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A search for the decay is performed by the OKA collaboration. The search is based on K+ decays. No signal is observed. The upper limit set is BR < 5.4 × 10–8 90% CL, 65 times lower than the one currently listed by PDG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of a design method proposed for mobile technological systems, the design of a tool for the slipway machining of welding grooves in the hulls of deepwater ships is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

End milling of steel of high strength and ductility is studied experimentally. The cutting force decreases significantly in certain situations with high cutting speed, large supply, and small cutting depth. The results may be used in the design of technological systems for production lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The K + → π + π 0 π 0 γ decay is observed by the OKA collaboration. About 60 events of the decay observed with signal:noise ≈ 1 . The branching ratio obtained by normalization to K + → π + π 0 π 0 is measured to be (3.7 ± 0.9 (s t a t) ± 0.3 (s y s t)) × 10 - 6 for E γ ∗ > 10 MeV . The branching ratio, γ energy spectrum and angular distribution are consistent with ChPT prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-statistics data sample of the K + decays is recorded by the OKA collaboration. A missing mass analysis is performed to search for a light invisible pseudoscalar axion-like particle (ALP) a in the decay K + → π + π 0 a . No signal is observed, and the upper limits for the branching ratio of the decay are calculated. The 90 % confidence level upper limit changes from 2.5 · 10 - 6 to 2 · 10 - 7 for the ALP mass from 0 to 200 MeV/ c 2 , except for the region of π 0 mass, where the upper limit is 4.4 · 10 - 6 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of studying the effect of geometric and thermodynamic parameters of thermal evaporation and copper deposition on graphene lying on the Cu(111) surface on the adsorption of copper atoms, as well as their surface diffusion, are presented. The simulation is carried out by classical molecular dynamics using chains of Nose–Hoover thermostats. Interatomic interactions are determined by the Tersoff–Brenner, Rosato–Guillope–Legrand, and modified Morse potentials. A simple criterion for the thermalization of adatoms on graphene lying on a Cu(111) surface is formulated and tested. The average length and the mean free path time of the copper atom before and after thermalization at low (7 K) and room temperatures are studied for two evaporation temperatures. The probability of adsorption of the copper atom is found. The distributions along the directions of motion of adatoms during equilibrium diffusion are constructed. The distributions of the free path length and time are shown to have an exponential form. The influence of the Cu(111) substrate on the diffusion of the Cu atom on graphene is studied. The results obtained can be used to simulate the growth of copper nanoclusters on graphene by the kinetic Monte Carlo method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of pedogenetic studies conducted on soddy-podzolic soils in Gryazovets district of Vologda oblast are presented. The modern soils of the study area are represented by soddy-podzolic soils (Albic Retisols) developed from loamy parent rocks with paleocryogenic features. The role of paleocryolithogenesis in the formation and evolution of modern soddy-podzolic soils in the northeast of the East European Plain is discussed. The considered set of paleocryolithopedogenic processes and paleofeatures in modern zonal soddy-podzolic soils allows us to reconstruct the conditions of soil formation in the periglacial area of the Valdai glaciation. The results obtained have expanded the understanding of the influence of the Late Pleistocene cryogenesis and lithogenesis on the evolution of modern soddy-podzolic soils. It is discussed that paleocryolithogenic soil combinations resulting from the Late Pleistocene and Holocene cryolithogenesis and pedogenesis can be distinguished in the soil cover patterns in the northern part of the East European Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zones of stable pulsed generation of dissipative solitons in fiber lasers are determined depending on the magnitude of the second-order dispersion of the resonator and the modulation depth of the saturable absorber. It is established that convergent solutions and stable pulse generation depend on the modulation depth of the saturable absorber in fiber laser resonators with normal dispersion. Taking into account the dependence of the absorption coefficient of a saturable absorber on the pulse duration and radiation energy density made it possible to find regions of divergent solutions where pulse generation is absent due to a decrease in the modulation depth of the saturable absorber with a significant dispersion broadening of the pulse in the resonator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the threshold characteristics of SRS generation at a wavelength of 2.84 μm in a hollow-core revolver fiber filled with methane depending on the duration of positively chirped broadband pump pulses at a wavelength of 1.56 μm. It is experimentally proven that the average effective SRS gain increases from 0.2 × 10–2 cm/GW to 3.3 × 10–2 cm/GW while the threshold pump intensity decreases from 36 GW/cm2 to 1.4 GW/cm2 as the effective pump pulse duration increases in the range of 10 to 321 ps (and with a corresponding dimensionless linear chirp of ~10 to 300). An analysis of threshold characteristics showed that SRS conversion exhibits high nonstationarity even at the maximum width of the pump pulse envelope. According to the results of numerical simulation, the effect of dispersion and SPM in a hollow-core fiber contributes to a significant increase in the SRS threshold in pump pulse energy, especially for positively chirped pulses lasting less than 100 ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semileptonic decays of the meson to certain excited states of the meson in the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are analyzed. The technique for reconstructing signals without identification of charged tracks in events is developed, its operability is successfully tested on the data on