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Different types of direct-placement dental materials are used for the restoration of structure, function and aesthetics of teeth. The aim of this research investigation is to determine, through a comparative cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment, the environmental impacts of three direct-placement dental restorative materials (DRMs) and their associated packaging.Three direct-placement dental materials; dental amalgam, resin-based composite (RBC) and glass polyalkenoate cements (GIC) are assessed using primary data from a manufacturer (SDI Limited, Australia). The functional unit consisted of 'one dental restoration' of each restorative system under investigation: 1.14 g of dental amalgam; 0.25 g of RBC (plus the adhesive = 0.10 g); and 0.54 g of GIC. The system boundary per restoration included the raw materials and their associated packaging materials for each DRM together with the processing steps for both the materials and packaging. The environmental impacts were assessed using an Egalitarian approach under the ReCiPe method using Umberto software and the Ecoinvent database. Nine different impact categories were used to compare the environmental performance of these materials.Dental amalgam had the highest impact across most of the categories, but RBC had the highest Global Warming Potential. The highest sources of the environmental impacts for each restorative material were: Amalgam, derived from material use; RBC, derived from energy use in processing material and packaging material; GIC, derived from material and energy use for packaging.Less intensive energy sources or more sustainable packaging materials can potentially reduce the impacts associated with RBC and GIC thus making them suitable alternatives to dental amalgam.

The use of templates in materials chemistry is a well-established approach for producing membrane-bounded hollow spheres used for microencapsulation applications, but also in synthetic biology to assemble artificial cell-like compartments. Sacrificial solid or gel micro-particles, but also liquid-like oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion droplets are routinely used as templates to produce capsules. Yet, disruption of the core sacrificial material often requires harsh experimental conditions, such as organic solvents, which limits the use of such approach to encapsulate fragile solutes, including biomolecules. Recently, water-in-water emulsion droplets have emerged as promising alternative templates to produce capsules in solvent-free conditions. These water-in-water droplets result from liquid-liquid phase separation in dilute aqueous polymer or surfactants solutions. Their ease of preparation, the large palette of components they can be assembled from and the lack of harsh solvent or oil used for their production make water-in-water emulsions of practical importance in materials chemistry. Water-in-water droplets can also spontaneously sequester solutes by equilibrium partitioning, which provides a simple strategy to locally accumulate molecules of interest and encapsulate them in capsules after interfacial shell formation. Here, we review recent works that employ water-in-water emulsion droplets to prepare capsules and suggest possible additional applications in materials chemistry.

Objectives The REPAIR (Right vEntricular remodeling in Pulmonary ArterIal hypeRtension) study evaluated the effect of macitentan on right ventricular (RV) and hemodynamic outcomes in patie...

Background Recent meta-analysis showed that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have comparable activity between younger and older patients. However, little is known about efficacy and safety of ICI in elderly patients with relapsed/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of ICI for patients aged ≥70 y to that for younger patients, while taking into account potential confounding factors. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at four hospitals in France. Patients treated with ICI for R/M SCCHN between September 2014 and December 2018 were eligible. Patients’ charts were reviewed for clinical and radiological data as well as oncologic outcomes. Results We included 226 patients, of whom 67 were aged ≥70 years. Objective response rate (ORR), median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were 23%, 9.7 months and 2.7 months, respectively, for elderly patients, compared to 13%, 8.7 months and 1.9 months for younger patients (respective p-values: 0.071, 0.87 and 0.21). After adjustment for performance status, site of progression, number of ICI drugs, time between initial diagnosis and ICI start and number of previous lines, age ≥70 years was significantly associated with a better PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; p = 0.021) but not OS (HR, 0.91; p = 0.59). Grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 15% of patients aged ≥70 years and in 8% of younger patients (p = 0.13). Conclusion Patients aged ≥70 years with R/M SCCHN may respond to ICI similarly as younger patients in terms of ORR, OS and PFS, while maintaining comparable rate of AEs.

