Effect of spheroidized microstructure on the impact toughness and electrochemical performance of a high-carbon steel

The influence of cementite spheroidization on the impact toughness and electrochemical properties of a high-carbon steel has been thoroughly investigated in this study. Heavy warm rolling, followed by 2 h of annealing, has resulted in near-complete spheroidization, leading to a microstructure consisting of nano-cementite globules dispersed in the ultrafine-grained ferritic matrix. The Charpy impact test exhibited superior impact toughness with increased spheroidization. It is validated by the presence of abundant dimples in the fractographs of spheroidized specimens, in contrast to the as-received one that experienced a brittle failure due to its lamellar pearlitic structure. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) carried out in a 3.5% NaCl solution revealed that the corrosion resistance of the alloy gets improved with the increase in the degree of spheroidization. This is attributed to the lower susceptibility of the spheroidized specimen to microgalvanic corrosion owing to the minimum area of contact between nano-spheroidized cementite and ferrite, as elucidated with the help of EIS results aided by equivalent electrical circuit model.     

Surface effects in nanocrystalline silicon

Exposure to ammonia (NH₃) increases the dark current (DC) in nanocrystalline silicon. Light soaking (LS) for short periods also enhances the dark current, which remains at a high value for a long time. Pumping alone is unable to restore the initial annealed state, but annealing brings it back. The final state obtained by LS and NH₃ exposure depends on the order in which they are performed. Evaporated selenium (Se) deposited on nanocrystalline silicon decreases the DC. These effects cannot be explained entirely by the presence of a-Si : H alone, in our sample. DC and photoluminescence (PL) measurements indicate the presence of two types of center in our sample, which behave differently when exposed to NH₃.     

Intercarrier bandwidth exchange: an engineering framework

A mismatch between demand and supply for bandwidth is common in transport carrier networks. This mismatch is generally a result of the disparity between a carrier's capacity buildout and its anticipated customer demand. A carrier with temporary bandwidth deficit or lack of presence in a geographical region and a carrier with surplus capacity in the right locations can be brought together by the emerging bandwidth exchange technology. Bandwidth exchange offers a win-win solution, in which the carrier with a deficit avoids losing revenue by buying capacity from the carrier with surplus, and the latter makes additional revenue by retail sale of its excess capacity. While the concept of real-time purchase and exchange of bandwidth has attracted a lot of attention, many technical challenges stand in the way of making it a reality. The purpose of this article is to provide an engineering framework for enabling real-time bandwidth exchange with committed quality of service and service level agreement among transport carriers. Special emphasis is given to identifying the architectural requirements and the enabling infrastructure necessary for building a viable bandwidth exchange that can be used for creating revenue out of surplus stranded capacity. Indepth analysis of cross-carrier service level agreement specification, capacity publication, route design, and service provisioning are also provided in the article.     

Binding free energy calculations of galectin-3-ligand interactions

Galectins show remarkable binding specificity towards ß-galactosides.A recently developed method for calculating binding free energiesbetween a protein and its substrates has been used to evaluatethe binding specificity of galectin-3. Five disaccharides anda tetrasaccharide were used as the substrates. The calculatedbinding free energies agree quite well with the experimentaldata and the ranking of binding affinities is well reproduced.For all the six protein–ligand complexes it was observedthat electrostatic interactions oppose binding whereas the non-polarcontributions drive complex formation. The observed bindingspecificity of galectin-3 for galactosides rather than glucosidesis discussed in light of our results.     

Mechanomyography and oxygen consumption during incremental cycle ergometry

Brucella abortus strain RB51 was recently approved as an official brucellosis calfhood vaccine for cattle by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service branch of the United States Department of Agriculture. Currently available serologic surveillance tests for B. abortus do not detect seroconversion following SRB51 vaccination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a dot-blot assay using gamma-irradiated strain RB51 bacteria for its specificity and sensitivity to detect antibody responses of cattle vaccinated with strain RB51. Dot-blot titers of sera at a recommended dosage (10(10) colony-forming units) were similar to those of sera from cattle vaccinated with similar numbers of B. abortus strain 19 and greater (P < 0.05) than titers of nonvaccinated cattle. In the first 12 weeks after vaccination with 10(10) colony-forming units of strain RB51, the RB51 dot-blot assay had 100% specificity for titers of 80 or less and a 53% sensitivity for titers of 160 or greater. Sensitivity of the RB51 dot-blot assay peaked at 4 weeks after vaccination with 10(10) colony-forming units of strain RB51. Dot-blot responses of sera from cattle vaccinated with a reduced dosage of strain RB51 (10(9) colony-forming units) did not differ (P > 0.05) from titers of sera from nonvaccinated cattle. Following intraconjunctival challenge with B. abortus strain 2308, titers on the RB51 dot-blot assay did not differ (P > 0.05) between nonvaccinated cattle and cattle vaccinated at calfhood with strain 19 or strain RB51.     

CAD on geocomposite vertical strip drains

In recent years, an increasing need has arisen for various types of construction on sites underlain by soft cohesive soils. In such cases, some methods of soil improvement are usually required to provide adequate bearing capacity and tolerable postconstruction total and differential settlements. These goals often may be achieved by precompression or preloading the site prior to construction. Precompression and preloading are frequently used in combination with vertical drains, especially in very thick soft deposits, otherwise the time required for consolidation may be unacceptably long or the instability of the foundation may be a serious concern. Therefore, the vertical geocomposite (jute and coir) drain may be used to accelerate the settlement of soil thereby making the site available for use in the shortest time. The computer program and the design chart for determining the spacing between geocomposite drains are presented. This technique is generally useful for embankment construction, tank foundation, underwater construction and landfill areas. Two projects (Haldia in West Bengal and Vashi Station Complex in Bombay) have utilized the application of geocomposite drains reported in this paper.