Upconversion Luminescence of Er3+ Ions from Barium Titanate Xerogel Powder and Target Fabricated by Explosive Compaction Method

Photo- and cathodoluminescence in the visible range from erbium-doped barium titanate xerogels obtained in the form of a powder and a target pressed from it by explosive compaction are investigated. The powder and target exhibit upconversion luminescence of erbium ions excited at wavelengths in the regions 950–1000 and 1450–1550 nm that is characterized by strong bands at 650 and 520–560 nm and a weak band at ~820 nm that correspond to the 4F9/2 → 4I15/2, 2H11/2 → 4I15/2, 4S3/2 → 4I15/2, and 4I9/2 → 4I15/2 transitions of Er3+. The target also demonstrates cathodoluminescence at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature with the strongest bands at 650, 520, and 538 nm

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ОКИСЛЕНИЯ ДИСПЕРСНОГО АЛЮМИНИЯ В УСЛОВИЯХ ВЫСОКИХ ТЕМПЕРАТУР И ДАВЛЕНИЙ

In recent times, researchers are interested in ultra and nanopowders of oxide ceramics and functional materials based on them. This article describes the results of obtaining an aluminum hydroxide powder – boehmite produced by the method of hydrothermal oxidation of aluminum. Boehmite obtained by this technology is characterized by high phase purity (according to the XRD-analysis there is well-crystallized boehmite). It is found that the hydrothermal synthesis, carried out by combustion in pre- and supercritical water, can be considered as an effective method of obtaining extra pure nanocrystalline hydroxides (boehmite) and oxides of aluminum (corrundum). In the case of realization of oxides and hydroxides of aluminum and also the technology of obtaining hydrogen and heat energy, this process can be considered to be highly profitable.В последние годы все больший интерес проявляется к исследованиям ультра- и нанодисперсных систем на основе оксидокерамических порошков и функциональных материалов на их основе. В представленной работе приводятся результаты получения порошка гидроксида алюминия – бемита, полученного по технологии гидротермального окисления, который характеризуется высокой фазовой чистотой (по данным рентгенофазного анализа присутствует хорошо закристаллизованный бемит). Установлено, что гидротермальный синтез, осуществляемый путем сжигания в до- и сверхкритических водных средах, можно рассматривать как эффективный способ получения особо чистых нанокристаллических гидроксидов (бемит) и оксидов (корунд) алюминия. При условии реализации оксидов и гидроксидов алюминия как товарных продуктов, а также технологии получения водорода и тепловой энергии, представленный процесс может относится к высокорентабельным.

УДАРНО-ВОЛНОВОЕ КОМПАКТИРОВАНИЕ ПОРОШКОВ

Materials based on MAX phases have a unique combination of properties. They combine the best properties of metals and ceramics. Such a set of useful operational parameters allows for wide technical application in various industries. However, despite the large number of research works carried out in this area, obtaining a dense, uniform MAX material remains an unresolved issue. The possibilities of the pulsed compacting method with blasting explosives for obtaining products from MAX phase powders were investigated. As a model material for the research, powders of MAX phases based on Ti2AlC and Ti3AlC2 synthesized by free sintering in vacuum were used. It was shown that double pulse compacting powders based Ti2AlC Ti3AlC2 and reducing compacts porosity from 22 % to 9 %, is practically unchanged while the phase composition of the material. Test samples obtained by pulsed compaction in oxidation resistance showed that the method of the shock-wave loading applicable for competitive materials realizing potential properties of MAX phases. It is noted that to increase the heat resistance it is necessary to minimize the porosity of the material. Significant reduction in porosity can be achieved due to repeated shock-wave loading of the material. Материалы на основе МАХ-фаз имеют уникальную комбинацию свойств. Они объединяют лучшие свойства металлов и керамики. Такой набор полезных эксплуатационных параметров дает возможность широкого технического применения в различных отраслях промышленности. Однако несмотря на большое количество исследовательских работ, проведенных в данной области, получение плотного, однородного МАХ-материала остается нерешенным вопросом. Изучались возможности метода импульсного компактирования бризантными взрывчатыми веществами для получения изделий из порошков МАХ-фаз. В качестве модельного материала для проведения исследований были использованы порошки МАХ-фаз на основе Ti2AlC и Ti3AlC2, синтезированные свободным спеканием в вакууме. Показано, что двукратное импульсное компактирование порошков на основе Ti2AlC и Ti3AlC2 позволяет снизить пористость прессовок с 22 % до 9 %, при этом фазовый состав материала практически не изменяется. Испытание образцов, полученных методом импульсного компактирования, на стойкость к окислению показало, что метод ударно-волнового нагружения применим для получения конкурентоспособных материалов, реализующих потенциальные свойства МАХ-фаз. Отмечено, что для повышения жаростойкости необходимо стремиться к минимизации пористости материала. Существенное снижение пористости может быть достигнуто за счет многократного ударно-волнового нагружения материала

