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The article proposes a spatial model of an exoskeleton for the human musculoskeletal system, represented by three movable links of variable length and two-point masses. The stiffness of the links is controlled by changing the voltage supplied to the magnetic rheological fluid, which fills sections of variable length. The model can be used to develop comfortable exoskeletons, the kinematic characteristics of which are close to the kinematic characteristics of the human musculoskeletal system. The model dynamics equations are constructed using local coordinate systems. The required laws of change of generalized coordinates are specified by the equations of program constraints that determine the dependence of differentiable periodic functions on time. Control moments and longitudinal forces are determined by methods of solving inverse dynamics problems and are realized by changing the magnetic field strengths, which affect the change in the stiffness of the magnetic-rheological fluid. The magnetic field strengths that control the stiffness of the link are implemented by step functions. An animation of the movement of the mechanism has been synthesized, showing the adequacy of the proposed modeling procedure. The constraints of the links are modeled by joints and motors that implement the necessary rotational motion. The dynamics of the model is controlled by changing the lengths of the links and the angles between the links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of copper(II) and zinc(II) acetates with 3-furancarboxylic (HFur) and 2-thiophenecarboxylic (HTph) acids with subsequent addition of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (HDmpz) gave mononuclear complexes [M(L)2(HDmpz)2] (M = Cu(II), L = Fur– (I), Tph– (II); Zn(II), L = Fur– (III)). The structures of compounds I–III were determined by X-ray diffraction. According to X-ray diffraction data, I and II are isostructural: the central Cu(II) atom occurs in a square planar environment formed by two oxygen atoms of carboxylate anions and HDmpz nitrogen atoms; in III, the Zn atom is in the tetrahedral environment of two furoate anions and HDmpz molecules, thus forming the {MO2N2} groups. The complexes are additionally stabilized in the crystal by inter- (I and II) and intramolecular (III) hydrogen bonds. The biological activity of I–III was determined in relation to the non-pathogenic Mycolicibacterium smegmatis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the long term is often accompanied by mental and neurological disorders. Glucocorticoids, which regulate the physiological response of the body to acute and chronic stress, may be associated with long-term changes in the hippocampus and long-term behavioral consequences of TBI. It is well known that the level of cortisol in humans and corticosterone (CS) in rats varies widely during the daily cycle and affects stress reactivity. We analyzed if the time of the day when lateral fluid percussion (LFP) brain injury has been applied affects the development of immediate posttraumatic seizures and CS level as a marker of stress-reactivity. Surgery and LFP application were carried out from 9:00 to 22:00. The animals were sacrificed on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 after TBI from 10:00 to 12:00, which corresponded to a low daily CS level in rats. For the first time we have shown that the time of LFP application is a significant factor affecting CS level elevation in the acute period of TBI: the earlier LFP was associated with the higher CS level in decapitation blood (r = –0.56, p = 0.0004). In addition, the duration of tonic seizures and the representation of tonic seizures and jumps were higher when LFP was applied in the morning hours compared with the evening hours. Thus, the time of TBI is an essential factor of GCs elevation after trauma and may affect the development of posttraumatic long-term consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recombinant proteins E6-CBD and E7-CBD, which are antigens E6 and E7 of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), were connected by a glycine-serine spacer with the cellulose-binding domain (CBD) of Anaerocellum thermophilum in preparations obtained via synthesis in a heterologous expression system in Escherichia coli. A simple, effective, one-step technology for the isolation and purification of recombinant proteins E6-CBD and E7-CBD has been developed. The presence of antigenic properties in the obtained protein preparations was confirmed via Western blot. Three variants of immunogenic compositions with the recombinant proteins E6-CBD and E7-CBD and a three-dose immunization scheme have been developed. The immunogenicity was assessed in the BALB/c mice, and the antitumor effect of immunogenic compositions was studied on an experimental model of BALB/c mice with HPV16-associated tumors. It is shown that E6-CBD and E7-CBD are highly immunogenic and have antitumor effects in vivo. Both proteins, E6-CBD and E7-CBD, must be present to achieve the highest efficiency as part of the immunogenic composition. The obtained HPV16 recombinant antigens E6-CBD and