Precipitation and fracture behaviour of Fe–Mn–Ni–Al alloys

The effects of Al addition on the precipitation and fracture behaviour of Fe–Mn–Ni alloys were investigated. With the increasing of Al concentration, the matrix and grain boundary precipitates changed from L1₀ θ-MnNi to B2 Ni₂MnAl phase, which is coherent and in cube-to-cube orientation relationship with the α′-matrix. Due to the suppression of the θ-MnNi precipitates at prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGBs), the fracture mode changed from intergranular to transgranular cleavage fracture. Further addition of Al resulted in the discontinuous growth of Ni₂MnAl precipitates in the alloy containing 4.2?wt.% Al and fracture occurred by void growth and coalescence, i.e. by ductile dimple rupture. The transition of the fracture behaviour of the Fe–Mn–Ni–Al alloys is discussed in relation to the conversion of the precipitates and their discontinuous precipitation behaviour at PAGBs.     

Ultra low-level tritium measurement using electrolytic enrichment and LSC†

We describe an advanced methodology for low-level tritium measurement in regard to calibration, electrolytic tritium enrichment, liquid scintillation counting (LSC) measurement, and prevention of sample contamination. Details are given on enrichment parameters and electrode processes for optimisation of enrichment reproducibility and on optimisation of LSC stability. Intercomparison results demonstrate high accuracy of the tritium measurement system. The use of accurate tritium data for groundwater dating in the southern hemisphere is demonstrated with data from several groundwater systems of New Zealand.     

Exact profiles of 13CO2 recovery in breath air after per oral administration of [13C]methacetin in two groups of different ages

The aim of this study is to determine if age is a factor influencing the results of a [¹³C]methacetin breath test (¹³C-MBT). Two groups of healthy volunteers, each comprising six men and six women, but differing in average age (Y=young, 25.1±0.6 years, MA=middle-aged;, 46.0±2.1 years) orally took 75 mg [¹³C]methacetin. Samples of expiratory air for ¹³CO₂ measurement were collected up to 48 h after intake of the substrate. A maximum momentary ¹³CO₂ breath exhalation of 37.0±2.6%dose/h was observed at 18 min (median, range: 9–30 min) in the young subjects and of 38.4±2.5%dose/h at 18 min (median, range: 12–30 min) in the middle-age volunteers. The cumulative ¹³C elimination in expiratory air was statistically significantly higher in the MA compared with the Y group as from 75 min up to 180 min, indicating a greater microsomal metabolic efficiency of the liver in the middle-aged healthy subjects. Gender, use of hormonal contraception, cigarette smoking, or body mass index did not modify the age-related effect on the cumulative ¹³C elimination in breath air. The study results imply a necessity of composing control groups well matched with regard to the age structure for a proper interpretation of clinical ¹³C-MBT results.     

Calibrating Gompertz in reverse: What is your longevity-risk-adjusted global age?

This paper develops a computational framework for inverting Gompertz–Makeham mortality hazard rates, consistent with compensation laws of mortality for heterogeneous populations, to define a longevity-risk-adjusted global (L-RaG) age. To illustrate its salience and possible applications, the paper calibrates and presents L-RaG values using country data from the Human Mortality Database (HMD). Among other things, the author demonstrates that when properly benchmarked, the longevity-risk-adjusted global age of a 55-year-old Swedish male is 48, whereas a 55-year-old Russian male is closer in age to 67. The paper also discusses the connection between the proposed L-RaG age and the related concept of Biological age, from the medical and gerontology literature. Practically speaking, in a world of growing mortality heterogeneity, the L-RaG age could be used for pension and retirement policy. In the language of behavioral finance and economics, a salient metric that adjusts chronological age for longevity risk might help capture the public’s attention, educate them about lifetime uncertainty and induce many of them to take action — such as working longer and/or retiring later.     

