Initiation Susceptibility Research Articles

Role of Niobium on the Passivation Mechanisms of TiHfZrNb High-Entropy Alloys in Hanks' Simulated Body Fluid.

A family of TiHfZrNb high-entropy alloys has been considered novel biomaterials for high-performance, small-sized implants. The present work evaluates the role of niobium on passivation kinetics and electrochemical characteristics of passive film on TiHfZrNb alloys formed in Hanks' simulated body fluid by analyzing electrochemical data with three analytical models. Results confirm that higher niobium content in the alloys reinforces the compactness of the passive film by favoring the dominance of film formation and thickening mechanism over the dissolution mechanism. Higher niobium content enhances the passivation kinetics to rapidly form the first layer, and total surface coverage reinforces the capacitive-resistant behavior of the film by enrichment with niobium oxides and reduces the point defect density and their mobility across the film, lowering pitting initiation susceptibility. With the high resistance to dissolution and rapid repassivation ability in the aggressive Hanks' simulated body fluid, the TiHfZrNb alloys confirm their great potential as new materials for biomedical implants and warrant further biocompatibility testing.

Modeling gully initiation by two codeless nonlinear methods: A case study in a small watershed on the Tibetan Plateau

Land and soil resources are scarce in the Tibetan Plateau, and the region is facing ecological pressure from climate warming and increasing human activities. As a major ecological problem, gully erosion is destroying land and soil resources on the Tibetan Plateau, but related research is limited, and susceptibility areas and influencing factors are unclear. Machine learning methods are often applied to study gully initiation susceptibility, but they require a programming foundation. Therefore, the Redui watershed on the southern Tibetan Plateau with severe gully erosion was selected to evaluate the susceptibility and influencing factors of gully initiation through 12 influencing factors including topography, human activity, and underlying surface conditions, and all 2310 gully headcut sites. Two non-code nonlinear modeling methods, the categorical Regression (CATREG) and geographical detector (Geodetector) methods, were first used in the spatial modeling of gully initiation susceptibility. The results showed that the gully initiation susceptibility of the hillslope around the alluvial fan was highest. The very high susceptibility areas of the CATREG model and Geodetector model account for 18.2% and 16% of the total, respectively. The main influencing factors of gully initiation were elevation, relief, and soil type recognized by CATREG, and elevation, human footprint, and soil type recognized by Geodetector. Elevation is the primary factor controlling downstream susceptibility in both models. The primary factors in the upper and middle reaches are soil type and relief identified by CATREG. Human footprint, soil type, and distance to road are primary factors in the upper and middle reaches identified by Geodetector. The explanatory power of elevation, elevation-relief interaction, Geodetector model and CATREG model were 39%, 54%, 46.4% and 73.8%, respectively, at extremely significant levels (P < 0.001), which means that the influencing factors were well considered and that the methods have great application potential in the future.

Insights into the fatigue damage mechanism of T91 steel in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic at 150–550 °C

The corrosion fatigue damage mechanism of T91 steel in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at 150–550 °C was investigated. The results showed that the corrosion behavior is dependent on temperature. The properties of the oxide scale may affect the fatigue crack initiation and embrittlement susceptibility. The crack propagated along the prior or deformed sub- grain boundaries (GBs) at 150 °C and 350 °C, which was characterized by quasi-cleavage cracking. The intergranular oxidation and Pb/Bi permeation into the deformed GBs significantly degraded the fatigue properties at 550 °C. The temperature dependence of fatigue damage mechanism was discussed.

Anticorrosive barrier coatings modified by core-shell rubber particles: effects on the property transients and premature crack initiation susceptibility of particle type and concentration

AbstractProtective epoxy coatings, as a result of their inherent brittleness, show insufficient resistance towards initiation and propagation of cracks, which can occur as early as during the curing process. To improve premature crack initiation resistance, it is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms. In this work, a solvent-based novolac epoxy, cured with a cycloaliphatic amine, was reinforced with either an epoxypropoxypropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), nanoparticles of strontium titanate (SrTiO3), or core-shell rubber (CSR) nanoparticles. The effects on coating property transients, curing-induced internal stress, and premature crack initiation susceptibility of the modifier types and CSR (MX 217 and MX 267) concentrations were investigated. In addition, using a digital microscope, the defect and crack morphology in coatings applied to rigid, flat substrates and inner 90-degree angles were characterized. Finally, to evaluate the anticorrosive barrier performance of the reinforced coatings, an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis was employed. Despite a slightly reduced crack initiation susceptibility, the flexible PDMS chains, due to phase separation, resulted in a deteriorated barrier performance. The inclusion of SrTiO3 nanoparticles also led to a reduced anticorrosion performance, relative to a neat epoxy coating, with a slightly lower crack initiation susceptibility and a minor increase (around 0.2 MPa) in the average internal stress. For 5 wt% MX 217 and MX 267 CSR toughened coatings, the maximum internal stress and crack initiation susceptibility in the series, as well as an associated reduced corrosion resistance, were seen. In spite of a reduction in the elastic modulus, an improved barrier performance and a reduced internal stress and crack initiation susceptibility were observed for 25 wt% MX 217 and 37 wt% MX 267 CSR toughened coatings. To improve barrier properties and avoid premature crack initiation of epoxy coatings, guidelines on modifier selection are provided.

