The behavior of multilayer ceramic protections at quick thermal shock

Protective layers of “hot parts” of the turbo engines as well as co-generative systems of energy industry are exposed to a combination of wear factors which may act together at high values.The main goal of the paper is the behavior of some advanced layers, duplex and triplex, multifunctional, ceramics in relation to the most complex wear factor and disturbing as well, the quick thermal shock.The quick thermal shock test installation designed and constructed by the INCAS covers the domain of some high gradients of heating/cooling and is currently integrated in a network of European infrastructure that evaluates the properties of functional layers for turbo engines.Micro-structure inter- and intra- facial changes gradually induced in ceramic structures are highlighted and on this basis their ranking and selection for application on physical parts are established

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Dietary Phytoestrogens and Their Metabolites as Epigenetic Modulators with Impact on Human Health

The impact of dietary phytoestrogens on human health has been a topic of continuous debate since their discovery. Nowadays, based on their presumptive beneficial effects, the amount of phytoestrogens consumed in the daily diet has increased considerably worldwide. Thus, there is a growing need for scientific data regarding their mode of action in the human body. Recently, new insights of phytoestrogens&rsquo; bioavailability and metabolism have demonstrated an inter-and intra-population heterogeneity of final metabolites&rsquo; production. In addition, the phytoestrogens may have the ability to modulate epigenetic mechanisms that control gene expression. This review highlights the complexity and particularity of the metabolism of each class of phytoestrogens, pointing out the diversity of their bioactive gut metabolites. Futhermore, it presents emerging scientific data which suggest that, among well-known genistein and resveratrol, other phytoestrogens and their gut metabolites can act as epigenetic modulators with a possible impact on human health. The interconnection of dietary phytoestrogens&rsquo; consumption with gut microbiota composition, epigenome and related preventive mechanisms is discussed. The current challenges and future perspectives in designing relevant research directions to explore the potential health benefits of dietary phytoestrogens are also explored

INCAS QUICK THERMAL TEST SHOCK INSTALLATION - QTS1

From the assembly of the wear factors which act on the “hot parts” of the turbo engines,respectively on the protective coatings, the thermal shock acts the most perturbing.The behavior of the materials at thermal shock is evaluated at present on unique installations,constructive and methodical different, in the specialized laboratories of the materialsmanufacturer, protective coatings included as well as of those specialized in testing.The thermal test shock installation conceived by INCAS and achieved in collaboration with INCDTCOMOTI for testing of the materials at thermal shock, especially those from the aerospatialdomain, represents a versatile construction, in progress in comparison with those known.The QTS1 - quick thermal test shock installation assures with reproducible results the materialevaluation in the heating and cooling speed conditions up to 100°C/s at heating and 60ºC/s atcooling, situations which correspond to the extreme functional conditions of the turbo engines,space shuttle, cogenerative systems, etc

The oxidation behavior of classical thermal barrier coatings exposed to extreme temperature

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are designed to protect metal surfaces from extreme temperatures and improve their resistance to oxidation during service. Currently, the most commonly used systems are those that have the TBC structure bond coat (BC) / top coat (TC) layers. The top coat layer is a ceramic layer. Oxidation tests are designed to identify the dynamics of the thermally oxide layer (TGO) growth at the interface of bond coat / top coat layers, delamination mechanism and the TBC structural changes induced by thermal conditions. This paper is a short study on the evolution of aluminum oxide protective layer along with prolonged exposure to the testing temperature. There have been tested rectangular specimens of metal super alloy with four surfaces coated with a duplex thermal barrier coating system. The specimens were microscopically and EDAX analyzed before and after the tests. In order to determine the oxide type, the samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction. The results of the investigation are encouraging for future studies. The results show a direct relationship between the development of the oxide layer and long exposure to the test temperature. Future research will focus on changing the testing temperature to compare the results

Analysis of the Dynamics of Productive Performance of Organic Farming in the European Union

This research is focused on identifying the potential of organic farming by testing the efficiency of productive yields and identifying pragmatic means to quantify it such as the function of the productive yield of organic farming. The results of the study are concretized in the definition of a new tool (the organic productivity function) and its testing in order to capture the evolution of organic farming in relation to external influencing factors (economic and epidemiological crises) during the analyzed period and the influence of support measures adopted at European level. The study is useful to national and supranational decision makers for adjusting organic agriculture development strategies

Analysis of the Dynamics of Productive Performance of Organic Farming in the European Union

This research is focused on identifying the potential of organic farming by testing the efficiency of productive yields and identifying pragmatic means to quantify it such as the function of the productive yield of organic farming. The results of the study are concretized in the definition of a new tool (the organic productivity function) and its testing in order to capture the evolution of organic farming in relation to external influencing factors (economic and epidemiological crises) during the analyzed period and the influence of support measures adopted at European level. The study is useful to national and supranational decision makers for adjusting organic agriculture development strategies

The Dynamics of the Implementation of Organic Farming in Romania

Organic farming is a branch of interest in the context of the global economy oriented at reducing pollution, increasing food quality and reducing the impact on the environment. The objective of this research is to identify the main components of organic farming in Romania and their dynamics in the period 2010–2020 to identify changes in agricultural policy elements with an impact on the development strategy of Romanian agriculture in the medium term. The methodology used aims at the analytical and empirical research of the changes in the agricultural policy in the period 2010–2020 and the quantification of a statistical tool to evaluate the impact of these changes in the development of organic farming. The results are useful for decision makers to adopt viable medium-term strategies for organic farming

Vaccine mRNA Can Be Detected in Blood at 15 Days Post-Vaccination

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines effectively reduce incidence of severe disease, hospitalisation and death. The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the mRNA-containing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in these vaccines are unknown in humans. In this study, we used qPCR to track circulating mRNA in blood at different time-points after BNT162b2 vaccination in a small cohort of healthy individuals. We found that vaccine-associated synthetic mRNA persists in systemic circulation for at least 2 weeks. Furthermore, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate SARS-CoV-2 spike protein expression in human leukemic cells and in primary mononuclear blood cells treated in vitro with the BNT162b2 vaccine. TEM revealed morphological changes suggestive of LNP uptake, but only a small fraction of K562 leukemic cells presented spike-like structures at the cell surface, suggesting reduced levels of expression for these specific phenotypes