2,156 research outputs found
Influence of excess diamine on properties of PMR polyimide resins and composites
By varying the stoichiometry of the reactants in the preparation of PMR polyimide resin, changes occur in molecular weight distribution which influence the rheological properties and thus the processability of the resin, as well as the mechanical properties of the composite. The influence of 1-10 percent molar excess MDA on the molecular weight distribution and rheological properties of an imidized PMR system were exposed. Molecular weight distribution is characterized by gel permeation chromatography of the imidized molding compound; shear viscosity is related to changes in average molecular weight. The thermo-oxidative stability at 600 F, glass transition temperature, flexural and interlaminar shear properties of PMR polyimide/Celion 6000 graphite fiber composites are compared as a function of the percent excess MDA in the monomer reactant mixture
Method and apparatus for gripping uniaxial fibrous composite materials
A strip specimen is cut from a unidirectional strong, brittle fiber composite material, and the surfaces of both ends of the specimen are grit blasted. The specimen is then placed between metal load transfer members having grit blasted surfaces. Sufficient compressive stress is applied to the load transfer members to prevent slippage during testing at both elevated temperatures and room temperatures. The need for adhesives, load pads, and other secondary composite processing is eliminated. This gripping system was successful in tensile testing, creep rupture testing, and fatigue testing uniaxial composite materials at 316 C
Tailoring Silicon Oxycarbide Glasses for Oxidative Stability
Blackglas(Trademark) polysiloxane systems produce silicon oxycarbide glasses by pyrolysis in inert atmosphere. The silicon oxycarbides evidence oxidative degradation that limits their lifetime as composite matrices. The present study characterizes bonding rearrangements in the oxycarbide network accompanying increases in pyrolysis temperature. It also addresses the changes in susceptibility to oxidation due to variations in the distribution of Si bonded species obtained under different processing conditions. The study is carried out using Si-29 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and a design of experiments approach to model the oxidation behavior. The NMR results are compared with those obtained by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Samples pyrolyzed under inert conditions are compared to those pyrolyzed in reactive ammonia environments
A comparison of DA white dwarf temperatures and gravities from Lyman and Balmer line studies
We present measurements of the effective temperatures and surface gravities
for a sample of hot DA white dwarfs, using the Lyman line data available from
the HUT, ORFEUS and FUSE far-UV space missions. Comparing the results with
those from the standard Balmer line technique, we find that there is a general
good overall agreement between the two methods. However, significant
differences are found for a number of stars, but not always of a consistent
nature in that sometimes the Balmer temperature exceeds that derived from the
Lyman lines and in other instances is lower. We conclude that, with the latest
model atmosphere calculations, these discrepancies probably do not arise from
an inadequate theoretical treatment of the Lyman lines but rather from
systematic effects in the observation and data reduction processes, which
dominate the statistical errors in these spectra. If these systematic data
reduction effects can be adequately controlled, the Lyman line temperature and
gravity measurements are consistent with those obtained from the Balmer lines
when allowance is made for reasonable observational uncertainties.Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society 14 pages, 13 figure
A New Measurement of the Average FUV Extinction Curve
We have measured the extinction curve in the far-ultraviolet wavelength
region of (900 -- 1200 A) using spectra obtained with the Berkeley EUV/FUV
spectrometer during the ORFEUS-I and the ORFEUS-II missions in 1993 and 1996.
From the complete sample of early-type stars observed during these missions,
we have selected pairs of stars with the same spectral type but different
reddenings to measure the differential FUV extinction. We model the effects of
molecular hydrogen absorption and exclude affected regions of the spectrum to
determine the extinction from dust alone. We minimize errors from inaccuracies
in the cataloged spectral types of the stars by making our own determinations
of spectral types based on their IUE spectra. We find substantial scatter in
the curves of individual star pairs and present a detailed examination of the
uncertainties and their effects on each extinction curve. We find that, given
the potentially large uncertainties inherent in using the pair method at FUV
wavelengths, a careful analysis of measurement uncertainties is critical to
assessing the true dust extinction. We present a new measurement of the average
far-ultraviolet extinction curve to the Lyman limit; our new measurement is
consistent with an extrapolation of the standard extinction curve of Savage &
Mathis (1979).Comment: 13 pages text, 7 figures 4 tables. Sent as gzipped tar, with ms.tex
and 7 figure
Preceramic Polymers for Use as Fiber Coatings
Polymeric precursors to Si-C-O, SI-B-N and Si-C were evaluated for use as ceramic interfaces in ceramic matrix composites. Use of the preceramic polymers allows for easy dip coating of fibers from dilute solutions of a polymer, which are then pyrolyzed to obtain the ceramic. SCS-0 fibers (Textron Specialty Materials, Lowell, MA) were coated with polymers from three systems: polysilsesquioxanes, polyborosilazanes and polycarbosilanes. The polysilsesquioxane systems were shown to produce either silicon oxycarbide or silicon oxynitride, depending on the pyrolysis conditions, and demonstrated some promise in an RBSN (reaction-bonded silicon nitride) matrix model system. Polyborosilazanes were shown, in studies of bulk polymers, to give rise to oxidation resistant Si-B-N ceramics which remain amorphous to temperatures of 1600 C, and should therefore provide a low modulus interface. Polycarbosilanes produce amorphous carbon-rich Si-C materials which have demonstrated oxidation resistance
Effect of bevacizumab in older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: pooled analysis of four randomized studies
Background: Bevacizumab is frequently combined with 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The relative benefit of bevacizumab in older patients has not been widely studied and is of interest.
