Hydrogen production using Al-Sn alloys prepared by rapid solidification

Air pollution produced by the direct burning of fossil fuels is a serious problem. Therefore, there is a vital demand for renewable and clean fuel replacements for future energy source. Hydrogen, which exhibits high calorific value and is a clean burning product, could be the first choice in the future, as it is a good-looking fuel for fuel cells where the electric energy is directly gotten by the electrochemical reactions of hydrogen and oxygen. Rapidly solidified Al100-x-Snx alloy X= (0, 25, 55, 75 all in wt.%) was prepared using melt spinning technique at 800 ºC. The structural and microstructural evolutions of the phases have been studied using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and the Rietveld method. Al45Sn55 alloy shows the best volume of hydrogen generation which is (531 ml), this alloy has the highest number of grains (1096) than other prepared alloys in its surface which examined through a Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and analyzed using an SPM data visualization and analysis tool (Gwyddion 2.32). Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was used for calculating melting temperature for all prepared alloys. Melting temperature reduced from 933.47 K for Al pure to 500.95 K in Al45Sn55 alloy. Temperature dependence of resistivity had been performed for all prepared alloys. Electrical properties of prepared alloys show the decrease in volume of the unit cell V with increasing VEC, which means that the volume of the first Brillouin zone increases by increasing VEC since they are inversely proportional to each other

Cylindrical shells under uniform bending in the framework of Reference Resistance Design

The resistance of cylindrical shells and tubes under uniform bending has received significant research attention in recent times, with a number of major projects aiming to characterise their strength through both experimental and numerical studies. However, the investigated cross-section slenderness ranges have mostly addressed low radius to thickness ratios where buckling occurs after significant plasticity and the influence of geometric imperfections is relatively minor. The behaviour under uniform bending of thinner imperfection-sensitive cylinders that fail by elastic buckling was largely omitted, as was the influence of finite length effects. The value of such resistance models that are only useful for thicker cylinders is therefore somewhat limited. This paper offers the most comprehensive known characterisation of the buckling and collapse resistance of isotropic cylindrical shells and tubes under uniform bending. Expressed within the modern framework of Reference Resistance Design (RRD), it holistically incorporates the effects of material plasticity, geometric nonlinearity and sensitivity to realistic and damaging weld depression imperfections. The characterisation was made possible by the authors' recently-developed novel methodology for mass automation of nonlinear shell buckling finite element analyses. A modification of the RRD formulation is proposed which facilitates its application to systems of low slenderness, and offers a compact algebraic characterisation of all potential imperfection amplitudes for this common shell structural condition. A reliability analysis is also performed

Corrections in the CHARMM36 parametrization of chloride interactions with proteins, lipids, and alkali cations, and extension to other halide anions

The nonpolarizable CHARMM force field is one of the most widely used energy functions for all-atom biomolecular simulations. Chloride is the only halide ion included in the latest version, CHARMM36m, and is used widely in simulation studies, often as an electrolyte ion but also as the biological substrate of transport proteins and enzymes. Here, we find that existing parameters systematically underestimate the interaction of C

Persistent Prothrombotic State in a Patient With Alström Syndrome

We present the case of a patient with Alström syndrome who was found to have evidence of a prothrombotic state on autopsy after sudden cardiac death. To the best of our knowledge, this case of persistent prothrombotic milieu is the first described in a patient with Alström syndrome

Integrated nonlinear structural simulation of composite buildings in fire

The collapse of several tall composite buildings over the last two decades has shown that the performance of tall, composite and complex buildings in fire is a necessary design consideration that ought to go beyond simple code compliance. To this end, several advancements in the field of numerical simulation of both the fire and the thermomechanical response of structures have been made. In isolation, the practical benefit of these advancements is limited, and their true potential is only unlocked when the results of those numerical simulations are integrated. This paper starts by showcasing recent developments in the thermal and thermomechanical analysis of structures using OpenSees. Integration of these developments into a unified simulation environment combining fire simulation, heat transfer, and mechanical analysis is then introduced. Finally, a demonstration example based on the large compartment Cardington test is used to showcase the necessity and efficiency of the developed simulation environment for thermomechanical simulation of composite structures in fire

Persistent Prothrombotic State in a Patient With Alström Syndrome

We present the case of a patient with Alström syndrome who was found to have evidence of a prothrombotic state on autopsy after sudden cardiac death. To the best of our knowledge, this case of persistent prothrombotic milieu is the first described in a patient with Alström syndrome

