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In the present research work, an effort has been made to examine the effect of the ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler on solidification mechanism, microstructural characterization, welded joint integrity, and residual stresses of the dissimilar welded joint (DWJ) of martensitic grade P92 steel and Ni-based superalloy Inconel 617 for advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) power plant application. Weld joints have been fabricated for V groove geometry by using the multipass gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The multiple aspects of the welded joint structural integrity have been tested by performing the tensile test, microhardness tests and Charpy impact test. The ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld solidified in austenitic mode with columnar and cellular dendrites in the interior region, while columnar dendrites were observed near the interface region. The unmixed zone (UZ) formation was noticed at the ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler weld and P92 steel interface, while the UZ gets eliminated at Inconel 617 interface. The microstructural observation near the interface showed that migrated grain boundaries were observed frequently near the lower region of the weld metal (WM), while at the interface of the P92 steel and ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler welds, higher density of soft δ ferrite patches for the capping and backing passes were observed. The energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed the presence of the Cr- and Mo-enriched M23C6 precipitates, Mo-enriched M6C and Ti-enriched Ti(C, N) precipitates in the WM. Acceptable mechanical properties were obtained at room temperature. The Charpy impact toughness (CIT) was observed 98 ± 5 J and 108 ± 3 J for WM with V notch at the top and root region, respectively. The dramatic reduction in CIT was after the postweld heat treatment (PWHT) was attributed to the evolution of the carbide particles in interdendritic areas. Tensile strength results of the cross-weld specimen showed the tensile strength value marginally lower than the P92 steel but significantly lower than the Inconel 617 base metal in both as-welded (AW) and PWHT condition along with fracture in the week region of P92 steel. The failure from the region of P92 steel instead of the ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler WM confirmed that the welded joint was safe for A-USC power plants boiler application. A significant heterogeneity in microhardness was seen along the weldments with a peak hardness of 445 ± 8 in P92 CGHAZ and a lower hardness of 181 HV in the peninsula. The increase in microhardness of the WM as a result of PWHT was attributed to the evolution of the carbide particles in the WM. Through thickness residual stresses variation was also measured for both WM and HAZ region and the effect of the PWHT on the magnitude and nature of the residual stresses were also performed. Hence the work provides insight into welding procedure development, microstructural evolution in the WM and HAZ, variation in mechanical properties, and residual stresses variation for the welded joint of P92 steel and Inconel 617 alloy.

\"Volume 1: Handbook on Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Forests and Climate is aimed to describe the recent progress and developments of geospatial technologies (Remote Sensing and GIS) for assessing, monitoring and managing fragile Himalayan ecosystems and its sustainability under climate change. It is a collective research contribution from renowned researchers and academicians working in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain range. The Himalayas ecosystems have been facing substantial transformation due to severe environmental conditions, land transformation, forest degradation and fragmentation. The authors utilized satellite datasets and algorithms to discuss the intricacy of Land use Land cover change, forest and agricultural ecosystems, canopy height estimation, above-ground biomass, wildfires, carbon sequestration, and landscape restoration. Furthermore, the potential impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity and future food and nutritional security are also addressed including the impact on the livelihood of people of the Himalayas. This comprehensive Handbook explains the advanced geospatial technologies for mapping and management of natural resources of the Himalayas\"-- Provided by publisher.

Proteolytic enzymes are crucial for a variety of biological processes in organisms ranging from lower (virus, bacteria, and parasite) to the higher organisms (mammals). Proteases cleave proteins into smaller fragments by catalyzing peptide bonds hydrolysis. Proteases are classified according to their catalytic site, and distributed into four major classes: cysteine proteases, serine proteases, aspartic proteases, and metalloproteases. This review will cover only cysteine proteases, papain family enzymes which are involved in multiple functions such as extracellular matrix turnover, antigen presentation, processing events, digestion, immune invasion, hemoglobin hydrolysis, parasite invasion, parasite egress, and processing surface proteins. Therefore, they are promising drug targets for various diseases. For preventing unwanted digestion, cysteine proteases are synthesized as zymogens, and contain a prodomain (regulatory) and a mature domain (catalytic). The prodomain acts as an endogenous inhibitor of the mature enzyme. For activation of the mature enzyme, removal of the prodomain is necessary and achieved by different modes. The pro-mature domain interaction can be categorized as protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and may be targeted in a range of diseases. Cysteine protease inhibitors are available that can block the active site but no such inhibitor available yet that can be targeted to block the pro-mature domain interactions and prevent it activation. This review specifically highlights the modes of activation (processing) of papain family enzymes, which involve auto-activation, trans-activation and also clarifies the future aspects of targeting PPIs to prevent the activation of cysteine proteases.

To remove simultaneously the ambipolar conduction and enhance HF performances, we propose a promising configuration of DG-TFET with asymmetric gate–drain overlap (ASGDO DG-TFET) in which only back gate is overlapped with drain region. This proposed structure of DG-TFET removes the trade-off between ambipolarity and HF performances by taking the merit of gate–drain overlap in terms of reduction in ambipolarity and suppressing its demerit with reduced gate–drain parasitic capacitance. Using 2-D simulation, it is observed that ambipolar conduction can be suppressed to a large extent in DG-TFET with only 20 nm of back gate–drain overlap, thus not limiting the scaling of drain region compared to symmetric gate–drain overlap DG-TFET (SGDO DG-TFET). Due to the presence of enhanced depletion layer in the drain region caused by a large vertical electrical field, tunneling width at drain–channel interface is found to be maximum in the proposed device, which eventually prevents the charge carriers to tunnel. Furthermore, ASGDO improves the HF performance parameters such as cutoff frequency and gain–bandwidth product compared to SGDO due to reduction in gate–drain parasitic capacitance, and this improvement is found to be consistent while scaling down the channel length.