BACKGROUND: In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), there are no data comparing initial triple oral therapy with initial double oral therapy. OBJECTIVES: TRITON (The Efficacy and Safety of Initial Triple Versus Initial Dual Oral Combination Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; NCT02558231), a multicenter, double-blind, randomized phase 3b study, evaluated initial triple (macitentan, tadalafil, and selexipag) versus initial double (macitentan, tadalafil, and placebo) oral therapy in newly diagnosed, treatment-naive patients with PAH. METHODS: Efficacy was assessed until the last patient randomized completed week 26 (end of main observation period). The primary endpoint was change in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) at week26. RESULTS: Patients were assigned to initial triple (n=123) or initial double therapy (n=124). At week 26, both treatment strategies reduced PVR compared with baseline (by 54% and 52%), with no significant difference between groups (ratio of geometric means: 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.07; P=0.42). Six-minute walk distance and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide improved by week 26, with no difference between groups. Risk for disease progression (to end of main observation period) was reduced with initial triple versus initial double therapy (hazard ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.32-1.09). Most common adverse events with initial triple therapy included headache, diarrhea, and nausea. By the end of the main observation period, 2 patients in the initial triple and 9 in the initial double therapy groups had died. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with newly diagnosed PAH, both treatment strategies markedly reduced PVR by week 26, with no significant difference between groups (primary endpoint not met). Exploratory analyses suggested a possible signal for improved long-term outcomes with initial triple versus initial double oral therapy.

Introduction: Tumor Necrosis Factor Type 1 Receptor Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS) is a rare autosomal dominant autosomal autoinflammatory disease associated with mutations in the TNF type 1 receptor gene (TNFRSF1A). It is characterized by relatively long recurrent febrile seizures with an average duration of 7 days accompanied by arthralgia, myalgia, and usually a rash. In a patient of Mediterranean origin with recurrent fever, familial Mediterranean fever is the first diagnosis to be suspected by argument of frequency.Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients from Mediterranean origin followed for TRAPS and included in the "Juvenile Inflammatory Rheumatism" (JIR) observational cohort in the national French autoinflammatory center. The age of onset of symptoms, age of diagnosis, number of years of wandering and treatments received were collected for each index case.Results: Nine patients from 6 families of Mediterranean origin were included. A molecular diagnosis confirmed TRAPS in all patients. The median age at diagnosis was 26 years, the mean number of years of wandering was 17 years. The diagnosis of FMF was made first in all patients. AA amyloidosis revealed TRAPS in 2 patients. Colchicine was started without any efficacy in all cases. Five patients were treated with interleukin-1 inhibitory biotherapy with 100% efficacy.Conclusion: In a patient of Mediterranean origin presenting with recurrent febrile abdominal pain of AA amyloidosis, the first diagnosis to be suspected is FMF. Long relapses, dominant transmission, a non-Mediterranean relative, and the ineffectiveness of colchicine should evoke TRAPS., IntroductionLe syndrome périodique associé aux mutations du récepteur du facteur de nécrose tumorale de type 1 (TRAPS) est une maladie auto-inflammatoire autosomique dominante rare associée à des mutations du gène du récepteur de type 1 du TNF (TNFRSF1A). Elle se caractérise par des douleurs abdominales fébriles récurrentes relativement longues accompagnées d’arthromyalgies. Le principal diagnostic différentiel est la fièvre méditerranéenne familiale (FMF).MéthodesÉtude observationnelle rétrospective sur les patients d’origine Méditerranéenne suivis pour TRAPS et inclus dans la cohorte observationnelle « Juvenile Inflammatory Rheumatism » (JIR) L’âge du début des symptômes, l’âge du diagnostic, le nombre d’années d’errance et les traitements reçus ont été recueillis pour chaque cas index.RésultatsNeuf patients issus de 6 familles ont été inclus ; un diagnostic moléculaire avait confirmé le TRAPS chez tous. L’âge médian au diagnostic était de 26 ans, le nombre moyen d’année d’errance était de 17 ans. Le diagnostic de FMF avait été porté en premier lieu chez tous les patients. L’amylose AA a révélé le TRAPS chez 2 patients. La colchicine a été débutée sans aucune efficacité dans tous les cas. Cinq patients ont été traités par une biothérapie inhibant l’interleukine-1 avec une efficacité de 100 %.ConclusionChez un patient d’origine méditerranéenne présentant des douleurs abdominales fébriles récurrentes plus ou moins compliquées d’amylose AA, le premier diagnostic à évoquer est la FMF. Des poussées longues, une transmission d’allure dominante, un parent non méditerranéen, et l’inefficacité de la colchicine doivent faire évoquer le TRAPS.

