General Failure Research Articles

Iron deficiency: prevalence, mortality risk, and dietary relationships in general and heart failure populations.

Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency, with little research on its prevalence and long-term outcomes in the general population and those with heart failure (HF). Both the relationships between dietary iron and ID, as well as dietary folate and ID, are understudied. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2002 to investigate the prevalence, prognosis, and relationship between dietary and ID defined by different criteria in the general population (n = 6,660) and those with HF (n = 182). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of ID between HF patients and the general population after propensity score matching. Transferrin saturation (TSAT) <20% was associated with higher 5-year all-cause mortality (HR: 3.49, CI: 1.40-8.72, P = 0.007), while ferritin <30 ng/ml was associated with higher 10-year (HR: 2.70, CI: 1.10-6.67, P = 0.031) and 15-year all-cause mortality (HR: 2.64, CI: 1.40-5.00, P = 0.003) in HF patients. Higher dietary total folate but dietary iron reduced the risk of ID (defined as ferritin <100 ng/ml) in HF patients (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.65-1.00; P = 0.047). The prevalence of ID was identical in HF and non-HF individuals. Ferritin <30 ng/ml was associated with long-term outcomes whereas TSAT <20% was associated with short-term prognosis in both the general population and HF patients. A diet rich in folate might have the potential for prevention and treatment of ID in HF patients.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited cardiac condition with potential for severe complications including sudden cardiac death. Early diagnosis allows appropriate risk stratification and prompt intervention to minimise the potential for adverse outcomes. The implications of poorly coordinated screening are significant, either missing relatives at high-risk or burdening low-risk individuals with a diagnosis associated with reduced life expectancy. We aim to guide clinicians through the diagnostic pathway through to novel treatment options. Several conditions mimic the condition, and we discuss the phenocopies and how to differentiate from HCM. We summarise the latest developments informing clinical decision making in the modern era of myosin inhibitors and future gene editing therapies. Early identification will enable prompt referral to specialist centres. A diagnostic flowchart is included, to guide the general cardiology and heart failure clinician in important decision making regarding the care of the HCM patient and importantly their relatives at risk. We have highlighted the importance of screening because genotype-positive/phenotype-negative patients are likely to have the most to gain from novel therapies.

CIAO1 and MMS19 deficiency: A lethal neurodegenerative phenotype caused by cytosolic Fe-S cluster protein assembly disorders

PurposeThe functionality of many cellular proteins depends on cofactors; yet, they have only been implicated in a minority of Mendelian diseases. Here, we describe the first 2 inherited disorders of the cytosolic iron-sulfur protein assembly system. MethodsGenetic testing via genome sequencing was applied to identify the underlying disease cause in 3 patients with microcephaly, congenital brain malformations, progressive developmental and neurologic impairments, recurrent infections, and a fatal outcome. Studies in patient-derived skin fibroblasts and zebrafish models were performed to investigate the biochemical and cellular consequences. ResultsMetabolic analysis showed elevated uracil and thymine levels in body fluids but no pathogenic variants in DPYD, encoding dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase. Genome sequencing identified compound heterozygosity in 2 patients for missense variants in CIAO1, encoding cytosolic iron-sulfur assembly component 1, and homozygosity for an in-frame 3-nucleotide deletion in MMS19, encoding the MMS19 homolog, cytosolic iron-sulfur assembly component, in the third patient. Profound alterations in the proteome, metabolome, and lipidome were observed in patient-derived fibroblasts. We confirmed the detrimental effect of deficiencies in CIAO1 and MMS19 in zebrafish models. ConclusionA general failure of cytosolic and nuclear iron-sulfur protein maturation caused pleiotropic effects. The critical function of the cytosolic iron-sulfur protein assembly machinery for antiviral host defense may well explain the recurrent severe infections occurring in our patients.

International evidence of the forecasting ability of option‐implied distributions

AbstractThis paper analyzes the forecasting ability of option‐implied distributions of 12 stock indexes representative of the most relevant economic regions for a long period ranging from 1996 to 2021. After performing alternative tests, the rejection of the forecasting ability of the risk‐neutral densi (RNDs) is not evident, since results are mixed depending on the test performed and market studied: The forecasting ability of the RNDs of East Asian indexes as well as other smaller European economies cannot be discarded. In addition, subjective (actual) probability densit (SPDs) resulting from the risk adjustments of the RNDs using constanCRRA) preferences improve substantially the test results, leading to a general failure to reject their forecasting ability.

