PROTO-HORMONES LEVELS OF ADIPOSE TISSUE, INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INDICATORS OF DETOXIFYING FUNCTION OF THE LIVER IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION AND OBESITY COMBINED WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

The research estimates the state of liver detoxifying function and analyzes the changes in the levels of leptin, adiponectin and interleukin-6 in patients with arterial hypertension in combination with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Aim. The aim of the study is to evaluate levels of proto-hormones adipose tissue, interleukin-6 and indicators of detoxifying function of the liver in patients with hypertension and obesity combined with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Materials and methods. The study involved patients with arterial hypertension combined with obesity and NAFLD. All patients underwent anthropometric, general clinical, laboratory (blood lipid profile) and instrumental diagnostics (electrocardiography, echocardiography, ultrasonography, 13C-metacetin breath test, ELISA (adiponectin, leptin, IL-6). The patients’ height and weight were measured, the body mass index was calculated according to standard formulas. Results. Patients with arterial hypertension combined with obesity and NAFLD at the stage of steatohepatitis showed an increase in the levels of leptin and IL-6 and a decrease in the level of adiponectin. This group also revealed a moderate decrease in liver detoxifying function, as indicated by the results of 13C- MBT due to a 46.7 % decrease in the metabolic rate and a decrease in cumulative doses of CUM40 by 40 % and CUM120 by 46.8 %, respectively. Conclusions. The elevated levels of leptin and IL-6 and lowered adiponectin levels can be used to determine the degree of activity of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and predict the course of NAFLD in combination with hypertension and obesity. An increased level of leptin and IL-6 and a low level of adiponectin in patients with such a comorbid pathology lead to an increase in the left ventricular myocardial mass index and aggravate the course of arterial hypertension

Designing flexible learning for adults: Dialogue between University Lifelong Learning and professional contexts Engineering Example

Engineers are the professionals that have intense and continuous lifelong learning (LLL) activities regulated by professional organizations, by employers and by official agencies. That is due to the obsolescence of competences and the need face new challenges. The dialogue between with LLL providers and users of the required continuing professional development (CPD) training is not structured in most of the cases. An analysis of the CPD policy of the federation of engineering professional organizations (FEANI) is made in terms of foreseeing methods and approaches to improve the communications between the LLL providers and engineering CPD consumers. In the first place, the FEANI policy affirms that there is an on-going need for CPD of engineers in Europe. CPD is considered the acquisition of knowledge, experience and skills and the development of personal qualities. It embraces both the acquisition of new capabilities to broaden competence and the enhancement of existing capabilities to keep abreast of evolving technology and its application. CPD is essential for the maintenance of high professional standards and enhances the employability and mobility of individual engineers. It assists career progression and strengthens professional satisfaction. CPD benefits society and is of crucial importance in sustaining the competitiveness of European industry in the global market. CPD is the individual's responsibility and requires the cooperation, encouragement and support of employers and professional and academic institutions as CPD providers. Some countries professional engineering organizations require mandatory periodic CPD to keep the status as engineers. Therefore, engineering CPD, to be most effective, has to be planned and related to specific objectives. A personal development plan in terms of competences needs to be periodically updated. The CPD plan can include a variety of forms, including mentoring and the sharing of knowledge and expertise. This is one of the areas where LLL providers can cooperate with professional engineering organizations to provide guidelines for engineers. These guidelines could address inclusion of promotion of CPD as an important element of the engineering mission and establishment of a CPD policy highlighting the key role of qualified professional engineers for the development of the economy and society. The cooperation between the LLL providers and professional engineering organizations could address encouraging all stakeholders to invest in CPD for engineers, define quality standards in CPD as well as innovative practises in learning. Other topics are the support of individual engineers in their personal CPD definition, publicizing good practices in CPD and include initiatives on competence recognition, mobility, employability and accreditation of education. A second aspect of possible cooperation between engineering professional bodies and LLL providers could address the identification of training needs resulting from innovation developments among academic institutions in cooperation with engineering companies. Relevant innovations result from industry requests and respective training to implement those developments could then be defined and planned jointly as LLL provisions. A third aspect could be the recording and accreditation by academic institutions of CPD achievements by engineers in terms of the professional personal development plan

The Bureau of Reclamation in the International Arena [abstract]

2 pages

The Bureau of Reclamation in the International Arena [abstract]

2 pages

Technological characteristics of forming silicide coating on silicon carbide and disilicide molybdenum

