Explore the vast range of titles available.

As a promising candidate in the construction industry, iron-based shape memory alloy (Fe-SMA) has attracted lots of attention in the engineering and metallography communities because of its foreseeable benefits including corrosion resistance, shape recovery capability, excellent plastic deformability, and outstanding fatigue resistance. Pilot applications have proved the feasibility of Fe-SMA as a highly efficient functional material in the construction sector. This paper provides a review of recent developments in research and design practice related to Fe-SMA. The basic mechanical properties are presented and compared with conventional structural steel, and some necessary explanations are given on the metallographic transformation mechanism. Newly emerged applications, such as Fe-SMA-based prestressing/strengthening techniques and seismic-resistant components/devices, are discussed. It is believed that Fe-SMA offers a wide range of applications in the construction industry but there still remains problems to be addressed and areas to be further explored. Some research needs at material-level, component-level, and system-level are highlighted in this paper. With the systematic information provided, this paper not only benefits professionals and researchers who have been working in this area for a long time and wanting to gain an in-depth understanding of the state-of-the-art, but also helps enlighten a wider audience intending to get acquainted with this exciting topic.

Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries are potential energy storage devices in microgrids. It can help to manage microgrid energy consumption by storing energy when there is a surplus (Grid-To-Vehicle, G2V) and returning energy to the grid (Vehicle-To-Grid, V2G) when there is a demand. This methodology can be expressed by developing infrastructure and management systems to implement this concept. This paper presents an architecture for implementing a V2G-G2V system in a microgrid using Layer 3 fast charging for electric vehicles. A microgrid test system is simulated that has a Direct Current (DC) fast charging station to interface electric vehicles. Simulation studies are performed to illustrate V2GG2V power transmission. The test results show the regulation of active power in the microgrid by electric vehicle batteries in G2V-V2G operating modes. The design of the charging station ensures minimal harmonic distortion of the current supplied to the network, and the controller provides good dynamic performance in terms of voltage stability on the DC bus.

In most countries, alteplase given within 4·5 h of onset is the only approved medical treatment for acute ischaemic stroke. The newer thrombolytic drug tenecteplase has been investigated in one randomised trial up to 3 h after stroke and in another trial up to 6 h after stroke in patients selected by advanced neuroimaging. In the Alteplase-Tenecteplase Trial Evaluation for Stroke Thrombolysis (ATTEST), we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of tenecteplase versus alteplase within 4·5 h of stroke onset in a population not selected on the basis of advanced neuroimaging, and to use imaging biomarkers to inform the design of a definitive phase 3 clinical trial. In this single-centre, phase 2, prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded end-point evaluation study, adults with supratentorial ischaemic stroke eligible for intravenous thrombolysis within 4·5 h of onset were recruited from The Institute of Neurological Sciences, Glasgow, Scotland. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive tenecteplase 0·25 mg/kg (maximum 25 mg) or alteplase 0·9 mg/kg (maximum 90 mg). Treatment allocation used a mixed randomisation and minimisation algorithm including age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, generated by an independent statistician. Patients were not informed of treatment allocation; treating clinicians were aware of allocation but those assessing the primary outcome were not. Imaging comprised baseline CT, CT perfusion, and CT angiography; and CT plus CT angiography at 24–48 h. The primary endpoint was percentage of penumbra salvaged (CT perfusion-defined penumbra volume at baseline minus CT infarct volume at 24–48 h). Analysis was per protocol. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01472926. Between Jan 1, 2012, and Sept 7, 2013, 355 patients were screened, of whom 157 were eligible for intravenous thrombolysis, and 104 patients were enrolled. 52 were assigned to the alteplase group and 52 to tenecteplase. Of 71 patients (35 assigned tenecteplase and 36 assigned alteplase) contributing to the primary endpoint, no significant differences were noted for percentage of penumbral salvaged (68% [SD 28] for the tenecteplase group vs 68% [23] for the alteplase group; mean difference 1·3% [95% CI −9·6 to 12·1]; p=0·81). Neither incidence of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (by SITS-MOST definition, 1/52 [2%] tenecteplase vs 2/51 [4%] alteplase, p=0·55; by ECASS II definition, 3/52 [6%] vs 4/51 [8%], p=0·59) nor total intracerebral haemorrhage events (8/52 [15%] vs 14/51 [29%], p=0·091) differed significantly. The incidence of serious adverse events did not differ between groups (32 in the tenecteplase group, three considered probably or definitely related to drug treatment; 16 in the alteplase group, five were considered drug-related). Neurological and radiological outcomes did not differ between the tenecteplase and alteplase groups. Evaluation of tenecteplase in larger trials of patients with acute stroke seems warranted. The Stroke Association.

Several farmed fish species, including carps, tilapia, salmon, and catfish, have experienced significant economic losses in aquaculture due to motile Aeromonas septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila . In the present study, a novel lytic bacteriophage infecting hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh) was isolated and characterized. This is the first report of a phage against vAh. Phage AhFM11 demonstrated lytic activity against both vAh strains and the A. hydrophila reference strain ATCC 35654. The AhFM11 genome was sequenced and assembled, comprising 168,243 bp with an average G + C content of 41.5%. The genome did not harbor any antibiotic resistance genes. Genomic information along with transmission electron microscopy revealed that phage AhFM11 belongs to the Straboviridae family. Therapeutic application of monophage AhFM11 in fish showed 100% survival in injection, 95% in immersion and 93% in oral feeding of phage top-coated feed. Fish and chicken meat spiked with A. hydrophila and phage showed significant reduction of A. hydrophila . These findings support that phage AhFM11 can be used as a biocontrol agent against vAh as an alternative to antibiotics.

