We have studied the electron-beam heating of ceramic targets (AlN, ZrO2, and Al2O3) in the fore-vacuum pressure range (2–5 Pa) to temperatures below their phase transformation temperatures (melting, ...evaporation; < 1700 0C). It is shown that in this temperature range, conductive heat transfer through the lower face plays a dominant role in the thermal balance of the ceramic target; heat transfer by thermal conduction through the gas, and by thermal radiation play no significant role in heat removal from the target. Mass-to-charge analysis of the ion composition of the beam plasma, generated by the electron beam itself, shows that even at these moderate temperatures, intense sublimation of low melting point volatile components of the ceramic target occurs. Depositing on the substrate surface, these components may negatively affect the coating parameters and properties. Our investigations indicate the necessity of taking special measures to minimize the effect of ceramic target volatile components prior to their intense evaporation during the deposition of protective and functional coatings.
•Dielectric ceramics was heated by electron beam in fore-vacuum up to moderate temperatures.•Conductive heat transfer is the main mechanism of thermal balance of irradiated ceramic.•Volatile ceramic components can create impurities even if ceramic is heated to moderate temperatures.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Purpose
To find out the prevalence and risk factors for abdominal wall hernias in the general Russian population.
Methods
783 residents of Kryukovo rural community (Central Russia) of 10 > years were ...enrolled. Medical history was taken and clinical examination was performed documenting hernia presence. Ultrasound examination was performed in inconclusive situations. We considered residents with hernias at the time of examination, as well as those who had previously undergone hernia repair, to be hernia positive.
Results
There were 298 (38%) men and 485 (62%) women (mean age 49.3). Abdominal wall hernias have been found in 20.9% of population. 31.2% of men and 14.6% of women were affected (
p
< 0.0001). Umbilical hernias was found in 10.2%, groin hernias in 8.3%, incisional in 2.4% of residents. 72% of individuals with hernia reported local pain. 70% had never asked for medical advice before, 30% had undergone hernia repair before. Male gender, age, family history were confirmed as risk factors for any hernia with OR 3.9, 1.03 and 2.7, respectively (
p
< 0.01). For groin hernias male gender, age, family history and rough labour were confirmed with ORs 9.2, 1.03, 2.9 (
p
< 0.01) and 2.1 (
p
< 0.05). Risk factors for umbilical hernias were male gender with OR 2.2 (
p
< 0.01), age, family history and BMI with ORs 1.02, 1.8 and 1.08 (
p
< 0.05).
Conclusions
This study is the first to demonstrate prevalence of abdominal wall hernias and its risk factors in Russia. The results confirm that hernias are common in a general population pointing the need for improvement of surgical activity.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
•Poultry models and human cells yield similar results in poultry probiotics testing.•Human cell lines can be used to test most of the parameters of candidate probiotics.•Such cell models render ...probiotics R&D inexpensive, fast, and reproducible.
Probiotics development for animal farming implies thorough testing of a vast variety of properties, including adhesion, toxicity, host cells signaling modulation, and immune effects. Being diverse, these properties are often tested individually and using separate biological models, with great emphasis on the host organism. Although being precise, this approach is cost-ineffective, limits the probiotics screening throughput and lacks informativeness due to the ‘one model - one test - one property’ principle. There is а solution coming from human-derived cells and in vitro systems, an extraordinary example of human models serving animal research. In the present review, we focus on the current outlooks of employing human-derived in vitro biological models in probiotics development for animal applications, examples of such studies and the analysis of concordance between these models and host-derived in vivo data. In our opinion, human-cells derived screening systems allow to test several probiotic properties at once with reasonable precision, great informativeness and less expenses and labor effort.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Immune defense mechanisms, including a decrease in the functional activity of monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils, as well as a violation of the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, are ...important in the development of chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP). The discovery of the cytokine system and the determination of their biological role in the development and functioning of the immune system and in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases led to the development of a new direction in immunotherapy - cytokine therapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various regimens of the use of the immunomodulatory drug Superlimf in the prevention of recurrence of CAP.