X-Shooting ULLYSES: Massive stars at low metallicity: I. Project description

Observations of individual massive stars, super-luminous supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and gravitational wave events involving spectacular black hole mergers indicate that the low-metallicity Universe is fundamentally different from our own Galaxy. Many transient phenomena will remain enigmatic until we achieve a firm understanding of the physics and evolution of massive stars at low metallicity (Z). The Hubble Space Telescope has devoted 500 orbits to observing ∼250 massive stars at low Z in the ultraviolet (UV) with the COS and STIS spectrographs under the ULLYSES programme. The complementary X-Shooting ULLYSES (XShootU) project provides an enhanced legacy value with high-quality optical and near-infrared spectra obtained with the wide-wavelength coverage X-shooter spectrograph at ESOa's Very Large Telescope. We present an overview of the XShootU project, showing that combining ULLYSES UV and XShootU optical spectra is critical for the uniform determination of stellar parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity, luminosity, and abundances, as well as wind properties such as mass-loss rates as a function of Z. As uncertainties in stellar and wind parameters percolate into many adjacent areas of astrophysics, the data and modelling of the XShootU project is expected to be a game changer for our physical understanding of massive stars at low Z. To be able to confidently interpret James Webb Space Telescope spectra of the first stellar generations, the individual spectra of low-Z stars need to be understood, which is exactly where XShootU can deliver

Anticoagulant selection in relation to the SAMe-TT2R2 score in patients with atrial fibrillation. the GLORIA-AF registry

Aim: The SAMe-TT2R2 score helps identify patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) likely to have poor anticoagulation control during anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and those with scores >2 might be better managed with a target-specific oral anticoagulant (NOAC). We hypothesized that in clinical practice, VKAs may be prescribed less frequently to patients with AF and SAMe-TT2R2 scores >2 than to patients with lower scores. Methods and results: We analyzed the Phase III dataset of the Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (GLORIA-AF), a large, global, prospective global registry of patients with newly diagnosed AF and ≥1 stroke risk factor. We compared baseline clinical characteristics and antithrombotic prescriptions to determine the probability of the VKA prescription among anticoagulated patients with the baseline SAMe-TT2R2 score >2 and ≤ 2. Among 17,465 anticoagulated patients with AF, 4,828 (27.6%) patients were prescribed VKA and 12,637 (72.4%) patients an NOAC: 11,884 (68.0%) patients had SAMe-TT2R2 scores 0-2 and 5,581 (32.0%) patients had scores >2. The proportion of patients prescribed VKA was 28.0% among patients with SAMe-TT2R2 scores >2 and 27.5% in those with scores ≤2. Conclusions: The lack of a clear association between the SAMe-TT2R2 score and anticoagulant selection may be attributed to the relative efficacy and safety profiles between NOACs and VKAs as well as to the absence of trial evidence that an SAMe-TT2R2-guided strategy for the selection of the type of anticoagulation in NVAF patients has an impact on clinical outcomes of efficacy and safety. The latter hypothesis is currently being tested in a randomized controlled trial. Clinical trial registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov//Unique identifier: NCT01937377, NCT01468701, and NCT01671007

