Crystal Structure of the ZrO Phase at Zirconium/Zirconium Oxide Interfaces

Zirconium-based alloys are used in water-cooled nuclear reactors for both nuclear fuel cladding and structural components. Under this harsh environment, the main factor limiting the service life of zirconium cladding, and hence fuel burn-up efficiency, is water corrosion. This oxidation process has recently been linked to the presence of a sub-oxide phase with well-defined composition but unknown structure at the metal–oxide interface. In this paper, the combination of first-principles materials modeling and high-resolution electron microscopy is used to identify the structure of this sub-oxide phase, bringing us a step closer to developing strategies to mitigate aqueous oxidation in Zr alloys and prolong the operational lifetime of commercial fuel cladding alloys

Effect of retained chlorine in ENCAT™ 30 catalysts on the development of encapsulated Pd: insights from in situ Pd K, L₃ and Cl K-edge XAS

In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and Pd K, LIII, and Cl K-edges shows that Cl can be present in significant amounts in ENCAT™ 30 catalysts and that it can severely retard Pd nanoparticle (NP) development in flowing solvents. We also show that whilst polymeric encapsulation protects the Pd against solvent induced agglomeration of Pd nanoparticles the evidence suggests it does not prevent the formation PdHx through reaction with the aqeous ethanol solvent, and that, as received, ENCAT™ 30 NP catalysts are not, for the most part, comprised of nanoparticulate Pd0 irrespective of the presence of Cl

Dialkyldithiophosphate Acids (HDDPs) as Effective Lubricants of Sol–Gel Titania Coatings in Technical Dry Friction Conditions

The goal of this study was the investigation of the effectiveness of dialkyldithiophosphate acids (HDDPs) films in improving the tribological properties of thin, sol– gel derived titania coatings. Amorphous, anatase, and rutile titania coatings were obtained using sol–gel dip–coating deposition after treatment at 100, 500, and 1,000 C, respectively. Titania coatings were then modified from the liquid phase by HDDPs acids having dodecyl-(C12), tetradecyl-(C14), and hexadecyl-(C16) alkyl chains deposited by dip–coating (DC) and Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) methods. The influence of the deposition procedure, the length of the HDDPs alkyl chain and the type of titania substrate on the surface morphology and tribological properties were studied. It was found, using wetting contact angle measurements, that these modifications of titania coatings decrease the surface free energy and increase its hydrophobicity. The surface topography imaged by Atomic force microscopy (AFM), exhibit island-like or agglomerate features for the DC deposition method, while smooth topographies were observed for LB depositions. Tribological tests were conducted by means of a microtribometer operating in the normal load range 30–100 mN. An enhancement of tribological properties was observed upon modification, as compared to unmodified titania

Mitochondria and the regulation of free radical damage in the eye

Neuronal cell death can be determined by the overall level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from the combination of extrinsic sources and intrinsic production as a byproduct of oxidative phosphorylation. Key controllers of the intrinsic production of ROS are the mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs). By allowing a controlled leak of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane activation of these proteins can decrease ROS and promote cell survival. In both primate models of Parkinson’s disease and mouse models of seizures, increased activity of UCP2 significantly increased neuronal cells survival. In the retina UCP2 is expressed in many neurons and glial cells, but was not detected in rod photoreceptors. Retinal ganglion cell survival following excitotoxic damage was much greater in animals overexpressing UCP2. Traditional Chinese medicines, such as an extract of Cistanche tubulosa, may provide benefit by altering mitochondrial metabolism

The costs of preventing and treating chagas disease in Colombia

Background: The objective of this study is to report the costs of Chagas disease in Colombia, in terms of vector disease control programmes and the costs of providing care to chronic Chagas disease patients with cardiomyopathy. Methods: Data were collected from Colombia in 2004. A retrospective review of costs for vector control programmes carried out in rural areas included 3,084 houses surveyed for infestation with triatomine bugs and 3,305 houses sprayed with insecticide. A total of 63 patient records from 3 different hospitals were selected for a retrospective review of resource use. Consensus methodology with local experts was used to estimate care seeking behaviour and to complement observed data on utilisation. Findings: The mean cost per house per entomological survey was $4.4 (in US$ of 2004), whereas the mean cost of spraying a house with insecticide was $27. The main cost driver of spraying was the price of the insecticide, which varied greatly. Treatment of a chronic Chagas disease patient costs between$46.4 and $7,981 per year in Colombia, depending on severity and the level of care used. Combining cost and utilisation estimates the expected cost of treatment per patient-year is$1,028, whereas lifetime costs averaged $11,619 per patient. Chronic Chagas disease patients have limited access to healthcare, with an estimated 22% of patients never seeking care. Conclusion: Chagas disease is a preventable condition that affects mostly poor populations living in rural areas. The mean costs of surveying houses for infestation and spraying infested houses were low in comparison to other studies and in line with treatment costs. Care seeking behaviour and the type of insurance affiliation seem to play a role in the facilities and type of care that patients use, thus raising concerns about equitable access to care. Preventing Chagas disease in Colombia would be cost-effective and could contribute to prevent inequalities in health and healthcare.Wellcome Trus

An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a public-facing office in England.