E7-CBD can be used in two ways: (a) in clinical practice as the main specific components of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of HPV16-associated neoplastic lesions of various localizations (cervical cancer, carcinoma of the anogenital tract, oropharynx) and (b) in diagnostics for the development of diagnostic kits to detect antibodies to E6 and E7 oncoproteins in patients with HPV16-associated malignant neoplasms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans are linked with the development of convulsions and cognitive and emotional disorders and are also associated with acceleration of brain aging processes and the formation of hippocampal sclerosis (HS). The mechanisms of these complications remain incompletely understood and treatment is extremely difficult. Existing data obtained using experimental models in animals do not provide a clear assessment of these mechanisms. The present study clarifies the long-term histological, behavioral, and electrophysiological sequelae of TBI in rats. Six months after lateral hydrodynamic blows, animals displayed severe asymmetrical gliosis in hippocampal field CA3 and the dental gyrus in the form of fibrillary astrogliosis, with an increase in the number of glial cells and depletion of the pyramidal layer of field CA3 in the ipsilateral hemisphere (corresponding to type 3 HS in humans); sham-operated animals displayed only symmetrical gliosis (isolated gliosis in the human HS classification). The behavior of the rats six months after TBI and the sham procedure was characterized by decreases in motor activity, which some signs of increased anxiety. Behavioral impairments were more severe in rats after TBI, mainly due to decreases in exploratory activity. The long-term period of TBI was characterized on ECoG by prolonged spike-wave discharges in the cortex and asymmetry of epileptiform spikes in the hippocampus. Two rats in the late period demonstrated epileptic seizures. Intense brain aging processes in rats with TBI and the development of neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampus may be linked with chronic remote neuroinflammation, which plays an important role in the development of posttraumatic epilepsy and dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Establishment of a link between the nature of damage to the neocortex and the functional manifestations of this damage is important for understanding the mechanisms of development of acute convulsions and their sequelae. Analysis of immediate convulsions in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in practice is extremely difficult but can be performed in animal models. Study aims. To compare damage to functional areas in the neocortex with the semiology of immediate convulsive seizures and behavioral impairments in the acute period after TBI. Materials and methods. Studies were carried out using 48 Wistar rats. TBI was modeled by application of lateral hydrodynamic blows to the area of the right sensorimotor cortex. Video recordings were made at the moment of trauma and for 5 min into the post-trauma period, which provided for studies of the semiology of convulsive seizures. This was followed by use of a series of tests assessing the animals' behavior. Results and conclusions. This study is the first to use the "unfolded maps" approach for detailed analysis of damage to the functional zones of the neocortex in the acute period of TBI. The focus of damage in the cortex increased over 3–7 days and was complex in shape, far removed from the limits of the area of direct action. Blows induced immediate convulsions, whose variability could not be explained only by the involvement of defined areas of the neocortex, along with behavioral impairments which could be the manifestations of developing necrosis largely in the sensory areas of the neocortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we study how the rate of the dip coating onto glass from silica sols and sol compositions containing different concentrations of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide influences the optical properties of the antireflective coatings; the maximum, minimum, and average light transmission values of the coated glass in the wavelength range of 400 to 800 nm and 350 to 1100 nm; the refractive index of the coatings; and the light wavelength corresponding to the maximum light transmission, as well as the optical and physical thickness of the films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration in the silica sol, which is used to obtain antireflection coatings over silicate glass, on the light transmission of coated glass and the hardness of the coatings was studied. An increase in the concentration of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide in the sol from 1.37 × 10–2 to 5.20 × 10–2 M increases the maximum light transmission of glass with an antireflective coating from 94.7 to 99.0%, and minimum, from 84.7 to 93.6%, reduces the refractive index of the coating from 1.43 up to 1.27. The 3H–4H coating hardness acceptable for practice can be achieved provided that the maximum light transmission of glass with a single-layer double-sided coating