Expression of Bone-related Genes in Bone Marrow MSCs after Cyclic Mechanical Strain: Implications for Distraction Osteogenesis

Aim Understanding the response of mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） to mechanical strain and their consequent gene expression patterns will broaden our knowledge of the mechanobiology of distraction osteogenesis. Methodology In this study, a single period of cyclic mechanical stretch （0.5 Hz, 2,000 με） was performed on rat bone marrow MSCs. Cellular proliferation and alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity was examined. The mRNA expression of six bone-related genes （Ets-1, bFGF, IGF-Ⅱ, TGF-β, Cbfal and ALP） was detected using real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Results The results showed that mechanical strain can promote MSCs proliferation, increase ALP activity, and up-regulate the expression of these genes. A significant increase in Ets-1 expression was detected immediately after mechanical stimulation, but Cbfal expression became elevated later. The temporal expression pattem of ALP coincided perfectly with Cbfal. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that mechanical strain may act as a stimulator to induce differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts, and that these bone-related genes may play different roles in the response of MSCs to mechanical stimulation.

Effects of mechanical strain amplitude on the isothermal fatigue behavior of H13

Isothermal fatigue (IF) tests were performed on H13 tool steel subjected to three different mechanical strain amplitudes at a constant temperature to determine the effects of mechanical strain amplitude on the microstructure of the steel samples. The samples' extent of damage after IF tests was compared by observation of their cracks and calculation of their damage parameters. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to observe the microstructure of the samples. Cracks were observed to initiate at the surface because the strains and stresses there were the largest during thermal cycling. Mechanical strain accelerated the damage and softening of the steel. A larger mechanical strain caused greater deformation of the steel, which made the precipitated carbides easier to gather and grow along the deformation direction, possibly resulting in softening of the material or the initiation of cracks.

In vivo evidence of IGF-I–estrogen crosstalk in mediating the cortical bone response to mechanical strain

Although insulin-like growth factor-I （IGF-I） and estrogen signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in mediating the bone anabolic response to mechanical loading, it is not known whether these two signaling pathways crosstalk with each other in producing a skeletal response to mechanical loading. To test this, at 5 weeks of age, partial ovariectomy （pOVX） or a sham operation was performed on heterozygous IGF-I conditional knockout （H IGF-I KO） and control mice generated using a Cre-loxP approach. At 10 weeks of age, a 10 N axial load was applied on the right tibia of these mice for a period of 2 weeks and the left tibia was used as an internal non-non-loaded control. At the cortical site, partial estrogen loss reduced total volumetric bone mineral density （BMD） by 5% in control pOVX mice （P=0.05, one-way ANOVA）, but not in the H IGF-I KO pOVX mice. At the trabecular site, bone volume/total volume （BV/TV） was reduced by 5%-6% in both control pOVX （P〈0.05） and H IGF-I KO pOVX （P=0.05） mice. Two weeks of mechanical loading caused a 7 %-8% and an 11%-13% （P〈0.05 vs. non-loaded bones） increase in cortical BMD and cortical thickness （Ct.Th）, respectively, in the control sham, control pOVX and H IGF-I KO sham groups. By contrast, the magnitude of cortical BMD （4%, P=0.13） and Ct.Th （6%, P〈0.05） responses were reduced by 50% in the H IGF-I KO pOVX mice compared to the other three groups. The interaction between genotype and estrogen deficiency on the mechanical loading-induced cortical bone response was significant （P〈0.05） by two-way ANOVA. Two weeks of axial loading caused similar increases in trabecular BV/TV （13%-17%） and thickness （17%-23%） in all four groups of mice. In conclusion, partial loss of both estrogen and IGF-I significantly reduced cortical but not the trabecular bone response to mechanical loading, providing in vivo evidence of the above crosstalk in mediating the bone response to loading.

The role of strain in oxygen evolution reaction

The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)is a crucial step in metal-air batteries and water splitting technologies,playing a significant role in the efficiency and achievable heights of these two technologies.However,the OER is a four-step,four-electron reaction,and its slow kinetics result in high overpotentials,posing a challenge.To address this issue,numerous strategies involving modified catalysts have been proposed and proven to be highly efficient.In these strategies,the introduction of strain has been widely reported because it is generally believed to effectively regulate the electronic structure of metal sites and alter the adsorption energy of catalyst surfaces with reaction intermediates.However,strain has many other effects that are not well known,making it an important yet unexplored area.Based on this,this review provides a detailed introduction to the various roles of strain in OER.To better explain these roles,the review also presents the definition of strain and elucidates the potential mechanisms of strain in OER based on the d-band center theory and adsorption volcano plot.Additionally,the review showcases various ways of introducing strain in OER through examples reported in the latest literature,aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective for the development of strain engineering.Finally,the review analyzes the appropriate proportion of strain introduction,compares compressive and tensile strain,and examines the impact of strain on stability.And the review offers prospects for future research directions in this emerging field.

