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This paper presents the results of the analysis of amphorae found during excavations for construction of the new archaeological base of NAIM – BAS in Pliska. Significant quantities of amphorae from the Günsenin I and II classes that are datable to the second half of the 10th – the beginning of the 11th c. show that in this period Pliska grew as a large consumer center of food products. The variety of amphora profiles suggests that contacts were maintained with different, either synchronously or diachronically existing production centers in the Eastern Mediterranean basin. The food supplies were distributed through a well-organized and efficient trade network.

The conventional buckling type of brace members offers lateral stiffness to the structural system; however, such members are likely to yield under tension and buckle under compression when loaded. Their unequal strength tends to produce higher demand on the framing system. Buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) offer excellent lateral force resistance, energy dissipation, and higher ductility thanks to their symmetrical hysteretic responses. The higher amount of friction, the gap between the core and restraining segment depending on the length, and the stoppers within the core segment are critical factors. This study investigates the effect of varying the yielding core length, the gap size between the steel core and the outer restraining segment, the position, and the frequency of stoppers on the hysteretic response of all-steel BRBs, considering the interaction between different parameters. Numerical analysis is performed with Abaqus finite-element software. A calibrated analytical model is used for the parametric study. The considered parameters are the cyclic behavior, axial resistance, energy dissipation capacity, compression strength adjustment factor, and strain hardening factor of the BRBs. Appropriate interface details are suggested based on the parametric finite-element analysis, considering the interactions among parameters. The study results reveal that the performance of BRBs with appropriate yielding core length, provided with sufficient gap size, is superior. Further, the selection of an appropriate gap size is of utmost importance. Finally, the provision of an increased number of stoppers enhances the performance of BRBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional design philosophy of bridges allows damage in the pier through yielding. A fuse-like action is achieved if the bridge piers are designed to develop substantial inelastic deformations when subjected to earthquake excitations. Such a design can avoid collapse of the bridge but not damage. The damage is the plastic hinge formation formed at location of maximum moments and stresses that can lead to permanent lateral displacement which can impair traffic flow and cause time consuming repairs. Rocking can act as a form of isolation by means of foundation uplifting which act as a mechanical fuse, limiting the forces transferred to the base of the structure. In this context, this paper proposes a novel resilient controlled rocking bridge pier foundation, which uses elastomeric pads incorporated beneath the footing of the bridge piers and external restrainer in the form of shape memory alloy bar (SMA). The rocking mechanism is achieved by restricting the horizontal movement of footing by providing stoppers at all sides of footing. The pads are designed to remain elastic without allowing their shearing. The pier, the footing and the elastomeric pads are assumed to be supported on firm rigid concrete sub base resting on hard rock. By performing nonlinear dynamic time history analysis in the traffic direction of the bridge, the proposed pier with the novel resilient foundation is compared against a fixed-based pier and classical rocking pier (CC). The proposed pier rocking on elastomeric pads and external restrainer (CP+SMA) has good re-centering capability during earthquakes with negligible residual drift and footing uplift. In this new rocking isolation technique, the forces in the piers are also reduced and thus leading to reduced construction cost with enhanced post-earthquake serviceability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract The mechanics of agglomerated cork is a key issue for application to sparkling wine stoppers. Industrial samples were produced by varying the chemical nature of polyurethane adhesives (aliphatic and aromatic), the adhesive concentration and the size of the cork particles (macro and microagglomerated). Uniaxial compression and traction were performed to fully understand the material behavior when submitted to stress. It is noteworthy that agglomerated cork is less rigid than natural cork. This implies that the agglomeration process increases the material elasticity. Moreover, this elasticity is mainly driven by the chemical nature of the adhesive, in the case of macroagglomerated cork. However, it appears that the use of smaller particle sizes (<3 mm) reduces, to a larger extent, the agglomerated cork rigidity. To conclude, this work gives a full view on the impact of the formulation parameters (particle size, adhesive nature and concentration) on the mechanical properties of agglomerated cork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing body of research linking knowledge spillovers to strategic