Unveiling the impact of laser power variations on microstructure, corrosion, and stress-assisted surface crack initiation in laser powder bed fusion-processed Ni-Fe-Cr alloy 718

Corrosion and stress-corrosion related failures often compromise the integrity of critical metallic components during their service, raising significant concerns. It is crucial to comprehend the crack initiation mechanism and the impact of alloy microstructure on this crack initiation process. It is known that the introduction of unique microstructures through metal additive manufacturing brings new challenges. This study aims to investigate, for the first time, the effects of microstructural alterations resulting from fluctuations in laser power during laser powder bed fusion on the surface cracking initiation mechanism and electrochemical behaviour of Ni-Fe-Cr alloy 718, which is widely used in applications that require exceptional strength and corrosion resistance. To carry out this investigation, microcapillary electrochemical methods were combined with high-resolution techniques (TEM, SEM, AFM). The findings emphasize the existence of an optimal range of process parameters that effectively mitigate corrosion and crack initiation susceptibility. This work demonstrated that slight deviations in laser power from this optimal value result in diverse alterations at the micro and submicron scales. These alterations include increased subgrain width, porosity, dislocation density, density of nanovoids, and distribution of carbides. Importantly, these changes, particularly in dislocation and nanovoid densities caused by minor variations in process parameters, significantly affect the material's susceptibility to corrosion initiation and stress-assisted surface cracking.

Correlation of Microstructural Events with Stress Corrosion Cracking Initiation Behaviour in Additively Manufactured Ni-Based Alloy 718: Microcapillary Electrochemical Technique Implementation

During the past decade, metal additive manufacturing has gained tremendous attention for the production of substitutive components for oil, gas, and nuclear industries as a consequence of the possibility of fabricating complex full-density components with fewer manufacturing processes compared to conventional methods. Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is one of the most precise additive manufacturing techniques based on layer-by-layer production of the final component with a high-power laser beam. Most investigations to dat focus on comparing the mechanical properties of additively manufactured components with conventional counterparts. Process parameter optimization has been extensively studied for obtaining almost full-density components with comparable and in some cases even better mechanical performance compared to conventionally manufactured components. However, the corrosion and more specifically stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of L-PBF and in general, additively manufactured components has received less attention. Since the major concern in critical industries is to reduce the risk of SCC occurrence, the mechanistic study of the effect of various micro and submicron structural alterations on SCC risk assessment is of paramount importance.It is well recognized in the corrosion community that the most critical stage of SCC is related to the incubation/initiation stage. From the information gathered by various authors in the past decades, having a prolonged incubation/initiation stage of SCC could significantly increase the lifetime of components, which results from the balance between the formation and destruction reactions occurring in the passive layer-environment interface. Thus, it is essentially always the case that by retarding the initiation of cracks, we significantly increase the life cycle. Until now, traditional electrochemical techniques are not able to detect the SCC initiation stage as a consequence of the large surface area in contact with the solution and the shortcomings of the used electrochemical techniques. Thus, during the past decades, extensive research has been done on the crack propagation stage by utilizing various techniques and statistical models for the prediction of crack growth rate. This study reports for the first time the correlation of electrochemical polarization behaviour with the susceptibility of the material to SCC initiation. Such an approach fulfils the knowledge gap covering the initiation mechanism by proposing the microcapillary method as the method of choice for mechanistic analysis of initiation susceptibility.In the current investigation, various electrochemical techniques combined with high-resolution microstructural analysis were implemented to elucidate the importance of submicron characteristics of L-PBF fabricated components on SCC initiation risk assessment. L-PBF fabricated Ni-Fe-Cr based alloy 718 with a slight variation of laser power in the range of achieving full density was used for elucidating the effect of slight alterations in micro and nanostructure in corrosion and SCC initiation behaviour. It was found that even with a slight variation of L-PBF process parameters such as laser power, various alterations occurred in micron and submicron scale namely, a slight decrease in hardness, an increase in subgrain width, porosity, dislocation density, the density of nanovoids adjacent to subgrain boundaries, and presence of carbide particles. Such alterations consequently lead to significant electrochemical behaviour and SCC initiation susceptibility. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed variations in SCC initiation susceptibility had been explained as a consequence of alterations in subgrain width, dislocation density, intrinsic nano cavities density adjacent to subgrain boundaries, and the presence of nanoscale carbide particles adjacent to subgrain boundaries. From the obtained results, the microcapillary technique proved to be a very useful and powerful tool for assessing SCC initiation susceptibility for additive manufactured components with submicron scale structures.

