Advances in Corrosion-Resistant Thermal Spray Coatings for Renewable Energy Power Plants : Part II - Effect of Environment and Outlook

High-temperature corrosion of critical components such as water walls and superheater tubes in biomass/waste-fired boilers is a major challenge. A dense and defect-free thermal spray coating has been shown to be promising to achieve a high electrical/thermal efficiency in power plants. The field of thermal spraying and quality of coatings have been progressively evolving; therefore, a critical assessment of our understanding of the efficacy of coatings in increasingly aggressive operating environments of the power plants can be highly educative. The effects of composition and microstructure on high-temperature corrosion behavior of the coatings were discussed in the first part of the review. The present paper that is the second part of the review covers the emerging research field of performance assessment of thermal spray coatings in harsh corrosion-prone environments and provides a comprehensive overview of the underlying high-temperature corrosion mechanisms that lead to the damage of exposed coatings. The application of contemporary analytical methods for better understanding of the behavior of corrosion-resistant coatings is also discussed. A discussion based on an exhaustive review of the literature provides an unbiased commentary on the advanced accomplishments and some outstanding issues in the field that warrant further research. An assessment of the current status of the field, the gaps in the scientific understanding, and the research needs for the expansion of thermal spray coatings for high-temperature corrosion applications is also provided. © 2019, The Author(s)

Evaluation of prognostic risk models for postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and international external validation cohort study

Background Stratifying risk of postoperative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery allows clinicians to modify risk through targeted interventions and enhanced monitoring. In this study, we aimed to identify and validate prognostic models against a new consensus definition of postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods We did a systematic review and international external validation cohort study. The systematic review was done in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched MEDLINE and Embase on March 1, 2020, for articles published in English that reported on risk prediction models for postoperative pulmonary complications following abdominal surgery. External validation of existing models was done within a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing major abdominal surgery. Data were collected between Jan 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Discriminative ability and prognostic accuracy summary statistics were compared between models for the 30-day postoperative pulmonary complication rate as defined by the Standardised Endpoints in Perioperative Medicine Core Outcome Measures in Perioperative and Anaesthetic Care (StEP-COMPAC). Model performance was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC). Findings In total, we identified 2903 records from our literature search; of which, 2514 (86·6%) unique records were screened, 121 (4·8%) of 2514 full texts were assessed for eligibility, and 29 unique prognostic models were identified. Nine (31·0%) of 29 models had score development reported only, 19 (65·5%) had undergone internal validation, and only four (13·8%) had been externally validated. Data to validate six eligible models were collected in the international external validation cohort study. Data from 11 591 patients were available, with an overall postoperative pulmonary complication rate of 7·8% (n=903). None of the six models showed good discrimination (defined as AUROCC ≥0·70) for identifying postoperative pulmonary complications, with the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score showing the best discrimination (AUROCC 0·700 [95% CI 0·683–0·717]). Interpretation In the pre-COVID-19 pandemic data, variability in the risk of pulmonary complications (StEP-COMPAC definition) following major abdominal surgery was poorly described by existing prognostication tools. To improve surgical safety during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and beyond, novel risk stratification tools are required. Funding British Journal of Surgery Society