proton—proton collisions at the center-of-mass energy TeV. It can be used later, in particular, to measure the probabilities of the decays under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers of the Nekrasov Iron & Steel Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, conduct studies aimed at developing analytical methods for predicting the strength characteristics of pellets. These studies use analyses of phase interaction mechanisms within free-flowing media to develop theoretical ideas on the formation of strong bonds in the pellets through adhesion. This led to the establishment of local models of adhesion processes for two basic particle interaction schemes: 'particle + particle' and 'particle + liquid phase + particle'. Experimental studies undertaken in laboratory premises of the Nekrasov Iron & Steel Institute for the 'particle + particle' interaction scheme provided the foundation for a method to determine the strength characteristics of pellets made from fine-grained materials with zero moisture at compaction pressures ranging from 50 to 220 MPa. The first part of the paper justified methodological prerequisites for experiments to study strong bonds within the compacts for the 'particle + liquid phase + particle' interaction scheme. The methodological prerequisites accounted for the mechanical, physical, and physicochemical interactions, both between individual particles of the pelletized material and between the charge components (liquid phase). A generalized analysis of the experimental findings allowed evaluating a range of potential adhesion processes for the 'particle + liquid phase + particle' interaction scheme, pinpointing their manifestation, examining their nature, and assessing the effect of a liquid phase introduced into the pelletized charge, considering the compaction pressures applied. This paper focuses on experimental findings for the 'particle + liquid phase + particle' interaction scheme, establishing analytical relationships between the strength characteristics of pellets and integral indicators of the adhesive bond mechanism in this interaction scheme (in particular, relationship between the bulk density (ρ0) and moisture content (Wm) for materials in the first group of systematization). Additionally, an analytical relationship between the compaction factor for compacts produced at a pressure (P) of 220 MPa (Kcomp220), considering their loosening, and the bulk density of materials (ρ0) in the first group of systematization was established for the first time. Analysis of the findings led to a hypothesis suggesting that the amount of the liquid phase (in particular, water) introduced into the material should be balanced by its potential displacement during compaction to achieve maximum compact strength. Based on the hypothesis, a novel equation was derived to calculate the amount of liquid binder (water) to promote the most favorable conditions for the adhesion processes, thereby imparting the maximum strength to compacts from materials in the first group of systematization. A comparative analysis between the experimental findings and calculations confirmed that the equation was accurate. Consequently, an analytical method was proposed to determine the moisture content needed in the charge to produce compacts with maximum strength from materials in the first group of systematization (ρpycn ≥ 4.64 × × 10–3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of analytical methods for predicting the strength characteristics of pellets produced by the compaction of fine-grained materials remains a significant and relevant area. To advance this area, the mechanisms of phase interactions in bulk media were analyzed. The analysis was then used to develop local models of adhesion processes for two basic particle interaction schemes: 'particle + particle' and 'particle + liquid phase + particle'. For each local model, the types, nature, and combination of adhesion processes that occurred simultaneously were theoretically established, and the factors and indicators that determined the occurrence and intensity of adhesive bonding were justified. The experimental studies conducted in the laboratory premises of the Nekrasov Iron and Steel Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine were analyzed to evaluate the nature and extent of influence exerted by the selected factors, determining the adhesion processes, on changes in the strength characteristics of compacts. Considering the results obtained and the analytical dependences established for the 'particle + particle' interaction scheme, a method for predicting the strength characteristics of pellets produced from fine-grained materials with zero moisture was developed. This paper justifies the methodological conditions for experiments intended to create strong bonds within the compacts under the 'particle + liquid phase + particle' interaction scheme, taking into account the mechanical, physical, and physicochemical interaction processes between individual particles of the pelletized material and between the charge components (liquid phase). A generalized analysis of the experimental findings was carried out to estimate the range of potential adhesion processes inherent in the 'particle + liquid phase + particle' interaction scheme, identify their manifestation, study the nature of their interaction, and evaluate the effect of introducing the liquid phase into the pelletized charge, considering the applied compaction pressures. The collected array of experimental data will enable a detailed cross-correlation analysis to determine the influence of various factors on the adhesion processes and the formation of strong bonds within the compacts. The analysis will also help establish the dependence of strength characteristics of compacts on integral indicators contributing to the formation of adhesive bonds and describe the dependence by analytical methods. The results will be used to develop a method to determine the moisture content in the charge required to produce compacts with maximum strength from materials that belong to the first of the four groups of systematization. The classification of materials into specific groups of systematization is determined by their pycnometric density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors consider the effect changing the length