is ≤96.0–97.0%, the refractive index of the antireflection coating is ≥1.35–1.36, and the maximum volume content of nanopores in the coating is not more than 20.0–23.0 vol %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To identify and analyze pathological activity in the acute period of craniocerebral trauma (CCT) and to seek possible morphological correlates of this activity in the cortex and hippocampus. Materials and methods. Studies were performed using Sprague–Dawley rats. CCT was modeled using lateral hydrodynamic blows to the sensorimotor cortex. Electrocorticograms were recorded one week before application of CCT and one week after CCT. Histological analysis was run one week after CCT. Sections were stained by the Nissl method and immunohistochemically for an astrocyte marker (GFAP) and microglia (isolectin B4). The extents of damage in the cortex and hippocampal were evaluated. Results and conclusions. Slowing of baseline activity was seen 1 and 6 h after CCT, and epileptiform activity appeared in 50% of the animals one week after CCT. The number of discharges correlated with the area of astrocyte gliosis in the cortex and the number of dark "ischemic" neurons in the hippocampus. Microglial activity in the hippocampus did not correlate with epileptiform activity. these data are important for understanding the early mechanisms of posttraumatic epileptogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure was developed for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles of 15–50 nm size from coarser (200–300 nm) polymer latex particles prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. The hydrodynamic radii of the macromolecules in the t-BuOH (85 vol %)-H2O (15 vol %) mixture at 30°C and in the i-PrOH (80 vol %)-H2O (20 vol %) mixture at 25°C were determined by dynamic light scattering: Rh = 5.94 × 10−2Mw0.3733 (R2 = 0.9525) and Rh = 2.12 × 10−2Mw0.4641 (R2 = 0.9673), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequelae of craniocerebral trauma (CCT) were studied using a model based on severe (3-4 atm) lateral hydrodynamic percussion (liquid-percussive brain injury) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. With the aim of detecting the symptoms of anxiety states, the rats' behavior was assessed in the dark-light box and the elevated plus maze test; sleep impairments were detected by recording the electrocorticogram (ECoG) before trauma and during the first week after trauma. The results provided evidence of the post-CCT development of signs of an anxiety state, accompanied by decreases in the proportion of REM sleep and decreases in the amplitude and frequency of the ECoG during this phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI), we used a model of lateral fluid percussion brain injury in freely moving male Wistar rats. The immediate response to TBI included development of motor excitation and tonic-clonic seizures. Morphological analysis was performed 7 day after TBI. To localize IgG in the brain, rat brain slices were double stained with antibodies against IgG and NeuN (neuronal marker). To evaluate the state of microglia, we performed staining with Isolectin B4 (a microglial marker). The number of neurons was measured in sections stained using the Nissl method. The results show the IgG accumulation in neurons adjacent to cortical focus of trauma. In the hippocampus, IgG was accumulated in the neurons of the ipsilateral hippocampal CA1 and CA2 fields and the dentate gyrus, while in the contralateral hemisphere IgG was accumulated in the neurons of the CA1 field. These changes were accompanied by activation of microglia in the hippocampus, as well as by a decrease in neuronal density in the dentate gyrus of the ipsilateral hippocampus. The results show that TBI leads to bilateral damage to the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the geroprotective properties of Cortexin and the systems of free-radical oxidation and inflammatory processes as potential targets of this drug. The study used 12-month-old male Wistar and OXYS rats with normal and accelerated aging, respectively. After preliminary assessment of their behavior in the open-field test, the rats were divided into homogenous groups according to behavioral indices. The animals were intraperitoneally injected with Cortexin (Geropharm, Russia) at a dose of 1 mg/kg daily for 30 days. The course of treatment with Cortexin did not substantially affect the general conditions and behavioral indices of both Wistar and OXYS rats and had a moderate positive effect on cognitive functions. Cortexin corrected the state of the systems of free-radical oxidation and cytokines. Specifically, in the brains of OXYS rats, Cortexin restored the ratio of the pro- and antioxidant systems primarily in the neocortex; however, a systemic effect was also observed. A significant anti-inflammatory effect was found at the systemic level and in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This review summarizes recently published data on the mechanisms of tumor cell interaction with the tumor microenvironment. Tumor stroma influences the processes of hepatocarcinogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis. The