Measurement and Influencing Factors of Economic Resilience over a Long Duration of COVID-19: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta, China

The COVID-19 pandemic put forward a new test for an economic resilience study. Its long-term and diffusive spatiotemporal characteristics suggest that we need to pay attention to the resilience and spatial heterogeneity of cities over a longer period. This paper applied SARIMA and the performance curve to measure the economic resilience of each city under the pandemic, and explored its influencing factors and spatial heterogeneity using a geodetector and geographically weighted regression model. The results show that: (1) From 2020 to 2022, the economic resilience in the Yangtze River Delta presented a downward to upward to slightly downward trend. High-resilience cities were concentrated in southern Jiangsu, while vulnerable cities were primarily located in western Anhui. The performance of regional core cities was not as strong as in previous research focusing on long-term economic resilience. (2) Fixed-asset investment, related variety, labor supply level, foreign trade dependence, and innovation level were the main influencing factors, on average. The effects of these factors had spatial heterogeneity related to the regional endowment and development quality. The findings suggest that the specificity of public health risks and the lack of coping experience may lead to a general failure of economic resilience. Identifying key factors and current weaknesses in each region can make resilience improvement strategies more targeted and effective.

Dual nature of cyber–physical power systems and the mitigation strategies

Cyber–physical power system (CPPS) offers benefits in terms of enhanced grid operation and improved performance, but it also brings forth new threats to the power system posed by digital intelligence. In this paper, we propose a general cascading failure model to analyze the vulnerability of CPPS when facing various attack modes (physical attacks and information attacks). In addition, we introduce an all-type connected islands (ACI) mechanism in model to reflect the fact that a well-working island should contain all types of nodes. Then we conduct experiments under different scenarios, such as different attack modes, different coupling strategies, and different power flow calculation models. Our findings demonstrate that, on the one hand, the introduction of ACI enlarges the cascading failure size in CPPS. On the other hand, the double-edged sword effect of CPPS exists in various scenarios. Furthermore, given the potential threat of information attacks, we propose a fused centrality index from the perspectives of structure and function, and apply it to two mitigation strategies before and during the cascading process. Experimental results show that these strategies are effective in mitigating the damages of the information attacks.

Palestine 100 years ago seen through the malaria lens: an examination of successful malaria elimination, and of where the malaria community seems to have taken a wrong turning.

It is acknowledged there exists a trend pointing to a general failure to reduce the global incidence of malaria, and the world watches anxiously in the knowledge resistance to insecticides and drugs has been developing and will intensify. Anton Alexander attempts to remind the malaria community of a successful malaria elimination that began over one hundred years ago, and by examination of that malaria elimination, explain why current anti-malaria campaigns may be considered ineffective. Alexander has conducted historical research into the first start anywhere of a successful national malaria elimination campaign over 100 years ago, and in respect to which his research papers have been published by the MalariaWorld Journal, American Entomologist and Oxford University Press.

Were the recent air pollution and landfill fires in Brahmapuram at odds with Kerala's vision of sustainable development?

Air pollution is a global issue, as is commercial, and industrial waste disposal. Industrialized cities have poor air quality. Emissions from fossil fuel, solid household resources and industry, uncontrolled construction, and human and natural activity pollution are the main sources. The purpose of the study is to investigate answers to the question: Were the recent air pollution and landfill fire in Brahmapuram at odds with Kerala's vision of sustainable development? The study consists of a content analysis of prominent newspaper reports on the Prisma model of sorting articles on Brahmapuram issues to investigate the issue and assess the acceptance of sustainable development in Kochi. The reports cover the period from March 3, 2023, to April 3, 2023. The content analysis revealed that the contractor's failure to meet their obligations was the immediate cause. However, the ineffectiveness of the State's solid waste management policies, from a general failure of waste segregation at source, posed a threat to sustainable development. The researcher classified the causes of the Kochi waste fire under the following reasons, namely, environmental, economic, social, and political. The researcher concluded that the recent landfill fire and air pollution at Brahmapuram were contrary to Kerala’s vision of sustainable development.

