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Low-Pressure Die Casting of Aluminium Alloy Components for Electric Vehicle Battery Enclosures
No full textPresented at the 7th International Conference on Advances in Solidification Processes (ICASP-7 2025), Madrid, Spain, 10/06/2025 - 13/06/2025The production of battery boxes for electric vehicles typically relies on extrusions joined by welding, riveting, or adhesives, with minimal use of casting components due to their lower performance and higher defect rates. This study aims to enhance the structure and properties of battery box corner nodes, making them more reliable and viable for broader use in electric vehicle manufacturing. We employed Low-pressure Die Casting to produce the corner nodes, replacing previous sand-casting method known for higher porosity. A new die design, developed in collaboration with our industrial partner, allows for the simultaneous casting of four corner nodes, reducing die filling turbulence and improving casting integrity. Additionally, we used electric heating for the die and furnace to lower CO2 emissions compared to traditional gas burning heating methods. Advanced characterization techniques, including X-ray tomography and Profilometry-based indentation plastometry (PIP), were used to evaluate the internal structure and properties of the castings. Our findings indicate excellent mould filling with minimal porosity defects and good mechanical properties, though with some variability. This variability correlates with the presence of porosity within the casting structure, demonstrating a clear relationship between local defects and local mechanical properties. This research contributes to the development of optimized castings with reduced weight and low rejection rates, enhancing the potential for aluminium alloy cast components in electric vehicles.This project is supported by EPSRC UK
“The Teachers Just Consume Our Money”: Casting Blame for Educational Failure in Rural Lesotho
No full text1. Introduction. Formal schooling is widely perceived to play a key role in children and young people’s lives and is linked with ideas of progress and empowerment (Henry 2020). Yet it is increasingly apparent that schooling often fails to deliver what it promises and is associated with broken dreams and experiences of failure (Dyson 2019; Stambach and Hall 2017). Increased access to schooling has happened at a time when opportunities to benefit from social and economic mobility have crumbled, particularly for those growing up in rural settings in the Global South (Jeffrey 2008; Camfield 2011; Körling 2019). There are a multitude of structural factors that help explain the failure of education to deliver its promised benefits (Ansell et al. 2020), but these often remain
hidden from those experiencing schooling and even from those responsible for its implementation. Based on ethnographic research conducted in two Lesotho villages with parents, educators, and community leaders, as well as interviews and workshops with the policy community working within the field of education, this chapter shows how teachers have become embroiled symbolically in the narrative of educational failure. ...Economic & Social Research Council grant ref: ES/N01037X/1, Education systems aspiration and learning in remote rural settings
State Estimation for Nonlinear Cyber-Physical Systems With Sensor Failures and Token Bucket Protocol Under False Data Injection Attacks
Get PDFThis article is concerned with the recursive state estimation issue for a class of nonlinear cyber-physical systems (CPSs) with token bucket protocols (TBPs) subject to sensor failures and false data injection (FDI) attacks. In the system under consideration, measurement signals are transmitted to the remote estimator only when there are sufficient tokens in the bucket to meet the token consumption. During network transmissions, the signals are exposed to FDI attacks, which occur randomly and follow a Bernoulli distribution. The primary objective is to develop a state estimation algorithm that can handle the TBP, sensor failures, and FDI attacks simultaneously. Initially, the upper bound of the EEC is derived using an intensive stochastic technique and the induction approach. Subsequently, the desired estimator gains are recursively computed to minimize this upper bound. Finally, an example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed estimation scheme.10.13039/501100001809-National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 61933007 and 62273087);
Shanghai Pujiang Program of China (Grant Number: 22PJ1400400);
Royal Society of the UK;
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany
National-scale river water quality in the Philippines: establishing baselines in a mineralised megadiverse nation
Get PDFData availability:
Data used to produce Figs. 3 to 6 can be found in Supplementary Information 2 at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181192 . The supplementary data related to this article are availble online at https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0048969725028323-mmc1.docx (Word document (2MB) Supplementary information 1. Supplementary tables and figure.), and https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0048969725028323-mmc2.xlsx (spreadsheet (24KB) Supplementary information 2. Data plotted in Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6.).Mining underpins the global economy, is crucial to achieving net-zero targets yet can cause significant degradation of river health. Critical to managing this risk are national river monitoring programmes ideally incorporating pre-mining baseline water quality data to evaluate the impacts of mining and the success of mine site rehabilitation. We obtained