tumor microenvironment includes both cellular and noncellular components. Main cellular components of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stroma are tumor-associated fibroblasts, hepatic stellate cells, immune cells, and endothelial cells that produce extracellular components of tumor microenvironment such as extracellular matrix, various proteins, proteolytic enzymes, growth factors, and cytokines. The noncellular components of the stroma modulate signaling pathways in tumor cells and stimulate invasion and metastasis. The tumor microenvironment composition and organization can serve as prognostic factors in HCC pathogenesis. Current approaches in HCC targeted therapy are aimed at creating efficient strategies for interrupting tumor interactions with the stroma. Recent data on the composition and role of the microenvironment in HCC pathogenesis, as well as new developments in antitumor drug design are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about the nuclear power plants (NPPs) Base Load Guarantors in Power Systems. Topics discussed include equipment in a compressor station with combined drive in a small-capacity air-storage power plant; combined drive of natural gas pumping units from electric motors during an off-peak period; and underground gas storage as an additional systems user-regulator.

As a resulting of comprehensive studies of Paleoproterozoic igneous complexes a regular remagnetization trend is revealed. It is shown that the remagnetization front propagated from the northwest to southeast. The obtained remagnetization trend probably reflects the direction of the collision in the Paleoproterozoic. Correlation between remagnetization processes and rock compositions was found. The degree of conservation of secondary earlier and later magnetization components is likely associated to both the compositions of protoliths and different transformation conditions of rocks, including their fluid saturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dosed lateral fluid percussion was used to model craniocerebral trauma (CCT) of moderate to severe intensity in one- and two-year-old rats. Brain sections were stained with cresyl violet by the Nissl method and with an immunochemical reaction for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) - a marker for astrocytes. The results provide evidence that zones of direct and remote injury formed in the side ipsilateral to the blow. The direct injury zone corresponded to the area of direct contact of the column of liquid with the dura mater, while the remote injury zone was positioned lateral and caudal to the direct injury zone. Morphological detection of trauma depended on the strength of the blow and was seen in both age groups as astrocytic gliosis, with thinning of layer I of the cortex due to death of neurons. Signs of ischemic changes to neurons were probably associated with local impairment to blood supply. Brain damage in one-year-old rats was local in nature but was more diffuse in two-year-olds, while gliosis was characterized by inhomogeneity. The reproducibility and appropriateness of the model allow it to be used for investigation of the molecular genetic mechanisms of the sequelae of CCT in humans and for identifying common mechanisms in the sequelae of CCT and the pathogenesis of major diseases comorbid with CCT, particularly depression and epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean size of the latex particles formed in emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate under definite conditions (water: monomer volume ratio 15: 1, 80°C, potassium persulfate concentration 0.07 wt %) decreases from 200 to 9-10 nm as the concentration of an ionic surfactant (anionic Disponil AES 60, SDS, cationic CHBrN) is increased from 0.0 to 1.0 wt %. The nonionic surfactants studied influence the size of the latex particles formed differently: with ALM-10, the particle size decreases from 200 to 150-190 nm, whereas with ALM-7 and ALM-2 it increases from 200 to 320 nm as the surfactant concentration is increased from 0.0 to 1.0 wt %. An increase in the concentration of F127 amphiphilic ternary block copolymer from 0.0 to 1.0 wt % leads to a monotonic decrease in the size of the poly(methyl methacrylate) latex particles formed from 200 to 53 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free-radical-mediated processes are involved in a variety of physiological events, while oxidative stress and related redox deregulation are implicated in various pathological events. Tripeptide glutathione plays an important role in the antioxidant defense of the brain, particularly in the maintenance of the optimal redox state in neurons and glial cells. We studied the combined effects of pantothenic acid derivatives, pantothenol and calcium pantothenate, and memantine, which is a glutamate receptor antagonist that is widely used for the treatment of dementia, on amnesia induced by scopolamine in rats. Scopolamine induced amnesia in rats; however, unexpectedly, this effect was even more expressed in the memantine-pretreated animals. Memory impairments were less manifested in the rats that were pretreated