Sebastian Wroński

Metformin Decreases Reactive Oxygen Species, Enhances Osteogenic Properties of Adipose-Derived Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro, and Increases Bone Density In Vivo.

Due to its pleiotropic effects, the commonly used drug metformin has gained renewed interest among medical researchers. While metformin is mainly used for the treatment of diabetes, recent studies suggest that it may have further application in anticancer and antiaging therapies. In this study, we investigated the proliferative potential, accumulation of oxidative stress factors, and osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential of mouse adipose-derived stem cells (MuASCs) isolated from mice treated with metformin for 8 weeks. Moreover, we investigated the influence of metformin supplementation on mice bone density and bone element composition. The ASCs isolated from mice who were treated with metformin for 8 weeks showed highest proliferative potential, generated a robust net of cytoskeletal projections, had reduced expression of markers associated with cellular senescence, and decreased amount of reactive oxygen species in comparison to control group. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these cells possessed greatest osteogenic differentiation potential, while their adipogenic differentiation ability was reduced. We also demonstrated that metformin supplementation increases bone density in vivo. Our result stands as a valuable source of data regarding the in vivo influence of metformin on ASCs and bone density and supports a role for metformin in regenerative medicine.

Neutron time-of-flight diffraction used to study aged duplex stainless steel at small and large deformation until sample fracture

Owing to its selectivity, diffraction is a powerful tool for analysing the mechanical behaviour of polycrystalline materials at the mesoscale (phase and/or grain scale). In situ neutron diffraction during tensile tests and elastoplastic self-consistent modelling were used to study slip phenomena occurring on crystallographic planes at small and large deformation. The critical resolved shear stresses in both phases of duplex stainless steel were found for samples subjected to different thermal treatments. The evolution of grain loading was also determined by showing the large differences between stress concentration for grains in ferritic and austenitic phases. It was found that, for small loads applied to the sample, linear elastic deformation occurs in both phases. When the load increases, austenite starts to deform plastically, while ferrite remains in the elastic range. Finally, both phases undergo plastic deformation until sample fracture. By using an original calibration of diffraction data, the range of the study was extended to large sample deformation. As a result, mechanical effects that can be attributed to damage processes initiated in ferrite were observed.

Electron backscatter diffraction investigation of local misorientations and orientation gradients in connection with evolution of grain boundary structures in deformed and annealed zirconium. A new approach in grain boundary analysis

The main aim of the present work is to study the relation between microstructural features – such as local misorientations, grain orientation gradients and grain boundary structures – and thermomechanical treatment of hexagonal zirconium (Zr702α). Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) topological maps are used to analyze the aforementioned material parameters at the early stages of plastic deformation imposed by channel-die compression, as well as at a partial recrystallization state achieved by brief annealing. The evolution of local misorientations and orientation gradients is investigated using the so-called kernel average misorientation (KAM) and grain orientation spread (GOS) statistics implemented in the TSL OIM data analysis software [TexSEM Laboratories (2004), Draper, UT, USA]. In the case of grain boundaries (GBs) a new method of analysis is presented. As an addition to the classical line segments method, where the grain boundary is represented by line segments that separate particular pairs of neighboring points, an approach that focuses on grain boundary areas is proposed. These areas are represented by sets of EBSD points, which are specially selected from a modified calculation procedure for the KAM. Different evolution mechanisms of intragranular boundaries, low-angle grain boundaries and high-angle grain boundaries are observed depending on the compression direction. The observed differences are consistent with the results obtained from KAM and GOS analysis. It is also concluded that the proposed method of grain boundary characterization seems to be promising, as it provides new and interesting analysis tools such as textures, absolute fractions and other EBSD statistics of the GB areas. This description may be more compatible with a real deformed microstructure, especially for grain boundaries with very small misorientation, which are indeed clustered areas of lattice defect accumulation.

X-ray computed microtomography—a useful tool for petrophysical properties determination

The main goal of the research was to employ the unique data delivered by various methods to improve the determination of rock reservoir properties. Results of X-ray computed tomography (XRCMT), one of the newest techniques providing high-resolution images of rocks, were used to show that very precise information from this tool is complementary to results from other methods. Standard laboratory measurements (helium pycnometer, mercury injection porosimetry, permeameter) and sophisticated experiments (X-ray computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were performed to obtain and compare results. Four types of specimens: typical Miocene sandstone-mudstone-claystone rock samples, artificial corundum specimens, shale gas plugs, and limestone sample were investigated to obtain the porosity, permeability, density, and other parameters used in rock descriptions. Mutual relationships between selected groups of rock material properties were presented to provide an integral picture of rock characteristics. The XRCMT results were in general not influenced by lithology, but there were observed shaliness effects on the shape of pores, cross sections, and the tortuosity of porous channels. An analysis of the average porosity and the standard deviation of each XRCMT plot provided information about differences in the heterogeneity of a formation. Thus, the XRCMT method was recommended in pore space parameter determination for microfracture fluid propagation monitoring. There was also observed equivalence between part of the NMR signal from clay-bound water and the XRCMT volume subgroups in porosity/permeability—structural classes I and II. So, the use of the two-subsample approach in the XRCMT interpretation was promoted.