Marijuana and E-cigarette Initiation Among Adolescents: A Survival Analysis

PurposePrior literature suggests marijuana and e-cigarette initiation among adolescents is surpassing combustible cigarette uptake. Marijuana and nicotine co-use is also a concern as these products grow in popularity. Initiation trajectories for marijuana and e-cigarette products are not well understood, let alone how the use of one product may impact initiation susceptibility for the other. MethodsWe used national longitudinal data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study from 2013 to 2018. Eighth graders in Wave 1 made up the analytic sample (N = 2,270). We employed discrete time survival analyses to determine the likelihood of initiating marijuana and e-cigarettes between Waves 2 and 5. We used survival analyses to estimate the relationships between prior cigarette and marijuana use and subsequent e-cigarette initiation, as well as prior cigarette and e-cigarette use and subsequent marijuana initiation. ResultsPrevious marijuana initiation was associated with later e-cigarette initiation (odds ratio = 6.88, 95% confidence interval [4.89, 9.67]). Previous e-cigarette initiation was associated with later marijuana initiation (odds ratio = 9.28, 95% confidence interval [6.86, 12.56]). By wave 5, adolescents were more than 42% likely to initiate marijuana and e-cigarettes. DiscussionSusceptibility to marijuana and e-cigarette products starts as early as eighth grade and increases over time. The use of one product is significantly related to later initiation for the other. Rather than addressing marijuana and nicotine as separate concerns, interventions may benefit by recognizing the closely related nature of these products.

Prediction of inter-granular crack initiation susceptibility in post irradiated grade 300 steels

Grade 300 austenitic steel components are subjected to irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking hazard, in the context of nuclear pressurized water reactor operation. In this paper, it is assumed that inter-granular cracking susceptibility primarily depends on sub grain plasticity mechanisms, controlling the slip band thickness and spacing achieved for a plastic strain level imposed. A computational model evaluating the related grain-boundary stress evolutions is developed and evaluated, using actual post-irradiation observations. In practice, we calculate a quantitative damage susceptibility factor R depending on the characteristic local slip band arrangements and the grain to grain misorientation. The statistical R evolutions obtained are consistent with the strain localization and related intergranular crack susceptibility trends, under corresponding irradiation and deformation conditions.

Stress Corrosion Cracking of 316L Stainless Steel Additively Manufactured with Sinter-Based Material Extrusion.

This study investigates the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of type 316L stainless steel (SS316L) produced with sinter-based material extrusion additive manufacturing (AM). Sinter-based material extrusion AM produces SS316L with microstructures and mechanical properties comparable to its wrought counterpart in the annealed condition. However, despite extensive research on SCC of SS316L, little is known about the SCC of sinter-based AM SS316L. This study focuses on the influence of sintered microstructures on SCC initiation and crack-branching susceptibility. Custom-made C-rings were exposed to different stress levels in acidic chloride solutions at various temperatures. Solution-annealed (SA) and cold-drawn (CD) wrought SS316L were also tested to understand the SCC behavior of SS316L better. Results showed that sinter-based AM SS316L was more susceptible to SCC initiation than SA wrought SS316L but more resistant than CD wrought SS316L, as determined by the crack initiation time. Sinter-based AM SS316L showed a noticeably lower tendency for crack-branching than both wrought SS316L counterparts. The investigation was supported by comprehensive pre- and post-test microanalysis using light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and micro-computed tomography.