Multiscale Probing and Redesign of the Solid-State Synthesis Toward Defect-Free Ni-Rich Layered Cathodes

Nickel-rich lithium layered oxides (LiNixCoyMnzO2, NCM, x+y+z=1, x≥0.6)) have received tremendous attention as the most promising cathode materials for the practical development of high-energy lithium-ion batteries. However, they commonly suffer from rapid capacity decay along with structural and morphological degradation. Previous studies have unraveled that the general failure mechanism involves the mechanical deterioration of electrode particles, originating from micro-cracking in particles due to the build-up of significant anisotropic strains during phase transition and the chemical parasitic reactions with electrolytes through the crevice created. Such chemo-mechanical failures are triggered and aggravated by various structural defects, including internal void spaces, surface reconstruction layers, and intragranular nanopores, typical features of the conventionally synthesized nickel-rich layered oxide materials. It remains elusive how these defects are formed regardless of the use of single-crystalline or polycrystalline particles. A fundamental understanding of the general defect formations is thus indispensable to clarify how the synthesis process induces the formation of intrinsic defects from the precursor to the final product stage and how these defects affect the electrochemical degradation at the primary- and secondary-particle levels. Critical questions that require in-depth study include how the spatially inhomogeneous solid-state reaction begins at the interface of reacting precursors, propagates during the synthesis, and triggers the generation of defects. In this presentation, I will show the hidden synthetic mechanism of nickel-rich layered oxide materials using a combination of high-end and multi-length-scale analysis methods, including aberration-corrected TEM, in situ heating TEM with gas control, and in situ XRD. The kinetic interplay in synthesis of nickel-rich lithium layered oxide and its implications will be discussed in detail. Furthermore, the microstructural pore defects of NCN9235 during the heating process were quantitatively characterized. Based on our mechanistic understanding, we propose a redesign of solid-state synthesis pathway to achieve structurally integrated nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes.

Design Parameters for Geotextile-Reinforced Unpaved Road by Applying Dimensional Analysis

Abstract Soil swelling in road layer is the complex phenomenon. The paper aims to derive a concise expression for two challenging design parameters when the subgrade layer is expansive in geotextile-reinforced unpaved road. The design parameters considered in the present study are the mobilized bearing capacity and swelling pressure for expansive soil. Herein the dimensional analysis via Buckingham’s π method is applied to derive the design parameters by forming the dimensionless group for prototype and model system. The model testing for the swelling pressure and mobilized bearing capacity are carried out in the laboratory by using consolidometer ring and CBR set up. The test results reveal the swelling pressure of 22.03kN/m2 for the soil sample having 76% as degree of saturation. A linear relation is observed between swelling pressure and degree of saturation and becomes equal upon surcharge. The mobilized bearing capacity for the expansive soil sample is 0.47kg/cm2. The failure pattern observed during testing is general shear failure in unsoaked condition and punching soil failure in soaked condition. The paper provides geometric ratio of 1:6 for model and prototype and also suggests modification in Giroud and Han generic equation by including the developed dimensionless group.

Shear Strength of Strain-Hardening Cementitious Materials

Concrete and other semi-brittle materials are pressure sensitive. Their resistance to shear depends on the confining pressure acting normal to the shear plane. This behaviour is modelled using experimentally calibrated failure criteria, such as the Mohr–Coulomb failure surface. Pressure sensitivity is also strongly evident in fibre-reinforced, strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCC), despite the internal confinement these materials possess on account of their fibre content. However, because of the great range and variety of mixes used in such materials, no general failure criteria have yet been proposed. In this paper, the pressure-sensitive shear strength of SHCC containing short discontinuous PVA fibres is modelled with a three-parameter failure criterion. The parameters of the criterion are calibrated to the experimental results obtained from several tests that combine shear and normal pressure. These include uniaxial tension and compression, split tests, triaxial compression, and a series of push-off tests with and without reinforcement crossing the shear sliding plane. The calibration of the failure criterion explicitly accounted for the magnitude of internal confinement which is generated in the cementitious matrix in response to fibre tension. The criterion is appropriate for general purpose analysis of the stress state of SHCC, but most importantly it is used to assess the SHCC contribution to the shear strength of structural elements.