of the drift tube of the two-section structure of an axisymmetric relativistic diffraction generator has on its output power and generation stability. Distributions of electric field strength are compared for structures with two types of inhomogeneity (discontinuities): sinusoidal corrugation and half-torus on a pedestal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pelletizing of fine-grained mineral raw materials for ferrous metallurgy is studied. Relationships between the compressibility of metallurgical charges and the nature of the raw materials and process factors of the pelletizing process were studied in laboratory conditions. A new measure, such as the compressibility of ground materials, was introduced to quantify and compare compression performances. A mathematical description of the relationships between the compression coefficient and the following factors was formulated through nonlinear regression analysis and experiment design theory methods: the plasticizer content (varying from 0 to 50%), moisture content of the charge (from 0 to 10%), hardness of the particles according to the mineralogical scale (from 2 to 6 units), dynamic viscosity of the binder (from 1 to 657 mPa · sec), amount of the carbon-containing component (from 10 to 90%), and particle sizes of the iron- and carbon-containing components in the charge (from 1 to 4 mm). The compaction pressure range was limited to 220 MPa. Three mathematical models were developed to establish relationships between the charge compressibility and the specified factors as polynomial dependencies and as a Lorentz function. The quality of the models was verified using standard statistical indicators, including the Cochran and Fisher tests and the average relative error. Analysis of the models involved the solution of relevant optimization problems. Extremes of the functions for metallurgical charges were identified and process recommendations were made. The results have practical implications for improving the compressibility of charges from mineral raw materials and developing optimal pelletizing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Versions of the production of environmentally friendly components of motor fuels using the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of the used radial reactors are analyzed. Research on the development of a domestic technology for the production of synthetic liquid fuels from natural gas on a bench-scale process plant, which was used to solve the problems of hydrogen utilization, is described. Based on the results of this work, conclusions that allow the development of a promising scientific and practical direction were drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A program for calculating the gasification process based on a mathematical model of direct-flow coal gasification with liquid ash removal, in which a mixture of oxygen and water vapor is used as a blast, is considered. Calculations were carried out for anthracite culm from the Eastern Donbass coal basin as a raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Raman generation parameters at a wavelength of 2.84 μm in a hollow-core revolver fiber filled with methane are studied, dependent on the gas pressure and on the energy and duration of chirped pulses of erbium fiber-optic pumping source with a wavelength of 1.56 μm. It is shown that the threshold energy of pumping pulses decreases as the methane pressure increases, and the growth in their duration promotes more efficient Raman conversion 1.56 μm → 2.84 μm. The maximum pulse energy at a wavelength of 2.84 and the quantum conversion efficiency are 1.6 μJ and 12%, respectively. It is numerically demonstrated that the quantum conversion efficiency can be increased up to the value above 50% at single-mode pumping radiation with pulse energy up to 100 μJ. The calculations show that the main process limiting the Raman conversion efficiency in the studied parameter range is the coherent four-wave interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the problem of identification of information objects whose attributes are represented by number and character sequences. It is shown that this problem is classified as ill-posed. A regularization method based on including a priori information about the probability of errors in descriptions of attributes of identification objects is proposed. Examples of the application of the proposed method to the problem of identification of individuals based on personal data are given. Tables of estimated error probabilities are compiled using statistical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of interdisciplinary research conducted at the Late Neolithic settlements Algai and Oroshaemoe (Aleksandrovo-Gaisky district of Saratov oblast, Lower Volga region) dated back to the 7th–5th millennia BC are considered. Modern soils of the study area are represented by light chestnut soils (Eutric Cambisols (Loamic, Protocalcic, Ochric)). In archaeological excavations, anthropogenically transformed variants of the same soils have been identified. Reconstruction of paleoenvironmental conditions in the area of archaeological settlements and their comparison with data from other parts of the Lower Volga region attests to periodic aridization and humidization of the climate and the related alternation of the stages of soil formation and sedimentation. An analysis of two neighboring sites indicates that the rate of soil formation in the study area varied from 0.8 to 35 cm/100 years. The soil strata have been identified and subdivided into several series of Holocene soils of different ages. Sterile (light-colored horizons without artifacts) or B horizons serve as parent materials for each of the formed soils. Sterile horizons were formed under arid climatic conditions with the development of salt-affected soils. The duration of the formation of each Holocene soil varied. Cyclic stages of aridization and humidization of the climate have been observed during the entire Holocene against the general background trend of increasing humidization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the effect of viscosity, density, surface tension and flow rate of fuel on the Sauter mean diameter of fuel spray in an air-assisted atomizer. The atomization of the film is simulated by the Voluem-of-Fluid method in