Release Period Research Articles

Wind generator and storage system scheduling for customer benefit and battery life

Due to increased fossil fuel use and fossil fuel limitations, the Indian energy industry is migrating to non-conventional energy resources such as solar power, wind production, and fuel cells, among others. The unpredictability of non-conventional energy sources makes it difficult to balance an electrical system when they are incorporated, necessitating the incorporation of a storage device into the grid. In a microgrid system with wind turbine generation (WTG) and a battery energy storage system (BESS), the BESS may reserve energy during periods of surplus generation and release it to the grid during times of peak demand. The suggested technique establishes the state of charge (SOC) schedule for the BESS by employing an artificial rabbit optimisation (ARO) algorithm that minimises energy costs for customers. The state of health (SOH) of the energy storage is incorporated as an ageing coefficient, which causes the BESS to behave conservatively in order to retain its lifespan. Using a time of use (TOU) tariff, simulation results suggest a substantial possibility to boost the savings of consumers in a grid-connected micro-grid. The simulation findings indicate that by efficiently scheduling the BESS power management technique, the proposed method improves a number of distribution system efficacy.

Silk Fibroin/PLA 3D Printed Composite Stent Fabricated through Direct Ink Write Technology

Bioresorbable alternatives are emerging on the market as alternatives to the cardiovascular stents that are implanted nowadays. Permanent drug-eluting stents are no longer the only viable option during an angioplasty surgical procedure. The new generation of medical stents aims to degrade the device within the artery walls after its function has been completed. In this context, biological materials that degrade inside the body without creating toxic residues such as silk fibroin (SF) are very promising materials for such applications. Moreover, SF has been reported to have non-thrombogenic properties and to reduce the immune response compared to other synthetic polymers, making it ideal for this application. SF has been printed through additive manufacturing techniques such as direct ink write. This study proposes to fabricate a composite stent by combining polylactic acid (PLA) and SF. In this way, it is expected to obtain a stent with potential for a two-phase drug release. A fast burst with the degradation of the SF and a slower drug release period with the degradation of the PLA. For this purpose, stents were fabricated with a PLA and chloroform ink (24.5 % w/v). The last layer of the stent was fabricated with a SF water-based ink at 56.69-60.09 % w/w. Finally, the stents were immersed at different times in ethanol and exposed to 30' of ultraviolet light for sterilization purposes. The degradation results indicate that 24h is sufficient to degrade almost completely the last layer of SF. These results are significant as the SF layer could potentially be used as a carrier for drug delivery, providing biocompatibility and drug release at the earliest post-intervention stage.

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and quality of life among older patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionThe Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its associated health restrictions have harmed the population psychologically. We aimed to compare the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) in older French patients with cancer to the younger ones. Materials and MethodsThis longitudinal multicenter study named COVIPACT began in April 2020 during the first French lockdown and has included 579 outpatients receiving treatment for a solid or hematological malignancy. Data were collected every three months, namely at the first release period (M3), at the second lockdown (M6), at the second release period (M9), and finally at the last curfew period (M12) in France. Standardized validated self-questionnaires were used to assess PTSD symptoms (using the Event Scale–Revised self-questionnaire), insomnia (through the Insomnia Severity Index questionnaire), QoL (using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General questionnaire), and cognitive complaints (through the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Cognition questionnaire). Student (or Wilcoxon) tests and Chi-squared tests were used for continuous or discrete variables, respectively. We conducted linear mixed model to study the change during follow-up. ResultsOut of 579 included patients, 157 (27%) were ≥ 70 years old at baseline, of whom 104 participated in the longitudinal study. At baseline, older patients reported fewer PTSD symptoms (17% versus 23%, p = .06), insomnia (17% versus 27%, p = .02), and cognitive complaint (3% versus 16%, p < .01) than younger patients. QoL at baseline was similar between age subgroups. We observed no significant difference in the trajectory of PTSD symptoms, insomnia, or emotional well-being between both groups during the follow-up. Cognitive complaints were lower at baseline in older patients but steadily increased during the follow-up and reached the same level as younger patients at one year. DiscussionOne in five older patients reported PTSD symptoms, evolving similarly to younger patients during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. While cognitive complaints tend to recover in a bell-shaped curve at one year in younger patients, the trend is increasing in older ones. Screening for PTSD symptoms and late cognitive impairment should be given special attention in older patients.Trial Registration:Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04366154

Development of 3D-Printed Bicompartmental Devices by Dual-Nozzle Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for Colon-Specific Drug Delivery.

