High Dependence Research Articles

Stress and temperature dependence of irradiation creep in zircaloy-4 studied using proton irradiation

This paper describes a series of experiments conducted to investigate the in-situ irradiation creep behavior of Zircaloy-4 using proton irradiations as a surrogate to neutrons. The first series of experiments investigated the impact of the initial irradiation-induced defect evolution during the 0 – 0.1 dpa regime on the subsequent in-situ steady-state behavior derived from experimentation. These experiments were conducted at a constant applied load of 85 MPa, a constant damage rate of 1.58 × 10−6 dpa/s, and were repeated at both 250 °C and 350 °C. We also examined the use of a ‘conditioning-irradiation’ step prior to the creep tests on the results derived from subsequent in-situ proton irradiation creep experiments. By extension, we aimed to further develop and refine optimum testing procedures when using proton irradiations to investigate the in-situ creep behavior of nuclear materials. The second series of in-situ proton irradiation experiments were conducted on two Recrystallized (RX) Zircaloy-4 samples in order to investigate the temperature and stress dependence of irradiation creep. One sample was held at a constant load while the temperature was varied in the range of 275 – 350 °C, and the other was held at a constant temperature while stress was varied in the range of 65 – 105 MPa. The associated strains and creep rates were measured at each interval and used to determine an activation temperature of 5000 ± 1700 K and a stress sensitivity exponent of 4.3 ± 0.8 for RX Zr-4 over the given temperature and stress ranges. A discussion of potential deformation mechanisms based on competition between bulk diffusion through the lattice and point defect diffusion enabling dislocation climb and glide is given: the relatively high stress dependence suggested the latter is more likely however further investigations will be required to improve the mechanistic understanding. The results presented in this manuscript, including activation temperature, stress sensitivity, and associated creep rates, determined through proton irradiation investigations are closely comparable to those determined from neutron irradiation experiments found in the literature for similar zirconium alloys at similar temperatures and stresses. Coupled with the primary-secondary creep behavior investigations presented, this demonstrates the usefulness of this approach to estimate neutron-irradiation equivalent creep behavior using in-situ proton irradiation.

Strategi Perencanaan Standarisasi Delapan Standar Nasional Pendidikan (SNP) di SDN Pamulang Indah

It can be stated that when designing a plan for a primary school, it is important to ensure that the plan is in line with the 8 National Education Standards (NES). These standards provide a solid performance framework for improving the quality of education, ensuring every aspect of education functions properly. The research method uses a descriptive qualitative approach, with interview techniques, observation and supported by documentation for data collection. The analysis through the data visualisation approach produced by Atlas.ti 9 describes Pamulang Indah Primary School as a pioneer of excellence in education. The school's unwavering commitment to implementing the 8 National Education Standards (SNP) is evident in its comprehensive and structured approach. By prioritising quality education for all. SDN Pamulang Indah has made significant progress in fulfilling most of the 8 National Education Standards (SNP), although there are still shortcomings that need attention, especially in the Financing Standard. The high dependence on APBN and BOS funds has caused some student activities to be hampered when these funds are insufficient or disbursed late. This points to the need for strategic measures to find alternative sources of funding to ensure the smooth running of all educational activities. To overcome the dependence on APBN and BOS funds, SDN Pamulang Indah can seek to diversify funding sources by collaborating with the private sector, raising funds through community activities or applying for assistance from donor agencies. With these measures, the school can be more financially independent and ensure the smooth running of all educational activities, including extra-curricular activities and facility development, without having to rely too heavily on the government budget.

