Prospektiker (Spain)

Abstract Boriding produce thick hard layers on cast iron components, which can improve their wear and corrosion behaviour. However, this potential cannot be fully exploited by a simple boriding due to the material specific presence of graphite. In that context, this paper presents results of two fundamentally different electron beam liquid surface treatments (remelting, cladding with nickel‐based additive) and their possibilities and limitations regarding subsequent boriding. The boriding behaviour under conventional high temperatures (760 °C–860 °C), and experiments on low‐temperature boriding (600 °C–700 °C) were investigated. Under identical treatment conditions, the compound layer thicknesses generated on the unalloyed surfaces (remelting) were approx. 50 %–75 % greater than those of the alloyed surfaces (cladding). A two‐layered boride layer structure were generated, though with different phase compositions. Nevertheless, the hardness of all borided layers were comparable. Surface hardness measurements revealed that the supporting effect of substrates plays a decisive role up to a boride layer thickness of approx. 57 μm. In this layer‐thickness range, the compound hardness of the alloyed substrates is higher than that of the unalloyed substrates. This knowledge should prove decisive for the selection of layer composites for corrosive and/or tribologically stressed components.

BackgroundHIV infection has become a chronic disease and well-being of people living with HIV (PLHIV) is now of particular concern. The objectives of this paper were to describe self-rated health among PLHIV, on ART and on ART virally suppressed and to analyse its determinants.MethodsData were obtained from a second-generation surveillance system based on a cross-sectional one-day survey in public hospitals. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected among HIV-infected inpatients and outpatients receiving HIV-related care the day of the survey in 86 hospitals in 2019. Self-rated health was measured using a question included in the National Health Survey: “In the last 12 months, how would you rate your health status?” an ordinal variable with five categories (very good, good, moderate, bad and very bad). For the analysis, these responses were dichotomized into two categories: 1 = very good/good and 0 = moderate, bad or very bad health status. Factors associated with very good/good self-rated health were estimated using logistic regression.ResultsOf 800 PLHIV, 67.5% perceived their health as very good/good, 68.4% among PLHIV on ART and 71.7% of those virally suppressed. Having university education (adjusted odds ratio (aOR):2.1), being unemployed (aOR:0.3) or retired (aOR:0.2), ever being diagnosed of AIDS (aOR:0.6), comorbidities (aOR:0.3), less than 2 year since HIV diagnosis (aOR:0.3) and not receiving ART (aOR:0.3) were associated with good self-rated health. Moreover, among PLHIV on ART, viral load less than 200 copies (aOR:3.2) were related to better perceived health. Bad adherence was inversely associated with good self-rated health among PLHIV on ART (aOR:0.5) and of those virally suppressed (aOR:0.4).ConclusionsNearly seven in 10 PLHIV in Spain considered their health status as very good/good, being higher among virally suppressed PLHIV. Both demographic and clinical determinants affect quality of life.