the axisymmetric approximation, whereby only the primary atomization of the film into ligaments are simulated correctly. However, as shown earlier, the sizes of these ligaments, multiplied by a constant, approximately equal the diameter of drops into which these ligaments would disintegrate if the calculation were carried out in a three-dimensional problem statement. The study had two objectives, the first of which was to obtain formulas describing the influence of fuel properties on the Sauter mean diameter, and to compare them with those previously published. The second aim was 1) to investigate the influence of the approach to determining the shift parameter of the Weibull distribution on the asymptotic Sauter mean diameter (which is defined as the Sauter mean diameter obtained using the approximating Weibull distribution under the condition that the shift parameter is zero) and 2) to compare with that which is directly calculated from the distribution obtained from the simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the submandibular and parotid salivary glands. The aim of this study was to study changes in morphological structures and to determine the relationship with the levels of neurotransmitters in the bioamine-containing structures of submandibular glands (SMGs) and parotid glands (PGs) in rats with prolonged alcohol intoxication. In this study, sexually mature male albino Wistar rats consumed 20% ethanol (6.9 g/kg/day) for 180 consecutive days. PGs and SMGs were collected for morphometric and luminescence-histochemical analyses (nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-test, p < 0.05). PGs exposed to ethanol for 180 days showed a change in the shape of the acini and secretory cells that formed them, uneven expansion of the interlobular excretory ducts, and moderate fatty infiltration of the stroma. SMGs exposed to ethanol for 180 days showed changes in acinar cells, intercalated and striated ducts, fatty infiltration, mild atrophy, and stromal edema. The number of mast cells in PGs and SMGs and their degranulation index doubled after exposure to ethanol, and the cells were highly active. With prolonged 180-day alcohol intoxication, there was a gradual increase in the histamine level in the acini of the salivary glands, a decrease in the serotonin level and catecholamines in all structures of the salivary glands, and a gradual decrease in the activity of monoamine oxidase to the level of control. Therefore, prolonged 180-day ethanol intoxication can cause negative morphological changes and functional differences in the activity of monoamine oxidase and biogenic amines in the SMGs and PGs of rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical ranges of inocerams, belemnites, ammonites, echinoids, sponges, and brachiopods from lithologically monotonous carbonate rocks have been studied in the Kommunar section. The results obtained in the study of macrofaunistic assemblages confirm and complement the benthic foraminifera research data of distinguished units of the middle–upper Turonian, Coniacian, lower and upper Santonian, and lower Campanian basal horizon. The stratigraphically full upper Coniacian–lower Santonian interval in the Kommunar section has been identified in the Volga region for the first time. The defined macro- and microfaunistic biostratigraphic units have been correlated and discussed. The Boreal–Tethyan magnetochronological correlation of the Santonian–Campanian makes it possible to conclude that the Santonian lower boundary in different regions differs by about a million years, which is comparable to the duration of the Santonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes for the concentration of valuable elements in solid fossil fuels and methods for their determination in the composition of coal and oil shale are presented. Various methods of extracting valuable elements (for example, germanium) from fossil raw materials and their conversion products and an ecological aspect of the influence of the toxic compounds of trace elements formed upon the extraction and processing of fossil fuels are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical method for preliminary assessment of the compactability of charges made from fine materials of the mining and smelting industry is developed. The method allows establishing the functional dependence of the density of a briquette on the applied pressure without experiments on the compression of a charge in special pressure equipment. The method involves the use of a new compaction model and the relationship between the compact density at a given pressure and the physical and mechanical properties of a charge (loose bulk density, tapped bulk density, true density of particles) for dry charges and charges mixed with water or liquid binder. The method can be used in briquette production when choosing processing modes and creating pressure equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of microfaunistic (benthic foraminifers) and magnetostratigraphic (paleomagnetic and petromagnetic) studies obtained in the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the Kommunar section are presented. On the basis of the study of benthic foraminifers, the section consists of middle and upper Turonian, Coniacian, lower and upper Santonian, and basal horizon of the lower Campanian. In addition, all Coniacian zones and subzones of the East European Platform have been established. These data confirm the importance of the Kommunar section as a stratotype of the Volsk Formation (Coniacian of the Middle and Lower Volga region). In the Kommunar section, the Turonian and Coniacian are characterized by a normal polarity, and the Santonian and lower Campanian are characterized by a reversed polarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of GaN films on preliminarily treated Si(001) substrates by chloride–hydride vapor-phase epitaxy through a buffer layer is reported. It is demonstrated that the use of the technology proposed in the study brings about the formation of a Si transition sublayer in the Si substrate, so that further growth on this sublayer provides the formation of columnar GaN grains, between which there is a thin interlayer of the AlN phase. The epitaxial GaN film possesses low residual stresses, which is reflected in high-intensity luminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composites have been prepared via thermal decomposition of gel-like mixtures containing yttrium, aluminum, and europium(III) salts and ethyl acetate as a basic component. Luminescence of the composites is due to Eu3+5D0,1 → 7Fj electronic transitions. The luminescence is excited in intrinsic absorption bands of the Eu3+ ions and as a result of resonance vibrational energy transfer from the host to their excited state levels and transitions of O2– 2p electrons to the europium 4f orbital. The luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra demonstrate changes in the peak position of individual bands, redistribution of their intensity, and changes in their Stark structure. The observed changes are related to the different fractions of fluorine atoms in the composition of activator centers, their concentration, and the Y3+ : Al3+ atomic ratio in the synthesis products, obtained at a temperature of 800°C and synthesis times from 4 to 12 h and differing in phase composition and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of phase interactions in granular media were studied to elaborate the results obtained previously at the Nekrasov Iron and Steel Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to establish analytical methods for predicting the strength acquired by compacts produced from fine-grained materials. This allowed the development of theoretical ideas on the adhesive bonds formed in pellets to propose local models of adhesive processes for two basic particle interaction schemes: 'particle + particle' and 'particle + liquid phase + particle'. Types of adhesion processes occurring simultaneously, as well as their nature and combinations, were established for each local model. This provided grounds for selecting factors that governed the formation of adhesive bonds and indicators that determined the rate of their development. Experimental studies were conducted in laboratory facilities of the Nekrasov Iron and Steel Institute for assessing the nature and extent of influence exerted by the selected factors on the strength of compacts. The experimental results were used to establish analytical dependences to describe the strength as a function of integral indicators of adhesive bond formation, taking into account the pelletizing pressure. These dependencies underlay the proposed method for predicting the strength of pellets produced from fine-grained materials with zero moisture in the range of pelletizing pressures from 50 to 220 MPa. The proposed computational and analytical method allowed determining the strength of pellets with high accuracy. Thus, it can be successfully used to develop processes for the production of pellets and the development of compaction equipment. The proposed method may be developed further through the expansion of its capabilities by predicting the strength of compacts considering liquid bonding agents introduced into the starting charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectiveness of a new stage equation for identifying and analyzing individual stages of compaction was assessed. Results revealed that the newly developed equation describes correctly and accurately the experimental compaction curves, which considers the periodic nature of the process and enables the determination of characteristic transition points between stages, whereas. the determination coefficient is close to unity. On the basis of the use of the basic and stage compaction equations, methods were developed to determine the stabilizing pressure, briquettability, and stiffness of the charge. Anew attribute was proposed for the energy classification of briquetted materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear regression analysis was used to perform a comparative assessment of the mathematical description of the experimental compaction curves by the new basic equation and the empirical compaction equations proposed by Balshin, Heckel, Kawakita, Panelli–Filho, and Ge. The studies were conducted on a specially compiled representative sample of the mining and metallurgical complex materials, divided into groups in accordance with the technological purpose in metallurgical redistribution. According to the results, the basic compaction equation developed by the authors is characterized by the best indicators of reliability and accuracy, and therefore it is preferable for determining the energy–power characteristics of the compaction process under a pressure of up to 220 MPa. The validity of the interpretation of the constant coefficients of the compaction equations was also evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphysicochemical analysis was undertaken of fragments of medieval glazed ceramic found at different times in medieval towns located in the Chui, Talas, and Kochkor Valleys of Kyrgyzstan. The samples of glazed ceramic were studied by means of x-ray fluorescence and microscopic analyses. The physicochemical studies of the ceramic glaze from different archaeological complexes on the territory of Kyrgyzstan made it possible to identify the colorants and their features as well as the coloring technology and to note important moments in the historical development of the Gonchar crafts associated with the history of glazed ceramics in the countries of Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of autophagy plays an important role in the life of the cell, in particular, in the process of maintaining proteostasis. In muscle cells, the process of autophagy is highly dynamic due to the need for constant renewal of the degrading proteins of the Z-disk region during muscle contraction. In this case, the cytoskeleton and, in particular, intermediate filaments play a major role in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the muscle cell. We hypothesize that disruption of the structure of intermediate filaments of muscle cells, in particular, desmin, leads to a change in the dynamics of the process of autophagy. We have demonstrated that, in C2C12 cells, a mutation of the desmin gene (DES L345P) leads to a significant increase in the baseline level of autophagy and the rate of degradation of cellular components due to the process of autophagy. It has been shown that, in cells with the mutation DES L345P, after stimulation of the process of autophagy by serum