Environmental performance of miscanthus-lime lightweight concrete using life cycle assessment:Application in external wall assemblies

This is the final version. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record. In the UK context, miscanthus is a potential alternative perennial crop for the development of bio-based building materials. This paper presents the environmental benefits of using miscanthus shives in lightweight blocks and their potential application in wall assemblies. A systemic life cycle assessment (LCA) is carried out for miscanthus-lime blocks, and the effects of binder type and binder content are discussed. The environmental performance-based analysis reveals that miscanthus blocks can capture 135 kg CO eq/m for an assumed 100-years life period. The impact analysis using the University of Leiden, institute of environmental science (CML) baseline (v4.4) method shows that 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the production of mineral binders. A reduction of binder to aggregate ratio from 2.0 to 1.5 reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 32.9%. The use of 10 wt% mineral additions can potentially stabilise blocks while having little effect on their overall environmental impacts. The environmental profiles of wall systems incorporating miscanthus-lime blocks have been evaluated in this this study. Combining miscanthus blocks with fired clay bricks enables a potential low carbon retrofitting technique for the current stock of residential buildings in the UK. Timber-framed system filled with miscanthus blocks enables a carbon storage of ~97.3 kg CO eq/m , which presents a potential carbon offsetting strategy in new-build dwellings. Consideration should be given to the potential negative impacts related to agricultural activities for the production of miscanthus shives. The largest negative environmental impact was ozone layer depletion, where a relative difference of 12.8% was recorded between miscanthus timber-framed wall and a typical solid wall insulated with mineral wool. It appears that miscanthus-lime composites can substantially improve the environmental profile of wall assemblies and sustainability be applied in existing uninsulated masonry walls or incorporated in timber- framed new-build houses.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership studentshi

COVID-19-related mortality in kidney transplant and haemodialysis patients: A comparative, prospective registry-based study

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exposed haemodialysis (HD) patients and kidney transplant (KT) recipients to an unprecedented life-threatening infectious disease, raising concerns about kidney replacement therapy (KRT) strategy during the pandemic. This study investigated the association of the type of KRT with COVID-19 severity, adjusting for differences in individual characteristics. Methods: Data on KT recipients and HD patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1 February 2020 and 1 December 2020 were retrieved from the European Renal Association COVID-19 Database. Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, frailty and comorbidities were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for 28-day mortality risk in all patients and in the subsets that were tested because of symptoms. Results: A total of 1670 patients (496 functional KT and 1174 HD) were included; 16.9% of KT and 23.9% of HD patients died within 28 days of presentation. The unadjusted 28-day mortality risk was 33% lower in KT recipients compared with HD patients {HR 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52-0.85]}. In a fully adjusted model, the risk was 78% higher in KT recipients [HR 1.78 (95% CI 1.22-2.61)] compared with HD patients. This association was similar in patients tested because of symptoms [fully adjusted model HR 2.00 (95% CI 1.31-3.06)]. This risk was dramatically increased during the first post-transplant year. Results were similar for other endpoints (e.g. hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and mortality >28 days) and across subgroups. Conclusions: KT recipients had a greater risk of a more severe course of COVID-19 compared with HD patients, therefore they require specific infection mitigation strategies

Recovery of dialysis patients with COVID-19 : health outcomes 3 months after diagnosis in ERACODA

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related short-term mortality is high in dialysis patients, but longer-term outcomes are largely unknown. We therefore assessed patient recovery in a large cohort of dialysis patients 3 months after their COVID-19 diagnosis. Methods. We analyzed data on dialysis patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from 1 February 2020 to 31 March 2021 from the European Renal Association COVID-19 Database (ERACODA). The outcomes studied were patient survival, residence and functional and mental health status (estimated by their treating physician) 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Complete follow-up data were available for 854 surviving patients. Patient characteristics associated with recovery were analyzed using logistic regression. Results. In 2449 hemodialysis patients (mean ± SD age 67.5 ± 14.4 years, 62% male), survival probabilities at 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis were 90% for nonhospitalized patients (n = 1087), 73% for patients admitted to the hospital but not to an intensive care unit (ICU) (n = 1165) and 40% for those admitted to an ICU (n = 197). Patient survival hardly decreased between 28 days and 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. At 3 months, 87% functioned at their pre-existent functional and 94% at their pre-existent mental level. Only few of the surviving patients were still admitted to the hospital (0.8-6.3%) or a nursing home (∼5%). A higher age and frailty score at presentation and ICU admission were associated with worse functional outcome. Conclusions. Mortality between 28 days and 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis was low and the majority of patients who survived COVID-19 recovered to their pre-existent functional and mental health level at 3 months after diagnosis

