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Advanced Characterization and Rejuvenation of End‐Of‐Life Lithium‐Ion Anodes: Toward the Development of a Green Upcycling Route
Get PDFThe limited duty cycles of EV batteries necessitate robust end‐of‐life strategies to prevent landfilling and enable responsible resource management. Recycling remains the ultimate fate for battery waste, yet current hydrometallurgical practices rely on often lengthy and energy‐intensive methods, which provide a major incentive for the development of cost‐effective, shorter‐loop regeneration routes to recycle end‐of‐life electrodes. This proof‐of‐concept study investigates the efficacy of deionized (DI) water and ascorbic acid (AA) in recovering entire spent anode systems from retired EV batteries without delamination and re‐manufacture. Multi‐modal characterization techniques were used to evaluate electrochemical, physicochemical, and morphological changes before and after treatment. High‐resolution X‐ray tomography and image‐based simulations were used to quantify the microstructural metrics of pretreated and rejuvenated anodes. 3D visualizations of graphite and pore phases revealed insights into recycling mechanisms and rejuvenation effectiveness. Results demonstrate that DI water effectively removed surface impurities on graphite, significantly enhancing regeneration performance, with stable discharge capacities of ∼2.65 mAh/cm2 over 20 cycles at 0.1 C, which exceeded both unused (2.36 mAh/cm2) and end‐of‐life (0.56 mAh/cm2) anodes. The study demonstrates that green chemistries can offer a sustainable alternative to hydrometallurgy and highlights the vital role of X‐ray imaging in advancing circular battery technologies
British maritime strategy and amphibious capability, 1900-1940
Get PDFThe thesis deals with the period between the British reorganisation of their defence structure at the turn of the century and the beginning of World War Two. It divides into three parts. The first deals with British theories of maritime strategy and their practical application; the second section examines the practical requirements of these maritime strategies; and the third section comprises a case study, the Norwegian Campaign of 1940, examined and explained in the light of the preceding material.
The thesis contends that the British Services never adopted an amphibious strategy in this period. Despite interest in amphibious strategies following the RussoJapanese War it proved impossible to apply such strategies to the scenario of a war with Germany. Consequently, on the outbreak of the First World War there were no plans or structures for combined planning, and the result was the politically-initiated Gallipoli Campaign. Although in structural and practical terms the results of Gallipoli were positive, the difficulty with actually applying amphibious strategies persisted in the inter-war years. Throughout the period under consideration there was no amphibious strategy on the British planners' agenda.
The thesis therefore considers the British practical preparations for amphibious operations in this light, and concludes that the British opted for a policy providing the basis for rapid expansion in the unlikely event of an amphibious operation becoming necessary. This was a pragmatic solution flawed by the failure to make provision for training and the possibility of an operation at short notice.
Finally the thesis re-examines the Norwegian Campaign, contending that the difficulties the British encountered there were not the result of an underestimation of the requirements of amphibious operations, but of the failure in the pre-war period to consider the strategic possibility that an amphibious operation could be forced on the British services at short notice
Antigenicity of key hepatitis C virus E1E2 glycoprotein neutralizing sites is genotype independent
Get PDFThe development of an effective prophylactic hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine is a priority to achieve global elimination of the virus. Accurate assessment of the neutralizing breadth of antibodies induced by vaccines and a clear understanding of the antigenic differences between viral variants included in vaccines are both critical for vaccine development. Prior studies have indicated that HCV genotypes (gts) do not dictate the sensitivity of HCV envelope glycoprotein (E1E2) variants to neutralizing antibodies. However, most of these prior studies under-sampled variants from gts 2-6. Here, we selected a genetically diverse and representative panel of gt 2-6 E1E2 variants, used them to generate HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp), and measured neutralization of these HCVpp by neutralizing antibodies and HCV-immune plasma from persons infected with gt 1-6 viruses. We found that neutralization results obtained with this gt 2-6 panel were remarkably similar to results obtained with a previously described, antigenically diverse, gt 1-predominant reference panel of 15 HCVpp. These data confirm that, even considering genetically diverse HCV variants across gt 1-6, E1E2 antigenicity is not dictated by gt, and that the previously published panel of 15 HCVpp represents neutralization of all HCV gts with reasonable accuracy
The silicon gaze: A typology of biases and inequality in LLMs through the lens of place
Get PDFThis paper introduces the concept of the silicon gaze to explain how large language models (LLMs) reproduce and amplify long-standing spatial inequalities. Drawing on a 20.3-million-query audit of ChatGPT, we map systematic biases in the model's representations of countries, states, cities, and neighbourhoods. From these empirics, we argue that bias is not a correctable anomaly but an intrinsic feature of generative AI, rooted in historically uneven data ecologies and design choices. Building on a power-aware, relational approach, we develop a five-part typology of bias (availability, pattern, averaging, trope, and proxy) that accounts for the complex ways in which LLMs privilege certain places while rendering others invisible
Barriers and Enablers of Circular Economy in Electrical and Electronic Equipment: A Systematic Literature Review
Get PDFRapid technological change, shorter lifecycles and rising demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are increasing waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and emphasise the need for a circular economy. This paper identifies barriers and enablers of the circular transition in EEE and outlines interventions. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA), 161 papers (2015–2024) were systematically reviewed and thematically coded. Five themes emerged: policy and regulation, sustainable design, consumer knowledge and awareness, infrastructure and technology and economic and financial factors. Implications include harmonised and eco‐modulated extended producer responsibility (EPR) with value‐retention metrics; right to repair with access to parts and repair information; design rules for durability and disassembly; digital product passports with standardised data; and economic instruments such as reduced VAT and deposit–refunds. Future research should build product‐specific evidence, compare across income contexts and examine tensions and trade‐offs across value chain stages and recovery flows
Collocations in the L2: do L2 proficiency and L1 congruency affect collocation learning among Chinese high school EFL learners?