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with an attack rate of 55% (22/40 workers) occurred at a public-facing office in England from August to September 2021. Published evidence regarding outbreaks in office workplaces remains limited. AIMS: To describe an investigation of workplace- and worker-related risk factors following an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a public-facing office. METHODS: The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) Outbreak Investigation to Understand Transmission (COVID-OUT) study undertook an investigation of the outbreak. This included surface sampling, occupational environmental assessment, molecular and serological testing of workers, and detailed questionnaires. RESULTS: Despite existing COVID-19 control measures, surface sampling conducted during a self-imposed 2-week temporary office closure identified viral contamination (10/60 samples, 17% positive), particularly in a small, shared security office (6/9, 67% positive) and on a window handle in one open-plan office. Targeted enhanced cleaning was, therefore, undertaken before the office reopened. Repeat surface sampling after this identified only one positive (2%) sample. Ventilation was deemed adequate using carbon dioxide monitoring (typically ≤1000 ppm). Twelve workers (30%) responded to the COVID-OUT questionnaire, and all had been vaccinated with two doses. One-third of respondents (4/12) reported direct physical or close contact with members of the public; of these, 75% (3/4) reported a divider/screen between themselves and members of the public. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the potential utility of surface sampling to identify SARS-CoV-2 control deficiencies and the importance of evolving, site-specific risk assessments with layered COVID-19 mitigation strategies

FaIRv2.0.0: a generalized impulse response model for climate uncertainty and future scenario exploration

Here we present an update to the FaIR model for use in probabilistic future climate and scenario exploration, integrated assessment, policy analysis, and education. In this update we have focussed on identifying a minimum level of structural complexity in the model. The result is a set of six equations, five of which correspond to the standard impulse response model used for greenhouse gas (GHG) metric calculations in the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report, plus one additional physically motivated equation to represent state-dependent feedbacks on the response timescales of each greenhouse gas cycle. This additional equation is necessary to reproduce non-linearities in the carbon cycle apparent in both Earth system models and observations. These six equations are transparent and sufficiently simple that the model is able to be ported into standard tabular data analysis packages, such as Excel, increasing the potential user base considerably. However, we demonstrate that the equations are flexible enough to be tuned to emulate the behaviour of several key processes within more complex models from CMIP6. The model is exceptionally quick to run, making it ideal for integrating large probabilistic ensembles. We apply a constraint based on the current estimates of the global warming trend to a million-member ensemble, using the constrained ensemble to make scenario-dependent projections and infer ranges for properties of the climate system. Through these analyses, we reaffirm that simple climate models (unlike more complex models) are not themselves intrinsically biased “hot” or “cold”: it is the choice of parameters and how those are selected that determines the model response, something that appears to have been misunderstood in the past. This updated FaIR model is able to reproduce the global climate system response to GHG and aerosol emissions with sufficient accuracy to be useful in a wide range of applications and therefore could be used as a lowest-common-denominator model to provide consistency in different contexts. The fact that FaIR can be written down in just six equations greatly aids transparency in such contexts

Generation and analysis of artificial warning sounds for electric scooters

•emTransit B.V (Dott) is a European mobility operator currently operating over 30,000 electric scooters in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and now the UK. The company aims to expand its UK operations and has recently won a tender for the Transport for London e-scooter trials.•Dott scooters is looking to mitigate potential safety hazards to pedestrians with the use of an Acoustics Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) for distinct e-scooter category. •This report presents the work carried out by Salford’s Acoustics Research Centre (ARC) to create a stand-alone device to generate warning sounds for Dott’s e-scooters.•This report includes:oSound generation processoAnalysis of the warning soundsoExplanation of the implementation of a subjective experimentoConclusions and recommendations for next steps, including how to optimise the sound generation system on the scooter, and how to continue the research for designing optimal warning sounds to maximise vehicle noticeability without increasing noise annoyance.•Key outputs are:oA system (including hardware and software) has been developed to generate in real time a warning sound, according to the scooter’s operating conditions (e.g., vehicle speed).oA laboratory study has been carried out to gauge pedestrian awareness of an approaching e-scooter with and without a warning sound added. Preliminary results suggest that a significant benefit, in terms of vehicle noticeability, is observed with the addition of a warning sound. Of the sounds tested, the addition of a broadband sound with modulated tones seems to be the most effective sound increasing vehicle noticeability.•The development of technologies, innovations, goods and services within the Clean Growth sector, for instance sustainable and inclusive micro-mobility, is in strategic alignment with the University of Salford

Hsp90 orchestrates transcriptional regulation by Hsf1 and cell wall remodelling by MAPK signalling during thermal adaptation in a pathogenic yeast

Acknowledgments We thank Rebecca Shapiro for creating CaLC1819, CaLC1855 and CaLC1875, Gillian Milne for help with EM, Aaron Mitchell for generously providing the transposon insertion mutant library, Jesus Pla for generously providing the hog1 hst7 mutant, and Cathy Collins for technical assistance.Peer reviewedPublisher PD