Exponential versus IMEX high-order time integrators for thermal convection in rotating spherical shells

We assess the accuracy and efficiency of several exponential time integration methods coupled to a spectral discretization of the three-dimensional Boussinesq thermal convection equations in rotating spherical shells. Exponential methods are compared to implicit–explicit (IMEX) multi-step methods already studied previously in [1]. The results of a wide range of numerical simulations highlight the superior accuracy of exponential methods for a given time step, especially when employed with large time steps and at low Ekman number. However, presently available implementations of exponential methods appear to be in general computationally more expensive than those of IMEX methods and further research is needed to reduce their computational cost per time step. A physically justified extrapolation argument suggests that some exponential methods could be the most efficient option for integrating flows near Earthʼs outer core conditions

Exponential versus IMEX high-order time integrators for thermal convection in rotating spherical shells

We assess the accuracy and efficiency of several exponential time integration methods coupled to a spectral discretization of the three-dimensional Boussinesq thermal convection equations in rotating spherical shells. Exponential methods are compared to implicit–explicit (IMEX) multi-step methods already studied previously in [1]. The results of a wide range of numerical simulations highlight the superior accuracy of exponential methods for a given time step, especially when employed with large time steps and at low Ekman number. However, presently available implementations of exponential methods appear to be in general computationally more expensive than those of IMEX methods and further research is needed to reduce their computational cost per time step. A physically justified extrapolation argument suggests that some exponential methods could be the most efficient option for integrating flows near Earthʼs outer core conditions

Determination of the local structure of CsBi4-: XPbxTe6 (x = 0, 0.5) by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

We have studied the local structure and valence electronic unoccupied states of thermoelectric CsBi4Te6 and superconducting CsBi3.5Pb0.5Te6 (T-c similar to 3 K) by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements. The Bi-L-3 edge EXAFS reveals wide Bi-Te distance distribution for both compounds indicating complex atomic arrangements in the studied system. The mean square relative displacements (MSRDs) of the Bi-Te bond distances appear largely increased in Pb substituted system due to larger overall local disorder, however, one of the Bi-Te bonds shows a reduced disorder. On the other hand, the Bi-L-3 edge XANES is hardly affected by Pb substitution while the Te-L-1 edge XANES reveals increased density of unoccupied Te 5p states. This suggests that the carriers introduced by the Pb substitution in CsBi4-xPbxTe6 preferentially goes on Te sites. Similarly, the Cs-L-3 edge XANES also shows small changes due to Pb-substitution and reduced local disorder indicated by the reduced width of the Cs-L3 edge white line. We have also shown that the X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on various electronic core levels are in a qualitative agreement with the XANES results. These findings are consistent with carrier doping and a reduced disorder in one direction to be likely factors to drive the thermoelectric CsBi4Te6 into a bulk superconductor by Pb-substitution in CsBi4-xPbxTe6

ENTER-NET: SORVEGLIANZA DELLE INFEZIONI DA PATOGENI ENTERICI. ISOLAMENTI DI SALMONELLA SPP. DA INFEZIONI UMANE IN ITALIA NEL 2003

Enter-net Italia è la sezione nazionale della rete europea di sorveglianza per gli enterobatteri patogeni. Il sistema è coordinato dall’Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) e si avvale della partecipazione dei laboratori del Servizio Sanitario Nazionale e di una rete di laboratori regionali di riferimento. Sono qui riportati i dati relativi agli isolamenti di Salmonella spp. da casi di infezione umana effettuati nel 2003: 6187 isolamenti. Il maggior numero di essi è stato effettuato in bambini al di sotto dei 5 anni. S. Enteritidis e S. Typhimurium rappresentano i due sierotipi più frequentemente isolati. La subtipizzazione mediante lisi fagica ha mostrato che circa il 70% dei ceppi appartenenti a questi sierotipi ricade in quattro tipi fagici . Un’elevata percentuale di ceppi di S. Typhimurium presenta resistenza a 4 o più antibiotici. I risultati dimostrano che il sistema di sorveglianza Enter-net è in grado di fornire dati microbiologici utilizzabili per studiare l’epidemiologia delle infezioni da salmonella in Italia e programmare misure di prevenzione e controllo. Tuttavia il sistema presenta ancora alcune carenze nella copertura territoriale, con alcune regioni completamente mancanti, e nella completezza dei dati raccolti. Una serie di iniziative sono state avviate dall’ISS per cercare di migliorare l’efficienza della rete in tutta Italia