In this paper, ZnO-ZnS composite structure is proposed as a new efficient and earth-abundant absorber material for thin-film solar cells (TFSCs). Promising elaboration strategy based on combining vacuum thermal evaporation technique and oxidation process under an annealing temperature of 500 °C was used to prepare ZnO-ZnS composite with high sun-light absorption capabilities. The fabricated microstructure was then characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy. The influence of the annealing time on the structural and optical performances of the prepared samples was investigated. Surface analysis demonstrated the ZnO decoration of ZnS thin-film, where SEM images showed dense and pinhole-free ZnO-ZnS composite with micrometer-sized grains and a few voids visible at thin-films surface. Optical characterization showed that the prepared thin-film absorber exhibits an optical band-gap of 2.65 eV with a high Total Absorption Efficiency (TAE) of 62% and an absorption coefficient exceeding 2 × 104 cm−1. In addition, I-V characteristics under dark and 1-sun illumination of the microstructured ZnO-ZnS composite were extracted. It was revealed that the proposed absorber showcases a high visible photoresponse. Therefore, promoting effective light-scattering effects, this innovative ZnO-ZnS composite offers a sound pathway to prepare alternative low-cost absorbers for the future development of TFSCs.

International audience

Purpose To describe the characteristics and outcome of patients with giant-cell arteritis (GCA)-related ophthalmologic involvement at diagnosis. Methods In a retrospective single-center cohort of 409 consecutive patients with GCA, we retrieved 104 patients with visual symptoms at GCA diagnosis and we compared them to 104 age- and sex-matched controls without ophthalmologic involvement. Each visual symptom was associated to an ophthalmologic diagnosis that was centrally re-assessed by an ophthalmologist. Results Compared to controls, patients with visual symptoms showed less fever (p = 0.0006), less polymyalgia rheumatica (p = 0.02) and lower acute phase reactants (p = 0.004). Blurred vision (in 60% of patients), amaurosis fugax (in 18%), diplopia (in 13%) and permanent visual loss (in 9%) were the four visual symptoms described by patients before GCA diagnosis. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) was found in 47 (45%) patients, followed by central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) in 15 (15%). Two patients had both involvements. The delay of glucocorticoids initiation was not different between patients with and without visual symptoms (p = 0.06). Among the 60 patients with initial AION and/or CRAO, 39 (65%) kept definite blindness or important visual damage, although 45 (75%) had received intravenous (IV) pulses of methylprednisolone. A new ischemic event (AION in all cases) occurred in 4% of patients with visual symptoms despite the initiation of treatment. Conclusion Ophthalmologic involvement was observed in one-quarter of our GCA patients. AION is still associated with the worst visual prognosis, and IV methylprednisolone pulses did not reduce the risk of blindness in our study.