Dual-nozzle fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing technique that allows for the simultaneous printing of two polymeric filaments and the design of complex geometries. Hence, hybrid formulations and structurally different sections can be combined into the same dosage form to achieve customized drug release kinetics. The objective of this study was to develop a novel bicompartmental device by dual-nozzle FDM for colon-specific drug delivery. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were selected as matrix-forming polymers of the outer pH-dependent and the inner water-soluble compartments, respectively. 5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) was selected as the model drug. Drug-free HPMCAS and drug-loaded PVA filaments suitable for FDM were extruded, and their properties were assessed by thermal, X-ray diffraction, microscopy, and texture analysis techniques. 5-ASA (20% w/w) remained mostly crystalline in the PVA matrix. Filaments were successfully printed into bicompartmental devices combining an outer cylindrical compartment and an inner spiral-shaped compartment that communicates with the external media through an opening. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray tomography analysis were performed to guarantee the quality of the 3D-printed devices. In vitro drug release tests demonstrated a pH-responsive biphasic release pattern: a slow and sustained release period (pH values of 1.2 and 6.8) controlled by drug diffusion followed by a faster drug release phase (pH 7.4) governed by polymer relaxation/erosion. Overall, this research demonstrates the feasibility of the dual-nozzle FDM technique to obtain an innovative 3D-printed bicompartmental device for targeting 5-ASA to the colon.

Preparation of long-lasting releasing methyl eugenol fiber membrane and its trapping analysis on Bactrocera dorsalis

Methyl eugenol (ME) is a highly potent sexual attractant for Bactrocera dorsalis, which plays a crucial role in agricultural pest management. In this study, a composite fiber membrane was prepared by polystyrene (PS), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), and ME through electrostatic spinning respectively. The effective release period of ME was prolonged by triggering PEGDA with UV light. The mass ratio of PS to PEGDA affects the morphology of the fibers as well as the loading capacity (LC) and encapsulation efficiency (EE) for ME. Under optimal test conditions, the diameter of the fibers was 1.70 μm, and the ME loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency were (7.80 ± 0.07%) and (85.84 ± 7.94%). The combination of PS and PEGDA was confirmed by FTIR analysis, while its excellent thermal stability was verified through TGA testing. In the PS/PEGDA-ME-UV membrane, the cumulative release rate of ME reached 81.97% by week 8, which conformed to a first-order model. In the trapping experiments, a 53% rate of Bactrocera dorsalis capture was maintained even by week 8, demonstrating its potential for application in agricultural biocontrol.

Quantifying the impact of Wolbachia releases on dengue infection in Townsville, Australia

From October 2014 to February 2019, local authorities in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia continually introduced Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to control seasonal outbreaks of dengue infection. In this study, we develop a mathematical modelling framework to estimate the effectiveness of this intervention as well as the relative dengue transmission rates of Wolbachia-infected and wild-type mosquitoes. We find that the transmission rate of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is reduced approximately by a factor of 20 relative to the uninfected wild-type population. In addition, the Townsville Wolbachia release program led to a 65% reduction in predicted dengue incidence during the release period and over 95% reduction in the 24 months that followed. Finally, to investigate the potential impact of other Wolbachia release programs, we use our estimates of relative transmissibility to calculate the relationship between the reproductive number of dengue and the proportion of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in the vector population.

Solvent exchange-motivated and tunable in situ forming implants sustaining triamcinolone acetonide release for arthritis treatment

Arthritis is a syndrome characterized by inflammation in the joints. Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) was used as an anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of this disease. However, there are limitations to its clinical application, including rapid clearance from the joint cavity, potential joint damage from multiple injections, and adverse joint events. To address these drawbacks, we developed a tunable in situ forming implant loaded with TA. This injectable polymer solution utilized poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as an extended-release material. When injected into the joints, the solution solidifies into implants through a solvent exchange in the aqueous environment. The implants demonstrated robust retention at the injection site and released TA over several weeks even months through diffusion and erosion. By adding different proportions of low water-miscible plasticizers, the release period of the drug could be precisely adjusted. The plasticizers-optimized implants exhibited a tough texture, enhancing the therapeutic efficiency and drug safety in vivo. In arthritic model studies, the tunable TA-loaded implants significantly reduced swelling, pain, and motor discoordination, and also showed suppression of arthritis progression to some extent. These findings suggested that TA-loaded ISFI holds promise for managing inflammatory disorders in individuals with arthritis.