Mechanical strain triggering flux jumps of multi-filamentary Nb_(3)Sn wires

The composite multi‐filamentary Nb_(3)Sn wire with a high critical current density is a preferred option for fabricating the superconducting magnet beyond the limit of NbTi wire(9–16 T).However,one crucial issue stems from the fact that electromagnetic force in superconducting coils is very strong,and the critical physical properties of Nb_(3)Sn,such as Jc,are more sensitive to mechanical strain than those of other possible low‐temperature superconductors.We theoretically investigated the impact of mechanical strain on the thermomagnetic instabilities such as the flux jump(FJ)and quenching of Nb_(3)Sn wire exposed to a static magnetic field and transport current.The good agreements with H formulation or H‐φformulation implemented on COMSOL software confirm the validity of our numerical simulations using home‐made codes.It is discovered that mechanical strain can trigger flux jumps even in a static magnetic field.Furthermore,the threshold value of mechanical strain to trigger the first flux jump is a monotonic function of the static magnetic field in the case of high transport currents,while it is a non‐monotonic function in the case of low transport currents.It is attributed to the fact that flux can be released by the mechanical strain,causing smooth flux penetration before triggering the flux jump.We also present the stable/unstable regions by applying mechanical strain by varying transport current,magnetic field,and working temperature,which helps in avoiding thermomagnetic instabilities while designing the superconducting magnet.

Effects of strain rates on mechanical properties of limestone under high temperature

The experimental tests for limestone specimens at 700 °C in uniaxial compression were carried out to inves- tigate the mechanical effects of loading rates on limestone by using a MTS810 rock mechanics servo- controlled testing system considering the loading rate as a variable. The mechanical properties of limestone such as the stress-strain curve, variable characteristics of peak strength and the modulus of elasticity of limestone were studied under the strain rates ranging from 1.1 10à5 to 1.1 10à1 sà1. (1) Sharp decreases were shown for the peak strength and elastic modulus of limestone from 1.1 10à5 to 1.1 10à4 sà1 at 700 °C as well as a downward trend was shown from 1.1 10à4 to 1.1 10à1 sà1 with the rise of the strain rate. (2) The peak strain increased from 1.1 10à5 to 1.1 10à4 sà1, however, there was no obvious changes shown for the peak strain of limestone from 1.1 10à4 to 1.1 10à1 sà1. These results can provide valuable references for the rock blasting effect and design of mine.

Current horizontal strain field in Chinese mainland derived from GPS data

The current crustal horizontal strain field is given in the paper based on the horizontal movement rates obtained from about 400 GPS stations located in Chinese mainland and its surrounding areas. The results show: a) The horizontal strain in Chinese mainland is strong in the west and weak in the east and the shear strain is larger than the normal strain (absolute magnitude). The general strain magnitude is 10-8/a and in local regions is 10-7/a, but the strain distribution is not homogeneous; b) The regions with the most significant NS-trending strains are the Himalayas belt along the western segment of Chinese southern boundary, the segment of 36N~42N along the western boundary and the northern margin of Qaidam block; c) The EW-trending strain variation along the western margin is the maximum and it is characterized by the alternatively positive and negative variations from the west to the east; d) The regions with larger magnitudes of REN (NE-trending shear strain) and Rmax (maximum shear strain) are Himalayas belt, the segment of 36N~42N along the western boundary, the western part of Qaidam block, Sichuan-Yunnan (Chuan-Dian) rhombic block and the border area of Alxa, Qilian and Tarim blocks; e) The surrounding area of Qinghai-Xizang (Qingzang) block is mainly superfacial contraction and its interior is basically superfacial expansion. The area to its north is mainly superfacial contraction with the maximum magnitude along the western boundary and the minimum magnitude in the eastern part (except Yanshan tectonic zone); f) In the west of the western part, the principal compressive strain is in the SN direction and the principal tensile strain is in the EW direction, while in the eastern margin area of the western part, the principal compressive strain is proximate EW and the principal tensile strain is about SN. The principal strain direction of Chuan-Dian rhombic block has changed greatly. In the northern part, it is compression in the EW and tension in the SN, while in the southern part, it is just the opposite; g) The strain pattern in Chinese mainland might be the integration of block mode and successive deformation mode. In addition, the shear strain might be the small-scale dominant strain. Such a result might be resulted from the collision of Indian plate and the boundaries coupling, and it is also closely related to the motion of deep-seated matters and the physical nature of crustal medium. Therefore, it should be noted that since the GPS stations are not homogenous in spatial distribution, the obtained strain fields and the scales of the strain should be different.