This paper focuses on the relationship between atmospheric circulation and solid precipitation (SP) happening in the weather station of Isola 2000. Located in the French department of the Alpes-Maritimes at an altitude of 1912 m, it has the oldest series of daily SP and snow depth (SD) observations from the department. Study has two objectives, analyzed past orientations concerning air temperature, SP and SD, then, characterizes and explains the atmospheric circulation condition producing SP. Results show a warming of air temperature since the early 2000s, counterintuitive accompanied by an increase in the frequency of SP and a larger thickness of SD. In addition, by crossing SP observations with ERA-INTERIM reanalysis (EI-R), seven covariations have been measured: vertical velocity 700 hPa; specific humidity 850 hPa; sea level pressure; air temperature 850 hPa; geopotential height 700 hPa; U-component of wind 700 hPa, V-component of wind 700 hPa. The mapping of these variables shows two types of atmospheric circulation implicated in SP: westerly cyclonic circulation, producing SP in the range of 1–5 cm and 6–20 cm; southern circulation with a depression focused on Iceland and a trough on Western Europe, causing SP in the range of 21–40 cm and 41–93 cm.

The environmental radiation exposure in Canada has been monitored since 2002 by Health Canada's Fixed Point Surveillance network. The network consists of over eighty 7.6 cm × 7.6 cm sodium iodide spectrometers, and routinely reports to the public the environmental gamma radiation level throughout Canada. This paper describes the latest dose calibrations to air kerma and ambient dose equivalent for the future upgraded network. The calibration curves were developed using Monte Carlo techniques and further optimized via experiments in various reference fields. The dose calibration was validated over a wide range of gamma energy, dose measurement range, and angle of incidence under laboratory conditions. In environmental monitoring situations, the angular distribution of radiation exposure was analytically calculated by assuming a semi-infinite plume source, semi-infinite planar source, and infinite volume sources for the respective exposure scenarios of radioactive plume, ground contamination, and soil source. By coupling the resultant radiation angular distribution with detector's angular variation on dose response, the overall accuracy of dose measurement in each of these environmental scenarios was estimated. The accuracy is expected to be within ±3.7% for plume radiation, -5.6% for

Objectives\ud \ud (i) To undertake a comprehensive scoping review of the literature that addresses the research question ‘What is the current state of environmental sustainability in general dental practice?’ (ii) To provide an effective baseline of data that will consider general awareness, barriers and challenges for the implementation of sustainable practice.\ud \ud \ud Data & sources\ud \ud The scoping review was conducted for all published literature in the English language that addresses this topic up to the 31st April 2021. The method of the PRISMA-ScR (PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews) was followed. 128 papers included in this scoping review consisted of: Commentary [Letters, editorials, communication and opinion] (n = 39); Research (n = 60); Literature reviews (n = 25); Reports [Policy and legislation] (n = 4). Each included record was analysed for emerging themes that were further classified according to their general relevance. The scoping review is considered over two manuscripts, with this first paper focusing on awareness of the problem and barriers or challenges to the implementation of sustainable care.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud Eight diverse but closely interlinked themes that influence the sustainability of oral health provision were identified: Environmental impacts (CO2e, air and water); Reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink; Policy and guidelines; Biomedical waste management; Plastics (SUPs); Procurement; Research & Education; Materials. Barriers to implementation were identified as: Lack of professional and public awareness; carbon emissions arising from patient and staff commute; challenges associated with the recovery and recycling of biomedical waste with a focus on SUPs; lack of knowledge and education into sustainable healthcare provision and; the challenges from the manufacturing, use and disposal of dental materials.

Boiling water reactors are simulated using nodal diffusion core simulators which rely upon homogenized and condensed cross sections from a lattice physics code. In the lattice calculation, the void distribution is typically assumed to be uniform in the radial direction. To remove this assumption, a thermal hydraulic code can be coupled with a lattice physics code to include a radial void distribution in the cross sections. To minimize the additional computational costs, a surrogate model can be generated for the thermal hydraulic code. In this research, a surrogate model is generated for the thermal hydraulic code F-COBRA-TF using sparse grid interpolation. The surrogate model is tested on how well it can reproduce the F-COBRA-TF void distribution for various conditions on the ATRIUM 10 assembly. The surrogate model is found to be effective at reproducing the F-COBRA-TF void distribution and reducing the computational costs from the order of minutes to about a second. A coupling is created between the surrogate model and the lattice physics code APOLLO2-A. Including the void distribution in the lattice physics calculation is found to have a large effect on the gadolinium worth.