starvation for 2 and 4 h, the amount of LC3-II protein is halved relative to cells with wild-type desmin. The rate of conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II remains unchanged. This observation may be associated with an increase in the base level of the process of autophagy and the rate of degradation of autophagosomes for the removal of mutant aggregate forms of the desmin protein from the cell due to mutation L345P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of a new type of compliant substrate based on an AlGaAs superstructure layer (SL) and a protoporous Si (proto-Si) layer formed on a crystal Si (c-Si) layer on the practical implementation and specific features of the epitaxial growth of GaAs layers by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition. It is for the first time shown that the low-temperature growth of high-crystal-quality epitaxial GaAs films can be implemented due to the use of compliant SL/proto-Si substrates. The introduction of a SL into the composition of a compliant substrate in addition to proto-Si makes it possible to neutralize a number of negative effects of low-temperature growth, to reduce the level of stresses in the epitaxial layer, to protect it from self-doping with Si atoms, to reduce the number of technological operations of the growth of transition buffer layers, and to improve the structural and morphological characteristics of the epitaxial layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A design procedure for nonstationary production systems is outlined. On the basis of the generalized mathematical model, specific models for components of nonstationary systems are developed. In particular, a model for slipway finishing of a part prior to welding in submarine hulls is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delineation of the features of paleocryogenic microtopography by zero-curvature morphoisographs on a test plot in the south of Moscow oblast enabled us to reveal the polygonal-blocky microrelief (microelevations, microdepressions, slopes, and runoff strips), forming eluvial, trans-eluvial, and trans-accumulative agrolandscapes. The soil cover pattern of eluvial agrolandscape includes elementary soil areas of noneroded, slightly eroded, moderately eroded, and aggraded soils. The agrolandscape is dominated by noneroded soils. The soil cover pattern of trans-eluvial agrolandscapes with microdepressions includes elementary soil areas of slightly, moderately, and strongly eroded soils, as well as eroded–aggraded and aggraded soils, with the dominations of slightly eroded soils. The soil cover pattern of trans-accumulative agrolandscapes also includes elementary soil areas of slightly, moderately, and strongly eroded soils; eroded–aggraded soils; and aggraded soils with the domination of strongly eroded soils. The paleocryogenic microrelief became the initial factor of the formation of elementary soil areas with different erosion rates during the long-term (200 years) agricultural use of these lands. Elementary soil areas with different erosion rates of the upper horizons are characterized by outcropping of underlying horizons of different textures. We have identified silt loam, light clay, and clay loam exposed to the surface by erosion on the studied plot. As a result, a complex soil cover pattern with differentiation of soils at the level of varieties (in Russian soil classification system, a taxonomic category based on the topsoil texture) was formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminescent materials have been prepared via thermal decomposition of a mixture of yttrium and europium trifluoroacetates and aluminum nitrate isolated from ethyl acetate, a low-polarity solvent. The influence of the composition of precursors and synthesis temperature on the composition, structure, and luminescence of the materials has been studied by vibrational and electronic spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that the major phases in the synthesized materials are (Y1 –хEux)F3, (Y1 –хEux)OF, and the (Y1 –хEux)2O3 ⋅ Al2O3 mixed oxide in various proportions. The percentage of fluorine atoms in the composition of europium-containing activator centers and the presence of aluminum ions influence the relative intensity of luminescence excitation and luminescence bands, the multiplicity of the 5D0 → 7F1,2,4 electron transitions (increasing it to the maximum value), the splitting energy of the strongest components of the 5D0 → 7F2 electron transition, and the efficiency of conversion of phonon energy in the oxide host to luminescence. The present results make it possible to synthesize materials with predictable spectral characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paleogeographic development of the natural process in the Late Pleistocene on the East European Plain had a rhythmic pattern with repeated alternation of cold and warm climatic eras. Continental glaciations arising on the East European Plain, in particular, the Late Valdai (Weichselian) glaciation, were reflected in changes in topography formation. Regional paleoenvironmental conditions of the formation of modern soil cover in the area of gray forest soils in central Russia are discussed. The impact of paleocryogenesis on the features of the Holocene soils is considered by the example of Vladimir and Moscow oblasts. In Vladimir oblast, soils were studied in Suzdal district on the territory of the Kibol-5 archaeological site of the early Middle Ages. In Moscow oblast, studied were conducted at the Pushchino key site. The differentiation of soil profiles related to the specificity of parent materials formed under the impact of the Late Weichselian paleocryogenesis with the development of cryogenic microtopography was demonstrated. It was also found that the surface microtopography is predetermined by the buried paleocryogenic polygonal network of elevated blocks (microhighs) and interblock depressions (microlows). The paleocryogenic genesis of this microtopography caused by cryogenic deformation of large wedge-shaped features was confirmed. Large cryogenic wedge-shaped soil features in the study area formed about 22–14 ka ago, which is confirmed by radiocarbon data. The dependence of the Holocene loamy soils in central Russia on the characteristics of parent materials is manifested at the levels