Association between functional dependence and cardiovascular disease among middle-aged and older adults: Findings from the China health and retirement longitudinal study

BackgroundThe effect of different functional dependency types on cardiovascular disease (CVD) is largely unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the association between functional dependence and CVD among middle-aged and older adults by conducting a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. MethodsThe study sample comprised 16,459 individuals of ≥40 years (including 10,438 without CVD) who had participated in the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Functional dependence was categorized based on the “interval-of-need” method, while CVD was defined as physician-diagnosed heart disease or stroke. Cox proportional hazard regression was employed to assess the effects of functional dependence on CVD. Moreover, patients were grouped according to the functional status changes, and the impact of these changes on CVD was observed. Heterogeneity, subgroup, and interaction analyses were used to evaluate the consistency of the study findings. Finally, a mediation analysis was performed to estimate the potential mediation effects on the relationship between functional dependence and CVD risk. ResultsCVD prevalence in the overall study population was 13.73 % (2260/16,459), while its prevalence among individuals with functional independence, low dependency, medium dependency, and high dependency was 9.60 % (1085/11,302), 14.25 % (119/835), 17.72 % (115/649), and 25.01 % (941/3763), respectively. Additionally, medium (odds ratio: 1.33, 95 % confidence interval: 1.06–1.68) and high functional dependency (1.55, 95 % CI: 1.38–1.75) were associated with CVD. A total of 2987 (28.62 %) participants with CVD were identified during the 9-year follow-up, with 4.85 % (145/2987) of the CVD cases being attributed to functional dependence. The individuals with medium (HR: 1.20, 95 % CI: 1.01–1.44) and high functional dependency (1.25, 95 % CI: 1.14–1.37) were more likely to develop CVD than their peers with functional independence. Furthermore, persistent functional dependence (HR: 1.72, 95 % CI: 1.52–1.94) and transition from functional independence to dependence (1.79, 95 % CI: 1.61–1.98) were associated with a higher CVD risk than continuous functional independence. Hypertension and diabetes may partially mediate CVD caused by functional dependence. ConclusionFunctional dependence is associated with high CVD risk. Therefore, appropriate healthcare attention must be directed towards functionally dependent populations to protect their cardiovascular health.

Thermodynamic Sustainability Assessment of Turkish Cash and Feed Crops: Evaluations and Recommendations

ABSTRACTThis work analyzes the sustainability status of cash crops (rice, wheat, and sunflower) and feed crops (silage and clover) cultivation in Turkey through thermodynamic sustainability assessment technique, emergy analysis (EA). EA offers insights into agricultural system's dependence on external resources, environmental loading, and renewability by classifying the resources that drive agricultural production as renewable, nonrenewable, and purchased. Data belonging to 17 agricultural systems evaluated in this work are gathered through survey method by interviewing the farmers. EA results reveal that production of cash crops is essentially unsustainable due to high dependence on externally purchased inputs fertilizer, diesel, and nonrenewable input water. Of cash crops, rice production has the lowest system renewability and the highest environmental loading. In feed crops, silage production is mainly unsustainable and clover production is in transition state in terms of sustainability. Feed crop production creates less environmental loading than cash crop production mainly due to being partially integrated with husbandry. Coinciding with this, the level of organic fertilization is found to be the determining factor in the sustainability status of the feed crop systems. Transforming these systems to sustainable ones requires increasing system's self‐sufficiency through enhanced circularity (increased nutrient recycling) and functioning of natural processes. Consequently, we recommend growing crops in polycultures rather than monocultures to benefit from sister plant and predator–prey relations, integrating crop production with animal rearing (natural fertilization) and utilizing waste‐origin bioenergy. For resource efficiency, we suggest adopting methods such as drip irrigation and utilization of biodegradable polymer‐coated fertilizer grains to prevent fertilizer runoffs.

