Poly(borosiloxanes) as precursors for carbon fiber ceramic matrix composites

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), constituted of a silicon boron oxycarbide (SiBCO) matrix and unidirectional carbon fiber rods as a reinforcement phase, were prepared by pyrolysis of carbon fiber rods wrapped in polysiloxane (PS) or poly(borosiloxane) (PBS) matrices. The preparation of the polymeric precursors involved hydrolysis/condensation reactions of alkoxysilanes in the presence and absence of boric acid, with B/Si atomic ratios of 0.2 and 0.5. Infrared spectra of PBS showed evidence of Si-O-B bonds at 880 cm-1, due to the incorporation of the crosslinker trigonal units of BO3 in the polymeric network. X ray diffraction analyses exhibited an amorphous character of the resulting polymer-derived ceramics obtained by pyrolysis up to 1000 °C under inert atmosphere. The C/SiBCO composites showed better thermal stability than the C/SiOC materials. In addition, good adhesion between the carbon fiber and the ceramic phase was observed by SEM microscopy147151Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Type of trajectory does not affect the visual control of braking in cyclists

El control visual de la frenada fue estudiado en ciclistas recreativos mediante la manipulación de la velocidad (baja, media y alta) al principio de la frenada y la trayectoria de aproximación de la bicicleta (rectilínea y curvilínea) en relación con un obstáculo fijo. La hipótesis era que el tipo de trayectoria de la bicicleta, de modo exclusivo o en interacción con la velocidad inicial, afectaría la información visual del momento de la colisión (margen "tau") y su primera derivada en el tiempo ("tau-dot"), respectivamente, al principio y durante la frenada. Los resultados revelaron que la velocidad afectó significativamente el margen "tau", mientras que el "tau-dot" permaneció inalterado independientemente de su condición. El tipo de trayectoria claramente no afectó el control visual de frenado en los ciclistas.Braking visual control was studied in recreational cyclists through the manipulation of bicycle's velocity at braking initiation (low, medium, and high) and approaching trajectory (straight and curved) with respect to a stationary obstacle. The hypothesis was that the type of trajectory, exclusively or interacting with initial velocity, would affect time to collision visual information (tau margin) and its first derivative in time (tau-dot), respectively, in the onset and during braking. The results revealed that velocity affected significantly tau margin while tau-dot remained unaltered independently of condition. The type of trajectory clearly did not affect the visual control of braking in cyclists.O controle visual da freada foi estudado em ciclistas recreacionais através da manipulação da velocidade no início da freada (baixa, média e alta) e da trajetória de aproximação (retilínea e curvilínea) da bicicleta em relação a um obstáculo estacionário. A hipótese foi que o tipo de trajetória da bicicleta, de modo exclusivo ou em interação com a velocidade inicial, afetaria a informação visual de tempo para colisão ("tau" margem) e sua primeira derivada no tempo ("tau-dot"), respectivamente, no início e durante a freada. Os resultados revelaram que a velocidade afetou significativamente "tau" margem, enquanto "tau-dot" manteve-se inalterado independentemente da condição. O tipo de trajetória claramente não afetou o controle visual da freada em ciclistas

Removal of benzene and toluene from a refinery waste air stream by water sorption and biotrickling filtration

ABSTRACT The paper presents the results of an analysis of a two-stage pilot plant for the removal of toluene and benzene from the exhaust air of an industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The two-stage air process combines a water scrubber and a biotrickling filter (BTF) in sequence, and treats air stripped from the liquid phase compartments of the WWTP. During the experimental period, the pilot plant treated an airflow of 600 Nm 3 h -1 . Average concentrations of the waste air stream entering the water scrubber were 10.61 mg Nm -3 benzene and 9.26 mg Nm -3 toluene. The water scrubber obtained medium-high removal efficiencies (averages 51% and 60%, for benzene and toluene, respectively). Subsequent passage through the BTF allowed a further reduction of average concentrations, which decreased to 2.10 mg Nm -3 benzene and to 0.84 mg Nm -3 toluene, thereby allowing overall average removal efficiencies (REs) of 80% and 91% for benzene and toluene, respectively. Results prove the benefits obtained from a combination of different removal technologies: water scrubbers to remove peak concentrations and soluble compounds, and BTFs to remove compounds with lower solubility, due to the biodegradation performed by microorganisms

Femtosecond Two-Photon Absorption Spectroscopy Of Copper Indium Sulfide Quantum Dots: A Structure-Optical Properties Relationship

We have interpreted the two-photon absorption spectrum of water-soluble copper indium sulfide (CIS) QDs with stoichiometry 0.18 (Cu), 0.42 (In), and 2 (S) and an average diameter of approximately 2.6 nm. For that, we employed the wavelength-tunable femtosecond Z-scan technique and the parabolic effective-mass approximation model, in which the excitonic transition energies were phenomenologically corrected due to the stoichiometry of the nanocrystal. This model considers a conduction band and three valence sub-bands allowing excitonic transitions via centrosymmetric (Δl = ±1, where l is the angular momentum of the absorbing state) and non-centrosymmetric (Δl = 0) channels. In such case, this became relevant because the CIS QDs with chalcopyrite crystalline structure is a non-centrosymmetric semiconductor. Thus, our experimental results pointed out two 2 PA allowed bands located at 715 nm (2hv = 3.47 eV) and 625 nm (2hv = 3.97 eV) with cross sections of (6.3 ± 1.0) x 102 GM and (4.5 ± 0.7) x 102 GM, respectively. According to the theoretical model, these 2 PA bands can be ascribed to the 1P1/2(h3) → 1S3/2(e) (lower energy band) and 1P1/2(hheavy) → 1S3/2(e) (90%)/(10%)1P1/2(hsplit-off) → 1P3/2(e) (higher energy band) excitonic transitions. A good agreement (magnitude and spectral position) between the experimental and theoretical data were obtained. However, our experimental data suggest that the higher-energy 2 PA band may have other contributions due to the mixing between the heavy- and the light-hole bands, which the effective mass model does not take into consideration

