NASA's Curiosity rover is exploring a 5 km tall sedimentary mound that is hypothesized to record the transition from a warm and wet (phyllosilicate-rich) to a cold and drier (sulfate-rich) Mars. Evidence of magnesium sulfate-bearing rock has shown that Curiosity has crossed through this phyllosilicate-sulfate transition. Recently, Curiosity arrived at the Amapari Marker Band, a darker, indurated unit that can be traced laterally for tens of kilometers in orbiter images. Here, Curiosity found evidence for a very broad lake, and bedforms interpreted as wave-ripple laminated sedimentary rock that likely was deposited in shallow water in the explored location, before becoming a deeper lake. These rocks are enriched in Fe, Mn, and Zn which has major implications for groundwater paleohydrology in Gale crater. Three formation hypotheses are considered: concretion formation during early diagenetic alteration of shallow lake sediments, laterization or leaching of the sediments, and addition of Fe, Mn, and Zn by a mildly acidic and reducing groundwater interacting with a redox and/or pH front in a stratified lake. The preferred interpretation of the metal enrichments within the Amapari Marker band sedimentary rocks is that they formed in a shallow water environment at a redox and/or pH front within the ripple unit, which drove precipitation and concentration of metals. If the enrichments are due to groundwater alteration, these processes could link subsurface and surface environments. Water and the presence of high amounts of redox sensitive elements and other metals are favorable indicators for habitability.
Using an activation model that reproduces facilitation mechanisms, we recently found a fluidization transition in supercooled water triggered by the motion of a few active molecules. The fluidization transition was also found in a supercooled model liquid, suggesting its universality. We show here that this transition triggers a structural change in water, in favor of the high-density liquid water (HDL) structure that is less organized, resulting in an activation-induced liquid-liquid structural phase transition between low-density liquid water and high-density liquid water (HDL).
Spelling errors are among the most persistent symptoms of dyslexia in adults. This study investigated the influence of morphological information on spelling accuracy in French-speaking adults with developmental dyslexia. Specifically, we aimed to (1) compare university-level adults with dyslexia and age-matched controls in spelling morphologically complex words, and (2) examine the role of morphological awareness in spelling among individuals with dyslexia. In total, 53 adults with dyslexia and 55 typical adult readers completed a spelling task with five types of words: words with silent final letters that were either morphologically predictable or not, suffixed words, prefixed words, and inconsistent monomorphemic words. Additional measures included reading fluency, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary, and general spelling. Results showed that adults with dyslexia benefited more than controls from morphologically predictable cues in spelling, particularly for silent final letters. Moreover, morphological awareness predicted spelling in adults with dyslexia, even after controlling for phonological awareness and vocabulary. These findings allow us to better understand the spelling profile of adults with dyslexia at university level.
PurposeThis study aims to evaluate and enhance maintenance strategies for wind turbines by transitioning from conventional fixed interval preventive maintenance to optimized and predictive maintenance approaches, with the goal of improving reliability and reducing operational costs.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilizes real failure data from critical wind turbine components (shaft, gearbox and generator) and models their reliability using Normal, Lognormal and Weibull distributions. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to analyse system failure behaviour under different maintenance strategies (conventional and optimized preventive maintenance). Additionally, a detailed cost-benefit and return on investment analysis is performed to assess the financial feasibility of predictive maintenance implementation, considering various real-time condition monitoring technologies.FindingsResults show that fixed interval preventive maintenance leads to unnecessary maintenance interventions and increased downtime, particularly for components with non-uniform failure patterns. Optimized preventive maintenance, guided by reliability thresholds, significantly reduces redundant maintenance, while predictive maintenance, using vibration monitoring, oil particle detection and thermal analysis, further lowers operational costs, extends component lifespans and minimizes production losses. Return on investment analysis confirms the long-term economic viability of predictive maintenance, despite challenges such as high initial costs and sensor reliability in harsh environments. The transition from regular to optimized preventive maintenance and ultimately to predictive maintenance significantly increases wind turbine reliability and reduces downtime, intervention frequency and maintenance costs.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive, data-driven framework that bridges reliability modelling with practical maintenance planning in wind energy. It uniquely combines simulation, statistical modelling and financial analysis to demonstrate the transformative potential of predictive maintenance for more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective wind turbine management.
Apple blotch (AB) is an emerging disease in apple production, primarily causing premature defoliation. The rise of orchard management practices reducing fungicide use has coincided with an increase in AB incidence in Europe. Breeding for resistance to AB became important for long-term disease management. Depending on the genetic complexity of the trait, breeding can be supported using either marker-assisted or genomic selection. However, no such tools are currently available for AB. To address this issue, we established two biparental mapping populations, ‘Topaz’ × ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Topaz’ × ‘Parkapfel’, and a diversity panel of 122 genotypes, all evaluated for their resistance to AB under natural field conditions across three growing seasons. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping identified five associated loci on chromosomes 3, 5, 6, 10, and 11, each explaining a maximum of 12
