Energy landscapes, lowest gaps, and susceptibility of elastic manifolds at zero temperature

We study the effect of an external field on (1+1) and (2+1) dimensional elastic manifolds, at zero temperature and with random bond disorder. Due to the glassy energy landscape the configuration of a manifold changes often in abrupt, ``first order'' -type of large jumps when the field is applied. First the scaling behavior of the energy gap between the global energy minimum and the next lowest minimum of the manifold is considered, by employing exact ground state calculations and an extreme statistics argument. The scaling has a logarithmic prefactor originating from the number of the minima in the landscape, and reads $\Delta E_1 \sim L^\theta [\ln(L_z L^{-\zeta})]^{-1/2}$, where $\zeta$ is the roughness exponent and $\theta$ is the energy fluctuation exponent of the manifold, $L$ is the linear size of the manifold, and $L_z$ is the system height. The gap scaling is extended to the case of a finite external field and yields for the susceptibility of the manifolds $\chi_{tot} \sim L^{2D+1-\theta} [(1-\zeta)\ln(L)]^{1/2}$. We also present a mean field argument for the finite size scaling of the first jump field, $h_1 \sim L^{d-\theta}$. The implications to wetting in random systems, to finite-temperature behavior and the relation to Kardar-Parisi-Zhang non-equilibrium surface growth are discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

Intermittence and roughening of periodic elastic media

We analyze intermittence and roughening of an elastic interface or domain wall pinned in a periodic potential, in the presence of random-bond disorder in (1+1) and (2+1) dimensions. Though the ensemble average behavior is smooth, the typical behavior of a large sample is intermittent, and does not self-average to a smooth behavior. Instead, large fluctuations occur in the mean location of the interface and the onset of interface roughening is via an extensive fluctuation which leads to a jump in the roughness of order $\lambda$, the period of the potential. Analytical arguments based on extreme statistics are given for the number of the minima of the periodicity visited by the interface and for the roughening cross-over, which is confirmed by extensive exact ground state calculations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Extremal statistics in the energetics of domain walls

We study at T=0 the minimum energy of a domain wall and its gap to the first excited state concentrating on two-dimensional random-bond Ising magnets. The average gap scales as $\Delta E_1 \sim L^\theta f(N_z)$, where $f(y) \sim [\ln y]^{-1/2}$, $\theta$ is the energy fluctuation exponent, $L$ length scale, and $N_z$ the number of energy valleys. The logarithmic scaling is due to extremal statistics, which is illustrated by mapping the problem into the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang roughening process. It follows that the susceptibility of domain walls has also a logarithmic dependence on system size.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Performance and Functionality Based Design Methods for Improved and Novel Aircraft Engine Components for Additive Manufacturing

For aircraft engine manufacturers the technology of AM appears promising. AM provides the opportunity for a highly flexible and a cost effective part production. Furthermore AM offers new potentials and possibilities for lightweight designs. The implementation and applications of AM can be divided in three different strategic application levels. The first level includes manufacturing simple existing parts; these kinds of parts are already in production. In the second level, new design tools, such as structural optimization, are used to improve an existing part by benefiting from the new design freedom but without changing its functionality. The third level includes novel parts with new functionality. This paper presents design methods for AM parts for the second and third level: performance and solution based approach, respectively. Also the safety classification of engine parts is looked into. Step-by-step design methods are presented, accompanied by case studies that demonstrate improvement to the initial design: a light weight, topology optimized turbine guide vane (level two) and an aircraft engine casing design that has an improved tip clearance behavior under transient operating cycles (level three).Mechanical Engineerin

Susceptibility and Percolation in 2D Random Field Ising Magnets

The ground state structure of the two-dimensional random field Ising magnet is studied using exact numerical calculations. First we show that the ferromagnetism, which exists for small system sizes, vanishes with a large excitation at a random field strength dependent length scale. This {\it break-up length scale} $L_b$ scales exponentially with the squared random field, $\exp(A/\Delta^2)$. By adding an external field $H$ we then study the susceptibility in the ground state. If $L>L_b$, domains melt continuously and the magnetization has a smooth behavior, independent of system size, and the susceptibility decays as $L^{-2}$. We define a random field strength dependent critical external field value $\pm H_c(\Delta)$, for the up and down spins to form a percolation type of spanning cluster. The percolation transition is in the standard short-range correlated percolation universality class. The mass of the spanning cluster increases with decreasing $\Delta$ and the critical external field approaches zero for vanishing random field strength, implying the critical field scaling (for Gaussian disorder) $H_c \sim (\Delta -\Delta_c)^\delta$, where $\Delta_c = 1.65 \pm 0.05$ and $\delta=2.05\pm 0.10$. Below $\Delta_c$ the systems should percolate even when H=0. This implies that even for H=0 above $L_b$ the domains can be fractal at low random fields, such that the largest domain spans the system at low random field strength values and its mass has the fractal dimension of standard percolation $D_f = 91/48$. The structure of the spanning clusters is studied by defining {\it red clusters}, in analogy to the ``red sites'' of ordinary site-percolation. The size of red clusters defines an extra length scale, independent of $L$.Comment: 17 pages, 28 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Developing LCA-based benchmarks for sustainable consumption - for and with users