Effect of surface machining on the environmentally-assisted cracking of Alloy 182 and 316L stainless steel in light water reactor environments: results of the collaborative project MEACTOS

Abstract The main objective of the EU-funded project mitigating environmentally-assisted cracking through optimisation of surface condition (MEACTOS) was to gain knowledge on the ability of different surface machining procedures to mitigate environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) in typical light water reactor structural materials and environments. Surfaces of cold-worked (CW) type 316L austenitic stainless steel and nickel-based weld metal Alloy 182 flat tapered tensile specimens were machined using different processes. EAC initiation susceptibility of these specimens was evaluated using constant extension rate tensile (CERT) tests under simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) and pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions and assessed using constant load experiments. More than a hundred tests were performed covering about 10 years of autoclave testing time. Only minor or no measurable improvements in EAC initiation susceptibility as a function of surface treatments (grinding or advanced machining) compared to the standard industrial face milling were demonstrated. In most cases, the stress thresholds for EAC initiation determined in constant load tests confirmed the trend obtained from CERT tests. This paper summarises the most important results and conclusions concerning the EAC initiation behaviour for the CW 316L and Alloy 182 under reducing PWR and oxidizing BWR conditions.

Effect of zinc injection on mitigating stress corrosion cracking initiation of structural materials in light water reactor primary water

Abstract The effect of zinc (Zn) injection on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) initiation of an Alloy 182 weld metal and a 20% cold-worked (CW) type 316L stainless steel was investigated under simulated light water reactor conditions. Accelerated SCC initiation tests revealed that under both, boiling (BWR) and pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions without Zn injection, Alloy 182 showed a higher SCC initiation susceptibility compared to the CW 316L stainless steel. With 40 ppb Zn injection, results indicate a tendency towards higher stress thresholds or lower crack densities for SCC initiation in both materials. In other words, Zn water chemistry seems to be able to mitigate SCC initiation. The optimized, Zn-treated oxide film is believed to be responsible for the improved SCC performance. However, no clear mitigation effects were observed when the specimens were pre-exposed to high-temperature water without Zn and then tested with Zn, which is likely related to the relatively short exposure time to the Zn-containing high-temperature water.

Debris flows and debris avalanches initiation and runout susceptibility assessment in Campania region (Italy)

Sectors of the Campania region (southern Italy), where pyroclastic airfall deposits cover carbonate slopes, have frequently experienced debris avalanches and debris flows. These landslides are triggered by heavy rainfall and in the last century caused severe destruction and hundreds of deaths. Their occurrence is controlled by the interaction of several factors, both natural and human induced. The initial failure is linked with the presence of morphological discontinuities such as rocky scarps and road cuts, which interrupt the stratigraphical continuity of an “infinite slope”. Here the main criteria for susceptibility analysis are defined trying to develop a procedure for identify highly-susceptible sources, runout and invasion areas.

Light Metal Alloys Local Reactivity, from AFM Based Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (AFM-SKPFM) to Scanning Electrochemical Nanocapillary (SEN)

Materials surface heterogeneities obviously plays a crucial role in reactivity issues and generate various types of detrimental localized corrosion attacks. In corrosion science, a first question to be addressed is how these various materials microstructure affect oxidation / passivation and localized corrosion initiation mechanisms. A methodology for microscale characterization of initial stage of surface reactions has been developed based on the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (AFM-SKPFM). In very early work, potential mapping with micrometer lateral resolution (lateral detection limit of materials surface heterogeneities is better but the signal has to be deconvoluted) allowed to clearly identify "cathodic" and anodic sites on Al- alloys [1]. Careful potential calibration and surface conditioning with solution exposure generating the formation of an electrochemical double layer allow obtaining local thermodynamic information closely linked to "practical electrochemical potential series" measured in bulk solution conditions. This contribution will start by revisiting some "historical" examples of AFM-SKPFM characterization (a tribute to Jerry Frankel's activities) of aluminum and magnesium alloys [1,2]. These materials surfaces will further be used to show how reaction kinetic information on corrosion processes can be obtained with similar lateral resolution by means of the newly developed Scanning Electrochemical Nanocapillary (SEN) technique. After introducing the SEN technique and methodology, the presentation will focus on showing how the combination of these two approaches allows refining the local corrosion mechanism assessment of heterogeneous materials. The SEN technique is very versatile and allows various types of electrochemical measurements to be performed with constant tracking of the topography. The technique is based on a nanocapillary glass tip (< 100 nm) excited laterally by a piezoelectric element. A control of the capillary vibration damping when approaching the surface and a feedback loop (like the tapping mode in AFM) allows a very precise control of the approach and electrolyte contact on the surface. The glass capillary filled with the electrolyte of interest integrates a reference and Pt counter electrodes to perform electrochemical measurements exposing only the area of interest to aggressive electrolytes. Using its "hopping" mode (a scan with electrochemical characterization of successive individual nanoscale areas), corrosion initiation susceptibility can be addressed. This will be illustrated through the surface reactivity study of model Al-Cu-Mg microscale intermetallics and Mg-based alloys, using SEN OCP linescans. In addition information about extend of the attack can be subsequently retrieved from SEM observations. Using the precise positioning ability of the SEN setup with X, Y and Z direction piezos, potentiodynamic polarization measurements can furthermore be performed on selected area of interest. The example of an Mg-Fe composite material will be used to discuss its local electrochemical behavior.After the presentation of the SEN characterization results, additional aspects of the measured potential by AFM-SKPFM will also be discussed as adsorbed species, especially strong dipolar molecules, can significantly contribute to the measured signal [3]. Modification of the AFM-SKPFM setup towards atmospheric corrosion investigation will finally be presented. This environmental AFM/SKPFM bridges the gap between the full electrochemical local characterizations that can be offered by the SEN technique and an "electrochemical reaction" diagnostic obtained by SKPFM in thin water layer. The example of a very reactive WC-Co composite will be presented to demonstrate the reactivity issue, galvanic coupling controlling local dissolution processes [4].AcknowledgementsGerald Frankel for the great time I spent at Ohio State University in the Fontana Corrosion Center developing the AFM-based SKPFM methodology. Empa for internal project financial support of the SEN instrument.

