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The role of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in patients with diabetes mellitus and multi-vessel disease has been questioned by the results of the FREEDOM trial, which showed superiority of coronary artery bypass graft(CABG) over first generation drug-eluting stents (DES) including a reduction in mortality. In the light of safer and more efficacious stents and significantly better medical management, those results that date back to 2012 need to be revisited. TUXEDO-2 is a study designed to compare two contemporary stents in Indian diabetic patients with multi-vessel disease. The primary objective of the TUXEDO-2 study is to compare the clinical outcomes of PCI with ultra-thin Supraflex Cruz vs Xience when combined with contemporary optimal medical therapy (OMT) in diabetic patients with multi-vessel disease. The secondary objective is to compare clinical outcomes between a pooled cohort from both arms of the study (Supraflex Cruz + Xience; PCI arm) vs CABG based on a performance goal derived from the CABG arm of the FREEDOM trial (historical cohort). The tertiary objective is a randomized comparison of ticagrelor vs prasugrel in addition to aspirin for the composite of ischemic and bleeding events. In this prospective, open-label, multi-centre, 2 × 2 factorial, randomized, controlled study, 1,800 patients with diabetes mellitus and multi-vessel disease (inclusion criteria similar to FREEDOM trial) with indication for coronary revascularization will be randomly assigned to Supraflex Cruz or Xience stents and also to ticagrelor- or prasugrel- based antiplatelet strategies. All patients will receive guideline directed OMT and optimal PCI including image- and physiology-guided complete revascularization where feasible. The patients will be followed through five years to assess their clinical status and major clinical events. The primary endpoint is a non-inferiority comparison of target lesion failure at one-year for Supraflex Cruz vs Xience (primary objective) with an expected event rate of 11% and a non-inferiority margin of 4.5%. For PCI vs CABG (secondary objective), the primary endpoint is major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as a composite of all cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or stroke at one-year and yearly up to five years, with a performance goal of 21.6%. For ticagrelor vs prasugrel (tertiary objective), the primary endpoint is composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and major bleeding as per the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) at one-year with expected event rate of 15% and a non-inferiority margin of 5%. The TUXEDO-2 study is a contemporary study involving state-of-the-art PCI combined with guideline directed OMT in a complex subset of patients with diabetes mellitus and multi-vessel disease. The trial will answer the question as to whether a biodegradable polymer coated ultra-thin Supraflex Cruz stent is an attractive option for PCI in diabetic patients with multi-vessel disease. It will also help address the question whether the results of FREEDOM trial would have been different in the current era of safer and more efficacious stents and modern medical therapy. In addition, the comparative efficacy and safety of ticagrelor vs prasugrel in addition to aspirin will be evaluated. (CTRI/2019/11/022088) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let λ j and a j j , 1 ≤ j ≤ n , be the eigenvalues and the diagonal entries of a Hermitian matrix A , both enumerated in the increasing order. We prove some inequalities that are stronger than the Schur majorisation inequalities ∑ j = 1 r λ j ≤ ∑ j = 1 r a j j , 1 ≤ r ≤ n. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hybrid microgrid is an emerging and exciting research field in power engineering. • Presents systematic review on various control strategies for hybrid microgrid. • Comparison between control strategies satisfying various control objectives. • Discussion on research challenges in use of effective and robust control scheme. • Discussion on emerging trends in hybrid microgrid's operation and control. Presently, there is huge development in conventional power systems due to the evolution of modern smart grids, wherein interconnected microgrids with a high level of energy storage and renewable energy penetration are gaining popularity in the modern distribution network. Future electrical distribution systems, or even transmission structures that combine AC and DC sources and loads are thought to be most promising when it comes to hybrid AC-DC systems. Using a combined operation of both AC and DC microgrids through an interfacing converter, hybrid AC-DC microgrids are advanced and benefitted with the use of both AC and DC topologies. Power management techniques for these microgrids are among the most important operational aspects. This paper provides a systematic review on numerous schemes to control hybrid AC-DC microgrids. Basically, microgrid control strategies are categorized as local control and coordinated control. Coordinated control is