metal(loid) flux, concentration, and bioavailability baseline data across the Philippines, a country with limited environmental datasets, globally significant biodiversity, and considerable mineral wealth, to establish nationwide benchmarks of water quality prior to an industrialisation of mining operations. Through sampling 10 major catchments, we show the Philippines contributes proportionally large volumes of metal(loid)s to the oceans (3 % Co, 1.7 % Ni, 1.2 % Cu, 0.6 % Cr). These large fluxes are not solely from mining-impacted catchments but also from mineralised catchments with no large-scale mining. This suggests that an apportionment approach, where contaminant contributions are allocated to baseline and anthropogenic sources, would be beneficial to catchment managers and help identify and prioritise remedial interventions. Additionally, CDGT (bioavailable) metal(loid) concentrations varied substantially across the Philippines, demonstrating the need for water quality guidelines based on ecologically-relevant metal(loid) concentrations. This study establishes the first nationwide ground-truthed baselines of hydrology and water quality in the Philippines, providing a reference point for future management and a statement of current condition. Beyond the Philippines, our monitoring approach can be adopted in other mineralised nations so that the future impacts of mining and the efficacy of sustainable mining approaches can be effectively monitored and reported on.This investigation was funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and the UK Research and Innovation - Natural Environment Research Council (UKRI-NERC), grant NE/W006871/1
Evaluating the Efficacy of Low Salinity Waterflood and Electrokinetic Enhanced Oil Recovery in Mitigating Gas Condensate Banking
Get PDFData Availability Statement:
The data that support the reservoir modeling of this study are available at 10.2118/12278-PA. The experimental data on IFT were derived from the published paper available in the public domain: 10.1007/s13202-021-01184-4.Acknowledgement:
The authors would like to acknowledge staff and colleagues at Protium Energy Solutions Ltd., for providing anonymized experimental and synthetic data used for this study.Condensate banking is a key challenge for gas condensate reservoirs with low permeability as it reduces gas relative permeability as much as ~60% near the wellbore. Condensate banking occurs when the bottom-hole pressure in the near-well bore region falls below the dew-point pressure of the gas. This study investigates condensate-banking treatment using a combined low-salinity waterflooding (LSW) and electrokinetic enhanced oil recovery (EK-EOR) techniques. The theoretical framework proposed in this paper is derived from the principles of fluid-rock interaction, electrokinetic phenomena, and water salinity. Methodologically, results from IFT laboratory experiments were fed into simulation models and used to evaluate the effectiveness of LSW-EKEOR treatment. Numerical simulations were performed using a synthetic reservoir model that captures typical reservoir conditions, including pressure, temperature, fluid properties, and rock characteristics. The results show that combining LSW with EKEOR increases condensate recovery by 228%, primarily by reducing gas condensate accumulation—particularly in high-permeability zones. Additionally, the approach suggests a potentially superior environmental performance by lowering the energy required for treatment and reducing chemical use. The discussion explores the broader implications of this technique for future oil recovery processes, emphasizing its potential to reduce operational costs and carbon footprints in mature fields
Cultivating intention to stay: A cross-cultural exploration of leadership and ethical climates in hotel industry
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The authors do not have permission to share data.Highlights:
• Investigating the impact of leadership styles on intention to stay.
• Using GLOBE to highlight the difference in dealing with the organisational aspects.
• Staff turnover as a particular concern in the hotel industry.
• Developing an ethical climate to sustain employee turnover.The independent hotel sector struggles with employee retention amid competition from larger chains. This study explores how leadership styles (Transformational/Transactional) influence retention intentions through Ethical Climate, Balanced Organizational Culture, and Organizational Commitment, comparing the UK and Spain. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), we analyze 962 employee responses using structural equation modelling. Results show Balanced Organizational Culture is the strongest mediator between leadership and retention. Cultural differences moderate these effects: Transformational Leadership suits the UK’s reciprocal loyalty norms, while Transactional Leadership aligns with Spain’s structured expectations. SET explains these dynamics, as UK employees reciprocate transformational behaviors with commitment, whereas Spanish employees respond to transactional exchanges. The findings help independent hotels tailor leadership strategies to reduce turnover
A new efficient nonlocal hyperbolic HSDT for mechanical vibration of porous FGM plates/nanoplates using Navier's method and artificial neural network prediction
No full textHighlights:
• A new hyperbolic HSDT is proposed for porous FGM plates/nanoplates vibration.
• Navier’s method is used to analyze porous FGM nanoplates with nonlocal elasticity.
• Fundamental frequencies are predicted by ANN in MATLAB to cut computation cost.
• Porosity effects on fundamental frequencies are studied by types A and B patterns.
• Porosity pattern transitions in Type B are achieved by controlling parameter .