Preparation and performance of degradable slow-release fertilizer coating material by a new ionic crosslinked hydrogel material

We report a hydrogel with 25 % polyacrylic acid by grafting and mixing starch with polyacrylic acid and urea. The novel ionic crosslinking strategy through iron ions enabled the high biodegradability of a novel slow-release fertilizer coating material. The ionic cross-linking improved the degree of polymerization of the material and formed a compact structured membrane material, which extended the period of nitrogen release to a sufficient extent. The membrane material obtained through ionic cross-linking exhibited a low thermal decomposition temperature and high thermal weight loss. Material displayed significant degradation with a weight loss of 71.11 % in a 60-day degradation experiment conducted in soil. This cross-linking approach provides a novel route for developing encapsulated slow-release fertilizers. It expands the application of natural polymers in the field of slow-release fertilizers.

Media-based information display in university libraries based on a generalized differential equation numerical method

Abstract To solve the problems of time lag and high repetition rate of information released in the media-oriented information display of college libraries, this paper improves the media-oriented information display platform based on the numerical method of generalized differential equations. The intervals of the generalized differential equations solutions for the media-oriented information display of college libraries are discretized using a grid to obtain sub-intervals. The points on the grid for each subinterval are approximated continuously using the K-step edge-value method to obtain the information dissemination cycle solution. The bifurcated periodic solution is used to check the obtained information release period solution, and the final information update period is 7 days. The results of improving the media-based information display platform of university libraries and putting it into operation of university libraries show that: Using the information update cycle determined by the generalized differential function to improve the media-based information display platform of university libraries, the repetition rate of language information release decreases from 30% to 10%. The working hours of librarians were reduced from 5 hours per week to 3.5 hours per week. It can be seen that after improving the media-based information display platform of university libraries based on the numerical method of a generalized differential equation, the repetition rate of information release and the work efficiency of librarians of the platform is improved.

A New Federated Scheduling Algorithm for Arbitrary-Deadline DAG Tasks

A parallel task can always be modelled as a directed acyclic graph (DAG), where sequential instruction blocks are modelled as vertices and data dependencies or resource constraints are modelled as edges. We propose a new federated scheduling algorithm for arbitrary-deadline sporadic DAG tasks, assuming that the exact structures of DAG tasks are unknown before runtime. Federated scheduling algorithms are a class of algorithms that can efficiently schedule DAG tasks by assigning several processors exclusively to each task. Existing studies have shown the advantages of federated scheduling, which include increasing the analytical schedulability and minimising the scheduling overhead. We are particularly focused on the scheduling of any task with a deadline longer than its release period; in this case, multiple jobs generated by the task could run concurrently. For such tasks, our algorithm is different from most federated scheduling algorithms in that it assigns dedicated processors to each job instead of letting jobs released by the same task share processors. The main idea is to increase the analytical schedulability by avoiding interference between jobs. The simulation results show that our algorithm outperforms existing algorithms when the exact structures of tasks are unknown before runtime.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using nitrate reductase from Aspergillus terreus N4 and their potential use as a non-alcoholic disinfectant.

Green technology has been developed for the quick production of stabilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), with the assistance of nitrate reductase from an isolated culture of Aspergillus terreus N4. The organism's intracellular and periplasmic fractions contained nitrate reductase, with the former demonstrating the highest activity of 0.20 IU/g of mycelium. When the fungus was cultivated in a medium comprising 1.056% glucose, 1.836% peptone, 0.3386% yeast extract, and 0.025% KNO3, the greatest nitrate reductase productivity of 0.3268 IU/g was achieved. Statistical modeling via response surface methodology was used to optimize the enzyme production. The periplasmic and intracellular enzyme fractions were found to convert Ag+ to Ag0, initiating synthesis within 20min, with predominant nanoparticle sizes between 25 and 30nm. By normalizing the effects of temperature, pH, AgNO3 concentration, and mycelium age with a variable shaking period for enzyme release, the production of AgNPs with the periplasmic fraction was optimized. The synthesis of nanoparticles occurred at temperatures of 30, 40, and 50°C, with the highest yield observed at 40 and 50°C during shorter incubation periods. Similarly, the nanoparticles were synthesized at pH levels of 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0, with the greatest production observed at pH 8.0 and 9.0 at lower incubation periods. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs was demonstrated against common foodborne pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium, indicating their potential as non-alcoholic disinfectants.