Exploratory study of the prevalence of food addiction and its relationship with executive functioning, depression, and reinforcement sensitivity in a sample of Mexican adults.

The study of food addiction (FA) has become relevant due to its high prevalence, the negative impact on quality of life, and its association with neuropsychological and psychiatric symptoms. Several studies have provided scientific support for these associations, however, the results are contradictory. Additionally, studies have unsuccessfully elucidated the true nature of the failures in executive functioning in people with FA symptomatology, particularly when it comes to executive deficits. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to establish whether the presence of executive dysfunction, depressive symptoms and binge eating problems, as well as high reward sensitivity entails a greater severity in FA traits and high body mass index (BMI) in a sample of Mexican adults. The sample consisted of Mexican men and women between 21-59 years (n = 36); who completed self-report questionnaires and performance tests to measure the study variables. Additionally, BMI was estimated with self-reported height and weight. Our results showed that a high number of FA symptoms were associated with higher executive dysfunction scores, greater reward sensitivity, and more severe depressive and binge eating problems. Furthermore, factors that are more strongly associated with higher scores of FA include severe executive deficits, greater activation of the punishment avoidance system, and persistence in the search for reward when the depressive symptoms increased. The factors that best explained changes in the estimated BMI of women were a decreased crystallized intellectual capacity and the inability to control food intake as the number of FA symptoms increased. In summary, the cognitive functioning profile characterized by general failure of the executive functioning, as well as a greater activation of the Punishment Avoidance System and persistence in the search for reward, were associated with greater severity of FA symptoms, especially when the depressive symptomatology was severe. In parallel, the psychopathology in participants associated with FA confirms the contribution of anxious and depressive symptomatology and borderline personality traits which could facilitate the expression of clinically relevant FA symptoms in women. Finally, we found that decreased crystallized intellectual capacity and inability to control food intake were linked to higher BMI when the number of FA symptoms increased.

Numerical modeling and design sensitivity of seismic behavior of UHPC-NSC bridge piers with the longitudinal grooved contact surface

Normal strength concrete (NSC) has low structural and durability resistance to meet the comprehensive performance requirements of modern construction. The reinforced concrete bridge column quickly degrades, particularly when exposed to environmental compartments, causing the concrete to deteriorate and the reinforcement to corrode. The phenomenon significantly reduced the durability and load-bearing capacity of the column, which impacted the functionality of the bridge and threatened its recovery operation. The superior behavior of advanced cementitious ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has drawn increasing benefits among the construction industries. However, the high cost of UHPC has developed a concern that resulted in its small-scale application. Therefore, incorporating UHPC with NSC has the potential to balance the low performance of NSC and the economic cost of UHPC. Therefore. This study incorporates UHPC and NSC in a large-scale two-column bridge pier and investigates its seismic performance. The study aims to understand the general behavior, failure modes, and effect of design parameters of developed UHPC-NSC bridge columns with longitudinally grooved contact surfaces through finite element analysis. The pushover response of the UHPC-NSC two-column with a typical geometry and gravity load of a representative bridge was investigated. A comprehensive parametric study was carried out to evaluate the effect of interface groove geometry, longitudinal reinforcement ratios, core NSC compressive strength, and reinforcement grade on the characteristic behavior of the columns. The study shows that the capacity of the composite UHPC-NSC bridge column under gravity load is 11 % higher than the conventional NSC concrete. The UHPC-NSC column with 300 × 300 mm interface groove, reinforced with 4 % HRB500 longitudinal rebars, can sustain over 80 % of the peak capacity up to 5 % drift. A higher axial load ratio of up to 14 % can increase the capacity of the UHPC-NSC two-column by 75 %, which has a more significant impact than what is often observed on NSC piers.

Uncovering Sampling Biases, Advancing Inclusivity, and Rethinking Theoretical Accounts in Second Language Acquisition: Introduction to the Special Issue SLA for All?