784. NO SUPPORT FOR IMMEDIATE POSTOPERATIVE REMOVAL OF NASOGASTRIC TUBE AFTER ESOPHAGECTOMY, RESULTS FROM A NORDIC MULTICENTER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract Background Esophagectomy is central in curative treatment of esophageal and gastroesophageal junctional cancer. Postoperative nasogastric (NG) tube for drainage of the gastric conduit is routine in most centers. The NG tube is typically associated with significant discomfort for the patients and may have risks of its own. Immediate postoperative removal of the NG tube has been suggested and deemed safe in several smaller trials. We hypothesized that immediate postoperative removal of the NG tube is non-inferior to keeping the NG-tube in place for 5 days postoperatively, with regard to anastomotic leak and other early outcomes. Methods Esophagectomy patients with a gastric conduit reconstruction were included in a multicenter, randomized controlled trial between February 2022 and March 2024. A 1:1 randomization stratified for center, age and anastomotic site (thorax/neck) was performed between immediate postoperative removal of NG tube (intervention) and 5 days of NG tube use (control). All patients underwent chest CT postoperative day 7. Anastomotic leak was the primary endpoint and a non-inferiority threshold of -9% difference in proportion of anastomotic leak, including 95% confidence interval, was set. Secondary endpoints included overall complications, pneumonia, length of stay as well as days in high dependency ward. Results Intention to treat analyses were performed on 444 patients whereof 215 were randomized to immediate NG-tube removal and 229 to control. Mean age was 67 years and neck anastomosis was performed in 78 patients (18%). 47 patients (22 %) had leak in the no NG tube group compared to 35 (15%) in the control group. Non-inferiority could not be established with a difference leak proportion to the advantage of NG tube use of 6.6% (95% CI: 13.8%-(-0.7%)). Overall complications (Clavien-Dindo >2) occurred in 94 patients (44%) in the experimental group and 91 patients (40%) in the control group. Overall 30d mortality was 1.1%. Conclusion In this randomized controlled multicenter trial, the by far largest to be performed so far, we could not establish non-inferiority for abstaining from postoperative NG tube use after esophagectomy with regards to anastomotic leak, and therefore support NG tube use. The somewhat high proportion of leak could be partly due to meticulous complication registration, including CT with peroral contrast on day seven in all patients. Use of postoperative decompression of the gastric conduit with an NG tube should be encouraged.

P023 THE CLINICAL SPECTRUM OF COVID-19 SEVERITY AND OUTCOME ON HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS AT JABRA ISOLATION CENTRE – SUDAN, 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how crucial to comprehend the various clinical presentations of the illness to improve patient treatment and healthcare resources. Objective: To investigate potential gender-based disparities in the severity and outcome of COVID-19 patients in Jabra Isolation Center 2021 Methodology: A descriptive-analytic record-based study was conducted at Jabra Isolation Centre, Sudan, 2021. A random selection of 317 patients was performed. The three zones of severity were: mild (ward stay, Green Zone), moderate (high dependence unit, Yellow Zone), and severe (intensive care unit, Red Zone). Fever, SOB, cough and SPO2, and mortality based on the 3 zones and gender distribution were analyzed by MOH triage procedure checklist using SPSS(version 21) Results: The age ranged between 25-91 years. The findings were as follows: At Green Zone, 46.63% of patients were admitted, with 65.91% being males, The hypertensive patients were 38.16%, and the diabetic were 39.47%. The presenting signs were fever, SOB, cough, and SPO2 (77.39%, 67.11%, 56.58%, and 92% respectively). The mortality rate was 52.63%. While at Yellow Zone, 15.64% of patients were admitted, with 75% being males. The hypertensive patients were 49.02%, and the diabetic were 39.22%. Fever, SOB, cough, and SPO2 were (78.43%, 74.51%, 70.59% and 90% respectively). The mortality rate was 49.02%. At the Red Zone, 37.73% of patients were admitted with males 61.05%. The hypertensive patients were 45.53%, and the diabetic were 36.59%. Fever, SOB, cough, and SPO2 (65.85%, 71.54%, 43.9%, and 92% respectively). The mortality rate was 62.6%. The mortality rate across all 3 zones of severity was 55.83% of which males were 66.0%. Conclusions: This study showed that COVID-19 hospitalized patients at Jabra Isolation Centre in 2021 were predominately males and associated with hypertension and diabetes at 3 zones of severity. The mortality rate was highest at the Red Zone. The overall mortality rate was 55.83% of which males were 66%.

Real-World Effectiveness of Mepolizumab in Severe Asthma: Results from the Multi-country, Self-controlled Nucala Effectiveness Study (NEST).