with memantine in combination with panthenol or calcium pantothenate. The detrimental scopolamine effect on memory was accompanied by significant depletions of glutathione and coenzyme A in the brain. While memantine recovered the glutathione status to some extent, it nevertheless further aggravated the scopolamine influence on coenzyme A levels. An alleviation of scopolamine-induced memory impairments that was observed after combined pretreatment with memantine and panthenol or calcium pantothenate was accompanied by a normalization of coenzyme A levels, while the effects on glutathione redox did not correlate with the behavioral data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable paleomagnetic poles were calculated for 1.80-1.78 and 1.76-1.75 Ga as a result of the detailed paleomagnetic studies of the Late Paleoproterozoic igneous complexes and the North Ladoga region and Onega structure of the East European craton. According to the new paleomagnetic data, the final assembly of the Superior and Fennoscandia cratons in structure of the Paleoproterozoic Nuna/Columbia supercontinent began at 1.80-1.78 Ga and led to the formation of the Hudsonland megacontinent. Comparison of the coeval poles of 1.76-1.75 Ga of Fennoscandia and Volga-Sarmatia allows reconstruction of the oblique collision among these segments of the East European craton and substantiation of the final assembly at ~1.70 Ga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of 0.1-0.5 mol.% of alumina sol causes the increase in hardness of single-layer optical coatings, produced on silicate glass from silica sol at gel setting temperatures of 60-80 °C, from F-H to 7H-9H. Small concentrations of the additive do not affect the light transmission of the coated glasses. Atomic force microscopy has shown the coating surface to be homogeneous, the surface roughness not exceeding 4.0 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is shown that the hardness of transparent film coatings produced on silicate glass from silicon dioxide sols that contain minor amounts of products formed in hydrolysis of (BuO)Ti and (BuO)Zr and are cured at low temperatures of 20-80°C can be raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number and viability of microorganism specimens Bacillus spp. isolated from permafrost soil remained unchanged after incubation at temperatures of -16-37°C. Experiments on F1 CBA/Black-6 mice showed that incubation of bacteria at -5°C for 72 h promotes a decrease in their toxicity and an increase in their immunostimulating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detailed petro-paleomagnetic study of the Paleoproterozoic eclogite complexes of the White Sea mobile belt in the area of Gridino dike field revealed two stages of rock remagnetization. The Early Paleoproterozoic gabbronorite dikes contain a secondary component of NRM that is pointed NNW with a strong positive slope that is correlated with the post-orogenic collapse of 1.95-1.88 Ga B.P. Formation of the second alternating magnetization phase of rocks is estimated at 1.8-1.75 Ga B.P., which corresponds to the influence of post-orogenic hydrothermal fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local application of ointment with Bacillus spp. strain MG8 (15,000-20,000 living bacterial cells), isolated from permafrost specimens, on the skin wound of about 60 mm stimulated the reparation processes in experimental mice. A possible mechanism stimulating the regeneration of the damaged tissues under the effect of MG8 could be modulation of the immune system reactivity with more rapid switchover to humoral immunity anti-inflammatory mechanisms aimed at de novo synthesis of protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of a new microorganism species ( Bacillus spp., strain M3) isolated from permafrost specimens from Central Yakutia (Mamontova Mountain) on the bone marrow hemopoiesis were studied on laboratory mice. Analysis of the count and immunophenotype of bone marrow cells indicated that even in low doses (1000-5000 microbial cells) these microorganisms modulated hemopoiesis and lymphopoiesis activity. The percentage of early hemopoietic precursors (CD117CD34) increased, intensity of lymphocyte precursor proliferation and differentiation (CD25CD44) decreased, and the percentage of lymphocytes released from the bone marrow (CD25CD44) increased on day 21 after injection of the bacteria. These changes in activity of hemopoiesis were associated with changes in the level of regulatory T lymphocytes (reduced expression of TCRαβ) and were most likely compensatory. The possibility of modulating hemopoiesis activity in the bone marrow by low doses of one microorganism strain isolated from the permafrost could be useful for evaluating the effects of other low dose bacteria on the bone marrow hemopoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon dioxide sol with oligoethers can be used to obtain antireflecting coatings on silicate glass at various baking temperatures of the coating: 400, 300, and 200°C. At an optimal concentration of 4.0 mass % of oligoether based on PPG-725 in a sol, the maximum light transmission of 99.7%, and the refractive