Повышение эффективности термообработки растительных материалов в трубчатых реакторах

In agriculture products of pyrolysis of plant materials in the form of waste of the main production can be applied as a source of heat and electric power. Besides, their use prevents ecological pollution of the soil and the atmosphere. Pyrolysis plants can be used for work with tubular reactors anywhere. Due to them farmers can dry grain, using waste heat of diesel generators, heatgenerators, boiler plants and receiving thus gaseous products, liquid and firm fractions. A technology based on cyclic and continuous plant mass movement by a piston in a pipe from a loading site to a place of unloading of a firm phase consistently through cameras of drying, pyrolysis, condensation of gaseous products. Exhaust furnace gases with a temperature up to 600 degrees Celsius are given countercurrent material movement from a power equipment. The gaseous, liquid and firm products from the pyrolysis camera are used for heat and electric power generation. Calculation of parameters of subdrying and pyrolysis cameras is necessary for effective and steady operation of the tubular reactor. The authors determined the speed of raw materials movement, and also duration of drying and pyrolysis in working chambers. An analysis of a simplified mathematical model of process was confirmed with results of experiments. Models of heat treatment of wet plant materials in tubular reactors are worked out on a basis of equality of speeds of material movement in the reactor and distribution of a temperature front in material on radius. The authors defined estimated characteristic for determination of tubular reactor productivity and size of heat, required for drying and pyrolysis.В сельском хозяйстве продукты пиролиза растительных материалов в виде отходов основного производства можно применять в качестве источника тепла и электроэнергии. Кроме того, их использование предотвращает экологическое загрязнение почвы и атмосферы. Пиролизные установки с трубчатыми реакторами пригодны для работы в любом хозяйстве. С их помощью можно сушить зерно, используя бросовое тепло дизель-генераторов, теплогенераторов, котельных и получая при этом газообразные продукты, жидкую и твердую фракции. Показали, что в основе технологии лежит циклично-непрерывное перемещение растительной массы поршнем внутри трубы от участка загрузки до места выгрузки твердой фазы последовательно через камеры сушки, пиролиза, конденсации газообразных продуктов. Отметили, что противотоком перемещению материала от энергетического оборудования подают отработанные топочные газы с температурой до 600 градусов Цельсия. Из камеры пиролиза отводят газообразные, жидкие и твердые продукты, используемые для выработки теплоты и электроэнергии. Выявили, что для эффективной и устойчивой работы трубчатого реактора необходим расчет параметров камер подсушки и пиролиза. Определили скорость перемещения сырья, а также продолжительность сушки и пиролиза в рабочих камерах. Подтвердили экспериментально результаты анализа упрощенной математической модели процесса. Предложили модели термообработки влажных растительных материалов в трубчатых реакторах на основе равенства скоростей перемещения материала в реакторе и распространения температурного фронта в материале по радиусу. Привели расчетные характеристики для вычисления производительности трубчатого реактора и величины теплоты, потребной для сушки и пиролиза

Congenital Hydrocephalus and Abnormal Subcommissural Organ Development in Sox3 Transgenic Mice

Congenital hydrocephalus (CH) is a life-threatening medical condition in which excessive accumulation of CSF leads to ventricular expansion and increased intracranial pressure. Stenosis (blockage) of the Sylvian aqueduct (Aq; the narrow passageway that connects the third and fourth ventricles) is a common form of CH in humans, although the genetic basis of this condition is unknown. Mouse models of CH indicate that Aq stenosis is associated with abnormal development of the subcommmissural organ (SCO) a small secretory organ located at the dorsal midline of the caudal diencephalon. Glycoproteins secreted by the SCO generate Reissner's fibre (RF), a thread-like structure that descends into the Aq and is thought to maintain its patency. However, despite the importance of SCO function in CSF homeostasis, the genetic program that controls SCO development is poorly understood. Here, we show that the X-linked transcription factor SOX3 is expressed in the murine SCO throughout its development and in the mature organ. Importantly, overexpression of Sox3 in the dorsal diencephalic midline of transgenic mice induces CH via a dose-dependent mechanism. Histological, gene expression and cellular proliferation studies indicate that Sox3 overexpression disrupts the development of the SCO primordium through inhibition of diencephalic roof plate identity without inducing programmed cell death. This study provides further evidence that SCO function is essential for the prevention of hydrocephalus and indicates that overexpression of Sox3 in the dorsal midline alters progenitor cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner

Active medulloblastoma enhancers reveal subgroup-specific cellular origins

Medulloblastoma is a highly malignant paediatric brain tumour, often inflicting devastating consequences on the developing child. Genomic studies have revealed four distinct molecular subgroups with divergent biology and clinical behaviour. An understanding of the regulatory circuitry governing the transcriptional landscapes of medulloblastoma subgroups, and how this relates to their respective developmental origins, is lacking. Here, using H3K27ac and BRD4 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) coupled with tissue-matched DNA methylation and transcriptome data, we describe the active cis-regulatory landscape across 28 primary medulloblastoma specimens. Analysis of differentially regulated enhancers and super-enhancers reinforced inter-subgroup heterogeneity and revealed novel, clinically relevant insights into medulloblastoma biology. Computational reconstruction of core regulatory circuitry identified a master set of transcription factors, validated by ChIP-seq, that is responsible for subgroup divergence, and implicates candidate cells of origin for Group 4. Our integrated analysis of enhancer elements in a large series of primary tumour samples reveals insights into cis-regulatory architecture, unrecognized dependencies, and cellular origins

Looking at Cerebellar Malformations through Text-Mined Interactomes of Mice and Humans

WE HAVE GENERATED AND MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TWO VERY LARGE NETWORKS OF MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS: 49,493 mouse-specific and 52,518 human-specific interactions. These networks were generated through automated analysis of 368,331 full-text research articles and 8,039,972 article abstracts from the PubMed database, using the GeneWays system. Our networks cover a wide spectrum of molecular interactions, such as bind, phosphorylate, glycosylate, and activate; 207 of these interaction types occur more than 1,000 times in our unfiltered, multi-species data set. Because mouse and human genes are linked through an orthological relationship, human and mouse networks are amenable to straightforward, joint computational analysis. Using our newly generated networks and known associations between mouse genes and cerebellar malformation phenotypes, we predicted a number of new associations between genes and five cerebellar phenotypes (small cerebellum, absent cerebellum, cerebellar degeneration, abnormal foliation, and abnormal vermis). Using a battery of statistical tests, we showed that genes that are associated with cerebellar phenotypes tend to form compact network clusters. Further, we observed that cerebellar malformation phenotypes tend to be associated with highly connected genes. This tendency was stronger for developmental phenotypes and weaker for cerebellar degeneration

Маркеры ранних стадий рака легкого у ликвидаторов Чернобыльской аварии

Persons exposed to inhaled radionuclides are at high risk for lung cancer, primarily, due to lung fibrosis development. This work studied lung fibrotic changes and lung cancer genetic markers in liquidators of the Chernobyl accident consequences. The study involved 33 men worked at the Chernobyl station area in 1986-1987, aged from 37 to 65 years (average 45.45±0.95; M±m), and 10 control group men comparable on the age, hazards, social and occupational status, lung pathology, but had never exposed to radiation.Lung function tests, fibreoptic bronchoscopy, histological examination of lung and bronchi tissues biopsy specimens, and lung computed tomography were performed. Oncogene c-myc, Ki-67 proliferation marker, and a deletion in the short arm of the chromosome 3 were investigated in the bronchial epithelium.The lung fibrosis was detected in 13 (42.4%) liquidators and in no-one of the control group. The liquidators also had more bronchial epithelium dysregenerative changes with significant prevalence of basement cell hyperplasia (0.58±.09 and 0.2±0.13 cases in the groups accordingly, p<0.05). Meanwhile the control group had no mild dysplasia at all and demonstrated severe dysplasia rather more frequently (0.2±0.13 vs 0.06±0.04 in the liquidators, p<0.05). The liquidators showed the 3p deletion in the bronchial epithelium cells more often (0.21±0.07 and 0.1±0.1 accordingly, p<0.05) and tended to show other genetic lung cancer markers quite more frequent either.The correlation was found between the lung fibrosis and 3p deletion presence (r=0.45, p<0.05) and also between a pneumonia number anamnestically and Ki-67 expression in the liquidators’ group (r=0.46, p<0.05). The second patients’ group did not demonstrated such the correlaions.Thus, chronic respiratory pathology liquidators develop lung fibrosis earlier than other patients with the similar lung pathology. Basement cell hyperplasia and some oncogenes (3p deletion, c-myc) encounter considerably more often in liquidators that likely to be poor prognostic signs for lung cancer occurrence. Therefore, the Chernobyl accident liquidators are at higher risk for lung cancer compared to the similar lung pathology patients without radiation exposureЛица, ингалировавшие радионуклиды в результате профессиональных воздействий либо неблагоприятной экологической обстановки, имеют высокий риск заболевания раком легкого, в первую очередь, за счет развития пневмофиброза. В данной работе исследовались фиброзные изменения легочной ткани и ряд генетических маркеров рака легкого у ликвидаторов последствий Чернобыльской аварии. В исследование вошли 33 ликвидатора (все мужчины) в возрасте от 37 до 65 лет (в среднем 45,4±0,95 года; М±т) и 10 мужчин группы сравнения, сравнимые с “ликвидаторами” по возрасту, вредным привычкам, социально-бытовым и профессиональным условиям, характеру и длительности бронхолегочной патологии, но не контактировавшие с радиацией.Пациентам проводились исследования легочной функции, фибробронхоскопия с биопсией и последующим гистологическим исследованием ткани бронхов и легких, компьютерная томография легких. В биоптатах определяли онкоген c-myc и маркер пролиферации Ki-67, делецию в коротком плече 3-й хромосомы.Среди ликвидаторов пневмофиброз был выявлен у 13 (42,4%) человек, в группе сравнения не выявлен ни у кого. Также у ликвидаторов чаще, чем в группе сравнения, встречались дисрегенераторные изменения бронхиального эпителия с достоверным преобладанием базальноклеточной гиперплазии (0,58±0,09 и 0,2±0,13 случаев соответственно по группам, р<0,05). Вместе с тем в группе сравнения совсем не обнаруживалась дисплазия 1 ст. и несколько чаще встречалась дисплазия 3 ст. (0,2±0,13 в группе сравнения и 0,06±0,04 у ликвидаторов, р<0,05). Делеция Зр в клетках бронхиального эпителия у ликвидаторов определялась достоверно чаще, чем в группе сравнения (0,21±0,07 и 0,1±0,1 соответственно, р<0,05). Имеется тенденция к более частому обнаружению в группе ликвидаторов и других генетических маркеров.Корреляционный анализ показал достоверную связь между наличием пневмофиброза и делеции в коротком плече 3-й хромосомы (r=0,45, р<0,05), а также между числом перенесенных пневмоний и экспрессией Ki-67 в группе ликвидаторов (r=0,46, р<0,05). В группе сравнения такой зависимости не получено.Таким образом, у ликвидаторов с ХОБЛ фиброз легочной ткани развивается значительно раньше, чем у обычных больных ХОБЛ. У ликвидаторов достоверно чаще обнаруживаются базальноклеточная гиперплазия и генетические маркеры рака легкого (делеция Зр, с-тус), что является прогностически неблагоприятным фактором в развитии этого заболевания. В результате ликвидаторы имеют больший риск заболевания раком легкого по сравнению с обычными больными ХОБЛ.