further divided in three control strategies as, distributed, centralized, and decentralized control. All these control strategies are employed to satisfy many control objectives, like bus voltage and frequency regulation, power sharing, and management, power quality, stability and reliability improvement, energy management, and economic dispatch. In this paper, various aspects associated with these control objectives and limitations in their control strategies are discussed. Also, future prospects on control of hybrid AC-DC microgrids and an effective and robust control strategy for power management possibly to be employed, are presented in the concluding section of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this investigation, TaN coating was deposited on ASTM-F1295 grade Ti6Al7Nb alloy by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Structural, surface morphological, and compositional analyses were conducted using Grazing Incidence-XRD, FESEM, EDS and XPS. The results affirmed that uniform and sub-stoichiometric TaN coating was deposited with the polycrystalline nature of TaN, exhibiting a cubic-NaCl-like structure. Nanoindentation tests revealed that the hardness and modulus of TaN coating decrease with increasing indentation load. Moreover, scratch test under progressive loading conditions uncovered critical loads corresponding to cohesion and adhesion failures. Nanotribological tests were conducted on deposited TaN against different counter bodies (steel and ceramic ball) disclosed fine abrasive grooves on the coating and demonstrate anti-wear properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While examining the case of top-carbon emitter countries (TCECs), it requires underlining certain common but less explored variables that might have escalated carbon emissions significantly in the preceding years. In this light, we recognized the impact of export diversification, extensive export margin, intensive export margin, stock market development, renewable energy solutions, and income inequality on carbon intensity in the nine top-carbon emitter countries from 1990 to 2016. By using modern econometric procedures such as CIPS and CADF for stationarity, Westerlund test for cointegration, and CS-ARDL test for elasticity coefficients, we computed the temporal results. The long-run elasticity coefficients confirm that horizontal, vertical, and overall improvement in export-basket elevated the level of carbon intensity in the selected countries. Further, the increased size of stock market and income inequality led to an increase in carbon intensity; however, the increased usage of renewable energy contributed to reducing the level of carbon intensity. In terms of policy endorsement, we provided a multipronged framework, which may help these nations to restore air quality in the long run. [Display omitted] • Impacts of export diversification, extensive export margin, and intensive export margin on the energy-led carbon intensity are investigated. • Stock market development and income inequality elevated carbon intensity. • Renewable energy reduced energy-led carbon intensity in the top carbon emitter countries. • SDGs based policy framework proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid industrial growth in the BRICS nations, export earnings and energy demand witnessed an upturn in the preceding years. Therefore, by considering export diversification, extensive export margin, and intensive export margin as the determinants of renewable energy, the present study intended to explore whether total, horizontal, and vertical growth in exports stimulated the demand for renewable energy in the BRICS nations for the period of 1990–2018. In doing so, technological innovation, income inequality, and capital formation are carried as controlled variables. The elasticity coefficients revealed that export diversification, traditional exports, technological innovation, and capitalization contributed to escalating the usage of cleaner energy solutions, whereas the exports of new products and income inequality had a negative impact on the demand for renewable energy. The computed results signify the need for advanced and renewable energy-based production processes and just distribution of income in the society so that at industrial and household levels, cleaner, energy-efficient, and environment-friendly procedures can be followed. For securing the constructive contribution of various stakeholders, the study proposed a multipronged policy framework, which may help to culminate a synergy between economic and environmental channels. Notes: Inc. sig., Inc. insig., and Dec. sig. show significant increase, insignificant increase, and significant decrease in renewable energy consumption, respectively. [Display omitted] • Export product diversification increases renewable energy consumption. • Intensive export margin intensifies the demand for cleaner energy solutions. • Extensive export margin leads to a decrease in cleaner energy usage. • Technological innovation stimulates the usage of cleaner energy solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]