index of the nanoporous coating of 1.23 do not depend on the baking temperature in the range from 200 to 400°C. Silicon dioxide sol with a 4.0 mass % of ALM-10 give a maximum light transmission of 99.7% and a refractive index of the nanoporous coating of 1.23 at a baking temperature of 300-400°C. A maximum light transmission of the glass with a coating of 98.7% and the refractive index of 1.27 at an optimal concentration of 8.0 mass % of oligoether based on PEG-200 were obtained at baking temperatures of 300-400°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(FeInS)(InS) alloy single crystals are grown by oriented crystallization in the entire range of component concentrations. For the single crystals, studies of the magnetic properties are carried out in the temperature range 4-300 K and the magnetic-field range 0-14 T. It is established that almost all of the alloys are paramagnetic materials at temperatures down to the lowest achievable temperatures (∼4 K). It is shown that the ground magnetic phase state of the alloys is the spin-glass state with the freezing temperature steadily increasing with increasing Fe cation content. The most probable causes and mechanism of formation of the magnetic state of the (FeInS)(InS) crystals are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the morphological changes and expression of the astroglial and microglial markers in the sensorimotor cortex and hippocampus of rats that were subjected to chronic stress. Chronic neurotization was associated with the appearance of a large number of damaged neurons in layer V of the sensorimotor cortex and the pyramidal layer of the hippocampus. These changes were considerably expressed in the CA3 field. A neurosis-like state in rats was accompanied by an increased expression of microglial markers in the hippocampus and this effect was evident even 1 month after the end of stress. The expression of the astroglial marker GFAP decreased in the CA3 hippocampal field. Treatment of animals with the pantothenic acid derivative panthenol stabilized the glial response to chronic stress; however, its effects were not long-lasting and did not prevent activation of microglia during the period after stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent nanoporous thin films with low refractive index (1.23-1.25) were produced on glass substrates by application of a formulation based on a silicon dioxide sol into which two organic compounds, an oligoether based on ethylene oxide and a nonionogenic surfactant, are introduced. It is shown that the antireflection capacity of the nanoporous coating can be substantially raised at comparatively low concentrations of silicon dioxide and organic additives in the sol by making higher the rate at which the formulation is applied to the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications of cold and warm activated cellular immunity and orientation and exploratory behavior in mice. Application of cold increased the number of turns to the left in the open field, muscle force, and activity of the food instinct, and caused an increase in the total count of peripheral blood leukocytes. Warm applications reduced the food instinct activity and stimulated the humoral immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin transparent nanoporous silicon dioxide films with low refractive index (1.26-1.30) were formed on a glass substrate by deposition of a formulation that is based on silicon dioxide sol with addition of poly(propylene glycols) at a low gel annealing temperature of 200°C. The maximum optical transmission of glass with these antireflection coatings is 97.5-98.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data are presented on chemical study of flavonoid glycosides in some botanical subjects using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, compared to HPLC. The method of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) allows characterizing the composition of anthocyanin and flavonoid mixture without preliminary separation of components with minimal sample preparation, which greatly simplifies identification of bioactive phytogenic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Possibility of obtaining low-refractive-index antireflection coatings composed of mesoporous silicon dioxide by simultaneous introduction of two organic compounds, oligoester based on propylene oxide and a nonionogenic surfactant, into a silicon dioxide sol was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compositions and phase conditions of water-hydrocarbon fluids in synthetic quartz inclusions were studied by the methods of microthermometry, local IR spectroscopy, and gas-liquid chromatography. Synthetic quartz was grown in near-neutral fluoride, low-alkali bicarbonate, and alkali carbonate solutions with crude oil and its major fractions. The crystals with fluid inclusions were grown under thermal gradient conditions at relatively low temperatures (240-280°C) and pressures (6-45 MPa). After the study, the inclusions of grown crystals were subject to thermal processing in autoclaves at 350-380°C and 80-125 MPa. As a result, the initial water-hydrocarbon inclusions