Quartz Corp (Norway)

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The effects of particle size and composition of platelet titanates, including potassium titanate and potassium-magnesium titanate, were investigated to determine their friction stability, wear resistance, and transfer film formation. The composition and properties of titanates were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and particle size analysis. Tribological properties were evaluated using a tribometer (MFT-5000), while the worn surfaces were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Results indicate that the transfer film characteristics are significantly influenced by the particle size and composition of platelet titanates. Brake pads containing potassium-magnesium titanates formed a more uniform transfer film, leading to improved friction stability and reduced wear rates. In contrast, potassium titanates increased friction levels but also resulted in higher wear on the brake friction materials.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">These findings demonstrate the importance of carefully controlling titanate composition and particle size to enhance brake pad performance. This research provides valuable insights for designing more durable and stable brake materials.</div></div>

Racism in education and clinical practice continues to impact health outcomes in the United States. Students and faculty at a large public university identified a gap in advanced practice nursing education and advocated for the creation of a course focused on structural racism and its impact on health outcomes. This article reviews the development of a course curriculum- Racism, Health Care, and Social Justice -focused on structural racism that was designed and implemented to address curricular gaps in a master's program. This course aligns with the updated AACN Essentials, which emphasize a need for structural competency in nursing practice. A single course can expand student understanding of racism in health care and the concepts of structural competency. Future nursing education should more extensively incorporate these concepts.

Modified radical mastectomy (MRM) is a standard surgical approach for breast cancer management. Conventional electrocautery and advanced vessel-sealing devices such as LigaSure Small Jaw are commonly used for dissection and hemostasis. However, their comparative efficacy regarding operative time, blood loss, and surgical outcomes remains an area of interest. Objective: To compare the efficacy of conventional electrocautery and LigaSure Small Jaw in breast cancer patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy. Methodology: A prospective study was conducted in the Oncology and Surgery Department of Nishtar Hospital from December 2023 to December 2024. A total of 100 female breast cancer patients with ASA scores 1 and 2 undergoing modified radical mastectomy were included in the study. The patients were divided into an electrocautery group, including 50, and the LigaSure SmallJaw group, including 50. The mastectomy was performed under general anesthesia. Axillary clearance was performed by either a monopolar diathermy probe or LigaSure SmallJaw. Results: Intraoperative outcomes significantly improved in the LigaSure group compared to the electrocautery group. The operative time was 120.9 ± 15.2 minutes in the electrocautery group and 110.2 ± 20.7 minutes in the LigaSure group (p=0.005). The blood loss was 189 ± 20.6ml and 118.3 ± 60.81 ml, respectively (p=0.002). Conclusion: Compared to conventional electrocautery, the LigaSure SmallJaw system has better efficacy and operative outcomes, including shorter surgery duration and intraoperative blood loss.

Frangible joints provide controlled separation of continuous structural connections on aerospace systems such as launch vehicles, rockets, and spacecraft. These devices are critical to mission success as they enable inter-stage separation and payload delivery. Severance of the joint is governed by an explosive-induced impulsive loading that drives dynamic fracture of a structural member. The prediction of frangible joint performance was studied, in terms of shock output and severance, using nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis. Physics-based simulation of fundamental device behavior was validated relative to open-source experimental data. Sensitivities of device separation performance and shock output to joint structural material properties were subsequently explored to better understand these complex devices. Insights towards better performing, lower shock frangible joint designs are discussed.

Dans la formation des intervenantes en travail social, comment faire se rencontrer les savoirs théoriques et l’expérience de la pauvreté des personnes qui la vivent ? À trois différentes reprises – deux avec des classes d’étudiantes en travail social de l’UQAR et de l’Université de Sherbrooke et une avec des professeures en travail social de l’AQCFRIS –, des membres d’ATD Quart Monde, mouvement international pour l’élimination de la grande pauvreté, ont croisé leurs savoirs issus de leur expérience de vie avec ceux issus de la recherche et de la pratique professionnelle du travail social.

Dans notre pays, en 2025, 11,2 millions de personnes vivent sous le seuil de pauvreté. Parmi elles, près de 5 millions vivent dans la grande pauvreté1. Vivre dans la grande pauvreté, au-delà du côté financier qui est terrible (moins de 800 euros par mois pour subvenir à tous ses besoins – nourriture, loyer, santé, électricité, assurance, santé…), c’est aussi vivre avec des peurs, des souffrances, dans le repli su

As there is an increased demand for monocrystalline silicon based solar cells, there is an increased interest in stronger and more durable fused quartz crucibles used in the Czochralski process. In this study we focused on the uniformity of hydroxyl impurities in these crucibles, and its potential influence on viscosity of the crucible by combining data from IR-microscopy and a self-made viscosity measurement setup. A half of a fused quartz crucible manufactured from two types of sands was studied, the OH groups content was mapped, and the viscosity at 1500 °C was measured. Local variations in the OH groups content of on average 26.7 ppm difference between the top and the bottom of the crucible were detected. The viscosity measurements further confirmed the crucible’s inhomogeneity as no clear trends or direct correlations to the OH groups content were observed. The correlation between the different sand types used for crucible manufacturing and the OH groups content was also investigated in four samples originating from four different crucibles. Two different trends in the OH groups distribution were found: while two of the studied crucibles showed an increased OH groups content in the boundary between the bubble free and the bubble containing layer, the other two showed an increased and maximum OH groups content in the bubble containing layer, and the link between the sand types and the OH groups content was confirmed. The source of the local inhomogeneities and the two different trends of OH groups distribution can possibly be attributed to the sand quality, the sand particle size, and the difference in the manufacturing process, such as thermal history or distribution of sand.

The European Space Agency (ESA)’s wind mission, Aeolus, was launched on 22 August 2018. It is a member of the ESA Earth Explorer family and its main objective is to demonstrate the potential of Doppler wind Lidars in space for improving weather forecast and to understand the role of atmospheric dynamics in climate variability. Aeolus carries a single instrument called ALADIN: a high sophisticated spectral resolution Doppler wind Lidar which operates at 355 which is the first of its kind to be flown in space.Aeolus provides profiles of single horizontal line-of-sight winds (primary product) in near-real-time (NRT), and profiles of atmospheric backscatter and extinction. The instrument samples the atmosphere from about 30 km down to the Earth’s surface, or down to optically thick clouds. The required precision of the wind observations is 1-2.5 m/s in the troposphere and 3-5 m/s in the stratosphere while the systematic error requirement be less than 0.7 m/s. The mission spin-off product includes information about aerosol and cloud layers. The satellite flies in a polar dusk/dawn orbit (6 am/pm local time), providing ~16 orbits per 24 hours with an orbit repeat cycle of 7 days. Global scientific payload data acquisition is guaranteed with the combined usage of Svalbard and Troll X-band receiving stations.After almost five years in orbit and despite some performance issues related to its instrument ALADIN, Aeolus has achieved all its scientific objectives and gone beyond its original designed life-time in space. Positive impact on the weather forecast has been demonstrated by multiple NWP centres world-wide, with four European meteorological centres now are assimilating Aeolus winds operationally, paving the way to its successor: EPS-Aeolus. Aeolus data is being used with success over a number of innovative research streams with growing scientific impact on literature.The status of the Aeolus mission will be presented including the last main challenge to re-enter the satellite from space with an assisted scenario instead of an uncontrolled one, as initially foreseen by design.