Get PDFThis dissertation investigates the effects of L2 proficiency and L1 congruency (i.e. the presence or absence of a literal translation equivalent in L1) on the learning of collocations among Chinese high school EFL learners. Through a phrasal acceptability judgement task (PAJT) with 34 participants, this study measures accuracy rate (AR) and reaction time (RT) to assess collocational processing. The findings indicate that higher proficiency learners (B2) perform better in accuracy than lower proficiency learners (B1), but no significant difference in processing speed is observed. Additionally, congruent collocations are processed more accurately and quickly than incongruent ones, yet no interaction effect between proficiency and congruency is found. These results suggest that while proficiency enhances accuracy, both congruency and proficiency independently influence collocational learning. The study concludes with pedagogical implications, highlighting the importance of exposure and explicit instruction in improving collocational knowledge
The construction of Balzac as a classic writer: serialization, education, publishing, and adaptation (from his beginnings to the present)
No full textThis thesis examines Balzac’s trajectory toward recognition as an established classic writer. It argues that his consecration as a ‘classic’ is the result of a dynamic interplay between overlapping models of canonization—serialization, publication, education, and on-screen adaptation—whose convergence produces a recognisable yet mutable Balzac canon, continually reshaped by shifting cultural, sociopolitical, and pedagogic imperatives.Chapter One traces the evolution of Balzac’s authorial identity from his early career to 1835. It highlights how his fusion of classic theatrical genres, particularly comedy and tragedy, with popular motifs drawn from the sensationalism of melodrama contributed to the accumulation of symbolic capital prior to formal institutional recognition.Chapter Two examines the late 1830s to early 1850s, during which the roman-feuilleton, illustrated editions, and commercial bookshop posters significantly increased Balzac’s visibility in the press. This played a key role in the widespread circulation of his work and established both his popularity and scandalous works such as La Vieille fille as defining aspects of his canonical status.Chapter Three analyses the texts included in the Petits classiques series in the first half of the twentieth century, examining their dissemination alongside the rise of silent-film adaptations. It also explores notable peaks in Balzac’s publication history, particularly between the 1930s and 1960s. Chapter Four examines the selection of works published in the Classiques de poche and Folio classique editions in the second half of the twentieth century, the Baccalauréat curricula, parascolaire materials, and the Zéro de conduite teaching kits. It demonstrates how these editions and multimedia resources work in concert to reinvent the writer’s literary image for contemporary audiences.Balzac’s canonization as a classic writer is thus predicated on intersecting modes of dissemination that enabled him to construct multiple authorial identities, publish prolifically in different formats, and make the ‘classic’ ‘popular’ and the ‘popular’ ‘classic’
Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement in Elderly Patients: Insights from a Large Cohort
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the leading treatment option for patients suffering from aortic valve stenosis aged over 70, except in cases of specific contraindications like bicuspid valves, inappropriate access routes, or endocarditis. Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (MIAVR) has emerged as a potential way to combine the durability of surgery with reduced procedural trauma. This study aims to assess the safety and feasibility of MIAVR in elderly patients. Methods: A total of 990 patients were included in this retrospective cohort study. Among them, 261 (26%) were aged 70 years or older (elderly cohort), and 729 (74%) were younger than 70 years (younger cohort). All patients were followed for at least 30 days postoperatively, with survival data collected through May 2025. Multivariable logistic regression, linear regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed. Results: Elderly patients were more likely to be female (51% vs. 40%, p = 0.001) and carried a heavier burden of vascular and renal comorbidity: renal impairment 33% vs. 17% and extracardiac arteriopathy 45% vs. 30% (both p 0.20). Overall, 30-day mortality was 2.4% (24/990), with crude mortality approximately threefold higher among patients aged ≥70 years (4.6% vs. 1.6%). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that MIAVR is a feasible and safe surgical option across age groups; Elevated morbidity in elderly patients is primarily due to bleeding, pacemaker implantation, and sepsis, while rates of stroke, renal failure, and myocardial infarction are low
Behaviour of 3D Printed Al7075 Square Hollow Sections in Compression
Get PDFHigh strength Aluminium alloys feature low densities, high strength‐to‐stiffness ratio, large ductility range and high fracture toughness, all attractive features for applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace and construction. To date, little attention has been given to the performance of 3D‐printed high strength Aluminium alloys such as Al7075 due to the inherent challenges in the additive manufacturing process. In this context, the present study reports material (tensile) and stub column (compression) tests on additively manufactured (AM) Al7075 square hollow sections (SHS). Both material and SHS samples were manufactured by Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), a laser powder‐bed fusion (L‐PBF) sub‐technology that uses metal powder as feedstock and a laser to fuse the feedstock layer by layer. Three newly develop set of process parameters that had successfully led to crack free medium sized samples were employed in this study. The effect of post processing treatments on the mechanical properties of printed Al7075 samples is investigated through the application of two heat treatments and a Hot Isostatics Pressing (HIP) treatment. A total of 33 material samples were manufactured and tested in tension, 6 of which in their as built condition and 27 subject to the above post processing treatments. The tensile test results showed that the Al7075 samples manufactured using the new set of parameters used is unable to produce specimens which can then develop their full tensile resistance. Nine square hollow tubes were subsequently manufactured utilising a selected heat treatment and tested in compression. All tubes successfully develop good compression performance and primarily exhibit failure due to local buckling, which led to the formation of a yield‐line‐like pattern of cracks, ultimately resulting in the specimens' failure