The Mechanism of Critical Strain of Serrated Yielding in Strain Rate Domain

The mechanism of the critical strain of serrated yielding is studied via tension tests at various strain rates. Betore the critical strain, it is deduced that dislocations are not pinned at high strain rates, and dislocations at low strain rates are pinned but cannot escape. The critical strain depends on the first pinning process at high strain rates and on the first unpinning process at low strain rates. The calculated results based on the two criteria are in good consistency with the experiment.

Creep Deformation of Mg-PSZ under Compressive Loading

Mg-PSZ(magnesia-partially-stabilized zirconia)has been studied under compressive loading at room temperature.Mechanical strain was recorded continuously using strain gauges while the sample phase composition and microstructure has been recorded at regular intervals on the ENGIN-X pulsed-neutron facility at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in Didcot,England.Diffraction pattern analysis has been accomplished using the GSAS II software.The observed mechanical strain is time dependent,and a correlation is established between the mechanical creep strain and the phase and microstructural changes observed.Deformation and associated microstructural changes have been observed for all applied loads but were most marked for the highest load which was-1,200 MPa.It is suggested that the ongoing deformation and microstructural changes after unloading the specimen,are on account of a stress within the sample.

Research Progress of Mechanism of Action of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria

The paper first introduces the definition and classification of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria （PGPR）, then reviews the research achievements on the mechanism of action of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, including growth pro-moting mechanism and bio-control mechanism, subsequently lists the use of excel-lent plant growth promoting rhizobacteria strains in recent years, especial y Pseu-domonas and Bacil us strains, and final y discusses problems existing in this area and points out issues requiring further exploration, including PGPR screening meth-ods, preservation methods, mechanism of action, in order to commercialize PGPR as soon as possible and practical y realize its application to production.

Anti-plane analysis of semi-infinite crack in piezoelectric strip

Using the complex variable function method and the technique of the conformal mapping, the fracture problem of a semi-infinite crack in a piezoelectric strip is studied under the anti-plane shear stress and the in-plane electric load. The analytic solutions of the field intensity factors and the mechanical strain energy release rate are presented under the assumption that the surface of the crack is electrically impermeable. When the height of the strip tends to infinity, the analytic solutions of an infinitely large piezoelectric solid with a semi-infinite crack are obtained. Moreover, the present results can be reduced to the well-known solutions for a purely elastic material in the absence of the electric loading. In addition, numerical examples are given to show the influences of the loaded crack length, the height of the strip, and the applied mechanical/electric loads on the mechanical strain energy release rate.

Exact solutions of two semi-infinite collinear cracks in piezoelectric strip

Using the complex variable function method and the conformal mapping technique, the fracture problem of two semi-infinite collinear cracks in a piezoelectric strip is studied under the anti-plane shear stress and the in-plane electric load on the partial crack surface. Analytic solutions of the field intensity factors and the mechanical strain energy release rate are derived under the assumption that the surfaces of the crack are electrically impermeable. The results can be reduced to the well-known solutions for a purely elastic material in the absence of an electric load. Moreover, when the distance between the two crack tips tends to infinity, analytic solutions of a semi-infinite crack in a piezoelectric strip can be obtained. Numerical examples are given to show the influence of the loaded crack length, the height of the strip, the distance between the two crack tips, and the applied mechanical/electric loads on the mechanical strain energy release rate. It is shown that the material is easier to fail when the distance between two crack tips becomes shorter, and the mechanical/electric loads have greater influence on the propagation of the left crack than those of the right one.

Three Dimensional Numerical Simulation for the Driving Force of Weld Solidification Cracking

The double ellipsoidal model of heat source is used to analyze the thermal distributions with a three dimensional finite element method (FEM). In the mechanical model, solidification effects are treated by a dynamic element rebirth scheme. The driving force is obtained in the cracking susceptible temperature range. Moreover, this paper presents the effect of solidification shrinkage, external restraint, weld start locations and material properties on the driving force. The comparison between the simulated driving force and the experimental measurements of the material resistance predicts the susceptibility of weld metal solidification cracking.