Epidemiological Insights of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Infection among Cattle and Buffaloes in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Egypt and in most parts of Africa causing huge economic losses. Control of FMD using vaccination requires information on the occurrence of various FMDV serotypes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of FMDV serotypes in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. A total number of 643 different samples, within ten different localities, were collected from both cattle and buffaloes (n = 283) of different, age, sex, immune status against FMD, and health status. Field samples (n = 360) have been screened for FMDV by RT-PCR using universal primers and were further subtyped using serotype-specific primers. Additionally, serum samples (n = 283) have been analyzed by applying FMDV serotype-specific antibody ELISA. The RT-PCR screening revealed that a total number of 39/283 (13.8%), 61/283 (21.6%) and 17/38 (44.7%) animals were positive for FMDV serotype O, A and SAT2, respectively. While, by ELISA, neutralizing antibodies directed against FMDV serotype O, A, and SAT2, were found in 177/283 (62.5%), 171/283 (60.4%) and 27/38 (71.1%) serum samples, respectively. These results indicated the endemic status of the FMDV serotypes O, A and SAT2 in Sharkia Governorate despite routine FMD vaccination programs. Although many variations of disease prevalence were recorded between animals of different, age, sex and immune and health status but it was obvious that FMD was more prominent and prevalent in buffaloes (47.1%) than in cattle (34.1%). Therefore, control efforts should focus on reducing the circulation of FMDV among susceptible livestock with special attention towards water buffaloes. Continuous surveillance, at molecular and immunological levels, of FMDV serotypes is needed for the effectiveness of any adopted control strategy targeting FMD including vaccination

Outcomes of Endolymphatic Sac Surgery for Meniere’s Disease with and without Comorbid Migraine

Purpose. To explore outcomes of endolymphatic sac surgery for patients with Meniere’s disease with and without the comorbid condition of migraine. Materials and Methods. A retrospective chart review of adult patients undergoing endolymphatic sac surgery at a single tertiary care center from 1987 to 2019 was performed. All adult patients who failed medical therapy and underwent primary endolymphatic sac surgery were included. The main outcome measures were vertigo control and functional level scale (FLS) score. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, and audiometric outcomes were tracked as well. Results. Patients with Meniere’s disease and migraine had a stronger association with psychiatric comorbidities (64.29% vs. 25.80%, p = 0.01), shorter duration of vertigo episodes (143 vs. 393 min, p = 0.02), and younger age (36.6 vs. 50.8 yr, p = 0.005) at the time of endolymphatic sac surgery. Postoperative pure tone averages and word recognition scores were nearly identical to preoperative baselines. Class A vertigo control (47.92%) was most common, followed by class B vertigo control (31.25%). The FLS score improved from 4.2 to 2.8 (p \u3c 0.001). Both patients with and without migraine had classes A-B vertigo control (66.67% vs. 80.95%) without any statistically significant difference (p = 0.59). Of the patients who required secondary treatment (10.42%), none had migraine. Conclusions. Endolymphatic sac surgery is an effective surgical intervention for Meniere’s disease with and without migraine. Patients with comorbid migraine tend to be younger and present with psychiatric comorbidities

Poultry and Beef Meat as Potential Seedbeds for Antimicrobial Resistant Enterotoxigenic Bacillus Species: A Materializing Epidemiological and Potential Severe Health Hazard

Although Bacillus cereus is of particular concern in food safety and public health, the role of other Bacillus species was overlooked. Therefore, we investigated the presence of eight enterotoxigenic genes, a hemolytic gene and phenotypic antibiotic resistance profiles of Bacillusspecies in retail meat samples. From 255 samples, 124 Bacillus isolates were recovered, 27 belonged to B. cereusand 97 were non-B. cereus species. Interestingly, the non-B. cereus isolates carried the virulence genes and exhibited phenotypic virulence characteristics as the B. cereus. However, correlation matrix analysis revealed the B. cereus group positively correlates with the presence of the genes hblA, hblC, and plc, and the detection of hemolysis (p \u3c 0.05), while the other Bacillus sp. groups are negatively correlated. Tests for antimicrobial resistance against ten antibiotics revealed extensive drug and multi-drug resistant isolates. Statistical analyses didn’t support a correlation of antibiotic resistance to tested virulence factors suggesting independence of these phenotypic markers and virulence genes. Of special interest was the isolation of Paenibacillus alvei and Geobacillus stearothermophilus from the imported meat samples being the first recorded. The isolation of non-B. cereus species carrying enterotoxigenic genes in meat within Egypt, suggests their impact on food safety and public health and should therefore not be minimised, posing an area that requires further research