Acetoxylation of ethylene to vinyl acetate (VA) was used to investigate the mechanism of the promotional effect of gold (Au) in a palladium (Pd)-Au alloy catalyst. The enhanced rates of VA formation for low Pd coverages relative to high Pd coverages on Au single-crystal surfaces demonstrate that the critical reaction site for VA synthesis consists of two noncontiguous, suitably spaced, Pd monomers. The role of Au is to isolate single Pd sites that facilitate the coupling of critical surface species to product, while inhibiting the formation of undesirable reaction by-products.

Coal is dominant energy source of world at large and India in particular for several decades and expected to being continued for foreseeable future. However, fire in this fossils fuel is still a global catastrophe for the major coal-producing countries. There are several direct and cascading distress of coal mine fire has been encountered by environment, economy, safety and society. Without knowledge of actual status and extent of coal mine fire, any scope for its better managements may be futile. In India, the coal mine fire of well-known Jharia coalfield (JCF) has been continued since last ten decades and still spreading towards newer areas. The aim of this paper is to highlight the chronological net lateral spatial changes in coal mine fire areas of JCF using Landsat satellite thermal imageries. The mapping of coal mine fire area of JCF during 1988–2013 has been carried out with consecutive 5-year intervals. The lateral changes in surface and subsurface fire areas along with propagation towards new area have been studied. The study also included to evaluate changes of status and extent fire during this time span and effect of its management efforts. On the basis of aforementioned analysis, the study concludes a slow reducing trend in coal mine fire area during last 25 years.

Micro-scale perspectives are seldom included in planned climate change adaptations, yet farmers’ perceptions can provide useful insights into livelihood impacts from interactions between climatic and other stressors. This research aims to understand how climate variability and other stressors are impacting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Azamgarh district, eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Data from 84 smallholder farmers were collected using mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches, including interview and participatory methods, informed by multiple stressor and sustainable livelihood frameworks. Results revealed that farmers are increasingly facing problems caused by the reduced duration and number of rainy days, and erratic rainfall. Anomalies in seasonal cycles (longer summers, shorter winters) seem to have altered the local climate. Farmers reported that repeated drought impacts, even in years of moderate rainfall, are adversely affecting the rice crop, challenging the formal definition of drought. Climate variability, identified as the foremost stressor, often acts as a risk multiplier for ecological (e.g., soil sodicity), socio-economic (e.g., rising costs of cultivation) and political (e.g., mismatching policies and poor extension systems) stressors. In addition to climate stresses, resource-poor marginal groups in particular experienced higher risks resulting from changes in resource management regimes. This study provides an important cue to revisit the formal definitions of normal rainfall and drought, accommodating farmers’ perceptions that evenly distributed rainfall, and not total rainfall is a key determinant of crop yields. Though India has developed adaptive measures for climate change and variability, integration of farmers’ perceptions of climate and other stressors into such policies can improve the resilience of smallholder farmers, who have hitherto depended largely on autonomous adaptation strategies.

The advent of material technology witnessed an enormous application of aluminium alloys in day-to-day life. The Aluminum Alloy 6061 is one such alloy that finds immense application in engineering field. However, joining process of such aluminium alloys is difficult task through conventional techniques due to occurrence of high thermal conductivity. Friction stir welding (FSW) turns out to be an innovative welding technique used for joining such alloys and comparatively less hazard. The FSW process required to controlled several working parameters for strengthen the mechanical properties. It becomes very important to optimize these process parameters to obtain a good weld with enhanced mechanical properties. The current article describes the experimental procedure for welding AA6061 alloy at different operating parameters. Taguchi method and regression analysis which is widely acceptable methodology implemented to optimize different FSW parameters using L16 orthogonal array. The present study implemented the ANOVA table to examine the influence of tool geometry, rotational speed and welding speed on tensile strength, percentage elongation and harness respectively. The percent contributions of factors i.e., tool geometry, rotation speed and welding speed to the tensile strength is found to be of 33.4%, 4.69% and 58.39% respectively. It is observed that welding speed (58.39%) plays significant role influencing the tensile strength. Similarly, the percentage contributions of tool geometry, rotation speed and welding speed on percentage elongation is found to be 35.08%, 14.29% and 38.28% respectively. The observation concluded that welding speed is the most influential factor for percentage elongation. In addition, the percent contributions of the tool geometry, rotation speed and welding speed on hardness reported as 50.1%, 19.36% and 20.49% respectively. This concluded that tool geometry is the most effective factor for hardness. The predicted results are validated with experimental data’s depicted a good convergence with optimization techniques for controlled operating parameters.

Morphometric analysis plays a crucial role in the effective management of the surface as well as subsurface water resources. In the present study, ASTER DEM and Survey of India toposheets were utilized to characterize various morphological aspects of the Nandhour-Kalish watershed in Uttarakhand, India. In total, 12 sub-watersheds were determined using the SWAT 2012 in ArcGIS v10.4.1 and were coded as SW1–SW12. For each sub-watershed, 17 morphometric indices were estimated using Principal Component Analysis to determine the most influential indices or criteria of morphometric parameters in the context of the hydro-sedimentological response. The relative influence of identified criteria parameters was assessed using the Criteria Importance for Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method. The developed sub-watersheds were then prioritized towards the prompt implementation of soil and water conservation measures. The results indicate that three sub-watersheds (SW2, SW3, and SW4) were categorized under a very high class of priority, while three (SW1, SW5, and SW6) were indexed under a high priority class. The study is an attempt to ease out the morphometry-based prioritization, which otherwise is relatively complex due to the availability of a large number of input parameters and ambiguity concerning parameter selection for the process of prioritization.