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The chromium (Cr) evaporation from balance-of-plant (BoP) component alloys in high-temperature environments can severely deteriorate the electrochemical performance of solid oxide cells (SOCs) in fuel (SOFC) and electrolysis (SOEC) modes. However, accurate assessment of Cr evaporation is challenging due to potential interferences from the experimental conditions and test apparatus. In this study, we investigate four distinct methods for assessing the Cr evaporation rates of candidate alumina-forming austenitic and chromia-forming austenitic BoP alloys under relevant simulated SOC operating conditions of 800–900 °C in air with 10% H2O. A method using a sodium carbonate coated thin alumina tube is identified, which effectively mitigates the interference caused by (1) the deposition of silicon deposits originating from quartz furnace tubes, (2) detrimental effects of sodium species on the oxidation process of alloys from the sodium carbonate used to enhance Cr oxy hydroxide species capture, or (3) chemical interaction between Cr gaseous species and the alumina furnace tube. This optimal method provides improved assessment of Cr evaporation, enabling further efforts to build correlation between Cr species quantities to the degradation rates of SOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication theory suggests that interactive dialog rather than information transmission is necessary for climate change action, especially for complex systems like agriculture. Climate analogs—locations whose current climate is similar to a target location's future climate—have garnered recent interest as transmitting more relatable information; however, they have unexplored potential in facilitating meaningful dialogs, and whether the way the analogs are developed could make a difference. We developed climate context-specific analogs based on agriculturally-relevant climate metrics for US specialty crop production, and explored their potential for facilitating dialogs on climate adaptation options. Over 80% of US specialty crop counties had acceptable US analogs for the mid-twenty-first century, especially in the West and Northeast which had greater similarities in the crops produced across target-analog pairs. Western counties generally had analogs to the south, and those in other regions had them to the west. A pilot dialog of target-analog pairs showed promise in eliciting actionable adaptation insights, indicating potential value in incorporating analog-driven dialogs more broadly in climate change communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision-making is the central element of self-determination, requiring targeted, systematic instruction to learn. In this study, researchers developed a multicomponent intervention, "What ELSE about this job?", to teach job decision-making skills to college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The intervention coupled remote audio coaching (RAC) with a mnemonic device, 'ELSE', to guide students to make decisions about whether certain jobs would be a good fit for them. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention and determine whether the skills would maintain once the intervention was removed. All students who received the intervention substantially increased their ability to make job decisions. Additionally, all participants maintained the skills upon removal of the intervention, and showed signs of generalizing their skills to novel job coaches and web-based job search apps. Implications and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creep-rupture behavior and microstructural response in alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) alloys with two different precipitation strengthening mechanisms, "Laves-phase + M23C6 carbide" and "coherent L12 γ′-Ni3(Al,Ti)," were explored as "model" cases of multi-phase, multi-scale heat-resistant AFA alloys for 650–750°C use. These alloys will be used to guide and verify computational alloy design and life-prediction modeling under an on-going eXtremeMAT project through the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, US Department of Energy. Computational thermodynamics were used to design and predict the amounts of strengthening and deteriorating secondary phases at 750°C. Creep-rupture lives of the alloys tested at 750°C and 100 MPa were in a range of 4000–9000 h, and the microstructure at the gage/grip after creep-rupture testing was compared with isothermally aged alloys for 1500 h, as well as the calculated phases. Detailed microstructure characterization includes phase identification, volume fraction measurement, and compositional analysis, which were correlated with the creep-rupture properties. High-temperature oxidation resistance was also screened and compared with commercial, chromia-forming heat-resistant steels. These model alloys also provide the basis for further design and optimization of next generation AFA alloys with improved creep resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present our results for the concurrent precipitation of metastable M23C6, Nb(C,N) secondary precipitates, and the Nb(C,N) primary crystals in 347H austenitic stainless steel. For precipitation modeling, we have accounted for the elastic contribution to interfacial energy, and for the Fe-spin-polarization for NbC/Fe and M23C6/Fe interfacial energy values: for NbC/Fe ~ 0.63 J/m2. For M23C6 precipitates, an error function was used