Comparative effectiveness and safety of non-vitamin K antagonists for atrial fibrillation in clinical practice: GLORIA-AF Registry

Background and purpose: Prospectively collected data comparing the safety and effectiveness of individual non-vitamin K antagonists (NOACs) are lacking. Our objective was to directly compare the effectiveness and safety of NOACs in patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: In GLORIA-AF, a large, prospective, global registry program, consecutive patients with newly diagnosed AF were followed for 3 years. The comparative analyses for (1) dabigatran vs rivaroxaban or apixaban and (2) rivaroxaban vs apixaban were performed on propensity score (PS)-matched patient sets. Proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes of interest. Results: The GLORIA-AF Phase III registry enrolled 21,300 patients between January 2014 and December 2016. Of these, 3839 were prescribed dabigatran, 4015 rivaroxaban and 4505 apixaban, with median ages of 71.0, 71.0, and 73.0 years, respectively. In the PS-matched set, the adjusted HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dabigatran vs rivaroxaban were, for stroke: 1.27 (0.79–2.03), major bleeding 0.59 (0.40–0.88), myocardial infarction 0.68 (0.40–1.16), and all-cause death 0.86 (0.67–1.10). For the comparison of dabigatran vs apixaban, in the PS-matched set, the adjusted HRs were, for stroke 1.16 (0.76–1.78), myocardial infarction 0.84 (0.48–1.46), major bleeding 0.98 (0.63–1.52) and all-cause death 1.01 (0.79–1.29). For the comparison of rivaroxaban vs apixaban, in the PS-matched set, the adjusted HRs were, for stroke 0.78 (0.52–1.19), myocardial infarction 0.96 (0.63–1.45), major bleeding 1.54 (1.14–2.08), and all-cause death 0.97 (0.80–1.19). Conclusions: Patients treated with dabigatran had a 41% lower risk of major bleeding compared with rivaroxaban, but similar risks of stroke, MI, and death. Relative to apixaban, patients treated with dabigatran had similar risks of stroke, major bleeding, MI, and death. Rivaroxaban relative to apixaban had increased risk for major bleeding, but similar risks for stroke, MI, and death. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT01468701, NCT01671007. Date of registration: September 2013

Effects of alirocumab on types of myocardial infarction: insights from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial

Aims  The third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) Task Force classified MIs into five types: Type 1, spontaneous; Type 2, related to oxygen supply/demand imbalance; Type 3, fatal without ascertainment of cardiac biomarkers; Type 4, related to percutaneous coronary intervention; and Type 5, related to coronary artery bypass surgery. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduces risk of MI, but less is known about effects on types of MI. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES compared the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab with placebo in 18 924 patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and elevated LDL-C (≥1.8 mmol/L) despite intensive statin therapy. In a pre-specified analysis, we assessed the effects of alirocumab on types of MI. Methods and results  Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Myocardial infarction types were prospectively adjudicated and classified. Of 1860 total MIs, 1223 (65.8%) were adjudicated as Type 1, 386 (20.8%) as Type 2, and 244 (13.1%) as Type 4. Few events were Type 3 (n = 2) or Type 5 (n = 5). Alirocumab reduced first MIs [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.95; P = 0.003], with reductions in both Type 1 (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.99; P = 0.032) and Type 2 (0.77, 0.61–0.97; P = 0.025), but not Type 4 MI. Conclusion  After ACS, alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy favourably impacted on Type 1 and 2 MIs. The data indicate for the first time that a lipid-lowering therapy can attenuate the risk of Type 2 MI. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction below levels achievable with statins is an effective preventive strategy for both MI types.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz299</p

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase&nbsp;1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation&nbsp;disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age&nbsp; 6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score&nbsp; 652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc&nbsp;= 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N&nbsp;= 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in&nbsp;Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in&nbsp;Asia&nbsp;and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701