Introduction of bio-based hard segment as an alternative strategy to environmentally friendly polyurethane coated urea

Improved degradation performance of bio-based polyurethane coatings has become a significant challenge for agricultural applications of controlled-release fertilizers. In this work, petroleum-based isocyanate components were innovatively replaced with lysine diisocyanate (LDI) ingredients in various ratios by the in-situ reaction with castor oil to synthesize high bio-based content polyurethane coating materials. The chemical structure and properties of the coatings were also investigated to propose the mechanism of LDI-mediated coatings controlled release and degradation performance. The experiment results indicate that as the LDI content increased, the coatings’ thermodynamic stability, cross-linking density, and controlled release performance decreased while their hydrophilicity and degradation performance increased. Compared to other coated ureas, the coated urea with the 1:1 replacement ratio of petroleum-based isocyanate performed well and had adjustable controlled release performance. Its release period was regulated by adjusting the coating rate and reached 60 days with the 3 % coating rate. With the increase of the lysine component, the degradation performance of the coating materials was improved till the replacing ratio of petroleum-based isocyanate was higher than 1:1. In all, the introduction of bio-based isocyanate is an alternative way further to enhance the degradation performance of the coating materials, and the coatings were non-toxic to rice seeds. The coordination of the controlled release and degradation performance of the coatings can be achieved by adjusting the content of LDI. This research designed a novel strategy to solve the bottleneck problem of bio-based polyurethane coating degradation in coated fertilizers.

Sustainable Sawdust/Eucalyptol Absorption Matrix for Odor Slow-Release in Plywood Floor

A sustainable matrix based on eucalyptol essential oil/sawdust was developed and applied on laminated plywood. This finish aims to serve as a eucalyptol odor slow release. Eucalyptol odor release was monitored with gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID: Limits of Detection and Quantification of 0.70 g/m3 and 2.11 g/m3, respectively, and with linearity up to 18.6 g/m3). Measurement of the eucalyptol odor released was performed during a six-month period, and it was found that the release followed a first-order exponential decay with a decay rate constant of 0.0169 per day. The half-life was determined to be of 48 days. The granulometry and particle size porosity of sawdust were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. A sawdust size fraction of 112–200 μm showed the best eucalyptol absorption capacity, with 1:3 masses ratio (sawdust:eucalyptol). The release duration of eucalyptol is influenced by the quantity of the eucalyptol–sawdust composite and the aperture size for release. Through the determination of this relationship, it was found that applying 15.0 g of the composite through a 0.8 mm diameter aperture resulted in a 6-month eucalyptol release period. This outcome is regarded as highly favorable, considering the inherent high volatility of eucalyptol and the relatively small amount of composite required for future product applications. The new product is characterized by a carbon footprint (considering the industry frontiers) of 5.94 kg CO2eq/m2 of plywood floor.

Reducing errors on estimates of the carbon uptake period based on time series of atmospheric CO2

Abstract. High-quality, long-time-series measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gases show interannual variability in the measured seasonal cycles. These changes can be analyzed to better understand the carbon cycle and the impact of climate drivers. However, nearly all discrete measurement records contain gaps and have noise due to the influence of local fluxes or synoptic variability. To facilitate analysis, filtering and curve-fitting techniques are often applied to these time series. Previous studies have recognized that there is an inherent uncertainty associated with this curve fitting, and the choice of a given mathematical method might introduce biases. Since uncertainties are seldom propagated to the metrics under study, this can lead to misinterpretation of the signal. In this study, we use an ensemble-based approach to quantify the uncertainty of the derived seasonal cycle metrics. We apply it to CO2 dry-air mole fraction time series from flask measurements in the Northern Hemisphere. We use this ensemble-based approach to analyze the carbon uptake period (CUP: the time of the year when the CO2 uptake is greater than the CO2 release): its onset, termination and duration. Previous studies have diagnosed CUP based on the dates on which the detrended, zero-centered seasonal cycle curve switches from positive to negative (the downward zero-crossing date, DZCD) and vice versa (upward zero-crossing date, UZCD). However, the UZCD is sensitive to the skewness of the CO2 seasonal cycle during the net carbon release period. Hence, we develop an alternative method proposed by Barlow et al. (2015) to estimate the onset and termination of the CUP based on a threshold defined in terms of the first derivative of the CO2 seasonal cycle. Using the ensemble approach, we arrive at a tighter constraint to the threshold by considering the annual uncertainty; we call this the ensemble of first derivative (EFD) method. Further, using the EFD approach and an additional curve-fitting algorithm, we show that (a) the uncertainty of the studied metrics is smaller using the EFD method than when approximated using the timing of the zero-crossing date (ZCD), and (b) the onset and termination dates derived with the EFD method provide more robust results, irrespective of the curve-fitting method applied to the data.