underwent significant changes. Hydrocarbon gases, largely methane and residual solid bitumens, appeared in their composition; the gasoline-kerosene fraction content increased substantially in liquid hydrocarbons (HCs). These changes are caused, first of all, by crude oil cracking, which is manifested already at 330°C and attains its maximum activity at 350-500°C (pressure of saturated vapor and higher). In natural conditions with increase in depths and, thus, the thermobaric parameters, this process is inevitable. According to the obtained experimental data, this very phenomenon and the existence of real thermal and baric gradients in the Earth's interior provide for the formation of vertical zoning in the distribution of hydrocarbon deposits of different types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments aimed at examining interactions between hydrothermal solutions and caustolithic rocks, oil, and its major fractions were carried out to obtain model water-hydrocarbon fluids (WHCF) and study their behavior and phase states at high P- T parameters. Simultaneously we experimentally synthesized and grew quartz crystals with inclusions as the major source of information on the behavior and phase state of the model WHCF. The inclusions were then examined with the application of conventional and local IR spectroscopy, gas and liquid chromatography, fluorescent and X-ray diffraction analysis, and the microthermometry of fluid inclusions. Interactions between hydrothermal solutions and caustolithic rocks were proved to result in the synthesis of an oil-like liquid, gaseous hydrocarbons (mostly methane), and solid bitumen. The behaviors and phase states of WHCF generated at temperatures below 260-320°C and above 330-500°C (under saturated vapor pressure and higher) were proved to be different, with these differences predetermined by oil cracking in hydrothermal solutions at temperatures above 330°C (particularly at 350-500°C) with the synthesis of predominantly light and intermediate hydrocarbon fractions. As the temperature was increased, the WHCF generated at temperatures of 260-320°C were transformed into two-phase oil-water fluids without free gas. In contrast to them, the heating of the fluids generated at 330-500°C first resulted in two-phase gas-liquid fluids with light oil fractions dissolved in them. As soon as the critical point (370-380°C) was reached, these fluids passed into a homogeneous supercritical state. The content of oil dissolved in hydrothermal weakly alkaline and alkaline solutions (visual estimations at temperatures of 260-400°C and pressures up to 90 MPa; the inclusions decrepitated at higher pressures) increased from a few hundredths and a few tenths of a percent to 8-10 vol % or, upon oil cracking at 380-450°C, to 20-30 vol % and more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immunobiological potential of a new microorganism species isolated from permafrost specimens (PMO strain 3 M) collected from the Mammoth Mountain in Yakutia was studied in laboratory mice. PMO injected intraperitoneally in doses of 2500 to 50 × 10 microbial bodies caused characteristic dose-dependent effects on the structure and functions of the immune system (thymus and spleen indexes, functional activity of splenic macrophages, cellular and humoral immunity). Doses of PMO stimulating functional activities of both cellular and humoral immunity were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus strain 3M isolated from samples of permafrost from Mamontova Mountain (Yakutiya) affected the quality and duration of life of 'elderly' mice. Microorganisms were given i.p. to CBA mice aged 17 months. After treatment with microorganisms, animals showed increases in motor activity, muscle strength (the load-lifting test), the feeding instinct (the dosed starvation test), and cellular immunity in the in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, along with improvements in psychoemotional status (the open field test). Mean duration of life increased by 9.19%, minimal duration of life by 41.93%, and maximum duration of life by 7.68%. The duration of 'survival' (lifetime after treatment with microorganisms) increased even more significantly: the minimal by 141.9%, the mean by 28.0%, and the maximal by 20.4%. The mechanisms of the influence of strain 3M microorganisms on increases in the duration of life of laboratory mice to the upper limit for the species are suggested to occur via positive influences on quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juniperus oblonga Bieb is widely spread in the Caucasus Mountains, particularly in its eastern and southern regions. Diuretic effect of juniper berries is determined by the presence of volatile oils and polyphenol complex, particularly flavonoids. Flavonoids were extracted from raw material with 70% ethanol and then with ethyl acetate. Column chromatography of ethyl acetate fraction on polyamide yielded 5 compounds, which were identified on the basis of physicochemical constants of parent compounds and products of acid hydrolysis and alkaline degradation of aglycones and on the basis of UV-spectroscopy as apigenin, isoquercitrin, apigenin-7-glucoside, quercetin-3-rutinoside, and scutellarin-7-glucoside. Quantitative composition of flavonoid in equivalent to rutin concentration in Juniperus oblonga Bieb was 0.910±0.007% (UV-spectrophotometry data). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an experimental study on the behavior of water-hydrocarbon fluid systems in the phase state in the Earth's crust. The study used fluid inclusions in crystals particularly quartz at elevated and high pressures and temperatures (P—T) conditions as well as gas-liquid chromatography with microthermometry. Results showed that phase states involving aqueous solutions phase (L1), gaseous phase (G), and liquid hydrocarbons are controlled by quantitative ratio of aqueous solution, gaseous, and liquid hydrocarbons (HC) in fluids. It revealed that HC fluids occur in different phases states depending on the temperature that ranges from 20 to 400 degrees celsius.

Crystals of (FeInS)(InS) solid solutions consisting of large blocks have been grown by directional solidification (horizontal Bridgman process). FeInS, InS, and the solid solutions are shown to crystallize in the spinel structure. The composition dependence of their unit-cell parameter a follows Vegard's law. The local states of the Fe ions in the solid solutions have been studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy in a transmission geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dependence of the antireflection properties of film coatings deposited on the silicate glass obtained by sol-gel method in the presence of organic additives on the dimensions of nanostructures of the silica films was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of x-ray diffraction analysis is used to study the process of oxidation of titanium hydride powder during its heat treatment (annealing) in a temperature range of 450–550°C with up to 30-h hold. The functional relation between the relative intensity of x-ray diffraction lines and the annealing parameters is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaean banded iron formation (BIF) of the Voronezh Crystalline Massif (VCM) contains coexisting clino- and orthopyroxenes with exsolution textures. The pyroxene in the VCM BIF is found in two generations, with only the first generation containing such textures. Clinopyroxene contains large (up to 5–10 μm) (0 0 1) orthopyroxene (Opx1L) lamellae in a host clinopyroxene (Cpx1H). This host Cpx, in turn, exsolves into thin (∼1 μm) (1 0 0) lamellae of orthopyroxene (Opx2L) and clinopyroxene (Cpx2H). Orthopyroxene exhibits similar exsolution textures with large (up to 50 μm) (0 0 1) clinopyroxene (Cpx1L) lamellae developed in a host orthopyroxene (Opx1H). This clinopyroxene Cpx1L shows further exsolution of thin (1 0 0) Opx2LL lamellae and clinopyroxene (Cpx2LH). Point microprobe analysis, raster-mode microprobe analysis, and microprobe element mapping of mineral grains with a large number of point analysis were used to determine the composition of the exsolution products and the primary chemistry of the coexisting clinopyroxene (CaO = 14.86–17.26 wt%) and pigeonite (CaO = 4.45–6.23 wt%). These pyroxenes crystallized during the peak of metamorphism, and application of the Lindsley geothermometer suggested that they formed at extremely high temperatures of about 1000 °C. Primary very dense CO2-rich fluid inclusions ( ρ = 1.152 g cm−3, Th = −49.2 °C) were discovered for the first time in these BIF. With these data, the metamorphic pressure was estimated as 10–11 kbar (depth 36–40 km). Such ultrahigh temperature–high pressure (UHT–HP) conditions for the regional metamorphism of the Precambrian BIF have previously been reported only for Archaean meta-ironstone from the Napier Complex (Enderby Land, Antarctica). They give an insight into the peak metamorphic conditions of the BIF of the VCM, their burial under thickened continental crust during this period of Earth evolution and suggest a more complicated multistage metamorphic and tectono-thermal history for the region than has previously been postulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have performed hydrodynamic calculations of the radial pulsations of helium stars with masses 10M⊙ ≤ M ≤ 50M⊙, luminosity-to-mass ratios 5 × 103L⊙/M⊙ ≤ L/M ≤ 2.5 × 104L⊙/M⊙, and effective temperatures 2 × 104 K ≤ Teff ≤ 105 K for helium and heavy-element mass fractions of Y = 0.98 and Z = 0.02, respectively. We show that the high-temperature boundary of the instability region for radial pulsations at L/M >= 104L⊙/M⊙ extends to Teff ∼ 105 K. The amplitude of the velocity variations for outer layers is several hundred km s–1, while the brightness variations in the B band of the UBV photometric system are within the range from several hundredths to half a magnitude. At constant luminosity-to-mass ratio, the radial pulsation period is determined only by the effective temperature of the star. In the ranges of luminosity-to-mass ratios 104L⊙/M⊙ ≤ L/M ≤ 2 × 104L⊙/M⊙ and effective temperatures 5 × 104 K ≤ Teff ≤ 5 × 104 K, the periods of the radial modes are within 6 min ≲ Π ≲ 103 min. © 2004 MAIK “Nauka / Interperiodica”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]