AbstractThe social sciences have grappled with sampling biases, perhaps most notably the prevalent reliance on convenience samples drawn from university student populations. Researchers in second language acquisition (SLA) have likewise taken steps to assess and address the scope of these biases and their effects on theory construction. This special issue presents a collection of replications and registered replication reports comprising one such initiative, titled SLA for All? The replications aimed to evaluate the generalizability of findings from foundational SLA studies, which were obtained with university‐educated participants, to nonuniversity participant groups. In this introduction to the special issue, we review and discuss the general failure to replicate the initial results, the complex notion of replication, and questions of research ethics. We offer an in‐depth reflection on how our perspectives, practices, and future plans have evolved and conclude with a vision for a more inclusive, diverse, and informative approach to SLA research going forward.

Experimental Study on the Bearing Capacity of Gas Oil-Contaminated Coastal Sand

Ground hydrocarbon contamination is a grave consequence of fossil fuel consumption, making it increasingly unsustainable. Consequently, researchers worldwide have been compelled to conduct a large number of studies on the geotechnical aspects of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. Still, the complications arising from the integration of geotechnical complexities with diverse hydrocarbon properties present a substantial research need. The assessment of the foundation bearing capacity in hydrocarbon-contaminated soils is of paramount importance, especially given that numerous contaminated sites either house significant industrial facilities or are earmarked for critical infrastructure projects. This study investigates the shear strength and bearing capacity of gas oil-contaminated coastal sands using laboratory testing and physical modeling, with a special focus on the combined influence of the degree of saturation and relative density. Footing’s shear failure mechanisms were analyzed based on predicted and measured bearing capacity values. Findings show a decrease in the friction angle with a contamination increase, while the apparent cohesion initially rises before declining. Furthermore, the study revealed that the foundation’s bearing capacity exhibited an increase up to a specific contamination level, followed by a subsequent decrease. This increase is circa 90 and 100 percent at a 5 percent contamination content for loose and dense sand, respectively. Comparing the predicted and measured bearing capacity results shows that the general shear failure mechanism has occurred in the dense subgrade, while the loose subgrade’s failure mechanism is more inclined towards local shear failure.

Real-World Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM) Patients Treated before the Anti-CD38 Antibodies Era in France, the Emmy Cohort 2017 to 2020

