors explicitly and quantitatively,and provides a helpful tool for fatigue property estimation of practical component and experiment design.

comparison between tocotrienol and omeprazole on gastric growth factors in stress-exposed rats

AIM To investigate and compare the effects of tocotrienol and omeprazole on gastric growth factors in rats exposed to water-immersion restraint stress(WIRS).METHODS Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups of seven rats. The two control groups were administered vitamin-free palm oil(vehicle) and the two treatment groups were given omeprazole(20 mg/kg) or tocotrienol(60 mg/kg) by oral gavage. After 28 d of treatment, rats from one control group and both treated groups were subjected to WIRS one time for 3.5 h. Gastric lesions were measured and gastric tissues were obtained to measure vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), epidermal growth factor(EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor(b FGF), and transforming growth factor-alpha(TGF-α) m RNA expression. RESULTS Rats exposed to WIRS for 3.5 h demonstrated the presence of considerable ulcers in the form of gastric erosion. The lesion index in the stressed control(S) group was increased(P < 0.001) compared to the tocotrienol treated and omeprazole treated groups. Stress led to a decrease in gastric VEGF(P < 0.001), b FGF(P < 0.001) and TGF-α(P < 0.001) m RNA levels and caused an increase in EGF m RNA(P < 0.001) that was statistically significant compared to the nonstressed control group. Although both treatment agents exerted similar ulcer reducing ability, only treatment with tocotrienol led to increased expression of VEGF(P = 0.008), b FGF(P = 0.001) and TGF-α(P = 0.002) m RNA.CONCLUSION Tocotrienol provides gastroprotective effects in WIRSinduced ulcers. Compared to omeprazole, tocotrienol exerts a similar protective effect, albeit through multiple mechanisms of protection, particularly through up-regulation of growth factors that assist in repair of gastric tissue injuries.

Oxidative stress affects retinal pigment epithelial cell survival through epidermal growth factor receptor/AKT signaling pathway

AIM：To investigate the cross-talk between oxidative stress and the epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）/AKT signaling pathway in retinal pigment epithelial（ RPE） cells.METHODS：Human RPE cell lines（ARPE-19 cell） were treated with different doses of epidermal growth factor（EGF） and hydrogen peroxide（H2O2）.Cell viability was determined by a methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay.Cell proliferation was examined by a bromodeoxyuridine（Brd U） incorporation assay.EGFR/AKT signaling was detected by Western blot.EGFR localization was also detected by immunofluorescence.In addition,EGFR/AKT signaling was intervened upon by EGFR inhibitor（erlotinib）,PI3 K inhibitor（A66） and AKT inhibitor（MK-2206）,respectively.H2O2-induced oxidative stress was blocked by antioxidant N-acetylcysteine（NAC）.RESULTS：EGF treatment increased ARPE-19 cell viabili ty and proliferation through inducing phosphorylation of EGFR and AKT.H2O2 inhibited ARPE-19 cell viability and proliferation and also suppressed EGF-stimulated increase of RPE cell viability and proliferation by affecting the EGFR/AKT signaling pathway.EGFR inhibitor erlotinib blocked EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR and AKT,while A66 and MK-2206 only blocked EGF-induced phosphorylation of AKT.EGF-induced phosphorylation andendocytosis of EGFR were also affected by H2O2 treatment.In addition,antioxidant NAC attenuated H2O2-induced inhibition of ARPE-19 cell viability through all eviating reduction of EGFR,and phosphorylated and total AKT proteins.CONCLUSION：Oxidative stress affects RPE cell viability and proliferation through interfering with the EGFR/AKT signaling pathway.The EGFR/AKT signaling pathway may be an important target in oxidative stress-induced RPE cell dysfunction.

Stocking density effects on growth and stress response of juvenile turbot(Scophthalmus maximus) reared in land-based recirculating aquaculture system

Stocking density is widely recognized as a critical factor in aquaculture and a potential source of long-term stress.The influence of stocking density on growth and stress response of juvenile turbot（Scophthalmus maximus, ~3–75g, initial to final weight） was examined in fish held under low（LD, ~0.21–5.31 kg/m^2, initial to final density）,medium（MD, ~0.42–10.81 kg/m^2） and high stocking density（HD, ~0.63–14.27 kg/m^2） for 120 days in a recirculating aquaculture system（RAS）. In this trial, the growth curve for weight of juvenile turbot in RAS, all fitted by the Schnute model. No significant difference was found in growth performance among the three densities until at the final sampling（Day 120）. The final weight and body weight increase（BWI） in the HD group were significantly lower than in other groups（P〈0.05, weight：（75.83±2.49） g,（75.39±2.08） g,（65.72±2.86） g and BWI：（2 436.12±28.10）%,（2 421.29±4.64）%,（2 097.88±20.99）% in LD, MD and HD groups, respectively）. Similarly, the specific growth rate（SGR）, feed conversion ratio（FCR） and coefficient of variation for weight（CV_w） were adversely affected by high stocking density（P〈0.05）. However, there was no difference in survival and Fulton＇s condition factor（K） of turbot among the different groups. Physiological analyses demonstrated a clear increase in the plasma cortisol level and an obvious decrease in growth hormone（GH） concentration in the HD group on Day120（P〈0.05）. There was no significant effect of stocking density on plasma glucose, Cl– and protein levels. All these findings would provide a reference for selecting the optimal stocking density of juvenile turbot in RAS.

