Lithium ion battery value chain and related opportunities for Europe

Outline of automotive Li-ion battery value chain identifying current market volumes, leaders and status of the EU industry. The EU industry is far from being self-sufficient in all segments of the value chain. R&I investment are essential to respond to new opportunities presented by the EV market.JRC.C.1-Energy Storag

EU Competitiveness in Advanced Li-ion Batteries for E-Mobility and Stationary Storage Applications – Opportunities and Actions

Projected global demand for Li-ion batteries for mobility and stationary storage applications will exceed currently available and known planned production capacities already in the near future. Conditions for establishing a globally competitive Li-ion battery value chain in the EU are identified and enabling measures that the Commission can deploy are proposed.JRC.C.1-Energy Storag

A Compliant Robotic Leg Based on Fibre Jamming

Humans possess a remarkable ability to react to unpredictable perturbations through immediate mechanical responses, which harness the visco-elastic properties of muscles to maintain balance. Inspired by this behaviour, we propose a novel design of a robotic leg utilising fibre jammed structures as passive compliant mechanisms to achieve variable joint stiffness and damping. We developed multi-material fibre jammed tendons with tunable mechanical properties, which can be 3D printed in one-go without need for assembly. Through extensive numerical simulations and experimentation, we demonstrate the usefulness of these tendons for shock absorbance and maintaining joint stability. We investigate how they could be used effectively in a multi-joint robotic leg by evaluating the relative contribution of each tendon to the overall stiffness of the leg. Further, we showcase the potential of these jammed structures for legged locomotion, highlighting how morphological properties of the tendons can be used to enhance stability in robotic legs.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, IEEE Transactions on Robotic

Nurse’s Awareness of Hearing Impaired Patients’ Communication Needs

Anecdotal evidence suggests that most nursing school curricula do not provide formal training regarding the communication needs of hearing impaired patients. There is also a lack of continuing education opportunities related to hearing impaired patients and/or hearing devices to maintain nursing licensure. This project surveyed nurses’ self-acknowledged skills and awareness of special communication needs associated with hearing impaired patients at a medical center who may or may not wear hearing aids or have cochlear implants. The survey (Appendix I) consisted of two demographic statements and ten knowledge/skill statements developed by the authors. Given the rapidly growing population of aging hearing impaired individuals and the associated increase in hospitalization of the aging population, along with the findings of the survey conducted in this project, there is sufficient evidence to consider the inclusion of the communication needs of the hearing impaired patient in the nursing curriculum. Specific findings and recommendations are discussed

Research with schools on the early implementation of Curriculum for Wales: Wave 1 report

This report presents research conducted with schools on the early implementation of Curriculum for Wales. The research aims to undertake two waves of qualitative research during academic year 2022/23 to understand how the curriculum and assessment reforms are working for practitioners and learners in schools and settings, and the barriers and facilitators to successful implementation. The research informs the support that the Welsh Government and its partners are putting in place to maximise success. This report contains the findings of the first wave of qualitative research with 64 senior leaders in schools and Pupil Referral Units carried out on behalf of the Welsh Government between November 2022 to January 2023. A report detailing findings of a second wave of interviews with senior leaders, as well as fieldwork with learners, will be published later in 2023

Research on the early implementation of Curriculum for Wales: Wave 2 report

This report presents findings of the second wave (Wave 2) of qualitative research with 62 senior leaders in schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) carried out by Arad Research and the Open University in Wales. The aim of this research was to undertake two waves of qualitative research during academic year 2022/23 to understand how the curriculum and assessment reforms were working for practitioners and learners in schools and settings, and the barriers and facilitators to successful implementation. This report follows on from the Wave 1 report, which presented findings of the first round of interviews with senior leaders. In addition to presenting findings from follow-up interviews with senior leaders, it also presents evidence from fieldwork with groups of learners in primary and secondary schools, outlining their experiences of curriculum delivery during the academic year 2022/23

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Improving Safety and Performance Testing for EV Batteries

Alfons Westgeest and Lois Brett will present on the mutual activities of EUROBAT – the Association of European Automotive and Industrial Battery Manufacturers – and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) to improve the standardization framework for safety and performance testing for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries. EUROBAT and the JRC began formal cooperation in 2012 to support the JRC Institute for Energy and Transport’s (IET) battery energy storage testing for safe electric transport (BESTEST) activity. The BESTEST programme was initiated after the JRC-IET signed a letter of intent for closer cooperation with the US Department of Energy (DoE) on EVs and SmartGrids during a meeting of the EU-US Transatlantic Economic Community (TEC) in 2011. It contributes to the TEC’s overarching objective to remove regulatory and standardization barriers between both countries, which could otherwise impede the broad commercialization of (H)EVs. JRC-IET’s BESTEST activity will provide impartial and balanced scientific evidence to ensure that European standardisation supports legislation and policies on clean transport. BESTEST's role in the transatlantic letter of intent is to accelerate the electrification of transport by contributing to the development of harmonised testing methodologies and global standards specifically related to EV batteries. Through these activities BESTEST will ultimately facilitate technology development and innovation thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of European industry.JRC.F.2-Cleaner energ