Effect of polycation coating on the long-term pulsatile release of antigenic ESAT-61–20 peptide from PLGA nanoparticles

The development of novel vaccine formulations against tuberculosis is necessary to reduce the number of new cases worldwide. Polymeric nanoparticles offer great potential as antigen delivery and immunostimulant systems for such purposes. In the study, we have encapsulated the antigenic peptide epitope of ESAT-6 protein of M. tuberculosis into PLGA nanoparticles and coated these nanoparticles with the cationic polymer of quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) (QPVP) to obtain a positively charged system as a potential nasal vaccine prototype. The produced spherical nanoparticles had hydrodynamic diameters between 180 and 240 nm with a narrow size distribution. The non-coated nanoparticle exhibited a 3–phase in vitro release profile that was completed in more than 4 months. In this release study, 5% of the peptide was released in the first 6 h and the nanoparticle remained silent until the 70th day. Then, an additional 5% of the peptide was released in 45 days. After coating the nanoparticle with QPVP, the release periods and peptide amounts dramatically changed. The antigenic peptide-loaded nanoparticles coated with the polycation stimulated the macrophages in vitro to release more nitric oxide (NO) compared to the free peptide and non-coated nanoparticle, which reveals the immunostimulant activity of the produced nanoparticle systems. The produced non-coated nanoparticles with the prolonged pulsatile release of the antigenic peptide can be used in the development of single injection self-boosting vaccine formulations. By coating these nanoparticles, both the release profile and immunogenicity can be changed.

Investigation on the performance of a by-product hydrogen-fueled spark-ignition engine with Miller cycle under various lean conditions

The direct combustion of by-product hydrogen is a promising way for reducing costs and greenhouse emissions. Coke oven gas (COG) which is mainly composed of H2, CH4 and CO is a major source of by-product hydrogen that is suitable to be adopted by internal combustion engines. This paper investigated the COG combustion in a spark-ignition engine with Miller cycle. To get an overview of by-product hydrogen combustion properties, two kinds of COG compositions with the maximum and minimum hydrogen fractions were tested. The excess air ratio (λ) was raised from stoichiometric to the lean limit to explore the capability of COG on improving the engine performance under a common-driving speed of 1500 rpm and part load conditions. The test results indicated that the engine fueled by COG with higher hydrogen fractions could gain concentrated heat release period, extended lean burn limit, reduced HC and CO2 emissions, and enhanced working capability only at ultra-lean conditions. The properly increased λ availed improving engine efficiency and lowering HC emissions. The peak indicated thermal efficiency of 38.6% was acquired at the λ of 1.2, while the lowest HC emissions of only 32 ppm was gained at the λ of 1.4. Under ultra lean conditions, NO emission dropped to near zero, and CO from the by-product hydrogen-fueled engine was negligible for all tested ranges. An interesting trend of peak pressure correlated crank angle versus λ was also found in this study.

Long-term borehole energy storage by the inlet position control for low temperature heat source application

Borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) systems are gaining attention due to their potential to efficiently store and release thermal energy. However, the conventional BTES systems often suffer from reduced efficiency under low heat source temperature conditions. This study aims to address this issue by introducing and evaluating the inlet position control method, a novel approach to enhance the BTES performance for low-temperature heat source applications. A single-cycle 3D simulation model, substantiated by experimental data from a BTES system installed in the YeonCheon region, Korea, is developed using the ANSYS Fluent program. The model investigates the heat transfer from the water heat source to the soil and compares the performance of the conventional method with the inlet position control method in terms of heat gradient contours and average temperature difference in the soil. The inlet position control method is found to improve the BTES storage efficiency by 11.90% during the early winter season of the thermal release period in the third year, compared to the conventional method. The standard deviation for simulation data is ± 1.787 with a peak error of 2.4%, indicating the effectiveness of the simulation model. Furthermore, the inlet control method enhances the BTES storage efficiency under low heat source temperature conditions and promotes faster thermal equalization, resulting in a 4.2% improvement in thermal energy release efficiency. We demonstrated the novelty of the inlet position control method in improving BTES performance and its applicability to low-temperature heat source applications. The findings have significant implications for the design and operation of future BTES systems, with the potential to expand their application in various industries and climates.