Crystallographic Textures Variation in Asymmetrically Rolled Steel

The crystallographic texture formation in low carbon steel during asymmetric rolling was studied experimentally and analysed numerically. Modelling of plastic deformation was done in two scales: in the macro-scale using the finite element method ( FEM) and in crystallographic scale using the polycrystalline deformation model (LW model). The stress distribution in the rolling gap was calculated using FEM and next these stresses were applied in LW model of polycrystalline plastic deformation. In general, the predicted textures agree very well with experimental ones.

Effect of rolling asymmetry on selected properties of grade 2 titanium sheet

Asymmetric rolling can be used in order to modify material properties and to reduce forces and torques applied during deformation. This geometry of deformation is relatively easy to implement on existing industrial rolling mills and it can provide large volumes of a material. The study of microstructure, crystallographic texture and residual stress in asymmetrically rolled titanium (grade 2) is presented in this work. The above characteristics were examined using the EBSD technique and X-ray diffraction. The rolling asymmetry was realized using two identical rolls, driven by independent motors, rotating with different angular velocities. It was found that asymmetric rolling leads to microstructure modification and refinement. At low deformations one observes a process of grain size decrease caused by the asymmetry of rolling process. In contrast, at the medium range of deformations the microstructure refinement consists mainly in subgrain formation and grain fragmentation. Another observation is that for low to intermediate rolling reductions (≤40%) the predominant mechanisms are slip and twinning, while for higher deformation (>40%) the main mechanism is slip. It was found that grain refinement effect, caused by the rolling asymmetry, persists also after recrystallization annealing. And finally, texture homogenization and reduction of residual stress were confirmed for asymmetrically rolled samples.

Application of Vapor Phase Soldering (VPS) for Joints Reliability Improvement

 Abstract—The reliability of an electronic system may depend on solder joint work. Various methods are used at present to improve joint reliability One possibility is vapor phase soldering (VPS). The biggest advantages of VPS are high efficiency and uniform heating characteristics. It is also possible to ensure good control of the soldering temperature, an oxygen free soldering atmosphere, and, especially a higher rate of heat transfer. Joints made with VPS can be more uniform with fewer defects than in joints made with reflow soldering. However, the choice of solder alloy used for VPS may be a key factor in the quality of the junction.

Corrections for residual stress in X-ray grazing incidence technique

Grazing incidence technique can be used to study samples with important stress gradients. The stress can be measured at very small depths, of the order of a few μm. The penetration depth of radiation is almost constant in a wide 2θ range for a given incidence angle α. It can be changed by an appropriate selection of α angle. This enables the investigation of stress variation with depth below the sample surface. There are, however, some factors which have to be corrected in this technique. The most important one is the X-ray wave refraction: it changes the wave length and direction of the beam inside a sample. These two effects cause some shift of a peak position and they have to be taken into account. For small incidence angles (α≤100) the corrections are significant and can modify the measured stress even of 70 MPa. The refraction correction decreases with increasing of the incidence angle. The corrections were tested on ferrite powder and on the ground AISI316L steel samples.

Effect of Residual Stresses on Mechanical Properties of Duplex Stainless Steel Studied by Diffraction and Self-Consistent Modelling

The aim of this work is to study the influence of residual stresses on the properties of textured duplex stainless steel (DSS). The properties of both phases in DSS were studied using Xray diffraction whilst external load was applied “in situ” to the sample. The interpretation of experimental data is based on the diffraction elastic constants calculated by the self-consistent model taking into account the anisotropy of the studied material. Carrying out measurements in both compression and tension by using neutron diffraction, important differences in the evolution of lattice strains were noticed. An elastoplastic model is used to predict the evolution of the internal stresses during loading and to identify critical resolved shear stresses and strain hardening parameters of the material. The influence of the initial residual stresses on the yield stresses of the phases is considered. The difference between tensile and compressive behaviour of the steel is explained when the initial stresses (measured in the as received non-loaded sample by diffraction methods) are taken into account in model calculations. The yield stresses in each phase of the studied steel have been experimentally determined and successfully compared with the results of the elastoplastic self-consistent model.

Study of texture, microstructure and mechanical properties of asymmetrically rolled aluminium

Asymmetric rolling is a promising forming technique offering numerous possibilities of material properties modification and the improvement of technological process parameters. This geometry of deformation is relatively easy to implement on existing industrial rolling mills. Moreover, it can provide large volume of a material with modified properties. The study of microstructure, crystallographic texture and mechanical properties of asymmetrically rolled aluminium is presented in this work. The above characteristics were examined using EBSD technique and X-ray diffraction. The rolling asymmetry was realized using two identical rolls, driven by independent motors, rotating with different angular velocities. It was found that asymmetric rolling leads to microstructure refinement, texture homogenization and decreasing of residual stress.