Long term experience with CsI photocathodes in gas photon detectors

RICH-1 is a Cherenkov Imaging detector in operation at the COMPASS experiment at CERN SPS since 2001. MWPCs equipped with CsI photocathodes have been used as photon detectors, for the full detection area in the first years of operation, and for 75% of the area after a detector upgrade in 2006. The mean number of detected photons per particle has been extracted from the data collected during six years of COMPASS data taking. An indirect measurement of possible variations of the CsI quantum efficiency versus time is obtained from this analysis

Multiplicities of charged pions and unidentified charged hadrons from deep-inelastic scattering of muons off an isoscalar target

Multiplicities of charged pions and unidentified hadrons produced in deep-inelastic scattering were measured in bins of the Bjorken scaling variable $x$, the relative virtual-photon energy $y$ and the relative hadron energy $z$. Data were obtained by the COMPASS Collaboration using a 160 GeV muon beam and an isoscalar target ($^6$LiD). They cover the kinematic domain in the photon virtuality $Q^2$ > 1(GeV/c$)^2$, $0.004 < x < 0.4$, $0.2 < z < 0.85$ and $0.1 < y < 0.7$. In addition, a leading-order pQCD analysis was performed using the pion multiplicity results to extract quark fragmentation functions

Hybrid MPGD-based detectors of single photons for the upgrade of COMPASS RICH-1

A seven year-long R&D programme has been performed and the resulting detector architecture is a hybrid MPGD including two THick GEM (THGEM) multiplication stages followed a MICROMEGAS. The first THGEM board forms the photocathode support: its upper face is CsI coated. The properties of THGEM-based photocathodes have been studied in details. The two THGEM layers act as pre-amplification stages and, thanks to a staggered configuration, namely by the misalignment of the holes of the two THGEMs, the electron shower produced in the pre-amplification phase is distributed onto a larger surface portion of the following MICROMEGAS unit, where the final multiplication takes place: it is so possible to operate at gains as high as 105 and more even in radioactive environments. COMPASS RICH-1 is a large-size Cherenkov imaging counter with gaseous radiator for hadron identification up to 50 GeV/c. The construction of a set of large-size (unit size: 60 760 cm2) gaseous photon detectors based on the hybrid MPGD architecture for the upgrade of COMPASS RICH-1 is ongoing and the upgraded detector will be in operation in 2016. The R&D studies, the engineering aspects and the construction challenges are presented

Multiplicities of charged kaons from deep-inelastic muon scattering off an isoscalar target

Precise measurements of charged-kaon multiplicities in deep inelastic scattering were performed. The results are presented in three-dimensional bins of the Bjorken scaling variable x, the relative virtual-photon energy y, and the fraction z of the virtual-photon energy carried by the produced hadron. The data were obtained by the COMPASS Collaboration by scattering 160 GeV muons off an isoscalar 6LiD target. They cover the kinematic domain View the MathML source in the photon virtuality, 0.0045 GeV/c2 in the invariant mass of the hadronic system. The results from the sum of the z -integrated K+ and K 12 multiplicities at high x point to a value of the non-strange quark fragmentation function larger than obtained by the earlier DSS fit

Mepolizumab for Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: A European Multicenter Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: Mepolizumab proved to be an efficacious treatment for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) at a dose of 300 mg every 4 weeks in the randomized, controlled MIRRA trial. In a few recently reported studies, successful real-life experiences with the approved dose for treating severe eosinophilic asthma (100 mg every 4 weeks) were observed. We undertook this study to assess the effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab 100 mg every 4 weeks and 300 mg every 4 weeks in a large European EGPA cohort. METHODS: We included all patients with EGPA treated with mepolizumab at the recruiting centers in 2015-2020. Treatment response was evaluated from 3 months to 24 months after initiation of mepolizumab. Complete response to treatment was defined as no disease activity (Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score [BVAS] = 0) and a prednisolone or prednisone dose (or equivalent) of ≤4 mg/day. Respiratory outcomes included asthma and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) exacerbations. RESULTS: Two hundred three patients, of whom 191 received a stable dose of mepolizumab (158 received 100 mg every 4 weeks and 33 received 300 mg every 4 weeks) were included. Twenty-five patients (12.3%) had a complete response to treatment at 3 months. Complete response rates increased to 30.4% and 35.7% at 12 months and 24 months, respectively, and rates were comparable between mepolizumab 100 mg every 4 weeks and 300 mg every 4 weeks. Mepolizumab led to a significant reduction in BVAS score, prednisone dose, and eosinophil counts from 3 months to 24 months, with no significant differences observed between 100 mg every 4 weeks and 300 mg every 4 weeks. Eighty-two patients (40.4%) experienced asthma exacerbations (57 of 158 [36%] who received 100 mg every 4 weeks; 17 of 33 [52%] who received 300 mg every 4 weeks), and 31 patients (15.3%) experienced ENT exacerbations. Forty-four patients (21.7%) experienced adverse events (AEs), most of which were nonserious AEs (38 of 44). CONCLUSION: Mepolizumab at both 100 mg every 4 weeks and 300 mg every 4 weeks is effective for the treatment of EGPA. The 2 doses should be compared in the setting of a controlled trial