This article presents the development process of a consumer-oriented, illustrative benchmarking tool enabling consumers to use the results of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) to make informed decisions. Active and environmentally conscious consumers and environmental communicators were identified as key target groups for this type of information. A brochure presenting the benchmarking tool was developed as an participatory, iterative process involving consumer focus groups, stakeholder workshops and questionnaire-based feedback. In addition to learning what works and what does not, detailed suggestions on improved wording and figures were obtained, as well as a wealth of ideas for future applications

Evaluation of bis-GMA/MMA resin adhesion to silica-coated and silanized titanium

The effects of pH value and alcohol solvent type of a silane solution on the bonding of an experimental resin to the silica-coated titanium (Ti) surface were studied. First, Ti surfaces underwent tribochemical Rocatec ™ treatment followed by silanization of the surface with 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). Then, resin stubs based on a mixture of bisphenol-A-glycidyl dimethacrylate and methyl methacrylate were bonded and light-cured onto each silica-coated Ti surface (n = 6 per group). Two different solvents for MPS, namely iso-propanol (i-PrOH)/H2O and ethanol (EtOH)/H2O were used, at pH values of 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5, and shear bond strengths were tested both under dry storage conditions and after water sorption induced by accelerated aging (i.e. thermo-cycling). The shear bond strengths were also re-determined after the silane solutions had been stored at 4°C for 15 weeks before the silanization step. For dry samples, the shear bond strengths ranged from 7.5 to 10.6 MPa (ANOVA, p < 0.05) when the Ti surface had been silanized with MPS in i-PrOH/H2O, and from 6.5 to 12.4 MPa (ANOVA, p < 0.05) when the Ti surface had been silanized with MPS in EtOH/H2O at pH 4.5. Fifteen weeks of storage of the silane solution increased the shear bond strength of dry samples by ca. 1-4 MPa per test group. In contrast, thermo-cycling reduced the shear bond strength in both solvent systems. The weight of the test sample stubs increased by ca. 3.5 wt% after 187 days of being subjected to the water sorption test. © 2009 VSP.postprin

Predictors of response to pharmacological treatments in treatment-resistant schizophrenia - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: As the burden of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) on patients and society is high it is important to identify predictors of response to medications in TRS. The aim was to analyse whether baseline patient and study characteristics predict treatment response in TRS in drug trials. Methods: A comprehensive search strategy completed in PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science helped identify relevant studies. The studies had to meet the following criteria: English language clinical trial of pharmacological treatment of TRS, clear definition of TRS and response, percentage of response reported, at least one baseline characteristic presented, and total sample size of at least 15. Meta-regression techniques served to explore whether baseline characteristics predict response to medication in TRS. Results: 77 articles were included in the systematic review. The overall sample included 7546 patients, of which 41% achieved response. Higher positive symptom score at baseline predicted higher response percentage. None of the other baseline patient or study characteristics achieved statistical significance at predicting response. When analysed in groups divided by antipsychotic drugs, studies of clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics produced the highest response rate. Conclusions: This meta-analytic review identified surprisingly few baseline characteristics that predicted treatment response. However, higher positive symptoms and the use of atypical antipsychotics - particularly clozapine -was associated with the greatest likelihood of response. The difficulty involved in the prediction of medication response in TRS necessitates careful monitoring and personalised medication management. There is a need for more investigations of the predictors of treatment response in TRS.Peer reviewe

Routine wastewater-based monitoring of antibiotic resistance in two Finnish hospitals : focus on carbapenem resistance genes and genes associated with bacteria causing hospital-acquired infections

Background: Wastewater-based monitoring represents a useful tool for antibiotic resist-ance surveillance. Aim: To investigate the prevalence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in hospital wastewater over time. Methods: Wastewater from two hospitals in Finland (HUS1 and HUS2) was monitored weekly for nine weeks (weeks 25-33) in summer 2020. A high-throughput real-time poly-merization chain reaction (HT-qPCR) system was used to detect and quantify 216 ARGs and genes associated with mobile genetic elements (MGEs), integrons, and bacteria causing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), as well as the 16S rRNA gene. Data from HT-qPCR were analysed and visualized using a novel digital platform, ResistApp. Eight carbapenem resistance genes (blaGES, blaKPC, blaVIM, blaNDM, blaCMY, blaMOX, blaOXA48, and blaOXA51) and three genes associated with bacteria causing HAIs (Acinetobacter bau-mannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were studied. Findings: There was a significantly higher number of ARGs at both hospitals in weeks 27-30 (174-191 genes) compared to other sampling weeks (151-171 genes). Our analyses also indicated that the two hospitals, which used different amounts of antibiotics, had significantly different resistance gene profiles. Carbapenem resistance genes were more prevalent and abundant in HUS1 than HUS2. Across both hospitals, blaGES and blaVIM were the most prevalent and abundant. There was also a strong positive association between blaKPC and K. pneumoniae in HUS1 wastewater. Conclusion: Routine wastewater-based monitoring using ResistApp can provide valuable information on the prevalence and abundance of ARGs in hospitals. This helps hospitals understand the spread of antibiotic resistance in hospitals and identify potential areas for intervention. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Healthcare Infection Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer reviewe

Corrigendum to "Geomagnetic activity related NOx enhancements and polar surface air temperature variability in a chemistry climate model: modulation of the NAM index" published in Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 4521–4531, 2011

No abstract available