We report the results of the first search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence using data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo detectors. Five months of data were collected during the concurrent S5 (LIGO) and VSR1 (Virgo) science runs. The search focused on signals from binary mergers with a total mass between 2 and 35 M . No gravitational waves are identified. The cumulative 90%-confidence upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence are calculated for nonspinning binary neutron stars, black hole-neutron star systems, and binary black holes to be 8.10 , and 4.4 × 1010 respectively, where L10 is 10 10 times the blue solar luminosity. These upper limits are compared with astrophysical expectations.

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Dynamic controls of an extractive distillation (ED) process and a partially heat-integrated pressure-swing distillation (PHIPSD) process for separating a mixture of 50 mol % ethanol and 50 mol % tetrahydrofuran are investigated. Comparisons between the control structures of the two distillation processes are made. The results show that PHIPSD has advantages of economic savings and control compared with the ED process. In addition, some control structures of PHIPSD for feed streams with different composition and some comparisons between the performances of the control structures are also studied. It is concluded that the feed composition mainly impacts the dynamic control structures of PHIPSD through the different combinations of auxiliary heat exchanger and that a composition controller can improve the control performances.

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A novel strategy, based on the in situ generated boron-thexyl-silaboracyclic initiating sites for the polyhomologation of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide, has been developed for the synthesis of complex polyethylene-based architectures. As examples, the synthesis of a 4-arm polyethylene star, three (polystyrene)(polyethylene)2 3-miktoarm stars and a PE-branched double graft copolymer is given.