entrepreneurship in multiple contexts, yet the existence of purposeful spillovers has been largely ignored. This study analyses the value-accretive potential of knowledge spillover strategies, where a selected body of knowledge is purposefully and strategically disclosed to competitors. The cork industry provides the empirical context, with the many small firms possessing limited innovation capabilities in an industry under threat from rival alternative technologies. The successful fight-back against the onslaught on cork by synthetic and screwcap closures is led by the Portuguese company Corticeira Amorim, the world's largest stopper manufacturer, whose knowhow then selectively spills-over to the rest of the industry. This multiple-case study involving 14 firms, unfolds in the context of two layers of underlying tensions. By exploring why and how knowledge selectively spillovers across filters from the industry leader to others, and knowledge revealing within small firms, the study contributes to extant literature by extending to the phenomenon of selected and purposeful spillover in the context of capability enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work reports the synthesis and characterization of new previously unknown bulk polyfunctional organosilanes with rigid molecular structure. The molecular structures of compounds 3 and 4 were defined by X-ray data. The possibility of use of prepared compound 3 as blocking agent for preparation of polyrotaxanes was demonstrated on model reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To explore the frequency of non-starters and stoppers of disease-modifying therapy ( DMT) in a cohort of people recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis ( MS) and to identify reasons for non-starting or stopping DMT measured by demographic variables, social support [The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List ( ISEL)] and disease-related stress [The Impact of Event Scale ( IES)]. Materials and methods A multicentre retrospective cohort study using postal surveys completed by people with MS was performed, comprising all patients diagnosed with MS during 2000-2007 at four university clinics in Norway. Results Of the 424 respondents, 180 (42%) were still using the first prescribed DMT, 83 (20%) were using DMT after switching DMT at least once, 53 (12.5%) had ended DMT, and 108 (25.5%) had never started DMT. The risk of non-starting DMT was associated with increasing age at diagnosis, the region, disease-related stress and avoidant trauma coping. The risk factors for stopping therapy after the first prescribed DMT were adverse events and high education. Conclusions Disease-related stress, avoidant trauma coping, age at diagnosis and education should be considered when motivating people with MS to use DMT. Hence, the challenges to starting and continuing treatment will probably also remain a problem with orally administered DMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents experimental and numerical studies on the effects of stoppers on the low-cycle fatigue performance of the buckling-restrained brace (BRB) to develop the high-performance BRB (HPBRB) used in bridge engineering. The stoppers are used to prevent the buckling–restraining system from slipping off the core brace member. Low-cycle fatigue tests under a constant strain amplitude were performed on four specimens with and without stoppers. The experimental results are further verified using a half model and a whole model of the beam elements for the BRB with and without stoppers, respectively. According to the experimental results, the BRBs with stoppers possess a higher low-cycle fatigue performance than those without stoppers. The cumulative inelastic deformation (CID) of the BRBs with stoppers under 3.5% and 4% strain amplitudes satisfies the CID requirement of the HPBRBs, but the CID of the BRBs without stoppers does not satisfy the CID requirement under the same strain amplitudes. If the proper friction between the core brace and the straining system is considered, two models can accurately simulate the hysteretic behaviour of the BRB, and the whole model reflects the BRB without the stoppers more accurately than the half model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The preparation of sterile parenteral products requires careful control of all ingredients, materials, and processes to ensure the final product has the identity and strength, and meets the quality and purity characteristics that it purports to possess. Contamination affecting these critical properties of parenteral products can occur in many ways and from many sources. The use of closures supplied by manufacturers in a ready-to-use state can be an effective method for reducing the risk of contamination and improving the quality of the drug product. This article will address contamination attributable to elastomeric container closure components and the regulatory requirements associated with container closure systems. Possible contaminants, including microorganisms, endotoxins, and chemicals, along with the methods by which these contaminants can enter the product will be reviewed. Such methods include inappropriate material selection, improper closure preparation processes, compromised container closure integrity, degradation of closures, and leaching of compounds from the closures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will