The Nucala Effectiveness Study (NEST) assessed the effectiveness of mepolizumab in patients with severe asthma (SA) in countries previously underrepresented in real-world studies. A multi-country, bi-directional, self-controlled, observational cohort study conducted in Colombia, Chile, India, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. Historical and/or prospective data from patients with SA were assessed 12months pre- and post-mepolizumab initiation. incident rate ratio (IRR) of clinically significant exacerbations (CSEs). Key secondary endpoints: healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU), oral corticosteroid (OCS) use, lung function and symptom control (Asthma Control Test [ACT] scores). Overall, 525 patients with SA burden pre-initiation (geometric mean blood eosinophil count [BEC] 490.7 cells/µl; 31.4% prior biologic use; 37.3% obese) received at least one dose of mepolizumab 100mg subcutaneously. Post-initiation, a significant reduction in CSEs was observed (76% [p < 0.001]; IRR [95% confidence interval] 0.24 [0.19-0.30]); 72.0% of patients had no CSEs. Mepolizumab treatment led to a reduction in OCS use (52.8% pre-initiation vs. 16.6% post-initiation) and a mean (standard deviation [SD]) change in OCS dose of -18.1 (20.7) mg post-initiation; 36.1% of patients became OCS-free. Fewer patients were hospitalised post-initiation (22.5% pre-initiation vs. 6.9% post-initiation). Improvements in mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in 1s (62.8 [20.2]% pre-initiation vs. 73.0 [22.7]% post-initiation) and ACT scores (15.0% pre-initiation vs. 64.5% of patients post-initiation with well-controlled asthma) were observed. Proportion of patients with BEC ≥ 500 cells/µl decreased from 84.4% pre-initiation to 18.1% post-initiation. Mepolizumab was effective in reducing the burden of SA by significantly reducing CSEs, reducing OCS use and HCRU, and improving lung function and asthma control, which could translate to improvements in health-related quality of life in patients with SA and high OCS dependency in the countries studied. A graphical abstract is available with this article.

Trades-offs between pollinator attraction and florivore defense maximize reproductive success in the self-incompatible Rivea ornata (Convolvulaceae)

BackgroundRivea ornata, a rare species from the morning glory family, exhibits uncommon characteristics compared to other typical morning glories, including nocturnal flowers that fit the classic moth pollination syndrome. However, the accuracy of its predicted pollination syndrome and its mating system have never been assessed. Additionally, R. ornata flowers attract not only pollinators but also florivores, potentially reducing plant reproductive success. Therefore, this study examined two populations of R. ornata in Thailand and assessed traits related to pollinator attraction and reward, determined its mating system, identified floral visitors and effective pollinators, and investigated the effect of florivory on reproductive success.ResultsRivea ornata is highly fertile but self-incompatible and an obligate outcrosser, rendering it highly dependent on pollinators. Lepidopterans, particularly nocturnal hawk moths, were found to account for a significant proportion of all visits and were the sole effective pollinators of this plant species, in correspondence with its predicted pollination syndrome. Surprisingly, florivory did not significantly reduce reproductive success. This phenomenon may be explained by the strategies employed by R. ornata, which align with the optimal defense hypothesis and functional trade-offs. Specifically, R. ornata appears to invest resources in defending key floral structures while, simultaneously, guard ants are conspicuously absent from flowers, resulting in some florivore damage to non-vital floral organs but ensuring that pollinators are not deterred by ants and thus maintaining high pollinator visitation rates.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that reproduction-related traits in R. ornata, including those involved in pollinator attraction and reward and florivore defense, are highly effective and work in concert to maximize plant reproductive success. Therefore, a main risk that R. ornata faces is the decline or disappearance of hawk moths and other lepidopterans given its extreme specialization and high dependence on pollinators, and conservation efforts should include habitat protection for both R. ornata and its pollinators.

Health-related quality of life in 153 children with neuromuscular disorders in Latin America: is it age, functional dependence or diagnosis?

