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The effect of punching of electric motor sheets on electrical machine performances is addressed. The approach is using measurement and modelling of mechanical stress effect on B(H) curves. A new coupled magneto-elastic Preisach model is proposed and implemented in FEM software. Modelling of EV motor highlights a torque reduction due to residual stresses after stator sheets punching.

Background: NANOG is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor which forms one of the hubs in the pluripotency network and plays a key role in the reprogramming of somatic cells and epiblast stem cells to naïve pluripotency. Studies have found that NANOG has many interacting partners and some of these were shown to play a role in its ability to mediate reprogramming. In this study, we set out to analyse the effect of NANOG interactors on the reprogramming process. Methods: Epiblast stem cells and somatic cells were reprogrammed to naïve pluripotency using MEK/ERK inhibitor PD0325901, GSK3β inhibitor CHIR99021 and Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor (together termed 2i Plus LIF). Zmym2 was knocked out using the CRISPR/Cas9 system or overexpressed using the PiggyBac system. Reprogramming was quantified after ZMYM2 deletion or overexpression, in diverse reprogramming systems. In addition, embryonic stem cell self renewal was quantified in differentiation assays after ZMYM2 removal or overexpression. Results: In this work, we identified ZMYM2/ZFP198, which physically associates with NANOG as a key negative regulator of NANOG-mediated reprogramming of both epiblast stem cells and somatic cells. In addition, ZMYM2 impairs the self renewal of embryonic stem cells and its overexpression promotes differentiation. Conclusions: We propose that ZMYM2 curtails NANOG's actions during the reprogramming of both somatic cells and epiblast stem cells and impedes embryonic stem cell self renewal, promoting differentiation.

Summary Undifferentiated sarcomas (USARCs) of adults are diverse, rare, and aggressive soft tissue cancers. Recent sequencing efforts have confirmed that USARCs exhibit one of the highest burdens of structural aberrations across human cancer. Here, we sought to unravel the molecular basis of the structural complexity in USARCs by integrating DNA sequencing, ploidy analysis, gene expression, and methylation profiling. We identified whole genome duplication as a prevalent and pernicious force in USARC tumorigenesis. Using mathematical deconvolution strategies to unravel the complex copy-number profiles and mutational timing models we infer distinct evolutionary pathways of these rare cancers. In addition, 15% of tumors exhibited raised mutational burdens that correlated with gene expression signatures of immune infiltration, and good prognosis., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Undifferentiated sarcomas contain biologically relevant molecular subgroups • Identification of mismatch repair deficiency open up alternate avenues for therapy • Pseudohaploidization is a recurrent event in undifferentiated sarcomas • Copy-number signatures are useful for inferring states of sarcoma evolution, Steele et al. determine the molecular landscape of undifferentiated sarcomas. They identify tumors with high mutation burdens, which are enriched for activation of immune pathways and have good prognoses, and deduce four tumorigenic routes, all of which begin with driver mutations before whole genome duplication.

In steel manufacturing, the conventional method to determine the mechanical properties and microstructure is by offline, destructive (lab-)characterisation of sample material that is typically taken from the head or the tail of the coil. Since coils can be up to 7 km long, the samples are not always representative for the main coil body. Also, the time delay (typically a few days) between the actual production and the availability of the characterisation results implies that these results cannot be exploited for real-time adaptation of the process settings. Information about the microstructure and material properties can also be obtained from electromagnetic (EM) and ultrasonic (US) parameters, which can be measured in real-time, non-destructively, and over the full length of the steel strip product. With the aim to improve the consistency in product quality by use of inline EM and US measurements, a European project called "Product Uniformity Control" (PUC) has been set up as a broad collaboration between 4 major European Steel Manufacturers and 10 Universities / Research institutes. Using both numerical simulations and experimental characterisations, we study the inline measured EM and US parameters in regard of the microstructural and mechanical properties. In this way, we aim to establish an improved understanding of their mutual relationships, and to apply this knowledge in existing and new nondestructive evaluation techniques. In this paper, the concerted approach of modelling and experimental validation will be addressed, and results of this work will be shown in combination with inline measured data. © 2018 The authors and IOS Press. COFREND Organization; Digiteo-DigiCosme 2016 Program; JSM Learned Society; University Paris-Saclay