The p53 Inhibitor MDM2 Facilitates Sonic Hedgehog-Mediated Tumorigenesis and Influences Cerebellar Foliation

Disruption of cerebellar granular neuronal precursor (GNP) maturation can result in defects in motor coordination and learning, or in medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain tumor. The Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathway is important for GNP proliferation; however, the factors regulating the extent and timing of GNP proliferation, as well as GNP differentiation and migration are poorly understood. The p53 tumor suppressor has been shown to negatively regulate the activity of the Shh effector, Gli1, in neural stem cells; however, the contribution of p53 to the regulation of Shh signaling in GNPs during cerebellar development has not been determined. Here, we exploited a hypomorphic allele of Mdm2 (Mdm2puro), which encodes a critical negative regulator of p53, to alter the level of wild-type MDM2 and p53 in vivo. We report that mice with reduced levels of MDM2 and increased levels of p53 have small cerebella with shortened folia, reminiscent of deficient Shh signaling. Indeed, Shh signaling in Mdm2-deficient GNPs is attenuated, concomitant with decreased expression of the Shh transducers, Gli1 and Gli2. We also find that Shh stimulation of GNPs promotes MDM2 accumulation and enhances phosphorylation at serine 166, a modification known to increase MDM2-p53 binding. Significantly, loss of MDM2 in Ptch1+/− mice, a model for Shh-mediated human medulloblastoma, impedes cerebellar tumorigenesis. Together, these results place MDM2 at a major nexus between the p53 and Shh signaling pathways in GNPs, with key roles in cerebellar development, GNP survival, cerebellar foliation, and MB tumorigenesis

The dynamic cilium in human diseases

Cilia are specialized organelles protruding from the cell surface of almost all mammalian cells. They consist of a basal body, composed of two centrioles, and a protruding body, named the axoneme. Although the basic structure of all cilia is the same, numerous differences emerge in different cell types, suggesting diverse functions. In recent years many studies have elucidated the function of 9+0 primary cilia. The primary cilium acts as an antenna for the cell, and several important pathways such as Hedgehog, Wnt and planar cell polarity (PCP) are transduced through it. Many studies on animal models have revealed that during embryogenesis the primary cilium has an essential role in defining the correct patterning of the body. Cilia are composed of hundreds of proteins and the impairment or dysfunction of one protein alone can cause complete loss of cilia or the formation of abnormal cilia. Mutations in ciliary proteins cause ciliopathies which can affect many organs at different levels of severity and are characterized by a wide spectrum of phenotypes. Ciliary proteins can be mutated in more than one ciliopathy, suggesting an interaction between proteins. To date, little is known about the role of primary cilia in adult life and it is tempting to speculate about their role in the maintenance of adult organs. The state of the art in primary cilia studies reveals a very intricate role. Analysis of cilia-related pathways and of the different clinical phenotypes of ciliopathies helps to shed light on the function of these sophisticated organelles. The aim of this review is to evaluate the recent advances in cilia function and the molecular mechanisms at the basis of their activity