.This paper introduces a new efficient hyperbolic high-order shear deformation theory (HHSDT) with a shape parameter (Sₚ) to study the vibration response of porous functionally graded material (FGM) plates and nanoplates. The shape parameter is optimized using a simple algorithm that adopts a neighbor selection strategy inspired by local-search algorithms, in order to obtain optimal frequencies. The equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle, based on a 2D displacement field that contains only four unknowns, and are solved using Navier’s method. Nanoscale effects are considered through Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory. Moreover, MATLAB software is used to predict the fundamental frequencies using an artificial neural network (ANN), aiming to reduce computational cost. The effect of porosities on fundamental frequencies is studied using two types of uneven distributions (Type A and Type B). The novel Type B allows transitions between different distributions by controlling the parameter . The current 2D-HHSDT provides more accurate results than many other 2D and quasi-3D HSDTs when compared with exact 3D solutions
Investigating Associations between Polygenic Risk Scores for Alzheimer's disease and Structural Brain Changes
Get PDFBiomarkers Poster Presentation: Neuroimaging at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC25), Toronto, Canada, 27-31 July 2025.Background:
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for >90% of AD cases, of which 70% are thought to be due to a combination of several risk genes. Investigating polygenic risk scores (PRS) that examine many genes simultaneously may increase understanding of gene-gene interactions and their contribution to AD-related changes in brain structure. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between PRS for AD and regional grey matter volume.
Method:
Data from 738 ADNI participants were examined. Two sets of PRSs were constructed, PRSwithAPOE vs. PRSwithoutAPOE, using 3 thresholds (Threshold 1: 172 SNPs including APOE vs. 121 SNPs without APOE; Threshold 2: 1561 SNPs with APOE vs. 1465 without APOE; Threshold 3: 455028 SNPs with APOE vs. 454638 SNPs without APOE). MatLab and Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 were used to process T1-weighted brain images and to extract volumes for 114 regions of interest.
Result:
Multiple hierarchical linear regression models that removed the effect of demographic and clinical confounding variables showed that: (1) at whole-group level, all PRSwithAPOE thresholds were associated with bilateral hippocampi and amygdalae volumes, R>L; (2) when stratified by diagnostic group, PRSwithAPOE Threshold 1 & 3 were associated with R hippocampus volume in cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants, PRSwithAPOE Threshold 3 was associated with the volume of the R subcallosal area in MCI, and PRSwithAPOE Thresholds 1 & 2 were associated with the volume of the L entorhinal area in AD; (3) when stratified by amyloid status, all PRSwithAPOE thresholds were associated with the volumes of bilateral hippocampi and amygdalae, R>L, and R middle occipital gyrus for amyloid positive participants. No other associations survived corrections for multiple comparisons (false discovery rate).
Conclusion:
PRS for AD is associated with regional grey matter volume that is characteristic of AD and is influenced by either the combination of several risk genes plus APOE SNPs or APOE SNPs alone. Association between PRSwithAPOE and volume of the L entorhinal area may distinguish AD patients from MCI/CU. Therefore, PRS may be a useful contributor to AD diagnosis
GENERALISED STOCHASTIC DISCOUNT FACTORS FOR FELLER PROCESSES
No full textJEL classification: G12; G13.The stochastic discount factor of An(n) affine term structure models based on Feller processes can be generalised, while retaining tractability for valuing bonds, bond options and for survival probabilities in credit risk pricing. Bond yields and default intensities are non-linear and, under parameter restrictions, non-negative and monotonic in the Feller factors. Also bond risk premia and bond yields volatility are non-linear in the factors. The Cox-Ingersoll-Ross formula for discount bonds is generalised. The empirical evidence shows that these new models, when used for credit risk pricing, fit and predict sovereign credit default swap spreads significantly more accurately than the classic affine pricing model
Editorial: Re-Building and Re-Inventing Workplaces
Get PDFDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and organizations have had to adapt rapidly to survive, with remote and hybrid work becoming the norm. This shift has highlighted both the benefits of flexible working, such as increased productivity, and challenges like household intrusions and isolation. Organizations are reorganizing practices to manage remote performance and engagement effectively. The rise of digital technologies has facilitated quicker interactions but also revealed gaps, especially in sectors like education, where issues such as inadequate IT infrastructure and reduced face-to-face interaction have emerged. The pandemic has also led to increased sick leave, underscoring the importance of employee health and wellbeing, often overlooked by HR managers. Many businesses have faced significant uncertainty, prompting them to reinvent their operations. This situation offers a chance to rethink workplace structures and practices
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