Background In randomized clinical trials (RCTs), patients (pts) with comorbidities or a very aggressive presentation of myeloma may be excluded. The results of RCTs may not be generalizable to pts in the real-world setting. Therefore, RCT data need to be backed up by results from real-world studies. Methods EMMY is a non-interventional, prospective study conducted in 73 IFM (Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome) sponsor sites in France. Any patient initiating treatment for multiple myeloma (MM) over a 3-month (mo) period, from October to December, is included, since 2017. It is a dynamic cohort with 900 pts on average, enrolled each year. Here, we present the results of NDMM pts for the first 4 years of inclusion (2017 to 2020). Pts with NDMM who receive front-line therapy with an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT group) are described separately from non-transplant eligible pts (NTE group). Results 1597 pts with NDMM were included in EMMY over the 2017-2020 period. Of these, 1036 were in the NTE group (64.9%) and 561 in the ASCT group (35.1%). Data are presented with a median follow-up of 23.7 mo (IQR 12.3 - 39.0). ASCT group These pts had a median age of 60.6 years (range 23.4 - 78.5). 5.2 % were older than 70 years at ASCT. In routine practice, cytogenetic tests were carried out for 75.7% of pts, 19.6% of them harboured high-risk (HR) anomalies of t(4;14) or del(17p). The period 2017-2020 was marked by a shift in induction treatment from Velcade Thalidomide dexamethasone (VTd) (n = 163, 29.1% of pts who received ASCT) to Velcade Revlimid dexamethasone (VRd) (n = 309, 55.1%). Fifty-three (9.5%) pts received a double transplantation which was stable over time. 22.8 % of pts with HR anomalies received a double transplant. NTE group The 1036 NTE pts had a median age of 74.9 years (range 33.8 - 97.8), and more than 30.4% (n = 315) were aged ≥ 80 years. Among these pts, 65.9% were considered frail, with 33.6% having an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status (ECOG-PS) ≥ 2 and almost half (47.1%) had comorbidities. Significant renal impairment (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] &amp;lt; 30 mL/min) was observed in 118 (13%) pts at treatment initiation. A subgroup of 126 younger pts (age &amp;lt; 65 years) was considered ineligible for transplantation. Regarding cytogenetics 56.4% of the pts were tested in regular practice (mean age 73.3 years). NTE pts mostly received three main combinations: VRd (28.4% of pts, n = 294), Velcade Melphalan prednisone (VMp) (21.9% of pts, n = 21.9%) and Revlimid dexamethansone (Rd) (21.1%, n = 219). During the study period, VMp use decreased from 36.9% to 6.5% of pts, VRd use increased from 10.6% to 48.5% and Rd use remained constant, at around 20%. Other bortezomib-based regimens, including Velcade dexamethasone (Vd) and Velcade Cyclophosphamide dexamethasone (VCd), were used steadily, in approximately 12% and 7% of pts, respectively, over the period. Survival data Median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 25.8 mo (95% CI: 23.5-29.1) in the overall NDMM population, 46.5 mo (95% CI: 37.8-50.6) in pts who received ASCT and 18.7 mo (95% CI: 16.3-20.8) in NTE pts ( P &amp;lt; 0.0001). (Figure 1). The median PFS2 (mPFS2) was estimated at 50.6 mo (95% CI: 47.6-NA) in all pts with NDMM. mPFS2 was 36.4 mo (95% CI: 34.7-39.9) in NTE pts; it was not reached in the ASCT group. The median overall survival (OS) had not yet been reached. The estimated OS rate was 72.9% (95% CI: 69.8-75.9) at 48 mo for the total NDMM population. (Figure 2). AE leading to discontinuation. 139 pts experienced an adverse event (AE) leading to treatment discontinuation (6.8 % of ASCT pts and 14.5% in the NTE group). This occurred at a median of 4.3 mo after treatment initiation and was mainly reported with the most used agents (lenalidomide, bortezomib or melphalan). The most frequently reported AEs were neuropathy (n = 14; 10.1%), digestive disorders (n = 13; 9.4%), rash (n = 12; 8.6%), deterioration of general condition (n = 12; 8.6%), cardiovascular AEs (n = 10; 7.2%) and acute renal failure (n = 10; 7.2%). Conclusion The 2017-2020 period for pts with NDMM in France was marked by the expansion of the use of lenalidomide in first line for the majority of pts. A major difference in PFS and OS is still observed between ASCT and NTE pts. A shorter PFS than in IFM2009 trial (PFS 50 mo) was observed in EMMY ASCT pts.

Public perceptions of CCUS in Central and Eastern Europe – implications for community engagement

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is emerging as a subject of major interest for EU climate policy due to their potential role in avoiding hard-to-abate CO2 emissions, as well as to lead to “negative emissions” through direct air capture or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Despite CCUS technologies being deployed since the 1970s, their widespread implementation is still challenged by a range of factors, including policy inertia, high costs, and relative novelty in the public discourse. In particular, as CCUS emerges slowly into the realm of public and political debate, opinions on these technologies and associated projects are easily changeable and affected by a range of factors, which make concerted public and community engagement extremely important for deploying them where they matter most.The Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region is characterized by a higher-than-average economic dependence on heavy industry, old assets and infrastructure, and a high occurrence of regions where the transition to climate neutrality will have a significant impact on local economies, employment, and social welfare [1]. CCUS could play an important role in decarbonizing the heavy industry sectors of the region, particularly given the potentially significant storage capabilities of countries such as Romania and Poland, as well as emerging storage potential in the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Sea. However, climate policy in these jurisdictions is sluggish, and there is a general failure to approach CCUS in a systematic way, with targeted application to sectors where it can have the highest impact, such as cement and oil refining. As a result, the public debate around CCUS is practically non-existent, and where public opinions do emerge, they may be significantly influenced by the context of a particular project and generate significant resistance based on the relationship with project developers, the amplification of perceived risks, and the lack of appropriate explanations of costs, benefits and risks. This in turn can lead to a reticence of political stakeholders to commit to deploying CCUS, causing the public debate to further stagnate and creating a vicious circle whereby opportunities to familiarize the public with these technologies (well in advance of their deployment) are missed.In order to deploy CCUS at pace and scale, as part of the catching-up climate policies of CEE countries, public perception of CCUS must be thoroughly researched and developed into appropriate guidelines for community engagement by project developers. There is experience in the region – the feasibility study for Romania’s planned Getica CCS demonstrator (subsequently abandoned) included comprehensive research into the perceptions of local communities, and a toolkit for communications around CCUS by project developers. Similarly, learnings from Poland’s failed Belchatow CCS project can serve to re-assess the state of public opinion on CCS, and how the local and national-level contexts for CCUS perceptions interact. The CEE region has significant potential for deploying CCUS, and public perception must be an integral part of planning as the region moves into the key decade of 2030-2040 for implementing large-scale projects.