HILIC‐MS‐based shotgun metabolomic profiling of maternal urine at 9–23 weeks of gestation – establishing the baseline changes in the maternal metabolome

In this data‐rich age it is no longer necessary to methodically isolate, characterize and measure specific molecules. What is important is to identify which of the hundreds or thousands of resolved and measured ‘unknown’ molecules are potentially associated with the pathophysiology of interest. We have taken LC‐MS data from pregnancy urine and applied SIMCA P+ data analysis software in shotgun metabolomics to search the large amount of data for significant metabolite changes that occur in the transition from the first to early second trimester of pregnancy. Seventy‐two individual urine samples were examined spanning 9–23 weeks of gestation. Three‐hundred and eighty‐three ions were identified and variations were mapped between profiles of different gestational age and the significance quantified. In urine collected during pregnancy, the transition from first to early second trimester revealed a relatively steady pattern of metabolites except for four that showed a dramatic fall in abundance as pregnancy progressed from the first to second trimester. The pattern of changes in urinary metabolites identified by Zwitterionic Hydrophilic Liquid Interaction Chromatography (ZIC‐HILIC) coupled to mass spectrometry was evaluated and we established a baseline of changes from which a search for metabolomic markers associated with clinical pathologies of pregnancy can be made as a part of wider ultraomics study. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

内蒙古兴和县育龄妇女头发中矿质元素分布及影响因素研究

使用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICP-AES)和原子荧光光谱法(AFS)分别对内蒙古自治区兴和县180名农村育龄妇女头发中21种矿物元素(铝,硼,钡,钙,镉,钴,铬,铜,铁,镁,锰,钼,镍,铅,硒,硅,锡,锶,钛,钒和锌)的含量及年龄、生育史及饮食习惯等对其产生的影响进行了研究。结果表明,大多数矿物元素(硼,镉,铬,钴,铜,铁,镁,锰,钼,镍,铅,硒,硅,锡,锶,钛,钒和锌)含量从青年组(18～29岁)到老年组(40～45岁)依次减少,而中年组(30～39岁)的钙,镁,锰、铅的含量最低。生育二胎的妇女钙,镁,锰,钼,镍,铅,锡,锶和锌含量最低,这可能与生育次数的增加有关,相关性分析证实钙,铅和锡与生育史有显著性相关。此外,饮食习惯也会影响头发中矿物质元素的含量。经常食用酸菜会导致锌,铁,铜,锰,锶含量水平较低,但钼,铅和硒含量水平较高。而且,锌和硒含量随肉类摄入频率增加而增加。规律性摄入蔬菜会增加硅的含量。同时,经常食用水果会增加锰,镍和钛的含量水平。因此,该研究为解决不均衡饮食习惯盛行的农村地区生育和妇女健康提供基础数据和有用的信息。     

21世纪诺贝尔化学奖得主高龄化现象研究及对教育的启示

21世纪诺贝尔化学奖获奖者呈现出高龄化现象,统计分析发现诺贝尔化学奖得主获奖年龄呈上升趋势。对20世纪与21世纪诺贝尔化学奖得主取得主要学术成果的年龄进行统计分析,发现杰出化学家取得主要学术成果的年龄并没有发生变化。对典型高龄诺奖得主进行案例分析,发现诺奖认可成果时间的延长才是造成21世纪诺贝尔化学奖高龄化现象的直接原因,并试图从中总结对基础教育改革的一些启示。     

On the asymptotic equilibrium of a population system with migration

In the analysis of economic and social issues of a country (or any larger or smaller socio-economic unit) the demographic dynamics of the considered population often play a crucial role. Very current emergencies in this respect are e.g. ageing, longevity risk, state-run healthcare etc. Over the last decade migration between EU countries also became an important issue, and in recent years the uncontrolled migration from non-EU countries is also a major concern. Therefore, the better theoretical understanding of the evolutionary mechanism of age-classified populations interacting via migration, is a timely modelling-methodological task. This paper is a preliminary demographic methodological contribution to a further research in support of socio-economic modelling and decision making concerning migration issues.It is known that in the framework of the classical age-specific Leslie model, under simple demographic conditions, a closed population in the long term tends to an equilibrium age distribution. As the main theoretical result of the paper, a similar convergence is proved for a system of several populations with migration between them, and this long-term behaviour (convergence theorem) is extended to systems of sex-structured populations. Based on the latter model, medium term projections are also analysed concerning the effect of migration among countries on the development of the old-age dependency ratio (the proportion of pensioner age classes to active ones), which is an aggregate scalar indicator of ageing, a major concern in most industrialized countries. Illustrative simulation analysis is carried out with data from three European countries.