The study included 90 patients with category IIIa CAP (NIH, 1995). All patients underwent basic complex therapy was performed, which included behavioral therapy, taking an 1-adrenoblocker, an antibacterial drug from the fluoroquinolone group for 28 days, as well as the drug Superlimph 10 ME 1 suppository rectally 2 times a day for 20 days. Dynamic follow-up was recommended for patients of group (CG) in the next 12 months. In the main group 1 (MG1), patients underwent basic complex therapy, after which a preventive courses of Superlimph 10 ME 1 suppository 1 time per day for 10 days every three months for 12 months was prescribed. In the main group 2 (MG2), patients also underwent basic complex therapy, after which a preventive courses of Superlimph 10 ME of 1 suppository was prescribed 2 times a day for 10 days every three months for 12 months. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated after 4 weeks (visit 2). Long-term treatment results were assessed after 3 months (visit 3), 6 months (visit 4), and 12 months (visit 5).
The study groups were homogeneous, and the results of examinations obtained before treatment did not differ statistically significantly (p>0.05). At visit 2, 4 weeks after the start of therapy, a statistically significant positive dynamics of the studied indicators in the main groups and CG was recorded. Thus, the average score on the IPSS scale decreased by 56.4% from the initial value, on the Qol scale - by 57.7%, on the NIH-CPSI scale - 70.2%. The number of leukocytes in the prostate secretion decreased to the normal level to 7.9 in the field of vision, which is 86.2% less than the initial value. The average Qmax value also increased to a normal value of 15.2ml/s, which is 51.3% higher than the initial value (p<0.001). In this study, for the first time, a comparative analysis of two different regimens of preventive administration of the drug Superlimf was carried out. In MG1, the drug was prescribed to patients at a dose of 10 ME 1 time a day, in MG2 - 10 ME 2 times a day. The data obtained indicate a comparable effectiveness of both dosage regimens after 3 months of therapy. However, after 6 months and 12 months, the results in MG2 were statistically significantly better than in MG1. In addition, during 12 months of therapy, the number of relapses in MG2 was 2.3 times less. According to ultrasound examination, the volume of the prostate gland in CG, after a significant (p<0.001) decrease against the background of basic complex therapy, increased by 24.6% from visit 2 to visit 5, whereas in MG2 the average value of this indicator did not significantly change. And according to the Doppler study, by the end of the observation period at visit 5, hemodynamic parameters in CG were statistically significantly worse than in MG1 and MG2.
Thus, the use of Superlymph in patients with CAP as a preventive therapy every 3 months results to a longer preservation of the therapeutic effect and improved hemodynamics in the prostate. In addition, preventive courses of Superlymph 10 units 2 times a day for 10 days led to an increase in the duration of the relapse-free period and a decrease in the number of recurrences within 12 months by 7 times, while preventive courses of Superlymph 10 units 1 time per day for 10 days decreased risk of recurrence by 3 times. According to our results, the most effective preventive scheme in patients with CAP is the use of Superlymph 10 units, 1 suppository 2 times a day for 10 days every 3 months.
Functional characterization of mammalian olfactory receptors (ORs) remains a major challenge to ultimately understanding the olfactory code. Here, we compare the responses of the mouse Olfr73 ...ectopically expressed in olfactory sensory neurons using AAV gene delivery in vivo and expressed in vitro in cell culture. The response dynamics and concentration-dependence of agonists for the ectopically expressed Olfr73 were similar to those reported for the endogenous Olfr73, however the antagonism previously reported between its cognate agonist and several antagonists was not replicated in vivo. Expressing the OR in vitro reproduced the antagonism reported for short odor pulses, but not for prolonged odor exposure. Our findings suggest that both the cellular environment and the stimulus dynamics shape the functionality of Olfr73 and argue that characterizing ORs in 'native' conditions, rather than in vitro, provides a more relevant understanding of ligand-OR interactions.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
We report our results on nitriding of industrially-pure titanium VT1-0 in the plasma formed by continuous electron beam created by a fore-vacuum plasma-cathode electron source, at different ...temperatures of the titanium sample surface (700–1020 °C) and electron beam energy (4–6 keV), in medium vacuum (5 Pa) of nitrogen. Electron beam was used for direct treatment and heating of the sample as well as for the plasma generation. It is demonstrated that such parameters of the Ti sample as nitrogen content, the depth of nitride layer, Vickers microhardness, and wear-resistance grow with sample temperature and beam energy. Such positive effects happen, likely, due to enhanced generation of active atoms and atomic ions of nitrogen in beam-produced plasmas in medium vacuum.
•E-beam used for sample heating and ions production enhances titanium nitriding.•Powerful e-beam and dense plasma are produced by a unique plasma electron source.•Beam sample heating increases efficiency and shortens nitriding time.•Such nitriding method improved sample microhardness and wear-resistance.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background
The problem of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) after incisional hernia repair remains relevant. According to the literature the frequency of VTE ranges from 0.2 to 4.2%. The data on ...risk factors of VTE in this cohort of patients are scarce. Aim of our study is to find frequency and risk factors for VTE development in patients who underwent surgery for incisional ventral hernia.