Structural self-reconstruction strategy empowering Ni-rich layered cathodes with low-strain for superior cyclabilities

The key to hindering the commercial application of Ni-rich layered cathode is its severe structural and interface degradation during the undesired phase transition(hexagonal to hexagonal(H2→H3)),degenerating from the build-up of mechanical strain and undesired parasitic reactions.Herein,a perovskite Li_(0.35)La_(0.55)TiO_(3)(LLTO)layer is built onto Ni-rich cathodes crystal to induce layered@spinel@perovskite heterostructure to solve the root cause of capacity fade.Intensive exploration based on structure characterizations,in situ X-ray diffraction techniques,and first-principles calculations demonstrate that such a unique heterostructure not only can improve the ability of the host structure to withstand the mechanical strain but also provides fast diffusion channels for lithium ions as well as provides a protective barrier against electrolyte corrosion.Impressively,the LLTO modified LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.05)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)cathode manifests an unexpected cyclability with an extremely high-capacity retention of≈94.6%after 100 cycles,which is superior to the pristine LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.05)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)(79.8%).Furthermore,this modified electrode also shows significantly enhanced cycling stability even withstanding a high cut-off voltage of 4.6 V.This surface self-reconstruction strategy provides deep insight into the structure/interface engineering to synergistically stabilize structure stability and regulate the physicochemical properties of Ni-rich cathodes,which will also unlock a new perspective of surface interface engineering for layered cathode materials.

Dynamic mechanical behavior of ultra-high strength steel 30CrMnSiNi2A at high strain rates and elevated temperatures

During high speed machining in the field of manufacture,chip formation is a severe plastic deformation process including large strain,high strain rate and high temperature.And the strain rate in high speed cutting process can be achieved to 105 s^（-1）.30CrMnSiNi2Asteel is a kind of important high-strength low-alloy structural steel with wide application range.Obtaining the dynamic mechanical properties of30CrMnSiNi2Aunder the conditions of high strain rate and high temperature is necessary to construct the constitutive relation model for high speed machining.The dynamic compressive mechanical properties of30CrMnSiNi2Asteel were studied using split Hopkinson pressure bar（SHPB）tests at 30-700°C and3000-10000s^（-1）.The stress-strain curves of 30CrMnSiNi2Asteel at different temperatures and strain rates were investigated,and the strain hardening effect and temperature effect were discussed.Experimental results show that 30CrMnSiNi2Ahas obvious temperature sensitivity at 300°C.Moreover,the flow stress decreased significantly with the increase of temperature.The strain hardening effect of the material at high strain rate is not significant with the increase of strain.The strain rate hardening effect is obvious with increasing the temperature.According to the experimental results,the established Johnson-Cook（J-C）constitutive model of 30CrMnSiNi2Asteel could be used at high strain rate and high temperature.

Mechanical loading induced expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase activity, and collagen synthesis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

Background Bone morphogenetic protein （BMP）-2, alkaline phosphatase （ALP）, and collagen type I are known to play a critical role in the process of bone remodeling. However, the relationship between mechanical strain and the expression of BMP-2, ALP, and COL-I in osteoblasts was still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different magnitudes of mechanical strain on osteoblast morphology and on the expression of BMP-2, ALP, and COL-I. Methods Osteoblast-like cells were flexed at four deformation rates （0, 6%, 12%, and 18% elongation）. The expression of BMP-2 mRNA, ALP, and COL-I in osteoblast-like cells were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The results were subjected to analysis of variance （ANOVA） using SPSS 13.0 statistical software. Results The cells changed to fusiform and grew in the direction of the applied strain after the mechanical strain was loaded. Expression level of the BMP-2, ALP, and COL-I increased magnitude-dependently with mechanical loading in the experimental groups, and the 12% elongation group had the highest expression （P 〈0.05）. Conclusion Mechanical strain can induce morphological change and a magnitude-dependent increase in the expression of BMP-2, ALP, and COL-I mRNA in osteoblast-like cells, which might influence bone remodeling in orthodontic treatment.