operate with 7 TeV/c protons with a luminosity of 1034 cm-2 s-1. This requires two beams, each with 2808 bunches. The nominal intensity per bunch is 1.15 × 1011 protons and the total energy stored in each beam is 362 MJ. In previous papers, the mechanisms causing equipment damage in case of a failure of the machine protection system was discussed, assuming that the entire beam is deflected onto a copper target. Another failure scenario is the deflection of beam, or part of it, into carbon material. Carbon collimators and beam absorbers are installed in many locations around the LHC close to the beam, since carbon is the material that is most suitable to absorb the beam energy without being damaged. In case of a failure, it is very likely that such absorbers are hit first, for example, when the beam is accidentally deflected. Some type of failures needs to be anticipated, such as accidental firing of injection and extraction kicker magnets leading to a wrong deflection of a few bunches. Protection of LHC equipment relies on the capture of wrongly deflected bunches with beam absorbers that are positioned close to the beam. For maximum robustness, the absorbers jaws are made out of carbon materials. It has been demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that carbon survives the impact of a few bunches expected for such failures. However, beam absorbers are not designed for major failures in the protection system, such as the beam dump kicker deflecting the entire beam by a wrong angle. Since beam absorbers are closest to the beam, it is likely that they are hit first in any case of accidental beam loss. In the present paper we present numerical simulations using carbon as target material in order to estimate the damage caused to carbon absorbers in case of major beam impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cork is a natural cellular material. As fabricated cork stoppers for wine bottles are cylindrical with a uniform cross-sectional diameter. Upon removal from a bottle, the stopper shows a smaller and slightly non-uniform diameter. If a used cork stopper is immersed in water or water vapour at a sufficiently high temperature, the original dimensions can be recovered in a time interval of a few minutes. The kinetics of dimensional recovery in air and water (liquid and vapour) at different temperatures were experimentally determined. Water absorption is determinant of a fast recovery rate. A simple viscoelastic model is used to explain the experimental results. Since the mechanical properties are also restored, the stopper can be re-used, provided the damage due to the cork-screw used to remove the stopper is confined to its bulk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and Aims: Many articles evaluating oxygen ingress for different wine stoppers have been published. However, none of these have studied the impact of the stopper type on oxygen ingress during the bottling process. This study tested a range of commercially available stopper types on oxygen entry into headspace during bottling. Methods and Results: Oxygen concentration in the headspace was measured using the Winkler method. Stopper type significantly ( P < 0.05) affected oxygen introduced into the headspace. Oxygen concentration correlated well with the volume and the overpressure of the headspace and was also strongly influenced by stopper height. Bottles sealed with natural cork had the lowest headspace oxygen concentration (1.31–2.12 mg/L) despite these stoppers having a lower height (38 mm) than the others tested. Non-cork stoppers were associated with higher oxygen concentrations, probably because they generated higher overpressure. Bottles sealed with screw cap and synthetic stoppers had the highest oxygen concentration (3.29–3.82 mg/L) and, in the case of screw caps, this was probably a result of greater headspace volume. Headspace oxygen concentration for the synthetic stoppers and the screw cap was approximately equivalent to the oxygen entrance through natural cork during the first 8–10 months of ageing. Conclusions: Stopper type can affect oxygen ingress during bottling because of the changes in headspace volume and overpressure. Significance of the Study: Along with permeability, stopper selection should also consider the effects of stopper type on the amount of oxygen that initially enters the headspace. If the bottler is not equipped with an efficient vacuum and/or inert gas system, the impact of the stopper type on the entry of oxygen is an important consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For centuries, cork has been the stopper of choice for various alcoholic beverages. In this review, cork history, sources, production, physical properties, composition, off-flavors, and alternatives to cork stoppers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to build a best possible NIR prediction model for monitoring of water content in a freeze-dried drug product. The best pre-treatments of the NIR spectra were found to be: transforming from reflection to absorption, baseline correction in the 1845–2165 nm area and a maximum normalisation in the same area. These pre-treatments resulted in a model with the following attributes: SEP of 0.08% (w/w) and one PLS factor, the latter indicating a robust model. The limit of quantification was calculated to 0.24% (w/w). During the stability study an increase in water content in the freeze-dried drug product was revealed, which were found to depend on storage time and temperature. It is believed that the water is derived from the stoppers. The highest increase was found for storage at 40 °C, and was estimated to be 0.04% points a month by weight, from an initial value of about 0.25% (w/w). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Various kinds of treatments on the surface of the elastomeric components can have negative impacts on the quality of protein therapeutics. We compared the effects of bare (non-siliconized and nonlaminated), siliconized, and fluoropolymer-laminated elastomeric components on the stability of ß-lactoglobulin, human serum albumin, adalimumab, abatacept, and immunoglobulin antibodies. The study was conducted in two main parts. Part I was to evaluate the stability of proteins under agitation-induced stress. Protein aggregate formation, turbidity, and protein recovery were analyzed using dynamic FI, absorbance at 350 nm, and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Proteins were found to be more stable with laminated stoppers as compared with bare or siliconized stoppers. Part II was to identify the chemical modifications when the proteins were stored in contact with the same three stoppers. Capillary isoelectric focusing analysis of the adalimumab samples showed formation of acidic variants in siliconized and bare stoppers. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography suggested chemical changes to the human serum albumin. Analysis of tryptic digest of human serum albumin by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry indicated that the amino acids most susceptible to oxidation (cysteine, tryptophan, and methionine) were also the ones that were modified. Part III of this study investigated the barrier property of the fluoropolymer film with no drug product. Our results were consistent with the suggestion that the fluoropolymer lamination provides a barrier that prevents leachables from the elastomeric components into the protein therapeutics. Our work provided an in-depth understanding of the effects of elastomeric surface treatments on the biophysical and chemical stability of protein drugs., (© PDA, Inc. 2021.)

Filamentous fungi are rarely reported as responsible for spoiling wine. Cork taint was detected in sparkling wine; therefore, we investigated fungal contamination as a possible cause of organoleptic alteration. Spoiled wine was filtered and membranes were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The cork stoppers used for sealing bottles were cut and also plated onto PDA. Fungal strains were phenotypically characterized and molecularly identified by sequencing of a fragment of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) and (occasionally) by other additional molecular markers. Twenty-seven strains were isolated and sixteen species were identified, all of them belonging to the phylum Ascomycota. The fungi isolated from wine were three species of Aspergillus section Nidulantes, a species of Penicillium section Exicaulis and Beauveria bassiana. Candida patagonica was isolated from both sort of samples, and the fungi isolated from cork stoppers were Altenaria alternata and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Surprisingly, most of the taxa recovered from the cork stoppers and/or wine were new to the science: a new genus (Dactylodendron) and seven new species belonging to the genera Cladophialophora, Dactylodendron, Kirschsteiniothelia, Rasamsonia, and Talaromyces. Future studies could let us know if these fungi would be able to produce compounds responsible for cork taint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filamentous fungi are rarely reported as responsible for spoiling wine. Cork taint was detected in sparkling wine; therefore, we investigated fungal contamination as a possible cause of organoleptic alteration. Spoiled wine was filtered and membranes were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The cork stoppers used for sealing bottles were cut and also plated onto PDA. Fungal strains were phenotypically characterized and molecularly identified by sequencing of a fragment of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) and (occasionally) by other additional molecular markers. Twenty-seven strains were isolated and sixteen species were identified, all of them belonging to the phylum Ascomycota. The fungi isolated from wine were three species of Aspergillus section Nidulantes , a species of Penicillium section Exicaulis and Beauveria bassiana was isolated from both sort of samples, and the fungi isolated from cork stoppers were Candida patagonica . Surprisingly, most of the taxa recovered from the cork stoppers and/or wine were new to the science: a new genus ( Altenaria alternata and Cladosporium cladosporioides . Surprisingly, most of the taxa recovered from the cork stoppers and/or wine were new to the science: a new genus ( Dactylodendron ) and seven new species belonging to the genera Cladophialophora , Dactylodendron , Kirschsteiniothelia , Rasamsonia , and Talaromyces . Future studies could let us know if these fungi would be able to produce compounds responsible for cork taint., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors confirm that this manuscript respects the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity. All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.