Patients and methods: This retrospective analysis used data from three first-line randomized controlled studies and one second-line randomized controlled study of bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in medically fit (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1) patients with mCRC. Overall survival (OS) and on-treatment progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed in patients aged greater than 65, greater than or equal to 65, and greater than or equal to 70 years. Results were compared using unstratified hazard ratios (HRs). Grade 3-5 adverse events were also assessed.
Results: Bevacizumab statistically significantly improved PFS [HR 0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.68] and OS (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.74-0.97) in patients aged greater than or equal to 65 years; patients aged greater than or equal to 70 years had similar improvements. Benefits were consistent across the studies, irrespective of setting, bevacizumab dose, or chemotherapy regimen. Increases in thromboembolic events were observed in patients aged greater than or equal to 65 and greater than or equal to 70 years in the bevacizumab group compared with the control group, mainly as a result of increases in arterial thromboembolic events. No other substantial age-related increases in grade 3-5 adverse events were observed.
Conclusions: In medically fit older patients, bevacizumab provides similar PFS and OS benefits as in younger patients
Interpolated sequences and critical -values of modular forms
Recently, Zagier expressed an interpolated version of the Ap\'ery numbers for
in terms of a critical -value of a modular form of weight 4. We
extend this evaluation in two directions. We first prove that interpolations of
Zagier's six sporadic sequences are essentially critical -values of modular
forms of weight 3. We then establish an infinite family of evaluations between
interpolations of leading coefficients of Brown's cellular integrals and
critical -values of modular forms of odd weight.Comment: 23 pages, to appear in Proceedings for the KMPB conference: Elliptic
Integrals, Elliptic Functions and Modular Forms in Quantum Field Theor
Braided racks, Hurwitz actions and Nichols algebras with many cubic relations
We classify Nichols algebras of irreducible Yetter-Drinfeld modules over
groups such that the underlying rack is braided and the homogeneous component
of degree three of the Nichols algebra satisfies a given inequality. This
assumption turns out to be equivalent to a factorization assumption on the
Hilbert series. Besides the known Nichols algebras we obtain a new example. Our
method is based on a combinatorial invariant of the Hurwitz orbits with respect
to the action of the braid group on three strands.Comment: v2: 35 pages, 6 tables, 14 figure
A novel series solution to the renormalization group equation in QCD
Recently, the QCD renormalization group (RG) equation at higher orders in
MS-like renormalization schemes has been solved for the running coupling as a
series expansion in powers of the exact 2-loop order coupling. In this work, we
prove that the power series converges to all orders in perturbation theory.
Solving the RG equation at higher orders, we determine the running coupling as
an implicit function of the 2-loop order running coupling. Then we analyze the
singularity structure of the higher order coupling in the complex 2-loop
coupling plane. This enables us to calculate the radii of convergence of the
series solutions at the 3- and 4-loop orders as a function of the number of
quark flavours . In parallel, we discuss in some detail the
singularity structure of the coupling at the 3- and 4-loops in
the complex momentum squared plane for . The
correspondence between the singularity structure of the running coupling in the
complex momentum squared plane and the convergence radius of the series
solution is established. For sufficiently large values, we find
that the series converges for all values of the momentum squared variable
. For lower values of , in the scheme,
we determine the minimal value of the momentum squared above
which the series converges. We study properties of the non-power series
corresponding to the presented power series solution in the QCD Analytic
Perturbation Theory approach of Shirkov and Solovtsov. The Euclidean and
Minkowskian versions of the non-power series are found to be uniformly
convergent over whole ranges of the corresponding momentum squared variables.Comment: 29 pages,LateX file, uses IOP LateX class file, 2 figures, 13 Tables.
Formulas (4)-(7) and Table 1 were relegated to Appendix 1, some notations
changed, 2 footnotes added. Clarifying discussion added at the end of Sect.
3, more references and acknowledgments added. Accepted for publication in
Few-Body System
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