Consumer Law and Policy Relating to Change of Circumstances Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

An unprecedented number of consumer problems has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, not least with regard to refunds of prepayments and the ability of consumers to keep up their monthly payments under loan and rental agreements. Based on a notion of societal force majeure sketched in this paper, we propose guiding principles in respect of the introduction of moratoria on recurring payments, the use of refunds or vouchers in respect of prepayments, and associated enforcement challenges. This analysis draws on experiences around the globe.Non peer reviewe

Genetic dissection of the relationships between grain yield components by genome-wide association mapping in a collection of tetraploid wheats

Increasing grain yield potential in wheat has been a major target of most breeding programs. Genetic advance has been frequently hindered by negative correlations among yield components that have been often observed in segregant populations and germplasm collections. A tetraploid wheat collection was evaluated in seven environments and genotyped with a 90K SNP assay to identify major and stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain yield per spike (GYS), kernel number per spike (KNS) and thousand-kernel weight (TKW), and to analyse the genetic relationships between the yield components at QTL level. The genome-wide association analysis detected eight, eleven and ten QTL for KNS, TKW and GYS, respectively, significant in at least three environments or two environments and the mean across environments. Most of the QTL for TKW and KNS were found located in different marker intervals, indicating that they are genetically controlled independently by each other. Out of eight KNS QTL, three were associated to significant increases of GYS, while the increased grain number of five additional QTL was completely or partially compensated by decreases in grain weight, thus producing no or reduced effects on GYS. Similarly, four consistent and five suggestive TKW QTL resulted in visible increase of GYS, while seven additional QTL were associated to reduced effects in grain number and no effects on GYS. Our results showed that QTL analysis for detecting TKW or KNS alleles useful for improving grain yield potential should consider the pleiotropic effects of the QTL or the association to other QTLs

Flexural behavior of balsa wood cores reinforced with inorganic carbon composite AFFORDABLE MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY-PLATFORM TO GLOBAL VALUE AND PERFORMANCE

High strength carbon fiber sheets were laminated onto lightweight balsa cores to obtain rigid and high strength sandwich beams. The inorganic matrix, called Geopolymer, cures at room temperature and is resistant up to 1000degreesC. The primary variables investigated were the thickness of the balsa wood core and the amount and type of carbon reinforcement on the facings. Sixty beams were tested in flexure to determine the static load-defloction response of this sandwich composite. The results and analysis indicate that the composite sandwich panels are viable in terms of fabrication and bond between the inorganic polymer and the balsa wood core, The system offers a lightweight fire-resistant structural component, The beams were analyzed as reinforced wood beams using the concepts of reinforced concrete. The results indicate that load-bearing beams and slabs can be designed to satisfy a specified load requirement

Strengthening of masonry walls with high strength fibers and inorganic matrix

High strength carbon and glass fiber composites are being used to strengthen various types of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. They are also being evaluated for strengthening of unreinforced masonry walls to improve their lateral and shear resistance. There is a critical need for this type of rehabilitation for structures located in earthquake prone areas and other locations that suffer natural disasters such as hurricanes. High strength organic matrix compounds have a number of advantages including high specific strength and resistance to corrosion. However, they are not fire-resistant. This deficiency becomes more important in buildings because fire not only reduces the effectiveness of the strengthening but could also result in toxic fumes. The results presented in this paper deal with the use of an inorganic matrix for strengthening concrete blocks. The matrix can withstand temperatures up to 1000 deg C and does not produce any fumes. Prismatic members cut from commercially available concrete blocks were strengthened with alkali resistant glass, E-glass, and carbon fibers and fabrics. The strengthened prisms were tested in flexure to evaluate the improvements in strength, stiffness, and toughness. The results indicate that all three types of fibers can be effectively used to improve the performance of concrete blocks. As expected, carbon fibers provide better reinforcement

Comparison of Strain Measurement Techniques for the Characterization of Brittle, Cementitious Matrix Composites

Five strain measurement methodologies are described and experimentally compared based on their performance to measure axial strain of brittle matrix composite materials under uniaxial tensile loading, and setup requirements.A clip-on extensometer, electrical strain gages, a laser extensometer, and two Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques (edge detection of a painted rectangle and speckle interferometry), are the focus of this investigation. The composite is a novel, fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) system intended for strengthening concrete structures. Instrumentation is not standardized for testing of FRCM materials, so this study is particularly relevant for this field. Results indicate that for this class of composite, both the laser and clip-on extensometers arewell suited for strain measurement,while strain gage measurements are only valid prior to the onset of cracking. Poor results obtained using the DIC technologies are likely attributable to out-of-plane displacement due to specimen curvature and fiber straightening during testing

Fire protection of flammable materials utilizing geopolymer

For many years, sandwich structures have been utilized throughout the aerospace and shipbuilding industry. One of the efficient configurations of sandwich structures is fiber reinforced polymer (FPP) facings laminated onto a balsa wood core. This configuration provides both high specific strength and high specific stiffness. The major disadvantage of this system is the flammability of the organic polymers used for binding the fiber facings to the balsa wood core. Balsa wood itself is susceptible to fire but does not generate toxins. The results reported in this paper deal with the fire performance of balsa sandwich panels made using an inorganic polymer matrix known as Geopolymer This polymer can be formulated to cure at room temperature and is resistant up to 1000C By combining this matrix with a lightweight glass powder a fire-resistant paste was formulated Two layers of a woven carbon and glass fabric were applied to the balsa core followed by varying thicknesses of a fire-resistant Geopolymer glass paste to serve as afire barrier. Seventeen sandwich panels were fabricated and tested using the Heat Release Rate Test and the Smoke Test for Cabin Materials to measure the heat release rates and smoke generating characteristics, respectively. The added weight of the insulation was one of the variables since the weight of aerospace composites is a critical design factor The results indicate that a 2 mm layer of the Geopolymer glass coating is more than sufficient to meet the FAA requirements. The maximum heat release rate of 171 kW/m2 for plain balsa decreased to 53 kW/m2, well below the limit of 65 kW/m2 set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration. The sandwich facings alone were more than adequate in allowing the structure to pass the Smoke Test with a four minute specific optical density of 41, compared to the FAA limit of 200. The system is simple and easy to manufacture, results in very little increase in weight, and provides an effective solution for the protection of flammable materials