Materials and methods
There were 240 patients enrolled in our retrospective study. We included patients, who were operated for incisional hernia in Saveljev University Surgery Clinic from January 2018 to December 2019. Compression duplex ultrasound of lower extremity veins was performed within median 3 days (min 1 day, max 7 days) after surgery for all participants. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of the VTE event, including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
Results
VTE was detected in 19 patients, which accounted for 7.9% in analyzed cohort. All patients received standard pharmacological prophylaxis. There were 3 (1.3%) proximal, 16 (6.7%) distal DVT, in one patient (0.4%) distal thrombosis was complicated by symptomatic pulmonary embolism. In multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was found that component separation (HR 3.99, 95% CI 1.14–14.0,
p
= 0.03), duration of operation in hours (HR 1.67. 95% CI 1.13–2.5,
p
= 0.011) and body mass index (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02–1.2,
p
= 0.02) were statistically significant risk factors.
Conclusion
The incidence of postoperative VTE in patients after incisional hernia repair is high with a predominant distal DVT as a thrombotic event. Component separation, duration of operation and body mass index are statistically significant factors of VTE in patients undergoing surgery for incisional hernia.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Abstract
This article provides an overview of computer technologies and an analysis of their application possibilities to determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of the facilities for ...the development of offshore oil and gas fields for given climatic conditions. The first question covered in the article is how to form a data set including the information about offshore fields development conditions. The author gives examples of using the Python programming language, NumPy, Tesseract and OpenCV libraries for that purpose. For each designated variable, a test program code was done to obtain the required value. Another question, which is given in the article, is how to analyze the obtained results and determine which offshore facilities are best suited for certain climatic conditions. For this purpose, a deep neural network of forwarding propagation was created with the help of Keras, TensorFlow and Scikit-learn Python libraries. The network performance was tested on a sample of a small size, the results were analyzed, and future research tasks were defined.
Valence tautomer transition occurs mainly in 3d metalorganic complexes with redox-active ligands and makes them potential candidates for single-molecular switches. The transition occurs under ...temperature, pressure, or light-induced stimuli and is strongly affected by the intermolecular interactions. However single-crystal x-ray diffraction is not always applicable to such systems when crystal structure is destroyed upon transition or system is studied in the solution. Such an example is bis(o-semiquinonato) cobalt complex with TEMPO-functionalized iminopyridine ancillary ligand. In this work we apply two complementary techniques-ligand-sensitive Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and metal sensitive Co K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). In a solid state, a temperature hysteresis of magnetization larger than 40 K was observed upon cyclic cooling-heating. So, the temperature of phase transition upon cooling is about 40 K lower than that upon heating. In solution, the x-ray absorption spectra for high-temperature and low-temperature states were similar to that in the solid form, but the hysteresis was absent. Two methods are can probe valence tautomer transition, but XAS has an advantage for the liquid phase analysis and FTIR has larger sensitivity to the ligand related interactions in solid.
We describe a novel method for electron-beam nitriding of metal (titanium) under medium (fore-vacuum) pressures (2–8 Pa) of nitrogen. Titanium sample was heated by a dc electron beam generated by a ...fore-vacuum plasma-cathode electron source with current up to 100 mA and energy up to 8 kV; this beam also generated beam-produced plasma with active nitrogen atoms, ions and other reactive species near the sample. SEM chemical composition analysis of the nitride layer have shown the presence of approximately 25 wt% of N, wt. 68% of Ti and only wt. 6% of O atoms within the processed layer. The X-ray diffraction spectrum of the nitride sample showed that the modified layer has a crystalline structure predominantly orientated along the crystallographic directions (111), (200), (220), characteristic of δ-TiN with a face-centered lattice. Besides the δ-TiN phase, there are present in the nitrided layer a γ phase of Ti2N (tetragonal nitride) with predominant orientation (200). These results show the advantage of using forevacuum sources for electron beam and plasma nitriding of metals.
•We show a novel method for electron-beam nitriding of sample in fore-vacuum pressures.•Nitriding occurs due to direct irradiation of sample by e-beam and beam plasma.•Dense beam plasma provides charge neutralization, so any material can be nitrided.•Analysis shows 25 wt% of N, 68 wt% of Ti and only 6 wt% of O in treated layer Ti sample.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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