Neuromuscular diseases impact on children's health related quality of life but there is a lack of studies in Latin America that measured this construct. To respond to this need, this study aimed to explore quality of life and its relationship with age, functional dependence and specific diagnosis in children and adolescents in Latin America. A cross-sectional correlation study was carried out with 133 caregivers on children (2–18 years old) with various neuromuscular disorders. Parents reported on their children's health related quality of life through the PedsQL GCS and the PedsQL NMM. Differences in quality of life were found when comparing children with high functional dependence with those with mild dependence (p = 0.05). No significant differences were found regarding the child diagnosis. Finally, quality of life was highly correlated with the child's age, even when controlling for functional dependence differences between ages. Children and adolescents with neuromuscular show a diminished health related quality of life, not only in physical functioning but in their psychosocial functioning. Health related quality of life may vary according to the child's age and functional dependence.

Improved Winter Wheat Yield Estimation by Combining Remote Sensing Data, Machine Learning, and Phenological Metrics

Accurate yield prediction is essential for global food security and effective agricultural management. Traditional empirical statistical models and crop models face significant limitations, including high computational demands and dependency on high-resolution soil and daily weather data, that restrict their scalability across different temporal and spatial scales. Moreover, the lack of sufficient observational data further hinders the broad application of these methods. In this study, building on the SCYM method, we propose an integrated framework that combines crop models and machine learning techniques to optimize crop yield modeling methods and the selection of vegetation indices. We evaluated three commonly used vegetation indices and three widely applied ML techniques. Additionally, we assessed the impact of combining meteorological and phenological variables on yield estimation accuracy. The results indicated that the green chlorophyll vegetation index (GCVI) outperformed the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) in linear models, achieving an R2 of 0.31 and an RMSE of 396 kg/ha. Non-linear ML methods, particularly LightGBM, demonstrated superior performance, with an R2 of 0.42 and RMSE of 365 kg/ha for GCVI. The combination of GCVI with meteorological and phenological data provided the best results, with an R2 of 0.60 and an RMSE of 295 kg/ha. Our proposed framework significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of winter wheat yield estimation, supporting more effective agricultural management and policymaking.

Development of Retirement Readiness Measures Based on the Capacity-Willingness-Opportunity Model

In an effort to avert the high old-age dependency ratio in Malaysia, the study reconceptualized and developed retirement readiness scales based on the Capacity Willingness Opportunity Model (CWOM). The developed scales emphasized the importance of capacity and opportunity as catalytic traits in a retirement preparatory process. The study adopted three phases of designing a scale meticulously- item development, scale development, and scale evaluation. This process involved qualitative and quantitative research approaches. In the pilot study, out of the 61 items loaded into the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), 27 items were retained based on items with reasonable inter-item correlation, and they yielded four components. This study applied a multistage sampling technique to collect data from an adult family member of students from a local university in Klang-Valley, Malaysia. Based on the four factors yielded by the EFA in the pilot study, the researchers conducted another EFA using Varimax rotation with the remaining items and discovered a similar result to the pilot outcome. Subsequently, a pooled confirmatory factor analysis on 27 items confirmed the psychometric properties of 17 newly developed indicators. Notably, the study contributes to the literature on the robustness of CWOM as a catalyst for retirement readiness and establishes the statistical compatibility of the constructs.

Multi-objective application placement in fog computing using graph neural network-based reinforcement learning

We propose a framework designed to tackle a multi-objective optimization challenge related to the placement of applications in fog computing, employing a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach. Unlike other optimization techniques, such as integer linear programming or genetic algorithms, DRL models are applied in real time to solve similar problem situations after training. Our model comprises a learning process featuring a graph neural network and two actor-critics, providing a holistic perspective on the priorities concerning interconnected services that constitute an application. The learning model incorporates the relationships between services as a crucial factor in placement decisions: Services with higher dependencies take precedence in location selection. Our experimental investigation involves illustrative cases where we compare our results with baseline strategies and genetic algorithms. We observed a comparable Pareto set with negligible execution times, measured in the order of milliseconds, in contrast to the hours required by alternative approaches.

