Fireside corrosion degradation of ferritic alloys at 600°C in oxy-fired conditions

This paper reports the results of a study carried out to investigate the effects of simulated coal/biomass combustion conditions on the fireside corrosion. The 1000 h deposit recoat exposure (5 × 200 h cycles) was carried out at 600 °C. In these tests ferritic alloys were used 15Mo3, T22, T23 and T91. Kinetics data were generated for the alloys exposed using both traditional weight change methods and metal loss measurements. The highest rate of corrosion based on EDX results occurred under D1 deposit where provoke mainly by the formation of alkali iron tri-sulphate phase

Trade issues background paper: The impact of dumping on trade in fisheries products

Put simply, dumping is the exporting of produce at less than production cost to the material detriment of competitor industries in the importing country. The recourse by the plaintiff – the importing country - is to impose import bans and/or compensating duties (duty orders) on the rogue products in legitimate protection of their own industry – i.e. a re-levelling of the playing field. These are called Anti- Dumping Measures (ADMs). Theoretically this is a technical issue that should be subject to economic logic and legal argument. In practice it is highly political, can be arbitrary and is often raised at the behest of an industry finding its self-unable to compete for harsh but fair economic reasons

Development and test results of a readout chip for the GERDA experiment

This paper describes the F-CSA104 architecture and its measurement results. The F-CSA104 is for γ spectroscopy with Ge detectors. It is a low noise, fully integrated, four channel XFAB 0.6μm CMOS technology ASIC, that has been developed for the GERDA experiment. Each channel contains a charge sensitive preamplifier (CSA) followed by a 11.7MHz differential line driver. It has been particularly designed to operate in liquid argon (T = 87K/-186°C) and to have a measuring sensitivity of 660e- with an ENC of 110e-, after offline filtering with 10μs shaping, when connected to a 30pF load. Special techniques are used to improve the SNR such as a large input PMOS FET, an integrated 500MΩ CSA feedback resistor and a noise degeneration drain resistor

Mechanical suppression of osteolytic bone metastases in advanced breast cancer patients: A randomised controlled study protocol evaluating safety, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of exercise as a targeted medicine

Background: Skeletal metastases present a major challenge for clinicians, representing an advanced and typically incurable stage of cancer. Bone is also the most common location for metastatic breast carcinoma, with skeletal lesions identified in over 80% of patients with advanced breast cancer. Preclinical models have demonstrated the ability of mechanical stimulation to suppress tumour formation and promote skeletal preservation at bone sites with osteolytic lesions, generating modulatory interference of tumour-driven bone remodelling. Preclinical studies have also demonstrated anti-cancer effects through exercise by minimising tumour hypoxia, normalising tumour vasculature and increasing tumoural blood perfusion. This study proposes to explore the promising role of targeted exercise to suppress tumour growth while concomitantly delivering broader health benefits in patients with advanced breast cancer with osteolytic bone metastases. Methods: This single-blinded, two-armed, randomised and controlled pilot study aims to establish the safety, feasibility and efficacy of an individually tailored, modular multi-modal exercise programme incorporating spinal isometric training (targeted muscle contraction) in 40 women with advanced breast cancer and stable osteolytic spinal metastases. Participants will be randomly assigned to exercise or usual medical care. The intervention arm will receive a 3-month clinically supervised exercise programme, which if proven to be safe and efficacious will be offered to the control-arm patients following study completion. Primary endpoints (programme feasibility, safety, tolerance and adherence) and secondary endpoints (tumour morphology, serum tumour biomarkers, bone metabolism, inflammation, anthropometry, body composition, bone pain, physical function and patient-reported outcomes) will be measured at baseline and following the intervention. Discussion: Exercise medicine may positively alter tumour biology through numerous mechanical and nonmechanical mechanisms. This randomised controlled pilot trial will explore the preliminary effects of targeted exercise on tumour morphology and circulating metastatic tumour biomarkers using an osteolytic skeletal metastases model in patients with breast cancer. The study is principally aimed at establishing feasibility and safety. If proven to be safe and feasible, results from this study could have important implications for the delivery of this exercise programme to patients with advanced cancer and sclerotic skeletal metastases or with skeletal lesions present in haematological cancers (such as osteolytic lesions in multiple myeloma), for which future research is recommended. Trial registration: anzctr.org.au, ACTRN-12616001368426. Registered on 4 October 2016