Proline and soluble sugars accumulation in three pepper species(Capsicum spp) in response to water stress imposed at different stages of growth

Drought is a major production constraint for major fruits and vegetable crops in the tropics. This study was conducted to in- vestigate the effect of limited water supply at three growth stages （vegetative, flowering and fruiting） on the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars in three pepper species. Seeds of the three pepper species, Capsicum chinense Jacq., C. annuum L. and C. frutescens L. were raised in a nursery and the seedlings were transplanted into seventy two plastic pots arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates, 25 days after planting. Four water treatments, 200 mL of water supplied twice daily （W1）, once in every three days （W2）, once in every five days （W3）, and zero water supplied throughout growing period （W0） were imposed at three vegetative, flowering, and fruiting growth stages. Data were collected on relative water content, free proline and total soluble sugar. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and means were separated using Duncan＇s multiple range test. Results show that the concentration ofproline and soluble sugar in leaves of the three pepper species were found to be remarkable at the different stages of growth in the stressed plants.

Enriched environment upregulates growth-associated protein 43 expression in the hippocampus and enhances cognitive abilities in prenatally stressed rat offspring

In our previous study, we reported that prenatal restraint stress could induce cognitive deficits, which correlated with a change in expression of growth-associated protein 43 in the hippocampus. In this study, we investigated the effects of enriched environment on cognitive abilities in prenatally stressed rat offspring, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Reverse transcription-PCR and western blot assay results revealed that growth-associated protein 43 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated on postnatal day 15 in the prenatal restraint stress group. Growth-associated protein 43 expression was significantly lower in the prenatal restraint stress group compared with the negative control and prenatal restraint stress plus enriched environment groups on postnatal days 30 and 50. Morris water maze test demonstrated that cognitive abilities were noticeably increased in rats from the prenatal restraint stress plus enriched environment group on postnatal day 50. These results indicate that enriched environment can improve the spatial learning and memory ability of prenatally stressed offspring by upregulating growth-associated protein 43 expression.

Effects of Drought Stress Simulated by Polyethylene Glycol on Seed Germination, Root and Seedling Growth, and Seedling Antioxidant Characteristics in Job’s Tears

Two Job’s tears cultivars, yy18-1 (high resistance to drought stress) and yy12-7 (susceptible to drought stress) were used to investigate the responses of seed germination, root and seedling growth, and seedling antioxidant characteristics to drought stress simulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 solutions with 0, -0.05, -0.1, -0.15, and -0.2 MPa osmotic potentials. The results showed that the germination energy, germination rate, germination index, root and seedling lengths, root and seedling diameters, root and seedling fresh masses, root and seedling dry masses, and seedling relative water content (RWC) decreased with the decrease of the osmotic potential of PEG 6000 solution. The contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and proline in seedling increased with the decrease of the osmotic potential of PEG 6000 solution. The activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) in seedling increased and then decreased with the decrease of osmotic potential of PEG 6000 solution. -0.1 MPa was the optimal osmotic potential of PEG 6000 solution simulated drought stress at germination stage for Job’s tears. The proline content and activities of POD and CAT were important mechanisms for the maintenance of drought resistance in Job’s tears seedling.

Electrical Stimulation Greatly Increases Settlement, Growth, Survival, and Stress Resistance of Marine Organisms

Increasing stress from global warming, sea level rise, acidification, sedimentation, pollution, and unsustainable practices have degraded the most critical coastal ecosystems including coral reefs, oyster reefs, and salt marshes. Conventional restoration methods work only under perfect conditions, but fail nearly completely when the water becomes too hot or water quality deteriorates. New methods are needed to greatly increase settlement, growth, survival, and resistance to environmental stress of keystone marine organisms in order to maintain critical coastal ecosystem functions including shore protection, fisheries, and biodiversity. Electrolysis methods have been applied to marine ecosystem restoration since 1976, with spectacular results (Figures 1(a)-(c)). This paper provides the first overall review of the data. Low-voltage direct current trickle charges are found to increase the settlement of corals 25.86 times higher than uncharged control sites, to increase the mean growth rates of reef-building corals, soft corals, oysters, and salt marsh grass— an average of 3.17 times faster than controls (ranging from 2 to 10 times depending on species and conditions), and to increase the survival of electrically charged marine organisms—an average of 3.47 times greater than controls, with the biggest increases under the most severe environmental stresses. These results are caused by the fundamental biophysical stimulation of natural biochemical energy production pathways, used by all organisms, provided by electrical stimulation under the right conditions. This paper reviews for the first time all published results from properly designed, installed, and maintained projects, and contrasts them with those that do not meet these criteria.

Effect of Saline-alkali Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Oat

Neutral black soil was mixed with strong saline-alkali soil in different weight ratios, then physiological indexes during seed germination and seedling growth in soil of different ratios and the corresponding leaching liquor treatments were observed to explore effect of saline-alkali stress on oat seed germination and seedling growth, and analyze tolerance of oat to saline-alkali soil. The results showed that germination ability of oat seeds reduced with the increasing saline-alkali stress, salt injury index increased and seedling growth was inhibited. Effect of different saline-alkali stresses on germination ability of oat seeds showed difference, and effect of leaching liquor treatment on oat seed germination was stronger than that of soil treatment.