Diffusion equivalence theory applied at the full-core level is well understood and enables preservation of the multiplication factor and key reaction rates. In many cases, however, high-interest regions inside the reactor benefit from a heterogeneous representation solved using a transport scheme. This paper formalizes the multischeme (MS) equivalence procedure in which the capability to use distinct transport operator approximations in different parts of the domain is combined with an equivalence procedure, thus enforcing preservation of the reaction rates in—and (optionally) leakage rates out of—the low-resolution domains, using Super Homogenization (SPH) and discontinuity factors (DFs). Two approaches are proposed: MS-SPH applies SPH factors to the diffusion interface terms, whereas MS-SPH-DF relies on DFs to enforce preservation of the net currents at the interface—in which case, one normalization factor per energy group and connected region is required. The main targeted applications of multischeme equivalence are (1) more accurate reaction rates inside the heterogeneous region and (2) the ability to rely on methods otherwise incompatible with equivalence. Both proposed methods can successfully reproduce the eigenvalue and reaction rates in the heterogeneous region. Although MS-SPH-DF may better capture local effects with very refined meshes, MS-SPH otherwise seems more appealing, due to its comparable accuracy with coarser meshes and its significantly reduced burden on the analyst for large applications, as reference currents are not needed. When global quantities of interest are specifically targeted (e.g., control rod worth), neither method appears superior to a standard, spatially restricted SPH approach.

International audience; High-resolution meteorological data are necessary to understand and predict climate-driven impacts on the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the spatial resolution of climate reanalysis data and climate model outputs is often too coarse for studies at local/landscape scales. Additionally, climate model projections usually contain important biases, requiring the application of statistical corrections. Here we present 'meteoland', an R package that integrates several tools to facilitate the estimation of daily weather over landscapes, both under current and future conditions. The package contains functions: (1) to interpolate daily weather including topographic effects; and (2) to correct the biases of a given weather series (e.g., climate model outputs). We illustrate and validate the functions of the package using weather station data from Catalonia (NE Spain), re-analysis data and climate model outputs for a specific county. We conclude with a discussion of current limitations and potential improvements of the package.

Conductive polyelectrolyte multilayer films composed of conductive anionic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and insulating cationic polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) were successfully prepared by layer-by-layer method. The (PDDA/PEDOT:PSS)n multilayer thickness is affected by the PDDA concentration ranging from 0.25 g.L−1 to 1 g.L−1 as well as the number of deposited bilayers and the type of salts used as electrolyte (BaCl2 or NaCl). More precisely, film thickness measured by profilometry increases with PDDA concentration, number of adsorbed bilayers and with the presence of Ba2+ cations. From UV–Visible absorbance spectroscopy, we showed that the amount of adsorbed PEDOT:PSS is greater when PDDA concentration increases and that PEDOT is still incorporated into the multilayer film especially when divalent ions are employed to improve the film growth. Water contact angles were measured on (PDDA/PEDOT:PSS)n films with PEDOT:PSS as the outerlayer. Films are more hydrophobic in the presence of Ba2+ which is probably due to a modification of the PEDOT:PSS core/shell structure. A percolation threshold leading to electrical conduction was determined as a function of the number of adsorbed bilayers. The effect of several parameters such as PDDA concentration, type of salt and temperature on conductivity and activation energy was investigated.

Tungsten oxide thin films are grown by DC reactive magnetron sputtering combining glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and reactive gas pulsing process (RGPP). Inclined, zigzag and spiral columnar architectures are produced with various oxygen injections during the growth. The dodecane and ozone sensing properties of these tungsten oxide nanostructured active layers are comparatively studied with that of films deposited by conventional sputtering process. Microstructure, morphologies and electrical behaviors are characterized as a function of the growing conditions. As-deposited films systematically exhibit an amorphous crystal structure with a porous microstructure, which depends on the GLAD architecture. Annealing at 300 °C in air for 12 h leads to a polycrystalline structure keeping voided networks. Dodecane and ozone sensing performances are the most significant for inclined columnar architectures but they also depend on the RGPP sputtering conditions. As a result, the GLAD + RGPP combination proves to be a relevant strategy for the fabricating tungsten oxide nanostructured films as active layers with an attractive potential for gas sensors.