An enhanced uniform simulation approach coupled with SVR for efficient structural reliability analysis

For structural reliability analysis with low failure probability, traditional simulation methods are time consuming approaches, which is a great challenge for estimating the failure probability. In this paper, a novel hybrid enhanced sampling method named as enhanced uniform importance sampling coupled with support vector regression (EUIS-SVR) is proposed. In EUIS-SVR, the samples are simulated by inter-cell with a lower assumed failure interval compared to traditional uniform importance sampling method. Then by approximating a general failure scaling formula, a quasi-linear interval is selected for estimating the failure probability using support vector regression model. Six numerical and engineering cases are studied for showing the abilities for accuracy and efficiency of proposed method compared to simulation reliability methods. The proposed EUIS-SVR method was found more efficient than existing simulation methods.

A peridynamic model for coupled thermo-mechanical-oxygenic analysis of C/C composites with SiC coating

The oxidation induced by coating cracking is a general failure mode of high-temperature composites such as C/C and C/SiC. However, this failure mode has not been fully investigated due to the lack of a method suitable for both crack simulation and oxidation interface capture. In this paper, a coupled thermo-mechanical-oxygenic peridynamic model is proposed for SiC-coated C/C composites in an oxidizing environment. The ordinary state-based peridynamics is extended to plane strain thermoelastic problems for orthotropic media to calculate the crack distribution. Cracks in the coating are modeled as oxygen diffusion channels and the peridynamic oxidation equation is developed to simulate the oxidation of the C/C substrate. Furthermore, the peridynamic non-Fourier heat transfer equation is employed to consider the finite thermal propagation speed and the model is validated by experimental results. Numerical examples are presented to investigate the oxidation failure after thermal shock, non-Fourier thermal shock fracture, and stress oxidation failure of SiC-coated C/C composites.

Effectiveness of adhesive containing MDPB: A practice-based clinical trial.

This prospective practice-based trial assessed the longevity of composite restorations made with an adhesive containing an antibacterial monomer compared to a conventional adhesive. 9 general practices in the Netherlands were provided with two composite resin adhesives, each for a period of 9 months. Adhesive P contained the quaternary ammonium salt MDPB, and Adhesive S was a control. Patient's age and caries risk, as well as tooth type/number, reason for restoration placement, used restorative material and adhesive, and restored surfaces were recorded. All interventions carried out on these teeth in the 6 years after restoration were extracted from the electronic patient records, along with their date, type, reason, and surfaces. Two dependent variables were defined: general failure, and failure due to secondary caries. All data handling and multiple Cox regression analysis were carried out in R 4.0.5. 11 dentists from 7 practices made 10,151 restorations over a period of two years in 5102 patients. 4591 restorations were made with adhesive P, whereas 5560 were made with adhesive S. The observation period was up to 6.29 years, median observation time was 3.74 years. Cox regression showed no significant difference between the two adhesive materials when corrected for age, tooth type and caries risk, for general failure nor failure due to caries. No difference in restoration survival could be shown between composite restorations made using an adhesive containing MDPB and control. Restorations made with the adhesive containing MDPB also did not fail more or less frequently due to secondary caries. This trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT05118100.