of soil profiles, soil horizons, and particular soil properties. It is argued that the presence of Late Pleistocene paleocryogenic features greatly affects the formation of the profiles of Holocene soils and enhances the action of the anthropogenic factor on soil development. As an environmental factor, Late Weichsel paleocryogenesis differentiates soils at the high taxonomic level contributing to the formation of complex soil cover patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general design procedure for a production system is outlined, in accordance with IDEF0 notation. A generalized mathematical model is developed on the basis of standardized functional modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A program for the calculation of a gasification process based on a mathematical model of direct-flow coal gasification with liquid slag removal is proposed. Calculations were performed for Chinese gas coals. A good agreement between the experimental and calculated data of the process is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas processing is an independent dynamically developing industry whose role is growing constantly in connection with exploration and development of new gas and oil fields and increase of volume of recovered hydrocarbons subjected to processing. For further development of the industry it is essential to improve the existing technologies and equipment, which is impossible without analysis and solution of the prevailing problems. This article discusses the main problems of the gas processing industry in Russia at the present stage of its development and proposes ways of their solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on air and soil temperatures at the Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon weather stations in the East Siberian permafrost-taiga region are analyzed. The soils are represented by permafrost-affected sandy podzolized podbur (Verkhoyansk) and loamy soddy soil (Oymyakon). Recent decades have been the period of steady warming; average annual air temperature in 2001–2010 exceeded the climatological normal (1961–1990) by 1.4–1.5°C. An increase in air temperature is observed both in the cold and warm seasons. The temperature response of sandy and loamy soils to this warming is different. In the cold season, both soils are characterized by some rise in temperatures. In the warm season, the sandy soil demonstrates an increase in temperature and in the seasonal thawing depth, whereas the loamy soil is characterized by some a decrease in temperature and in the thawing depth. The importance of the snow cover as a factor slowing down soil freezing in the fall and soil thawing in the spring is demonstrated. The soil water and ice contents are also important factors affecting soil temperatures. It is shown that the freezing of both soils and their preservation in the frozen state take place at temperatures established at the snow/soil contact. In the coldest month (January), these temperatures in Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon are 12.6 and 14.3°C higher than air temperatures and 14.9 and 16.0°C higher than temperatures at the surface of the snow cover, respectively. The decrease in summer temperatures of the permafrost-affected loamy soil is explained by a higher heat consumption for the ice–water phase transition during the soil thawing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roller presses are most common pelletizing and compacting machines for fine-grained materials in metallurgy and related industries. Rollers with replaceable tires, whose effective surfaces are equipped with molding elements, are major components that directly exert a force on the material being compacted. The press surface configuration significantly influences the compaction conditions and the quality of pellets. Analysis of information sources shows that there is currently no single systematic approach to choosing the rational surface configuration for roller press tires. A large number of process and service parameters indicates that the choice of rational surface configuration for press tires should be based on multivariate analysis methods. Therefore, a systematic approach to the choice of rational geometrical parameters for roller press tires and a method that implements this approach have been developed. The method represents the problem in question as a three-level hierarchy: options for the design of tires, criteria to evaluate the rationality, and the most rational tire design. A specific example demonstrates how the proposed approach is applied to choose the configuration of pressing surfaces to promote the required parameters of charge compaction, the tires having the longest possible service life, and ensure that the press is operated within its technical characteristics. The proposed systematic approach and the method developed to implement it allow the geometrical parameters of press roller surfaces to be compared and evaluated for rationality at the design stage. The results can be used as a constituent part in the development of specialized software for the calculation and design of roller presses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of structural and spectroscopic methods of diagnostics is used to study the influence of a nanoporous silicon (por-Si) transition layer on the practical implementation and specific features of growth of GaN layers on SiC/por-Si/c-Si templates by molecular-beam epitaxy with the plasma activation of nitrogen. It is shown that a por-Si transition layer introduced into a template, in which a 3C-SiC layer is created by the method of atom substitution, offers unquestionable advantages over standard silicon substrates. Specifically, such an approach makes it possible to lower the level of stresses in the crystal lattice of the epitaxial GaN layer by about 90% and to reduce the fraction of vertical dislocations in the GaN layer. The GaN layer is grown on the surface of the SiC layer, which in turn is on the surface of the SiC/por-Si/c-Si template. It is found for the first time that the use of the SiC/por-Si/c-Si template brings about the formation of a qualitatively more uniform GaN layer free of visible extended defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform the analysis of the available empirical compaction equations