Bi3+ activated Li6Y(BO3)3 phosphors for full-spectrum lighting

The blue-violet emitting phosphors is a critical aspect of achieving a high-quality full-spectrum white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). Here, the photoluminescence characteristics of blue-violet emitting phosphors Li6Y(BO3)3:Bi3+ and its application performances were systematically studied. The emission of the phosphors exhibits a high dependence on the excitation wavelength. Upon excitation at 372 nm, the phosphors emit blue light peaking at 407 nm. The excitation of 340 nm results in the occurrence of two peaks at 407 and 506 nm in emission spectra. A full-spectrum WLED prepared by coating a 365 nm n-UV LED and the mixture comprising the phosphors and three commercial phosphors. The WLED exhibits high color rendering index (Ra = 95) and low correlated color temperature (3555 K). Consequently, Li6Y(BO3)3:Bi3+ is a potential phosphor that can be used for full spectrum WLEDs.

Financial structure, development of small and medium banks, enterprise exports

The development of small and medium-sized banks has a profound impact on enterprise export trade. This study Based on a sample of 645 listed enterprises in China, to study the relationship between small and medium-sized banks and the export level of enterprises. Against the backdrop of the continuous development and growth of small and medium-sized banks, new ideas have been provided for seeking ways for Chinese enterprises to expand financing channels and improve export levels. The research results indicate that the development of small and medium-sized banks has significantly improved the export tendency and scale of enterprises. The heterogeneity test results show that the export expansion effect of the development of small and medium-sized banks is more significant for private enterprises, eastern enterprises, non-agricultural enterprises, and enterprises with high dependence on external financing. Based on these empirical research results and the actual situation in China, this article proposes policy recommendations such as building a long-term mechanism for the development of small and medium-sized banks, expanding their financial service coverage, and enhancing their financial service capabilities.

Efficient removal of organophosphate insecticide employing magnetic chitosan-derivatives

Herein, this work reports an efficient acephate adsorption using chitosan (CS) incorporating varying amounts of magnetite. A co-precipitation methodology was employed for the functionalization of chitosan with iron nanoparticles, using Fe2+ as the sole iron source and with a low energy requirement. The adsorbents were characterized by FTIR, XRD, VSM, and nitrogen porosimetry techniques. The CS∙Fe3O4 1:1 NPs showed the highest acephate removal percentage (74.96 %) at pH 9 and ambient temperatures. The adsorption process exhibited high dependencies on pH, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration of adsorbate, and ionic strength. Sips and pseudo-second-order kinetics models best adjusted the experimental data, suggesting that the process occurs on a heterogeneous surface. Thermodynamic evaluation showed that the adsorption was exothermic, favorable, and predominately through chemical interactions. Finally, the CS∙Fe3O4 showed no significant decrease after several cycles of adsorption/desorption, avoiding centrifugation-filtration steps.

Heterogeneity, Jumps and Co-Movements in Transmission of Volatility Spillovers Among Cryptocurrencies

Abstract We analyze properties identified in the price volatility of Bitcoin and some of the leading cryptocurrencies namely Litecoin, Ripple, and Ethereum. We employ Heterogeneous Autoregressive models (HAR) in both a univariate and multivariate level of analysis. First, the significance of heterogeneity and jumps is examined, considering the ability of several univariate HAR models, to predict realized volatility of cryptocurrencies. Second, we examine the relevance of realized volatility jumps and covariances in the transmission of volatility spillovers among cryptocurrencies. We perform a comparative spillover analysis of the multivariate HAR models in two versions, considering variances only and covariances as well. Our results indicate that covariances and jumps inclusion lead to an increase in spillovers. The time-varying spillover analysis indicates higher dependency between Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies mostly at short frequencies.