Strain and illumination triggered regulations of up-conversion luminescence in Er-doped Bi_(0.5)Na_(0.5)TiO_(3)-BaTiO_(3)/Mica flexible multifunctional thin films

External stimuli induced effective regulations of luminescent material are of significant interest in the development of smart optical devices.Here,by simply doping with Er^(3+) in the 0.94Bi_(0.5)Na_(0.5)TiO_(3)-0.06BaTiO_(3)(BNTBT)ferroelectric host,using the bendable mica substrate,and exerting mechanical strain(bending)or light illumination(via photochromic reaction),the all-inorganic,highly-transparent and flexible Er-doped BNTBT/Mica luminescent-ferroelectric thin films were designed and fabricated,displaying strain-induced dramatically elevation of up-conversion photoluminescence(PL)intensity,suppression of PL concentration quenching,outstanding endurance and durability,convenient illuminationmediated PL quenching.And the strain-induced structural changes and local lattice distortions of the thin films were further explored through theoretical calculations and Raman measurement.Our results can supply the guidance of designing other luminescent-ferroelectric materials with controlled PL properties via easy mechanical/photo stimuli for expanding the application of multifunctional wearable memory devices.

Strain Hardening Associated with Dislocation,Deformation Twinning,and Dynamic Strain Aging in Fe–20Mn–1.3C–(3Cu) TWIP Steels

The effects of Cu on stacking fault energy,dislocation slip,mechanical twinning,and strain hardening in Fe–20Mn–1.3C twinning-induced plasticity（TWIP） steels were systematically investigated.The stacking fault energy was raised with an average slope of 2 mJ/m2 per 1 wt% Cu.The Fe–20Mn–1.3C–3Cu steel exhibited superior tensile properties,with the ultimate tensile strength reached at 2.27 GPa and elongation up to 96.9% owing to the high strain hardening that occurred.To examine the mechanism of this high strain hardening,dislocation density determination by XRD was calculated.The dislocation density increased with the increasing strain,and the addition of Cu resulted in a decrease in the dislocation density.A comparison of the strain-hardening behavior of Fe–20Mn–1.3C and Fe–20Mn–1.3C–3Cu TWIP steels was made in terms of modified Crussard–Jaoul（C–J） analysis and microstructural observations.Especially at low strains,the contributions of all the relevant deformation mechanisms—slip,twinning,and dynamic strain aging—were quantitatively evaluated.The analysis revealed that the dislocation storage was the leading factor to the increase of the strain hardening,while dynamic strain aging was a minor contributor to strain hardening.Twinning,which interacted with the matrix,acted as an effective barrier to dislocation motion.

Effect of tempering temperature on strain hardening exponent and flow stress curve of 1000MPa grade steel for construction machinery

To study the effect of tempering temperature on strain hardening exponent and flow stress curve,one kind of 1000 MPa grade low carbon bainitic steel for construction machinery was designed,and the standard uniaxial tensile tests were conducted at room temperature.A new flow stress model,which could predict the flow behavior of the tested steels at different tempering temperatures more efficiently,was established.The relationship between mobile dislocation density and strain hardening exponent was discussed based on the dislocation-stress relation.Arrhenius equation and an inverse proportional function were adopted to describe the mobile dislocation,and two mathematical models were established to describe the relationship between tempering temperature and strain hardening exponent.Nonlinear regression analysis was applied to the Arrhenius type model,hence,the activation energy was determined to be 37.6kJ/mol.Moreover,the square of correlation coefficient was 0.985,which indicated a high reliability between the fitted curve and experimental data.By comparison with the Arrhenius type curve,the general trend of the inverse proportional fitting curve was coincided with the experimental data points except of some fitting errors.Thus,the Arrhenius type model can be adopted to predict the strain hardening exponent at different tempering temperatures.

Microstructure and Strain Hardening of a Friction Stir Welded High-Strength Al–Zn–Mg Alloy

Microstructural evolution and strain hardening behavior of a friction stir welded（FSWed） high-strength7075Al-T651 alloy were evaluated.The nugget zone was observed to consist of fine and equiaxed recrystallized grains with a low dislocation density and free of original precipitates,but containing uniformly distributed dispersoids.The strength,joint efficiency,and ductility of the FSWed joints increased with increasing welding speed.A joint efficiency of ＊91% was achieved at a welding speed of 400 mm/min and rotational rate of 800 r/min,while the ductility remained basically the same as that of the base metal.There was no obvious strain rate sensitivity observed in both base metal and welded joints.While both the base metal and FSWed joints exhibited stage III and IV hardening characteristics,the hardening capacity,strain hardening exponent,and strain hardening rate all increased after friction stir welding.