to describe the interfacial energy growth with particle size. In precipitation simulations, the average size of the primary Nb(C,N) particles remained ~ 1 μm at 700°C and ~ 0.3 μm at 750°C. The M23C6 precipitates at 750°C dissolved after 120 h (our simulations) compared to 300 h (experiments). The Nb(C,N)/Fe interfacial energy was not affected by the nitrogen additions. With these modifications, reasonable agreement with the available experimental data was obtained, which allows using them in the development of the 2nd-phase particle-informed creep theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) steels were evaluated for the lead fast reactor application in static and flowing high-purity Pb. Two AFA composition ranges with different Ni, Mn, Al, Cr and Nb contents were targeted, and Zr foil was used in an attempt to getter O in some capsules. Based on two rounds of capsule testing at 500–800°C, two AFA compositions were selected for evaluation in flowing Pb with a peak temperature of 650°C in a thermal convection loop made of pre-oxidized FeCrAlMo tubing. After exposure for 1000 h, the mass losses for both AFA alloys were generally low, suggesting good compatibility under these conditions without preoxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of machine learning (ML) approaches in materials science offers the opportunity to exploit existing engineering and developmental alloy datasets, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)'s consistently measured creep-rupture dataset for alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) alloys, to accelerate their further development. As a first step toward achieving ML insights for improved alloy design, the potential sources of uncertainty and their impacts on ML output are examined. It is observed that the selection of algorithms and features as well as data sampling significantly affects the performance of ML models, either positively or negatively. The performance of various ML models in predicting the creep properties of AFA alloys is compared, with further evaluation by assessment of a small set of new developmental AFA alloys that were not part of the training dataset. The present study demonstrates that uncertainty quantification (UQ) is essential in materials science for evaluating the performance of ML algorithms with specifically selected feature sets and obtaining a comprehensive understanding of their limitations and the resultant capability of effective prediction in complex materials systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of technological devices has proven to be effective and efficient for the delivery of videos aimed at promoting daily living skills (DLS) among individuals with autism spectrum disorder. As technology advances, devices have become more portable and, ultimately, accessible to caregivers. There are relatively few studies that have examined whether parents can be taught to effectively deliver evidence-based practices using portable, mainstream devices. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, we evaluated parent fidelity in the delivery of video prompts on an iPad to their children who were learning DLS. Results indicated that parents were successful in their delivery of the training procedures and their children acquired and maintained the skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are increasingly entering institutions of higher education. However, many are not prepared for the academic and social demands of postsecondary environments. Although studies have evaluated academic and social interventions for children and adolescents with ASD, little research exists on the college population. The current study utilized a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of a writing learning strategy on the writing performance of three college students with ASD. Results indicated that the quality of writing performance improved following strategy instruction. In addition, participants were able to generalize strategy use to content specific writing tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION:: Asplenia causes a deficiency in immunity with a long-term risk of fulminant infection, associated with significant mortality. Patient compliance requires an understanding of risks of infection and its prevention. The impact of patient education has been little studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: To ascertain the degree of knowledge held by patients who have undergone splenectomy, a comprehensive survey was designed. This also aimed to determine which group of health professionals was most successful in conveying information to patients. Patients who had undergone total splenectomy were interviewed by telephone, using a standardised list of questions to assess their understanding of the post-operation risks. RESULTS:: Of 40 consecutive patients, 32.5% had a good knowledge of the risks of asplenia and their prevention, 52.5% had a fair knowledge and 15% a poor knowledge. Haematologists were most successful in initially conveying information to patients, and general practitioners also played a critical role in patient education. In this survey, it appears that surgeons were not effective at educating patients. CONCLUSION:: Patient education postsplenectomy is poor. Measures to prevent infection in the asplenic patient are not being adequately implemented.The Hematology Journal (2000) 1, 357–359 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]