Elder abuse risk factors: the interactive effect of cognition and functionality

PurposeRisk assessment in elder abuse is usually considered an additive process; risk factors are viewed as independent, and the higher the number of risk factors, the higher the risk. This study aims to explore the effect of the interaction between cognitive structures (episodic memory, perceptual speed, verbal fluency, executive function) and functional dependency on elder abuse.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from 62 participants, aged between 64 and 94 years old, in the Minho region of Portugal. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to apply the assessment procedures.FindingsResults showed that emotional abuse is predicted by episodic memory and phonemic fluency, financial abuse by perceptual speed and phonemic fluency and neglect by perceptual speed. Moderation analysis showed that these effects were greater for older adults with higher dependence on movement and lower dependence on hygiene and daily organization. This study supports the hypothesis that the risk of elder abuse is interactive, highlighting a limitation of current risk assessment procedures.Originality/valueThe current study explores the possibility of risk factors for elder abuse interacting. Understanding how risk factors interact can help to design more accurate measures of the risk of elder abuse.

Robustness of higher‐order network pertinent to first‐ and higher‐order dependency

AbstractRobustness of higher‐order network (HON) with dependency is different from first‐order network (FON), as the attack orders and the number of iterations are totally different. To measure the robustness of HON with dependency, this study proposed new attack strategies on node and edge failure through measuring the size of the giant component and global efficiency. And two real‐world systems of hazardous materials transportation accident causation system and Chinese high‐speed railway system with different network size were empirically studied. Results show that HON is more fragile to robustness attacks than FON. The number of attack iterations is uncertain in HON, which depends on the attack strategies and the network structure. Meanwhile, nodes and edges with high dependency have greater impacts on network robustness, providing valuable insights into capturing critical information. This study may be helpful to design the robust system, improve the system's reliability and serve as a valuable reference for future exploration of HONs robustness.

Sustainable pyrolytic carbon negative electrodes for sodium-ion batteries

Considering both sustainability and potential applications in various industrial sectors, pyrolytic carbon from the recycling of organic solid wastes can play a significant part in the unfolding energy revolution. Further innovations in circular-economy waste loops can facilitate higher economic benefits and lower environmental impacts, where a number of opportunities for improving pyrolytic carbon by choices of precursors, easy regulation of pyrolysis conditions and potential post-treatments. Here we propose a method to synthesize sustainable high-quality nanotube-like pyrolytic carbon using waste pyrolysis gas from the decomposition of waste epoxy resin as precursor, and conduct the exploration of its properties for possible use as a negative electrode material in sodium-ion batteries. The obtained pyrolytic carbon shows better cycling and rate performance than benchmark commercial hard carbon, retaining ∼105 mA h g−1 after 2000 cycles at 100 mA g−1 and exhibiting ∼57 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1. Since the slope-dominated nature of pyrolytic carbon leads to high performance dependence on defects and pore structure, we therefore also investigate the preferred design of pore structure via pore-forming by post-treatment. It is found that reversible adsorption/desorption on defect sites and optimal pore structure are highly needed for pyrolytic carbon toward practical applications. This work highlights the potential of waste pyrolysis gas itself as a valuable feedstock for the production of value-added carbon materials.

Is postoperative high dependency care really needed for children undergoing supratentorial brain tumour surgery?

Purpose We present our analysis of the existing Paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU) admission policy at our institution and discuss our thoughts for its revision in the context of paediatric supratentorial tumour surgery. Materials and methods We screened our prospectively maintained database of all children undergoing supratentorial craniotomy for resection of paediatric brain tumours over a fifteen-year period. The post-operative course of each patient was reviewed, assessing the number of patients who had true HDU needs in the immediate post-operative period, and the relative depth of input from paediatric HDU specialists that each patient received. Results Forty-three patients underwent craniotomy for supratentorial tumour resections during the study period. The median age of the children was 8 years old. Forty-two patients in the study cohort did not require any HDU-level monitoring or treatment post-operatively; all these patients were able to be discharged from HDU to a standard ward bed very rapidly post-operatively. Only one patient (2%) from the study cohort had any tangible HDU needs in the acute post-operative period, comprising of invasive cardiovascular monitoring and repeated blood transfusions. This child’s tumour was known to be large, highly vascular, and invasive pre-operatively. Conclusions We would advocate a rational and nuanced approach with regards to predicting which children are most likely need paediatric HDU care following supratentorial craniotomy for resection of a brain tumour. This rationalisation could improve resource availability and reduce financial burdens upon paediatric neurosurgical units.