A four-pronged approach to climate policy is presented consisting of carbon pricing, subsidies for renewable energies, transformative green investments and climate finance and engendering flywheel effects. Then, a variety of societal and political challenges and obstacles faced by such a climate policy and what can be done to overcome them are discussed. These range from stranded assets, the very long time scales needed to adapt and deal with global warming, intergenerational conflict, international free-rider problems, carbon leakage, green paradoxes, policy failure and capture, adverse income distributional effects and spatial scarcity to the problem of climate deniers and sceptics. The paper also discusses the various tools that are needed for the analysis of both ideal and workable climate policies, and the need to collaborate with complexity scholars, political scientists, sociologists and psychologists.

Battery-casing sealing is the key factor for secure travel of new energy vehicles. We constructed a relatively accurate mechanical-simulation model by selecting a constitutive model, analyzing the influence of thermal elongation, verifying the grid-independence and comparing numerically by the pressure-measurement film on the basis of studying the physical performance of a certain type of sealing material that had been used in battery-casings after aging. Based on a porous-media model and combined with changes of macroscopic and microscopic contact characteristics of materials at different times after aging, the evolution rule of sealing performance with time was analyzed quantitatively by calculating the leakage. By analyzing the structure of circular arc bulge on the surface of sealing material, the radius of circular arc bulge with better sealing performance was obtained, which could reduce the leakage of sealing structure during the material’s lifecycle.

Over the last decades, it has been progressively acknowledged that reducing the specific fuel consumption and the emission of pollutants, as well as improving the thrust-to-weight ratio involves extensive research on advanced sealing technologies. Amongst these, brush seals are particularly well considered for their excellent leakage performance, their low friction properties, and their ability to cope with inevitable rotor excursions during flights. This paper presents the experimental work that has been carried on in order to characterise carbon fibre brush seals leakage rate in function of the bristle pack geometry, under different pressure loads and rotational speeds. The analysed parameters are the bristle-free length, the density and the inter-plate distance. The work, performed by the ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) in collaboration with French engine manufacturer Safran Aircraft Engines, highlights specific behaviour of carbon fibre brush seals under differential pressure, proposes a leakage prediction model developed through empirical equations, and discusses over the most influential parameters that influence the air consumption of a brush seal.

Forest managers in developing countries enforce extraction restrictions to limit forest degradation. In response, villagers may displace some of their extraction to other forests, which generates “leakage” of degradation. Managers also implement poverty alleviation projects to compensate for lost resource access or to induce conservation. We develop a model of spatial joint production of bees and fuelwood that is based on forest-compatible projects such as beekeeping in Thailand, Tanzania, and Mexico. We demonstrate that managers can better determine the amount and pattern of degradation by choosing the location of both enforcement and the forest-based activity.

Resin composite materials that are used to restore tooth cervical lesions associated with gingival recessions can hamper healing after root coverage surgeries. This study evaluates the in vitro cytotoxic effect of five resin composites (two commercial and three experimental) on oral mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the persistence of stemness properties in high passage MSCs. Sorption and solubility tests were made for all materials. MSCs were isolated from re-entry palatal and periodontal granulation tissues and were characterized and cultured on composite discs. Cytotoxicity of the materials was evaluated by the Alamar Blue viability test, by Paul Karl Horan (PKH) labeling, and by immunocytochemical staining for actin. Water and saliva sorption and solubility data revealed that two of the experimental materials behaved comparable with the marketed resin composites. The Alamar Blue viability test shows that both cell lines grew well on composite discs that seemed to induce no apparent toxic effects. No signs of disruption of cytoskeleton organization was seen. Experimental resin composites can be recommended for further investigation for obtaining approval for use. The standard minimal criteria were fulfilled for high passage MSCs. Palatal tissue regains its regenerative properties in terms of MSC presence in the re-entry area after 6 months of healing.

Inorganic P, total P and phytic acid-P leakage from imbibing whole soybean, bean, and pea seeds, as well as whole maize and barley grains were measured. The amounts of P and phytic acid leaked during a 6-h soaking period varied for the five species. Soybeans leaked the most P and phytic acid of the species examined. Peas, beans and barley leaked little or no phytic acid. Based on reported levels of total P and phytic acid in the dry seeds/grains that were studied, total P leakage ranged from 0.5 to 1.2%, while phytic acid leakage ranged from 0.01 to 0.5%. No relationship was found between initial levels of total P or phytic acid in the dry seeds/grains and the amount of total P or phytic acid leaked by the imbibed seed/grain. Similarly, the amounts of phytic acid leaked by the seeds/grains of this study did not appear to be related to the water solubility of the phytic acid in the dry seeds/grains.

A central polytetrafluorethylene shunt was constructed in a 13-year-old boy after previous placement of a Waterston-Cooley shunt. Because of excessive leakage of serous fluid from the prosthesis, the boy required a second operation when the shunt was wrapped with absorbable collagen hemostat (Novacol FibrillarTM). The leakage stopped suddenly and the boy was discharged home after one week. Follow-up at four months shows no pericardial effusion and good function of the shunt.

Results from MOCVD grown n-Al0.1Ga0.9N/i-GaN/p-GaN UV photodetectors on sapphire substrates are presented. The devices show peak responsivities near 0.2A/W for wavelengths between 352nm and 362nm, and responsivities of less than 10-3A/W for wavelengths longer than 375nm and shorter than 342nm. The data is explained in terms of a simple device model.