Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-poly(ethyleneoxide)-heparin block copolymers. I. Synthesis and characterization

Amphiphilic block copolymers containing poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly(ethylene oxide), and heparin (PDMS-PEO-Hep) have been prepared via a series of coupling reactions using functionalized prepolymers, diisocyanates, and derivatized heparins. All intermediate steps of the synthesis yield quantifiable products with reactive end-groups, while the final products demonstrate bioactive, covalently bound heparin moieties. Due to the solvent systems required, commercial sodium heparin was converted to its benzyltrimethyl ammonium salt to enhance its solubility. The same procedure was applied to heparin degraded by nitrous acid in order to covalently couple it in solutions with the semitelechelic copolymers. As might be expected, this derivatization reduces the apparent bioactivity of the heparin. However, preliminary findings suggest that the bioactivity can be restored by reforming the heparin sodium salt

Measurements of muon multiple scattering in MICE

Neutrino factories have been identified as the best facility for making precision measurements of neutrino oscillation physics. To fully realize this technology, a demonstration of the reduction of the phase space of a muon beam must be presented. The Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) is tasked with providing such a demonstration. Ionization cooling uses the energy loss in a low Z material followed by acceleration in RF cavities to reduce the phase space of a beam on a time scale many times less than the time scale of muon decay. Multiple coulomb scattering (MCS) simultaneously inflates the muon beam and so the interplay between energy loss and MCS must be well understood. Unfortunately MCS is not well simulated in the materials of interest in the GEANT Monte Carlo program. A programme has commenced for MICE to measure MCS in several materials of interest including lithium hydride, liquid hydrogen, and gaseous xenon. The experimental methods and early results will be presented

WATER PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY IN VIOLATED MAIZE IRRIGATION REGIME FOR SILAGE MAIN CULTURE

In the experimental field of the Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora, on meadow - cinnamon type soil, an experiment with a medium - late maize hybrid Antalya 450 from FAO in case of disturbed irrigation regime was conducted. It was found that the optimally irrigated variant with three irrigations yields an average yield of 1607 kg/dry biomass, which is 20.0% higher than the yield obtained from the non-irrigation variant. With the cancellation of the second irrigation the yield of dry mass decreases by 7.6% compared to the optimal variant, and with the cancellation of the first irrigation the losses of dry biomass reach respectively 12.3% compared to the control variant. The effect of the application of disturbed irrigation regime is highest when canceling the first watering irrigation (K = 0.93) and the lowest values are for the variant with cancellation of the second irrigation (K = 0.57)

The Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits Derived From the Redevelopment of Brownfields

Brownfields are defined as former industrial or commercial properties that have been abandoned, idled or are no longer in use.  These properties may be compromised with contaminated water and/or toxic materials.  This paper demonstrates that Brownfields may however, be salvaged and redeveloped.  Redeveloping brownfields has many challenges.  Financial barriers and liability concerns are often cited as the main concerns, but this strategy can also have many economic, social and environmental benefits. Some are mentioned as: tax incentives, smart growth and inducement of labor concentrations among many…

Baby MIND: A magnetized segmented neutrino detector for the WAGASCI experiment

T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) is a long-baseline neutrino experiment in Japan designed to study various parameters of neutrino oscillations. A near detector complex (ND280) is located 280~m downstream of the production target and measures neutrino beam parameters before any oscillations occur. ND280's measurements are used to predict the number and spectra of neutrinos in the Super-Kamiokande detector at the distance of 295~km. The difference in the target material between the far (water) and near (scintillator, hydrocarbon) detectors leads to the main non-cancelling systematic uncertainty for the oscillation analysis. In order to reduce this uncertainty a new WAter-Grid-And-SCintillator detector (WAGASCI) has been developed. A magnetized iron neutrino detector (Baby MIND) will be used to measure momentum and charge identification of the outgoing muons from charged current interactions. The Baby MIND modules are composed of magnetized iron plates and long plastic scintillator bars read out at the both ends with wavelength shifting fibers and silicon photomultipliers. The front-end electronics board has been developed to perform the readout and digitization of the signals from the scintillator bars. Detector elements were tested with cosmic rays and in the PS beam at CERN. The obtained results are presented in this paper.Comment: In new version: modified both plots of Fig.1 and added one sentence in the introduction part explaining Baby MIND role in WAGASCI experiment, added information for the affiliation