International audience; Tungsten oxide thin films were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. The reactive gas pulsing processwas implemented to modify tungsten and oxygen concentrations in the films. A rectangular pulsingsignal was used with a pulsing period fixed at P ¼ 16 s, whereas the duty cycle a was systematicallychanged from a ¼ 0e100% of P. The chemical composition of the films showed a gradual increase ofoxygen-to-tungsten concentrations ratio from 0 to more than 3.0 as a function of the duty cycle. Filmsbecame poorly crystallized and even amorphous with an increase of the oxygen content. Similarly, atypical columnar structure was observed for pure or oxygen-rich tungsten films, which vanished whenthe duty cycle was higher than a few % of P. The optical transmittance in the visible range of WOx filmsdeposited on glass also showed a progressive change from absorbent to transparent as the duty cycle wasincreased. Electronic transport properties including conductivity, carrier mobility and concentration alsodemonstrated the controlled and regular evolution of the electrical properties from metallic to insulatorwhen the duty cycle and thus oxygen concentration in the films changed from pure tungsten to overstoichiometricWO3 compound.

A new approach is proposed to evaluate the safety of molten-salt reactors (MSRs), using advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) tools. This approach augments the Monitoring and Inspection (M&I) concept for fuel qualification by enabling computation of the change in critical safety parameters as a result of altered thermo-physical fuel properties. This work uses newly developed capabilities in the MOOSE framework to perform the requisite M&S. The neutronics code Griffin, using its neutron diffusion solver, is coupled to the coarse-mesh, multi-dimensional, thermal-hydraulic capabilities of Pronghorn. The resulting new capability enables efficient transient multiphysics simulations of open-pool-type MSR concepts, including delayed neutron precursor advection and beyond design basis events. The proposed approach uses the coupled Griffin/Pronghorn models to perform a sensitivity analysis by perturbing the salt thermophysical properties and evaluating the resulting impact on key safety parameters during an unprotected loss-of-forced-flow accident. In light of the challenges associated with predicting the effect of reactor operations and burnup on bulk salt properties, this work demonstrates how Griffin/Pronghorn multiphysics simulations may be used to evaluate whether changes in salt properties could potentially lead to unsafe reactor configurations.

Objective\ud \ud To undertake a comprehensive scoping review of the literature to address the research question ‘What is the current state of environmental sustainability in general dental practice?’ To provide an effective baseline of data that will consider the drivers, opportunities and recommendations for the implementation of sustainable practice.\ud \ud \ud Data & sources\ud \ud The scoping review was conducted for all published literature in the English language that addresses this topic up to the 31st April 2021. The method of the PRISMA-ScR (PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews was followed. 128 papers included in this scoping review consisted of: Commentary [Letters, editorials, communication and opinion] (n=39); Research (n=60); Literature reviews (n=25); Reports [Policy and legislation] (n=4). Each included record was analysed for emerging themes that were further classified according to their general relevance. The scoping review is considered over two manuscripts, with this second paper focusing on the opportunities, recommendations and best practice to develop and engage with sustainable practice.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud Drivers, opportunities and recommendations for best practice to achieve environmentally sustainable goals in oral health care: The lack of public and professional awareness is the greatest driver to engage with a positive change of behaviour and attitudes. Awareness through education is key at all levels and this should be the bedrock of future strategies. Reduction in staff and patient commuter travel through a reduction of the incidence of preventable oral diseases, improved patient care logistics and IT. Reducing waste and increase recycling opportunities, especially for SUPs. Engagement with legislation and policy makers. Engagement with key stakeholders across the dental materials/products supply chain for the management of manufacturing, distribution, procurement, clinical use and waste management.