Background & objectives: Due to lack of appropriate statistical knowledge, published research articles contain various errors related to the design, analysis and interpretation of results in the area of biomedical research. If research contains statistical error, however, costly, it may be of no use and the purpose of the investigation gets defeated. Many biomedical research articles published in different peer reviewed journals may retain several statistical errors and flaws in them. This study aimed to examine the trend and status of application of statistics in biomedical research articles. Study design, sample size estimation and statistical measures are crucial components of a study. These points were evaluated in published original research articles to understand the use or misuse of statistical tools. Methods: Three hundred original research articles from the latest issues of selected 37 journals were reviewed. These journals were from the five internationally recognized publication groups (CLINICAL KEY, BMJ Group, WILEY, CAMBRIDGE and OXFORD) accessible through the online library of SGPGI, Lucknow, India. Results: Among articles assessed under present investigation, 85.3 per cent (n=256) were observational, and 14.7 per cent (n=44) were interventional studies. In 93 per cent (n=279) of research articles, sample size estimation was not reproducible. The simple random sampling was encountered rarely in biomedical studies even though none of the articles was adjusted by design effect and, only five articles had used randomized test. The testing of assumption of normality was mentioned in only four studies before applying parametric tests. Interpretation & conclusions: In order to present biomedical research results with reliable and precise estimates based on data, the role of engaging statistical experts need to be appreciated. Journals must have standard rules for reporting study design, sample size and data analysis tools. Careful attention is needed while applying any statistical procedure as, it will not only help readers to trust in the published articles, but also rely on the inferences the published articles draw.

Sol-gel chemistry offers a very unique tool for nanoscale mastering of material preparation from metal alkoxides [...].Sol-gel chemistry offers a very unique tool for nanoscale mastering of material preparation from metal alkoxides [...].

PurposeAmid the growing global emphasis on sustainable agriculture, organizations and governments face a pressing need to equip farmers with the knowledge and tools necessary for the adoption of sustainable farming practices, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, understanding the complex relationship between training programs and the adoption of sustainable practices among small-scale farmers remains a critical challenge. Taking a human resource approach, this paper attempts to understand the interrelationships between training effectiveness, farmers’ psychological and demographic characteristics in explaining the adoption of sustainable farming practices.Design/methodology/approachWe employed a multi-stage random sampling method and administered a structured questionnaire to collect data from 331 small farmers who were part of a government-led, large-scale intervention aimed at training them in sustainable farming practices.FindingsOur research findings not only emphasize the critical role of HR approach through training but also underscore its importance in the broader mission of aligning with the SDGs. Specifically, we demonstrate that sustained exposure to training, intrinsic motivation to acquire knowledge, and the innovative capacity of farmers collectively enhance the effectiveness of training programs, thereby contributing significantly to the widespread adoption of sustainable farming practices in line with SDGs.Originality/valueDrawing from self-determination theory, training effectiveness literature, and the call for improved alignment with the SDGs, this study presents a model that explains how psychological characteristics, combined with the quality and quantity of training influence the adoption of sustainable farming practices among small-scale farmers.

Changes in rainfall affect drinking water, river and surface runoff, soil moisture, groundwater reserve, electricity generation, agriculture production and ultimately the economy of a country. Trends in rainfall, therefore, are important for examining the impact of climate change on water resources for its planning and management. Here, as analysed from 119 years of rainfall measurements at 16 different rain gauge stations across northeast India, a significant change in the rainfall pattern is evident after the year 1973, with a decreasing trend in rainfall of about 0.42 ± 0.024 mm dec−1. The wettest place of the world has shifted from Cherrapunji (CHE) to Mawsynram (MAW) (separated by 15 km) in recent decades, consistent with long-term rainfall changes in the region. The annual mean accumulated rainfall was about 12 550 mm at MAW and 11 963 mm at CHE for the period 1989-2010, as deduced from the available measurements at MAW. The changes in the Indian Ocean temperature have a profound effect on the rainfall in the region, and the contribution from the Arabian Sea temperature and moisture is remarkable in this respect, as analysed with a multivariate regression procedure for the period 1973-2019. The changes in land cover are another important aspect of this shift in rainfall pattern, as we find a noticeable reduction in vegetation area in northeast India in the past two decades, implying the human influence on recent climate change.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is generally associated with progressive destruction of airways and lung parenchyma. Various factors play an important role in the development and progression of COPD, like imbalance of proteases, environmental and genetic factors and oxidative stress. This review is specifically focused on the role of proteases and their imbalance in COPD. There are three classes (serine, mettalo, and cysteine) of proteases involved in COPD. In serine proteases, neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G, and proteinase-3 are involved in destruction of alveolar tissue. Matrix-mettaloproteinase-9, 12, 13, plays an influential role in severity of COPD. Among cysteine proteases, caspase-3, caspases-8 and caspase-9 play an important role in controlling apoptosis. These proteases activities can be regulated by inhibitors like α-1-antitrypsin, neutrophil elastase inhibitor, and leukocyte protease inhibitor. Studies suggest that neutrophil elastase may be a therapeutic target for COPD, and specific inhibitor against this enzyme has potential role to control the disease. Current study suggests that Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV is a potential marker for COPD. Since the expression of proteases and its inhibitors play an important role in COPD pathogenesis, therefore, it is worth investigating the role of proteases and their regulation. Understanding the biochemical basis of COPD pathogenesis using advanced tools in protease biochemistry and aiming toward translational research from bench-to-bedside will have great impact to deal with this health problem.