Investigation of surface treatment effects on the environmentally-assisted cracking behaviour of Alloy 182 in boiling water reactor environment

ABSTRACT Surface treatments of primary circuit components in light water reactors are regarded as possible ways to mitigate environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC). To date, it is not fully conclusive which surface condition is suitable to reduce the EAC initiation susceptibility. Constant extension rate tensile (CERT) tests were performed by several labs using flat tapered tensile specimens with different surface conditions (ground, industrial face milled, advanced face milled and shot peened), exposed to a boiling water reactor normal water chemistry environment at 288°C. Despite some scatter in the results, the CERT tests revealed that the EAC initiation susceptibility seems lowest for the advanced face milled surface and highest for the shot peened surface. However, it must be emphasised that the differences were moderate and that the surprising behaviour of the shot peened surface can be explained. The mechanical grinding of the surface did not significantly retard EAC initiation compared to industrial face milling.

Stress corrosion cracking initiation susceptibility of Alloy 182 with different surface treatments

The effects of machining surface preparations on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility in boiling water reactor environment were evaluated for Alloy 182 weld metal. Constant extension rate tensile test, constant load test and electrochemical tests (passivation, current-voltage curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) showed that the surface treatments strongly influence the resistance to SCC initiation. The machining-induced deformation and surface oxide layer from the surface treatments affect the re-passivation behaviour and SCC initiation susceptibility. The SCC susceptibility of the studied surface treatments was found following the sequence of shot peened > industrial surface milled > polished > advanced manufactured surface.

Effects of surface treatments on environmentally-assisted cracking susceptibility of Alloy 182 in BWR environment

The effects of four machining surface preparations on the environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) initiation and early crack growth were evaluated for Alloy 182 flat tapered specimens exposed to a simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) environment under constant extension rate tensile test conditions. Results showed that the apparent EAC critical threshold stress for initiation was highly dependent on the surface treatment. Detailed microstructural characterization revealed the nature of the machining-induced deformation associated with the four surface treatments. Surface treatments affected the surface oxidation during exposure in the simulated BWR environment. The machining-induced deformation structure affected the EAC initiation susceptibility.

PPARs and Tumor Microenvironment: The Emerging Roles of the Metabolic Master Regulators in Tumor Stromal-Epithelial Crosstalk and Carcinogenesis.

