The influence of grain-boundary segregation of Y in Cr2O3 on the oxidation of Cr metal

The oxidation behavior at 900°C of pure Cr and Cr implanted with 2×10¹⁶ Y ions/cm² was studied. The kinetics of oxidation were measured thermogravimetrically and manometrically. The mechanisms of oxide growth were studied using¹⁸O-tracer oxidation experiments, and the composition and microstructure of the oxide scales were characterized by TEM and STEM. Segregation of Y cations at Cr₂O₃ grain boundaries was found to be the critical factor governing changes in the oxidation behavior of Cr upon the addition of Y. In the absence of Y, pure Cr oxidized by the outward diffusion of cations via grain boundaries in the Cr₂O₃ scale. When Y was present at high concentration in the scale, as when Cr implanted with 2×10¹⁰ Y ions/cm² was oxidized, anion diffusion predominated. It is concluded that strain-induced segregation of Y at grain boundaries in the oxide reduced the cation flux along the grain boundaries. The rate of oxidation was reduced because the grain-boundary diffusivity of cations became lower than the grain-boundary diffusivity of the anions, which then controlled the rate of oxidation. Changes in the relative rates of Cr³⁺ and O^2– transport, as well as a solute-drag effect exerted by Y on the oxide grain boundaries, resulted in changes in the microstructure of the oxide.     

Medical students using Grateful Med: analysis of failed searches and a six-month follow-up study.

Medical students at the University of Missouri were taught to search MEDLINE using the Grateful Med software. The traffic files of student searches were analyzed for search behavior. This paper reports on two specific aspects of these analyses: (1) failed searches where retrieval was either too large or too small (zero hits); and (2) a six month follow-up study which focused on error rates and retention of skills. The two major reasons for retrieving too many citations were entering a phrase on a single subject line and a search of only one concept. Of the zero hit searches, the most commonly occurring errors were MeSH (medical subject headings) not used, other MeSH errors, misspelling or keyboard errors, and faulty logic. During the six month follow-up study, the error rates of students declined in spite of the fact that they had not used the software in six months. Furthermore, a larger percentage of the searches showed a more sophisticated use of MeSH than previously employed.     

The seafood supply chain from a fraudulent perspective

Food fraud is an intentional act for economic gain. It poses a risk to food integrity, the economy, public health and consumers’ ethics. Seafood is one commodity which has endured extensive fraudulent activity owing to its increasing consumer demand, resource limitations, high value and complex supply chains. It is essential that these fraudulent opportunities are revealed, the risk is evaluated and countermeasures for mitigation are assigned. This can be achieved through mapping of the seafood supply chains and identifying the vulnerability analysis critical control points (VACCP), which can be exposed, infiltrated and exploited for fraudulent activity. This research systematically maps the seafood supply chain for three key commodities: finfish, shellfish and crustaceans in the United Kingdom. Each chain is comprised of multiple stakeholders across numerous countries producing a diverse range of products distributed globally. For each supply chain the prospect of fraud, with reference to species substitution, fishery substitution, illegal, unreported and unregulated substitution, species adulteration, chain of custody abuse, catch method fraud, undeclared product extension, modern day slavery and animal welfare, has been identified and evaluated. This mapping of the fraudulent opportunities within the supply chains provides a foundation to rank known and emerging risks and to develop a proactive mitigation plan which assigns control measures and responsibility where vulnerabilities exist. Further intelligence gathering and management of VACCPs of the seafood supply chains may deter currently unknown or unexposed fraudulent opportunities.     

The role of psychology and social influences in energy efficiency adoption

Current energy efficiency policy and incentive programs tend to target economic motivations, which may misalign with other potentially important motivations arising from situational factors, individual differences, and social context. Thus, in this research, we review areas of work that have focused on psychological and social influences to energy efficiency adoption in commercial buildings. We then conduct an empirical scoping study interviewing 10 commercial building owners/managers (decision makers) and 10 experts/consultants (decision influencers) regarding perceived motives and barriers to energy efficient investments, decision-maker attributes, and the social context of the decision. Potential factors that emerge from the interviews, which are not yet extensively discussed in the energy efficiency literature, include owners/managers’ resistance to change and the influence of investment funding origins on the decision. Our results also suggest potential heterogeneity in energy efficiency decision-making philosophies between the two groups. Interviewed owners/managers prioritize corporate social responsibility (CSR) and prefer internal consulting (e.g., building engineers). Conversely, experts/consultants do not emphasize CSR and are more concerned with external policies. These findings suggest that accounting for the decision maker and the social context in which decisions are made could enhance the design of commercial sector energy efficiency programs.     