Application of watershed-scale habitat modeling and decision-support tools for reservoir reoperations in coastal northern California

Water managers must often balance the needs of both aquatic habitat and human water supply. However, they frequently only have the tools to manage water delivery alone. Existing modeling tools for habitat have gaps in providing detailed biological estimates at a watershed scale and in simulating water supply operations and habitat suitability simultaneously. A new modeling platform and calculation framework, Aquatic Habitat Assessment, was applied in a case study to quantify habitat suitability and fish passage at a watershed scale for local species of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquatic Habitat Assessment was coupled with a suite of tools, including HEC-RAS used for hydraulics, WEAP for water allocations, and Tableau for visualization. The tools ensemble was used to simulate the operations of a water utility system near San Francisco Bay in California to evaluate the effects of reservoir reoperations on both human water supply and aquatic habitat. The suite of tools was successful in bringing a range of conflicting parties to coalesce around a common solution for reservoir operations. Two sets of alternative reservoir operation schemes were developed, which largely involve higher winter and lower summer releases, aligning more closely with natural Mediterranean patterns and functional flows connected to the biological needs of local aquatic species. Results quantify tradeoffs across reservoir operation schemes, with modeled fish passage habitat suitability increased under the reservoir reoperations, but human water supply delivery decreased. The modeled spawning, incubation, and rearing habitat suitability increased during the winter release period under reoperations, but decreased during the summer release period.

Visual and Anatomical Outcomes of a Single Intravitreal Dexamethasone in Diabetic Macular Edema: An 8 Year Real-World Study.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes mellitus. Intravitreal dexamethasone is a treatment option for patients unsuitable for or non-responsive to anti-angiogenic agents. To quantify visual and anatomical outcomes from an initial intravitreal dexamethasone injection over the expected 6-month period of dexamethasone release by the implant. Design and enrolment: This is a retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records of patients reviewed between 1 January 2012 and 1 April 2022. A tertiary eye-care center in London, United Kingdom; Moorfields Eye Hospital National Healthcare System Foundation Trust. The cohort comprised 418 adult patients with DME who received an initial treatment of 700 µg intravitreal dexamethasone in the study period. Of these, 240 patients met the inclusion criteria of ≥2 hospital visits following initial injection (≥1 beyond 6 months) and no previous ocular corticosteroid treatment or missing assessment at baseline. Intravitreal dexamethasone implant (700 µg). Probability of a positive visual outcome, defined as ≥5 or ≥10 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS)-letter gain after treatment when compared to baseline (Kaplan-Meier models). From the initial intravitreal dexamethasone injection alone, we observed a >75% chance of gaining ≥5 ETDRS letters and >50% chance of gaining ≥10 ETDRS letters within 6 months. There was less than a 50% chance of sustaining either positive visual outcome beyond 4 months. Most patients can be expected to have a positive visual outcome following an initial injection of dexamethasone implants that subsides within 4 months. Real-world re-treatment was observed to be delayed until after visual benefits were lost in half of the cohort. Further research will be needed to study the effects of delays in re-treatment.

Testing and comparison of an active dry wall with PCM against a traditional dry wall in a relevant operational environment

As the building stock plays an essential role in meeting Europe’s climate target, suitable strategies are necessary for the sector transition. This paper compares two dry-multi-layer walls characterized by different compositions: one applies heat reflective insulation with Phase Change Materials (PCM), while the second uses traditional glass wool batt. The experimental tests were conducted in a retrofitted building, the VELUXlab, a multi-testing laboratory located at Politecnico di Milano University (Italy), as one of the main outputs of the TEPORE project granted by the Lombardy Region. The temperatures and Heat Flux were measured through sensors between the inner and outer surfaces of the traditional wall (Dry Wall) and the false-wall with PCM (Active Dry Wall). The goal was to compare the two technologies evaluating the performance during daytime and nighttime in the winter season. Outcomes showed the advantages of the PCM application on space heating energy needs, revealing that their integration into the false-wall decreases the temperature by 1°C for a 30-40% thermal savings in the building envelope heat losses per week during cold seasons compared to the traditional wall. The study reveals that the PCM layer reduced the peak Heat Flux by 2.67 W/m2 during the accumulation and release period.