Simple SummaryThe roles of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in carcinogenesis are increasingly appreciated. With the growing interest in tumor stromal-epithelial crosstalk, we aim to provide an up-to-date overview of the implications of PPARs in the tumor microenvironment. In the tumor stromal cells, the nuclear receptors exhibit critical, but functionally diverse activities, rendering it hard to ascribe either an exclusive pro- or anti-tumorigenic role for different PPAR isotypes. Based on the existing evidence, we also highlight the knowledge gaps and future prospects of targeting PPARs in the tumor microenvironment. Essentially, a PPAR-based anticancer approach holds a great deal of untapped potential, but its success relies on innovative strategies for cell-specific or tumor microenvironment-triggered drug delivery systems.Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) have been extensively studied for more than three decades. Consisting of three isotypes, PPARα, γ, and β/δ, these nuclear receptors are regarded as the master metabolic regulators which govern many aspects of the body energy homeostasis and cell fate. Their roles in malignancy are also increasingly recognized. With the growing interest in crosstalk between tumor stroma and epithelium, this review aims to highlight the current knowledge on the implications of PPARs in the tumor microenvironment. PPARγ plays a crucial role in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts and adipocytes, coercing the two stromal cells to become substrate donors for cancer growth. Fibroblast PPARβ/δ can modify the risk of tumor initiation and cancer susceptibility. In endothelial cells, PPARβ/δ and PPARα are pro- and anti-angiogenic, respectively. Although the angiogenic role of PPARγ remains ambiguous, it is a crucial regulator in autocrine and paracrine signaling of cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor-associated macrophages/immune cells. Of note, angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4), a secretory protein encoded by a target gene of PPARs, triggers critical oncogenic processes such as inflammatory signaling, extracellular matrix derangement, anoikis resistance and metastasis, making it a potential drug target for cancer treatment. To conclude, PPARs in the tumor microenvironment exhibit oncogenic activities which are highly controversial and dependent on many factors such as stromal cell types, cancer types, and oncogenesis stages. Thus, the success of PPAR-based anticancer treatment potentially relies on innovative strategies to modulate PPAR activity in a cell type-specific manner.

Assessing the impacts of short-course multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in the Southeast Asia Region using a mathematical modeling approach.

This study aimed to predict the impacts of shorter duration treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) on both MDR-TB percentage among new cases and overall MDR-TB cases in the WHO Southeast Asia Region. A deterministic compartmental model was constructed to describe both the transmission of TB and the MDR-TB situation in the Southeast Asia region. The population-level impacts of short-course treatment regimens were compared with the impacts of conventional regimens. Multi-way analysis was used to evaluate the impact by varying programmatic factors (eligibility for short-course MDR-TB treatment, treatment initiation, and drug susceptibility test (DST) coverage). The model predicted that overall TB incidence will be reduced from 246 (95% credible intervals (CrI), 221–275) per 100,000 population in 2020 to 239 (95% CrI, 215–267) per 100,000 population in 2035, with a modest reduction of 2.8% (95% CrI, 2.7%–2.9%). Despite the slight reduction in overall TB infections, the model predicted that the MDR-TB percentage among newly notified TB infections will remain steady, with 2.4% (95% CrI, 2.1–2.9) in 2020 and 2.5% (95% CrI, 2.3–3.1) in 2035, using conventional MDR-TB treatment. With the introduction of short-course regimens to treat MDR-TB, the development of resistance can be slowed by 38.6% (95% confidence intervals (CI), 35.9–41.3) reduction in MDR-TB case number, and 37.6% (95% CI, 34.9–40.3) reduction in MDR-TB percentage among new TB infections over the 30-year period compared with the baseline using the standard treatment regimen. The multi-way analysis showed eligibility for short-course treatment and treatment initiation greatly influenced the impacts of short-course treatment regimens on reductions in MDR-TB cases and percentage resistance among new infections. Policies which promote the expansion of short-course regimens and early MDR-TB treatment initiation should be considered along with other interventions to tackle antimicrobial resistance in the region.

The effect of low temperature heat treatment on stress corrosion crack initiation in machined 316L stainless steel in high-temperature hydrogenated water

A notable reduction of the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) initiation susceptibility was identified for machined cold-rolled 316L stainless steel that received a 650°C/10 hours heat-treatment prior to slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) testing in high-temperature hydrogenated water. The cracks per unit area of the machined surface of heat-treated specimens decreased by ~50% compared to as-machined surfaces, and by >70% with respect to polished surfaces. The results were ascribed to recrystallization of the ultrafine-grains present in the outer deformation layer of the machined surface, which resulted in a reduction of the tensile residual stress and nano-indentation hardness.

Fatigue performance of friction stir welded Al2024 alloy in a different corrosive environment

AbstractThe study examines the corrosion fatigue behavior of friction stir welded Al2024 alloy in the corrosive medium. The fatigue tests are conducted at a stress ratio of ‐1 in the different corrosive medium. The decrease in the fatigue life of welded joints in the corrosive environment is attributed to an increase in the crack initiation susceptibility in the presence of corrosive media. The fractured surfaces are investigated using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The formation of the corrosive compounds was studied using x‐ray diffractometry.