Multimodal exercise in older patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy: A case series examining feasibility and preliminary efficacy

Purpose. Exercise is emerging as an adjunct therapy to cancer treatment; however, its role in older patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy is unclear. The aim of this study was to primarily provide evidence on feasibility with an exploratory examination of the initial efficacy of exercise in this clinical setting. Materials and Methods. Six patients aged 60–75 years with de novo or recurrent advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy consented to participate in twice-weekly exercise that included resistance and aerobic training and boxing-related activities for up to 12 weeks. Patients were monitored for attendance, adherence, and adverse events. Body composition, muscle strength, functional ability, patient-reported outcome measures, and patient-reported experience measures were assessed at baseline and/or postintervention. Results. Of the 6 patients, 1 withdrew after baseline testing and 5 attended 42%–95% of planned sessions and adhered to 28%–83% of the prescribed exercise. There were no serious exercise-emergent adverse events. All 5 patients increased or maintained lean mass (0.1%–4.4%) and 4 reduced fat mass (−0.4%–−8.6%). Improvements were observed in 4 or all 5 patients for muscle strength (7.1%–75%), 5 times sit-to-stand (1.3%–21.4%), 6-m backward walk (16.5%–35.8%), and patient-reported outcomes. Furthermore, all patients perceived exercise as very helpful in managing their cancer and expressed a strong willingness to continue exercise in the future. Conclusion. A multimodal exercise program appears feasible with potential physical and psychological benefits for older patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy. Further research including a larger sample size is warranted

Feasibility of Presurgical Exercise in Men with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Prostatectomy

Background: Prostatectomy is associated with short- and long-term morbidity, which includes attenuation of muscle function and deterioration of lean body mass. Physical function is a known predictor of morbidity and mortality, with initial evidence indicating that presurgical exercise is associated with fewer postsurgical complications and shorter hospitalization. The aim was to determine the feasibility of a supervised presurgical exercise program for prostate cancer (PCa) patients scheduled for prostatectomy. Methods: Ten men (68+6.4 years old) with localized PCa undertook a 6-week resistance and aerobic exercise program prior surgery. Training was undertaken twice weekly and patients were assessed at baseline, presurgery, and 6 weeks postsurgery. Outcome measures included muscle and physical performance, body composition, urinary incontinence and questionnaire. Results: Muscle strength increased by 7.5% to 24.3% (P \u3c .05) from baseline to presurgery but decreased to pretraining levels postsurgery, except for knee extensor strength (P =.247). There were significant improvements (P \u3c .05) in the 6-m fast walk (9.3%), 400-m walk (7.4%), and chair rise (12.3%) at presurgery. Following surgery, improvements in physical performance were maintained. There was no change in lean or fat mass prior to surgery, but lean mass declined by 2.7 kg (P =.014) following surgery. There were no adverse effects from the exercise program. Conclusions: Exercise undertaken prior to prostatectomy improved muscle and physical performance, with functional benefits maintained 6 weeks postsurgery. Presurgical exercise for PCa patients has the potential to facilitate recovery by improving physical reserve capacity, especially in men with poor muscle nd physical performance

Effect of exercise adjunct to radiation and androgen deprivation therapy on patient-reported treatment toxicity in men with prostate cancer: A secondary analysis of 2 randomized controlled trials

Purpose: Physical inactivity, in addition to clinical factors, has been associated with higher levels of late pelvic symptoms in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) after radiation therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a structured multicomponent exercise program comprised of aerobic and resistance training as well as impact loading on the prevalence and severity of symptoms commonly resulting from androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and pelvic radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: We performed a secondary analysis of pooled data from 2 randomized controlled trials that investigated the role of exercise on treatment-related side effects in patients with PCa receiving ADT. Patients were included in the analysis if they had undergone radiation therapy during the intervention in addition to ADT. Patient-reported quality of life and functional and symptom scales were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and PR25 before and after 6 months of exercise or usual care (UC). Results: One-hundred and fifteen patients with PCa receiving ADT, aged 47 to 84 years, who also underwent radiation therapy were included in the analysis (exercise, n = 72; UC, n = 43). There was a significant reduction in physical functioning (P = .019) and increased fatigue (P = .007) in the control group, with no change observed in the exercise group. Similarly, there was a trend toward reduced sexual activity in the control group (P = .064), with a mean adjusted change of -7.1 points. Furthermore, the prevalence of clinically important pain at 6 months was lower in the exercise group compared with UC (18.1 vs 37.2%, P = .022). No between-group differences were found for urinary (P = .473) or hormonal treatment-related symptoms (P = .552). Conclusions: Exercise during concomitant hormone and radiation treatment for men with PCa may mitigate some adverse changes in patient-reported fatigue, physical functioning, and possibly sexual activity. The promotion and provision of exercise to counter a range of treatment-related adverse effects in patients with PCa undergoing radiation therapy and ADT should be actively encouraged