for fine-fraction materials. By modeling separate stages of the process of compaction for selected groups of materials, we reveal the advantages and drawbacks restricting the fields of their possible applications. It is shown that the compaction equation proposed at the Z. Nekrasov Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy of the NAS of Ukraine (IFM) is the only dependence that can be successfully applied to fine-fraction materials of the mining and metallurgical complex (MMC). The necessity of subsequent improvement of the indicated equation is substantiated.We propose two compaction equations whose joint application enables one to predict the relationship between the pressure and the degree of compaction in the process of briquetting within the technological range of pressures. These equations allow one to identify the stages of pressing and study the factors affecting the process. They can be also used to optimize the technological conditions of briquetting of materials of the MMC and to increase the reliability of determination of the power-and-force parameters of the process of pressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the intensity of respiratory burst of neutrophils in the venous blood of women at different stages of reproduction using the chemiluminescent method (BHL-07). The analysis of the of luminol-dependent latex-induced luminescence parameters demonstrated that the neutrophils of pregnant women are in the primed state and equally respond to latex-mediated induction during both normal pregnancy and in case of threatened miscarriage or premature birth. However, childbirth leads to the deactivation of neutrophils, while the intensity of active radical generation does not significantly differ from that in non-pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural isolate of xylotrophic basidiomycetes Hericium erinaceus BP 16 was cultivated artificially to produce fruiting bodies from which the polysaccharide-containing fraction (PF) was isolated by extraction with hot water (70°C), followed by precipitation with 96% ethanol. Residues of rhamnose, fructose, xylose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, and galactose in the ratio of 7 : 8 : 1 : 19 : 14 : 26 : 27, respectively, were identified in the composition of the PF carbohydrate chains. The effect of adding PF to aqueous solutions of cryoprotectants during water freezing in human venous blood during its cryopreservation has been demonstrated. It was found that the presence of PF (0.25%) in a glycerin-containing (3.5%) preservative ensures the safety of human nuclear blood cells at −20 and −80°C, which indicated the cryoprotective activity of PF H. erinaceus BP 16. Thus, this property of PF may be used in the development of new substances to freeze biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a study on the heavy residue obtained after the rectification of the semicoking tar of oil shale from the Perelyubskoe deposit (pitch) and coke obtained from it are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear absorption of suspensions of graphene nanosheets with the number of layers from one to three was studied using the Z-scan method with femtosecond excitation at 1030 nm wavelength. A large modulation depth and lower saturation intensity of the suspensions as compared with nonlinear absorption of single-layer graphene were shown. Dynamics of photoexcited carriers for different duration of excitation pulse was considered. The values of the absorption cross section and the density of photoexcited carriers in single-layer graphene were estimated. The presence of two-photon absorption (TPA) in suspensions of graphene nanosheets and the absence of noticeable TPA in single-layer graphene were shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical parameters of the Cenozoic shale strata of the western Ciscaucasia have been analyzed. Oil source strata were identified in the study. The geochemical characteristics of organic matter (OM) of the Kumian rocks revealed high oil source potential of the rocks. The formation and emigration of hydrocarbons (HCs) were inferred from qualitative and quantitative changes. Sapropelic OM generated large amounts of hydrocarbons in the Kuma Sequence, with the value increasing from the top to the bottom of the profile. Para-autochthonous and migratory bitumoids were registered on the PC3 gradation and well-developed on the MK2 gradation (at a depth of 4.6–5.0 km). A comprehensive study of OM from Khadumian rocks by pyrolysis, bituminology, and chromatography showed that all kerogen types were developed in the rocks, but mixed OM with moderate oil source potential predominated. Maximal organic carbon (Corg) concentrations and genetic potential were observed within the Western Kuban trough, as well as in the strip of outcrops in the Adygei ledge area. The improvement in geochemical parameters in these areas is due to a decrease in the terrigenous component in the crude OM in the same direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, dedicated computer programs developed on the basis of finite element analysis and using modern mathematical models of physicochemical processes are widely applied in designing new or optimizing existing devices and installations firing organic fuels. Such multiparametric tasks, which encompass a wide range of physical problems, are predominantly solved by means of CFD modeling based on the finite volume method. This numerical method for integrating systems of differential equations with partial derivatives features versatility and numerical stability. Particular problems that are dealt with by applying computer programs that use CFD modeling are solved in a few sequential stages: preparing the problem for solving, verifying the mathematical model, visualizing the calculated results and preprocessing them, and analyzing the obtained results. The article discusses the experience gained with modeling and suggests the main recommendations on using this software product in engineering practice for solving particular problems concerned with ignition and burnout of gaseous and liquid fuel and emission of harmful combustion products in power installations for developing new or optimizing existing designs of various furnace and burner devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]