Electrical resistivity of tilted columnar thin films is theoretically and experimentally investigated considering the anisotropic structure of the columns. To this end, W and W Cu thin films were deposited by the GLAD co-sputtering technique. These films were prepared using two different sputtering pressures: 2.5 × 10−3 and 15 × 10−3 mbar. Their morphological and crystallographic properties were studied in order to understand the correlations between some structural characteristics and electrical behaviors of these structured films. The influence of the sputtering pressure on the film's morphology was demonstrated and related to the electronic transport properties in these columnar films. For W Cu films, the copper was chemically etched in order to tune even more the electrical properties. By rotating the sample along its azimuthal axis, it was shown that the measured resistivity in the axis perpendicular to the particle flux is maximum, but decreases significantly along the axis parallel to the flux, leading to an anisotropic resistivity coefficient higher than 1.9 for some films. Similarly, an analytical model based-on effective medium approximations was successfully applied to determine the evolution of electrical resistivity versus azimuthal axis for W, W Cu and etched W Cu thin films.

We report on a successful attempt to introduce Al 2 O 3 and AlN nanoparticles in the matrix of a C/C composite via (i) aqueous synthesis of AlOOH nanoparticles in a predensified C/C composite preform, (ii) ceramization of AlOOH into either Al 2 O 3 or AlN, and (iii) final pyrocarbon densification. We show that we were able to synthesize a uniform and thin layer of high aspect ratio (nanoneedle) AlOOH particles at the surface of pyrocarbon coated fibers. This morphology was conserved upon transformation to alumina, however, coalescence into larger compact grains (thus discontinuous) was observed after nitridation. Nevertheless, the ceramic introduction did not alter the microstructure of the resulting composite after full densification. While most of the ceramic/carbon interfaces showed a parallel arrangement of graphene layers at the surface of the ceramic particles, characteristic of weak bonding, a carbon/AlN interface showed a perpendicular arrangement, suggesting strong covalent bonding.

In this work, the advantages provided by supercritical water (SCW) to one of the most extended methods to produce H 2 , the gasification of carbonaceous materials, are investigated. The broad range of experimental conditions assayed (1–1000 bar) allows not only the comparison of the use of steam and SCW but also the investigation of how H 2 production varies within the supercritical region. The results obtained reveal important advantages when the supercritical fluid is used. In the gasification with SCW, H 2 production is greater, and in general, the consumption of the raw material is optimized since more H 2 is obtained when the same amount of solid is consumed. Furthermore, the gaseous streams are very rich in H 2 and CO 2 and poor in CO and CH 4 . On the other hand, the use of two carbonized materials of different natures (a phenolic textile fiber and holm oak wood) allows us to highlight that H 2 production depends strongly on the surface irregularities and surface chemistry of the solid. The material of vegetal origin is more suitable because more H 2 is produced and mixtures of gases that are more easily purified are obtained from it. However, higher amounts of CO 2 than those registered for the solid of synthetic origin are released during its gasification.

Control over means of violence and protection emerge as crucial in much research on corruption in non-South Asian contexts. In the Indian context, however, we still know little about the systems of organised violence that sustain the entanglement of crime, capital and democratic politics. This timely comparative ethnographic piece explores two different manifestations of what our informants identify as “Mafia Raj” (“rule by mafia”) across North India (Uttar Pradesh and Punjab). Drawing on analytical concepts developed in the literature on bossism and “mafias”, we explore protection and racketeering as central statecraft repertoires of muscular styles of governance in the region. We show how a predatory economy together with structures of inter- and intra-party political competition generate the demand for and the imposition of unofficial and illegal protection and shape different manifestations of Mafia Raj. In doing so, the paper aims to contribute to debates on the relationship between states and illegalities in and beyond South Asia.