Nationwide industry-led community exercise program for men with locally advanced, relapsed, or metastatic prostate cancer on androgen-deprivation therapy

Purpose Androgen-deprivation therapy in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) is associated with considerable side effects and secondary comorbidities such as overweight/obesity and cardiovascular disease. The aim of thisstudy was to investigate the effectiveness of an industry-led, treatment-integrated, community-based exercise program on outcomes of body weight, cardiovascular health, and physical function. Patients and Methods PCa patients with locally advanced, relapsed, or metastatic disease receiving leuprorelin acetate were enrolled across multiple sites in Australia and assigned supervised group exercise undertaken weekly or biweekly (ie, 16 exercise sessions in total) for 10-18 weeks, consisting of aerobic and resistance training performed at moderate-to-vigorous intensity. Results Between 2014 and 2020, 760 participants completed the baseline and follow-up assessment. Participants were age 48-94 years, and most were either overweight (42.1%) or obese (38.1%). Program compliance was high, with 90% of participants completing all 16 exercise sessions. There was a small but significant reduction in waist circumference (–0.9 cm; 95% CI [–1.2 to –0.5]; P \u3c .001) and no change in weight or body mass index. Systolic (–3.7 mmHg; 95% CI [–4.8 to –2.6]; P \u3c .001) and diastolic (–1.7 mmHg; 95% CI [–2.3 to –1.0]; P \u3c .001) blood pressure were significantly lower after the program. Furthermore, significant improvements were seen in cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength (P \u3c .001). For most of the investigated outcomes, participants with poorer initial measures had the greatest benefit from participating in the program. Conclusion The community exercise program was feasible and effective in preventing weight gain, reducing blood pressure, and improving physical function in patients with PCa on androgen-deprivation therapy

Roughness-induced critical phenomena in a turbulent flow

I present empirical evidence that turbulent flows are closely analogous to critical phenomena, from a reanalysis of friction factor measurements in rough pipes. The data collapse found here corresponds to Widom scaling near critical points, and implies that a full understanding of turbulence requires explicit accounting for boundary roughness

Exercise medicine for cancer cachexia: Targeted exercise to counteract mechanisms and treatment side-effects

Purpose: Cancer-induced muscle wasting (i.e., cancer cachexia, CC) is a common and devastating syndrome that results in the death of more than 1 in 5 patients. Although primarily a result of elevated inflammation, there are multiple mechanisms that complement and amplify one another. Research on the use of exercise to manage CC is still limited, while exercise for CC management has been recently discouraged. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding that exercise is not a single medicine, but mode, type, dosage, and timing (exercise prescription) have distinct health outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine the effects of these modes and subtypes to identify the most optimal form and dosage of exercise therapy specific to each underlying mechanism of CC. Methods: The relevant literatures from MEDLINE and Scopus databases were examined. Results: Exercise can counteract the most prominent mechanisms and signs of CC including muscle wasting, increased protein turnover, systemic inflammation, reduced appetite and anorexia, increased energy expenditure and fat wasting, insulin resistance, metabolic dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, hypogonadism, impaired oxidative capacity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cancer treatments side-effects. There are different modes of exercise, and each mode has different sub-types that induce vastly diverse changes when performed over multiple sessions. Choosing suboptimal exercise modes, types, or dosages can be counterproductive and could further contribute to the mechanisms of CC without impacting muscle growth. Conclusion: Available evidence shows that patients with CC can safely undertake higher-intensity resistance exercise programs, and benefit from increases in body mass and muscle mass