Status of the ITER magnets

The first 2 years of the ITER IO has seen substantial progress towards the construction of the magnets, in three main areas. Firstly, the design has been developed under the conflicting constraints to minimise construction costs and to maximise plasma physics performance. Building construction momentum while updating the design to take account of new physics assessments of the coil requirements has been challenging. Secondly, with a stabilising design, it has been possible for the Domestic Agencies to launch the first industrial procurement contracts. And thirdly, critical R&D to confirm the performance of the Nb3Sn cable in conduit design is proceeding successfully.The design consolidation has been accompanied by design reviews involving the international community. The reviews conducted by magnet experts have enabled a consensus to be built on choosing between some of the design options in the original ITER basic design in 2001. The major design decisions were to maintain the circular Nb₃Sn conductor embedded in radial plates for the toroidal field (TF) coils and to maintain NbTi-based conductors for the PF coils. Cold testing, at low current, is also being introduced for quality control purposes for all coils.     

The Role of Exosomal Epigenetic Modifiers in Cell Communication and Fertility of Dairy Cows

Abnormal uterine function affects conception rate and embryo development, thereby leading to poor fertility and reproduction failure. Exosomes are a nanosized subclass of extracellular vesicles (EV) that have important functions as intercellular communicators. They contain and carry transferable bioactive substances including micro RNA (miRNA) for target cells. Elements of the cargo can provide epigenetic modifications of the recipient cells and may have crucial roles in mechanisms of reproduction. The dairy industry accounts for a substantial portion of the economy of many agricultural countries. Exosomes can enhance the expression of inflammatory mediators in the endometrium, which contribute to various inflammatory diseases in transition dairy cows. This results in reduced fertility which leads to reduced milk production and increased cow maintenance costs. Thus, gaining a clear knowledge of exosomal epigenetic modifiers is critical to improving the breeding success and profitability of dairy farms. This review provides a brief overview of how exosomal miRNA contributes to inflammatory diseases and hence to poor fertility, particularly in dairy cows.     

PAH emissions from an African cookstove

Combustion of wood and other biomass is a significant contributor to poor air quality in many developing countries. Emissions of particulates and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) are a major health hazard, particularly in Africa where the use of domestic cookstoves has increased alongside population expansion. Because of economic factors firewood is commonly used in place of the more expensive charcoal; particularly in rural areas. This work conducts a study of PAH emissions from an African cookstove comparing the combustion of both charcoal and firewood. It is demonstrated that PAH and particulate emissions are much higher from the firewood compared to the charcoal. The difference in levels can be interpreted due to the importance of the pyrolysis reactions of the volatile components of wood in PAH formation, whereas these volatiles emissions are much smaller from charcoal. Analysis of the combustion phases (flaming, smouldering) is undertaken and a computer model has been developed to link the composition of the fuels to the emissions of the PAH and particulates. The modelled PAH levels are shown to follow a similar trend to the experimental results.     

Variation in glycoalkaloid concentration of potato tubers harvested from mature plants

Individual tubers from mature plants of cultivars Pentland Dell and Estima were harvested from experimental plots in two successive years and analysed for α‐solanine, α‐chaconine and total glycoalkaloid concentration (α‐solanine and α‐chaconine combined) using high‐performance liquid chromatography. Mean tuber glycoalkaloid concentration per plant was strongly affected by genotype and was much higher in plants of Pentland Dell (10.0 and 16.3 mg per 100 g fresh weight in 1994 and 1995, respectively) than Estima (4.0 and 4.3 mg per 100 g fresh weight in 1994 and 1995, respectively). The variation between plants in mean tuber glycoalkaloid concentration, expressed as coefficient of variation, was similar for the two cultivars in both years. Variation within plants was higher for cultivar Pentland Dell than Estima for both years but it was statistically significant only in 1995. Tuber position within a plant had no effect on glycoalkaloid concentrations in tubers of similar size. An inverse relationship between total glycoalkaloid concentration and tuber fresh weight of individual tubers was found for both cultivars and small tubers of Pentland Dell (20–40 g fresh weight) exceeded the safety limit of 20 mg per 100 g fresh weight. The pattern of glycoalkaloid accumulation differed between genotypes and appeared related to tuber growth. The implications of these results in terms of food safety are discussed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry