Flavor constraints on electroweak ALP couplings

We explore the signals of axion-like particles (ALPs) in flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes. The most general effective linear Lagrangian for ALP couplings to the electroweak bosonic sector is considered, and its contribution to FCNC decays is computed up to one-loop order. The interplay between the different couplings opens new territory for experimental exploration, as analyzed here in the ALP mass range $0<m_a \lesssim 5$ GeV. When kinematically allowed, $K\to \pi \nu \bar{\nu}$ decays provide the most stringent constraints for channels with invisible final states, while $B$-meson decays are more constraining for visible decay channels, such as displaced vertices in $B\to K^{(\ast)} \mu^+ \mu^-$ data. The complementarity with collider constraints is discussed as well.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Acoustic properties of agroforestry waste orange pruning fibers reinforced polypropylene composites as an alternative to laminated gypsum boards

The present paper investigates the acoustic properties of natural fiber reinforced composites. Fibers from orange tree pruning were obtained and subject to different treatments in order to obtain mechanical, thermomechanical and chemi-thermomechanical pulps. These pulps were used as reinforcement for a polypropylene matrix. The obtained composite materials were submitted to acoustical tests in an impedance tubes device. The transmission losses obtained against the fiber content were obtained and discussed. Latter it was researched the influence of the fiber treatments on the soundproof characteristics. A numerical method was used to preview the acoustic insulation of the materials against the sound frequency. Finally the results were compared with that of the most usual lightweight soundproof solutions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Reixach, R.; Rey Tormos, RMD.; Alba Fernández, J.; Arbat, G.; Espinach, FX.; Mutjé, P. (2015). Acoustic properties of agroforestry waste orange pruning fibers reinforced polypropylene composites as an alternative to laminated gypsum boards. Construction and Building Materials. 77:124-129. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.12.041S1241297

Sound-Absorption Properties of Materials Made of Esparto Grass Fibers

[EN] Research on sound-absorbing materials made of natural fibers is an emerging area in sustainable materials. In this communication, the use of raw esparto grass as an environmentally friendly sound-absorbing material is explored. Measurements of the normal-incidence sound-absorption coefficient and airflow resistivity of three different types of esparto from different countries are presented. In addition, the best-fit coefficients for reasonable prediction of the sound-absorption performance by means of simple empirical formulae are reported. These formulae require only knowledge of the airflow resistivity of the fibrous material. The results presented in this paper are an addition to the characterization of available natural fibers to be used as alternatives to synthetic ones in the manufacturing of sound-absorbing materials.This research was funded by CONICYT-FONDECYT, grant number 1171110.Arenas, JP.; Rey Tormos, RMD.; Alba, J.; Oltra, R. (2020). Sound-Absorption Properties of Materials Made of Esparto Grass Fibers. Sustainability. 12(14):1-10. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145533S1101214Faruk, O., Bledzki, A. K., Fink, H.-P., & Sain, M. (2012). Biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers: 2000–2010. Progress in Polymer Science, 37(11), 1552-1596. doi:10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2012.04.003Pickering, K. L., Efendy, M. G. A., & Le, T. M. (2016). A review of recent developments in natural fibre composites and their mechanical performance. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 83, 98-112. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2015.08.038Asdrubali, F., Schiavoni, S., & Horoshenkov, K. V. (2012). A Review of Sustainable Materials for Acoustic Applications. Building Acoustics, 19(4), 283-311. doi:10.1260/1351-010x.19.4.283Berardi, U., & Iannace, G. (2015). Acoustic characterization of natural fibers for sound absorption applications. Building and Environment, 94, 840-852. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.05.029Koruk, H., & Genc, G. (2015). Investigation of the acoustic properties of bio luffa fiber and composite materials. Materials Letters, 157, 166-168. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2015.05.071Ersoy, S., & Küçük, H. (2009). Investigation of industrial tea-leaf-fibre waste material for its sound absorption properties. Applied Acoustics, 70(1), 215-220. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2007.12.005Hosseini Fouladi, M., Nor, M. J. M., Ayub, M., & Leman, Z. A. (2010). Utilization of coir fiber in multilayer acoustic absorption panel. Applied Acoustics, 71(3), 241-249. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2009.09.003Hosseini Fouladi, M., Ayub, M., & Jailani Mohd Nor, M. (2011). Analysis of coir fiber acoustical characteristics. Applied Acoustics, 72(1), 35-42. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2010.09.007Ramis, J., Del Rey, R., Alba, J., Godinho, L., & Carbajo, J. (2014). A model for acoustic absorbent materials derived from coconut fiber. Materiales de Construcción, 64(313), e008. doi:10.3989/mc.2014.00513Oldham, D. J., Egan, C. A., & Cookson, R. D. (2011). Sustainable acoustic absorbers from the biomass. Applied Acoustics, 72(6), 350-363. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2010.12.009Yang, W., & Li, Y. (2012). Sound absorption performance of natural fibers and their composites. Science China Technological Sciences, 55(8), 2278-2283. doi:10.1007/s11431-012-4943-1Tang, X., Zhang, X., Zhang, H., Zhuang, X., & Yan, X. (2018). Corn husk for noise reduction: Robust acoustic absorption and reduced thickness. Applied Acoustics, 134, 60-68. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.01.012Berardi, U., Iannace, G., & Di Gabriele, M. (2017). The Acoustic Characterization of Broom Fibers. Journal of Natural Fibers, 14(6), 858-863. doi:10.1080/15440478.2017.1279995Lim, Z. Y., Putra, A., Nor, M. J. M., & Yaakob, M. Y. (2018). Sound absorption performance of natural kenaf fibres. Applied Acoustics, 130, 107-114. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2017.09.012Malawade, U. A., & Jadhav, M. G. (2020). Investigation of the Acoustic Performance of Bagasse. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 9(1), 882-889. doi:10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.11.028Gomez, T. S., Navacerrada, M. A., Díaz, C., & Fernández-Morales, P. (2020). Fique fibres as a sustainable material for thermoacoustic conditioning. Applied Acoustics, 164, 107240. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107240Othmani, C., Taktak, M., Zein, A., Hentati, T., Elnady, T., Fakhfakh, T., & Haddar, M. (2016). Experimental and theoretical investigation of the acoustic performance of sugarcane wastes based material. Applied Acoustics, 109, 90-96. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2016.02.005Or, K. H., Putra, A., & Selamat, M. Z. (2017). Oil palm empty fruit bunch fibres as sustainable acoustic absorber. Applied Acoustics, 119, 9-16. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2016.12.002Taban, E., Khavanin, A., Faridan, M., Samaei, S. E., Samimi, K., & Rashidi, R. (2019). Comparison of acoustic absorption characteristics of coir and date palm fibers: experimental and analytical study of green composites. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 17(1), 39-48. doi:10.1007/s13762-019-02304-8Putra, A., Or, K. H., Selamat, M. Z., Nor, M. J. M., Hassan, M. H., & Prasetiyo, I. (2018). Sound absorption of extracted pineapple-leaf fibres. Applied Acoustics, 136, 9-15. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.01.029Yun, B. Y., Cho, H. M., Kim, Y. U., Lee, S. C., Berardi, U., & Kim, S. (2020). Circular reutilization of coffee waste for sound absorbing panels: A perspective on material recycling. Environmental Research, 184, 109281. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109281Zhang, J., Shen, Y., Jiang, B., & Li, Y. (2018). Sound Absorption Characterization of Natural Materials and Sandwich Structure Composites. Aerospace, 5(3), 75. doi:10.3390/aerospace5030075Kusno, A., Sakagami, K., Okuzono, T., Toyoda, M., Otsuru, T., Mulyadi, R., & Kamil, K. (2019). A Pilot Study on the Sound Absorption Characteristics of Chicken Feathers as an Alternative Sustainable Acoustical Material. Sustainability, 11(5), 1476. doi:10.3390/su11051476Delany, M. E., & Bazley, E. N. (1970). Acoustical properties of fibrous absorbent materials. Applied Acoustics, 3(2), 105-116. doi:10.1016/0003-682x(70)90031-9Berardi, U., & Iannace, G. (2017). Predicting the sound absorption of natural materials: Best-fit inverse laws for the acoustic impedance and the propagation constant. Applied Acoustics, 115, 131-138. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2016.08.012Miki, Y. (1990). Acoustical properties of porous materials. Modifications of Delany-Bazley models. Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan (E), 11(1), 19-24. doi:10.1250/ast.11.19Attenborough, K. (1982). Acoustical characteristics of porous materials. Physics Reports, 82(3), 179-227. doi:10.1016/0370-1573(82)90131-4Dunn, I. P., & Davern, W. A. (1986). Calculation of acoustic impedance of multi-layer absorbers. Applied Acoustics, 19(5), 321-334. doi:10.1016/0003-682x(86)90044-7Garai, M., & Pompoli, F. (2005). A simple empirical model of polyester fibre materials for acoustical applications. Applied Acoustics, 66(12), 1383-1398. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2005.04.008Rey, R. del, Alba, J., Arenas, J. P., & Sanchis, V. J. (2012). An empirical modelling of porous sound absorbing materials made of recycled foam. Applied Acoustics, 73(6-7), 604-609. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2011.12.009Arenas, J. P., Rebolledo, J., Del Rey, R., & Alba, J. (2014). Sound Absorption Properties of Unbleached Cellulose Loose-Fill Insulation Material. BioResources, 9(4). doi:10.15376/biores.9.4.6227-6240Silva, C. C. B. da, Terashima, F. J. H., Barbieri, N., & Lima, K. F. de. (2019). Sound absorption coefficient assessment of sisal, coconut husk and sugar cane fibers for low frequencies based on three different methods. Applied Acoustics, 156, 92-100. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2019.07.001Sair, S., Mansouri, S., Tanane, O., Abboud, Y., & El Bouari, A. (2019). Alfa fiber-polyurethane composite as a thermal and acoustic insulation material for building applications. SN Applied Sciences, 1(7). doi:10.1007/s42452-019-0685-zMaghchiche, A., Haouam, A., & Immirzi, B. (2013). Extraction and Characterization of Algerian Alfa Grass Short Fibers (Stipa Tenacissima). Chemistry & Chemical Technology, 7(3), 339-344. doi:10.23939/chcht07.03.339Nadji, H., Diouf, P. N., Benaboura, A., Bedard, Y., Riedl, B., & Stevanovic, T. (2009). Comparative study of lignins isolated from Alfa grass (Stipa tenacissima L.). Bioresource Technology, 100(14), 3585-3592. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2009.01.074Belkhir, S., Koubaa, A., Khadhri, A., Ksontini, M., & Smiti, S. (2012). Variations in the morphological characteristics of Stipa tenacissima fiber: The case of Tunisia. Industrial Crops and Products, 37(1), 200-206. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.11.021Ingard, K. U., & Dear, T. A. (1985). Measurement of acoustic flow resistance. 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Evaluation of two alternative procedures for measuring airflow resistance of sound absorbing materials

[EN] It is well known that sound absorption and sound transmission properties of open porous materials are highly dependent on their airflow resistance values. Low values of airflow resistance indicate little resistance for air streaming through the porous material and high values are a sign that most of the pores inside the material are closed. The laboratory procedures for measuring airflow resistance have been stan- dardized by several organizations, including ISO and ASTM for both alternate flow and continuous flow. However, practical implementation of these standardized methods could be both complex and expensive. In this work, two indirect alternative measurement procedures were compared against the alternate flow standardized technique. The techniques were tested using three families of eco-friendly sound absorbent materials: recycled polyurethane foams, coconut natural fibres, and recycled polyester fibres. It is found that the values of airflow resistance measured using both alternative methods are very similar. There is also a good correlation between the values obtained through alternative and standardized methods.This project has been made possible thanks to the FONDECYT Project 1110605 and the grant GV/2012/066 Projects I+D for emerging research groups. The authors would like to thank Dr. Luis Godinho from the Department of Civil Engineering of University of Coimbra (Portugal) for his help with the experimental work and the ISO data reported in Table 1 of this paper.Rey Tormos, RMD.; Alba Fernández, J.; Arenas, JP.; Ramis Soriano, J. (2013). Evaluation of two alternative procedures for measuring airflow resistance of sound absorbing materials. Archives of Acoustics. 38(4):547-554. https://doi.org/10.2478/aoa:2013-0064S54755438

An electroacoustic method for measuring airflow resistivity of porous sound-absorbing materials

[EN] In this paper, a method for measuring the airflow resistivity of air-saturated porous sound-absorbing materials is presented. The method is based on a modification of the previous device developed by Dragonetti et al. The approach used in the present work involves a cavity and a Helmholtz resonator that are coupled through a loudspeaker so that the complete system behaves as a fourth-order symmetrical band-pass loudspeaker system. After a straightforward calibration, the airflow resistivity of a material sample is indirectly estimated from the direct measurement of the total electric impedance at the loudspeaker connection terminals. In this way, the use of microphones is not necessary, which makes its implementation very simple and inexpensive. Experimental results obtained with the present method agree well with those obtained through a standardized method as long as the values of the material's airflow resistance are not too high. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of CONICYT-FONDECYT under Grant 1171110 and to the Vicerectorate of R+i+t at Univ. Politecnica of Valencia, Grant PAID0017.Alba, J.; Arenas, JP.; Rey Tormos, RMD.; Rodríguez-Vercher, J. (2019). An electroacoustic method for measuring airflow resistivity of porous sound-absorbing materials. Applied Acoustics. 150:132-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2019.02.009S13213715

Goitre and Iodine Deficiency in Europe

The prevalence of endemic iodine-deficiency goitre in Europe has been reduced in many areas by the introduction of iodination programmes. Recent reports, however, show that goitre remains a significant problem and that its prevalence has not decreased in a number of European countries. Hetzel1 has pointed out that the high global prevalence of iodine-deficiency disorders could be eradicated within 5-10 years by introduction of an iodised salt programme. The current World Health Organisation recommendations for iodine intake are between 150 and 300 μg/da

Cómo minimizar los cambios radiológicos laterales en la osteotomía valguizante de adición medial de rodilla

Objetivo: estudiar la relación entre posición del injerto en Osteotomía Valguizante de Adición (OVA) en rodilla, los cambios radiológicos experimentados por la rótula y la pendiente tibial y su correlación clínica. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo de 10 pacientes operados de OVA. Medimos el cambio experimentado tras la osteotomía en Índice de Catón y la pendiente tibial y su relación con la ubicación del injerto. Valoración clínica mediante test de Lisholm y WOMAC. Resultados: edad media de 49.5 años, seguimiento medio de 32,2 meses. Se observa un cambio estadísticamente significativo de 1,45º en la pendiente tibial y de 0,15 unidades (Índice Catón) en la altura de la patela, pero sin correlación con la clínica. La ubicación del injerto en el cuadrante posterior se halló en el 80% de los casos. Conclusión : la osteotomía valguizante de adición medial tiene buenos resultados clínicos. Los cambios en la pendiente tibial y en la patela son menores cuanto más posterior es la ubicación del injerto.Objectives: we investigated changes in patellar height and tibial inclination angle after open-wedge high tibial osteotomy, the effect of these changes on patient satisfaction and the correlation with the graft position. Methods: retrospective study of 10 knees who underwent open-wedge proximal tibial osteotomy with allograft and medial plate for medial compartment. Were measured pre- and postoperatively tibial inclination angle, and patellar height (Caton Index), and we study the correlation of these changes with the location of the graft. Clinical evaluations were made using the Lysholm and WOMAC score. Results: the mean age was 49.5 years, the mean follow up was 32,2 months. The mean increase in the tibial inclination angle was 1,45 ° (p<0.05) and the mean of decrease in patellar height was 0.15 Units Caton Index (p<0.05). There weren’t correlation between radiological changes and patients satisfaction. The graft localization was posterior in 80% of patients. Conclusion: the open-wedge tibial osteotomy has good results and high clinical satisfaction. Changes in the tibial slope and the patellar height are lower if the graft position is posterior

Pseudoaneurisma de la arteria geniculada inferior medial tras reparación del ligamento del cruzado anterior.

Presentamos el caso de un varón de 24 años intervenido por una rotura crónica del ligamento cruzado anterior de rodilla izquierda. Se realizó una ligamentoplastia con técnica de cuatro fascículos con tendones ísquiotibiales. En el postoperatorio inmediato presentó un cuadro de hematoma en la zona de extracción de la plastia. Inicialmente se atribuyó a un sangrado muscular que se redujo con medidas médicas, el cuadro se repitió a los pocos días por lo que se decidió suspender el tratamiento con heparina de bajo peso molecular. Tras la mejoría se repite el hematoma, por lo que se realiza un angioTAC que muestra la presencia de un pseudoaneurisma de la arteria geniculada inferior medial. Ante la evolución tórpida del cuadro se decide la cirugía y se procede a ligar la arteria mencionada vaciándose el hematoma residual. El cuadro se resuelve sin incidencias, de modo que el paciente empieza su rehabilitación de modo habitual. Dada la infrecuencia de esta patología se revisa la bibliografía y su patogenia.We report the case of a 24 year old male with a chronic rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. We performed an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with four fascicles using the hamstrings tendon. In the immediate postoperative period, he presented a hematoma in the area of extraction plasty. Initially it was attributed to muscle bleeding and physical therapy (rest, ice and bandage) was prescribed. It reappeared few days later so it was decided to discontinue treatment with LMWH. Despite initial improvement, the haematoma reappeared so an angioCT Scan was performed showing medial inferior genicular artery pseudoaneurysm. The patient underwent a surgery for surgical wound exploration and ligation of the affected vessel. The patient improved and started the rehabilitation program as usual. Given the rarity of this disease and its pathogenesis literature is reviewed

Efficient Vacuum Deposited P-I-N Perovskite Solar Cells by Front Contact Optimization

Hole transport layers (HTLs) are of fundamental importance in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as they must ensure an efficient and selective hole extraction, and ohmic charge transfer to the corresponding electrodes. In p-i-n solar cells, the ITO/HTL is usually not ohmic, and an additional interlayer such as MoO3 is usually placed in between the two materials by vacuum sublimation. In this work, we evaluated the properties of the MoO3/TaTm (TaTm is the HTL N4,N4,N4″,N4″-tetra([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)-[1,1′:4′,1″-terphenyl]-4,4″-diamine) hole extraction interface by selectively annealing either MoO3 (prior to the deposition of TaTm) or the bilayer MoO3/TaTm (without pre-treatment on the MoO3), at temperature ranging from 60 to 200°C. We then used these p-contacts for the fabrication of a large batch of fully vacuum deposited PSCs, using methylammonium lead iodide as the active layer. We show that annealing the MoO3/TaTm bilayers at high temperature is crucial to obtain high rectification with low non-radiative recombination, due to an increase of the electrode work function and the formation of an ohmic interface with TaTm