A European consortium consisting of four major steel manufacturers and ten academic technology institutes has conducted a research and development project, called “Product Uniformity Control“ (PUC) in the period 2013 to 2017. This project aimed to develop and improve non-destructive (inline) measurement techniques to characterise the (uniformity of the) microstructure of steel strip products. In this project, a multitude of strip steel samples from various stages of production have been collected from the four participating steel manufacturers. The samples have been characterised in various ways, namely on their (1) non-destructive measurement parameters using different techniques suited for inline evaluation, (2) fundamental ultrasonic and electromagnetic properties (wave speed, ultrasonic attenuation, magnetisation loops, coercive field), (3) tensile properties (stress-strain curves) and (4) microstructure (by optical micrographs and EBSD images). The correlations between these different characterisations will be addressed. Besides the experimental characterisation, a strong accent has been on modelling activities: during the project, fundamental models have been developed to describe, starting from 2D and 3D microstructures, the ultrasonic and magnetic properties, which are next used as input to sensor models that predict the output of the inline measurement systems. This contribution will present the recent results of both the experimental and the modelling work, and underline their mutual importance in the interpretation of the measured data for the benefit of inline characterisation of the mechanical properties complementary to traditional destructive tensile testing.

International audience

International audience; The uniformity of the microstructure of steel strip over the entire coil length and between different coils of the same grade is key to stable and consistent material behaviour in steel manufacturers’ proprietary processes, like rolling and levelling, and customers’ processes, like pressing and deep-drawing. In particular for high-strength steels, like dual phase and complex phase steels, the microstructure is very sensitive to processing variations resulting in a potentially larger spread in the mechanical properties of the product. In July 2013, a large European consortium consisting of 15 institutes started an RFCS (1) –funded project called “Product Uniformity Control” (PUC) with the primary objective to achieve enhanced and sustained product uniformity of steel strip by improved interpretation of data from inline measurement methods that aim for real-time and non-destructive characterisation of microstructure and techno-mechanical parameters. Commonly, these techniques are based on electromagnetic (EM) or ultrasonic (US) measurement principles, which are favoured because of their non-destructive and potentially contact-free nature. To improve the techniques for in-line materials characterisation, the PUC consortium takes a systematic approach to investigate the interrelations between mechanical properties -- microstructural parameters -- EM & US properties -- inline measurement thereof. The studies involve dedicated laboratory experiments, modelling of the EM and US properties of steel, modelling of inline measurement setups and statistical analysis of data from inline measurement systems. The synthesis of these activities should result in improved, model-based, calibrations and finally in a broader deployment and integration of the inline material characterisation techniques in steel manufacturing, adding value to the product and enhancing the process efficiency throughout the production chain from hot-rolling to finishing. This paper outlines the project approach, highlights interconnecting modelling and experimental research work, and demonstrates first results. Various contributions being presented at this WCNDT conference originate from the collaborative activities of this PUC project. (1). (European) Research Fund for Coal and Steel

BACKGROUND: Chromatin-modifying complexes have key roles in regulating various aspects of neural stem cell biology, including self-renewal and neurogenesis. The methyl binding domain 3/nucleosome remodelling and deacetylation (MBD3/NuRD) co-repressor complex facilitates lineage commitment of pluripotent cells in early mouse embryos and is important for stem cell homeostasis in blood and skin, but its function in neurogenesis had not been described. Here, we show for the first time that MBD3/NuRD function is essential for normal neurogenesis in mice. RESULTS: Deletion of MBD3, a structural component of the NuRD complex, in the developing mouse central nervous system resulted in reduced cortical thickness, defects in the proper specification of cortical projection neuron subtypes and neonatal lethality. These phenotypes are due to alterations in PAX6+ apical progenitor cell outputs, as well as aberrant terminal neuronal differentiation programmes of cortical plate neurons. Normal numbers of PAX6+ apical neural progenitor cells were generated in the MBD3/NuRD-mutant cortex; however, the PAX6+ apical progenitor cells generate EOMES+ basal progenitor cells in reduced numbers. Cortical progenitor cells lacking MBD3/NuRD activity generate neurons that express both deep- and upper-layer markers. Using laser capture microdissection, gene expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we provide evidence that MBD3/NuRD functions to control gene expression patterns during neural development. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that although MBD3/NuRD is not required for neural stem cell lineage commitment, it is required to repress inappropriate transcription in both progenitor cells and neurons to facilitate appropriate cell lineage choice and differentiation programmes.