Описано процес силіціювання карбідокремнієвої та дисиліцид молібденової кераміки. Подальше підвищення робочих температур і жорсткіші умови експлуатації нагрівачів вимагають покращення їх фізико-механічних і хімічних властивостей. Одним із напрямів підвищення характеристик електронагрівачів є вдосконалення технології. Встановлено, що насичення кремнієм дозволяє зменшити у понад двічі вміст у неметалевих матеріалах диоксиду кремнію. Силіціювання карбідокремнієвої та дисиліцид молібденової кераміки зменшує у них вміст шкідливих домішок і тим самим покращує їх експлуатаційні характеристики.The process of carbide silicon and disilicide molybdenum ceramics saturation is described in the article. The subsequent increase of operating temperatures and more severe conditions of heaters operation require the improvement of their physical-mechanical and chemical properties. One of the directions of improving the electric heaters characteristics is the improvement of technology. It was found that the silicon saturation can reduce more than twice the content of non-metallic materials of silicon dioxide. The saturation of silicon, carbide silicon and disilicide of molybdenum ceramics reduces the content of harmful admixtures and thereby improves their performance. The main disadvantage of the silicon carbide and disilicide molybdenum products is their low resistance to high temperature oxidization. To our mind, the promissing method is a method of combination of admixtures in different compounds under chemical-thermal treatment. Thus, the process of silicon-carbide and disilicide molybdenum based non-metal materials saturation with the purpose of disilicide molybdenum recovering, which makes worse the operating parameters of heaters, has been investigated in the paper. Studying of the influence of exposure time on the rate of the silicon saturation of non-metallic materials testified that with the increase of saturation duration from 2 to 12 hours the specific gain of silicon carbide specimens sharply increases, while in the molybdenum disilicide specimens only a slight increase is observed. The saturation of silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide during more than 12 hours leads to sintering of mixtures, which greatly complicates the removal of specimens. X-ray analysis of silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide saturation showed that the amount of silicon dioxide in non-metallic materials is reduced by more than 50%. Thus, we consider the diffusive saturation to be the effective way to remove silicon dioxide from the silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide

Technology of ceramic material siliconborating impact on the properties of protective covering

Досліджено процес послідовного насичення реакційноспеченої кераміки на основі карбіду кремнію і дисиліциду молібдену та властивості захисного шару. Встановлено, що дифузійне насичення кремнієм і бором забезпечує повне відновлення диоксиду кремнію та отримання захисного покриття на поверхні матеріалу. Дослідження властивостей жаростійкого покриття показало, що гексаборид кремнію підвищує в 2–4 рази стабільність кераміки під час високотемпературного відпалу і призупиняє небажані дифузійні процеси на межі розподілу покриття – основа та покриття – середовище.The process of successive saturation of the carbide silicon and disilicide molybdenum reaction-sintered ceramics and properties of protective covering have been investigated. Silicon and boron diffusion saturation was found to provide complete recovery of dioxide silicon and obtaining the protective covering on the material surface. It was found that the silicon saturation can reduce more than twice the content of harmful admixtures in ceramics, silicon dioxide in particular. The saturation of carbide silicon and disilicide molybdenum by silicon reduces the content of harmful admixtures and thereby improves their properties. The main disadvantage of the silicon carbide and disilicide molybdenum products is their low resistance to high temperature oxidization. The method of combination of harmful admixtures under high-temperature treatment and chemical reactions was investigated. The process of carbide silicon and disilicide molybdenum saturation by the non-metallic materials has testified the heaters technological parameters to be improved. The investigation of the heat-resistant covering properties testified, that the hexaboride silicon increases in 2-4 times the ceramics stability under high-temperature sintering and retards undesirable diffusion processes on the covering distribution edge - basis and covering – environment. Carried out investigations make possible to conclude that creation of the protective covering on the surface of the reaction – sintered ceramics materials retards undesirable diffusion process, which occur on the edge basis – silicon-borid covering, and to increase the operating life of the protective layer. Carbide silicon and disilicide molybdenum silicon-boride covering provides complete recovery of the dioxide silicon and creation of the sufficient thickness hexaboride silicon heat-resistant layer on the material surface. The hexaboride silicon layer improves in 2 times the ceramics stability under vacuum annealing and in 4 times in the inert environment, the argon in particular. Creation of the triple phase on the edge covering – environment under siliconborating increases the heat-resistance covering stability and retards the undesirable processes, which occur on the edge hexaboride silicon-ceramics

СУЧАСНІ ПОГЛЯДИ НА ХОЛОГЕННУ ДІАРЕЮ

The purpose of the work is to summarize data on etiology, mechanism of development, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnostics and principles of treatment of bile acid diarrhea (BAD). BAD – chronic diarrhea, caused by excessive bile acid (BA) in the colon. Most often BAD arises due to a violation of absorption of BA in the small intestine, with rapid transit of BA due to increased motor and evacuation function of the small intestine. The article presents the main mechanisms of the exchange of BA in the normal and at different pathological conditions. Violation of absorption of BA in the small intestine may be primary (congenital) – most often with celiac disease and secondary. Secondary disturbed absorption of BA develops in patients after resection of the ileum or with acute inflammatory diseases (Crohn’s disease). Development of BAD can be due to the pathology of the biliary system. Excessive absorption of bile in the intestine is possible after cholecystectomy or with biliary dyskinesia, with Oddi sphincter dysfunction syndrome. The main symptom of BAD is frequent feces of a liquid consistency of bright yellow or green color. Another characteristic symptom of BAD is pain in the right abdomen. In the basis of the diagnostic algorithm of BAD, in addition to collecting the history and detail of patient complaints, there is a study of feces and performance a number of specific tests: 75SeHCAT-test, determination of the level of serum metabolite C4 (7a-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one) and the concentration of fibroblast growth factor FGF-19. BAD treatment includes diet correction and symptomatic therapy. Assign enterosorbents, with pain syndrome – antispasmodic. To eliminate the asynchronous intake of bile into the small intestine during meals prescribe choleretic drugs, for the treatment of excessive bacterial growth syndrome in the upper small intestine prescribed intestinal antibiotics, intestinal antiseptics, probiotics and prebiotics. In the period of severe diarrhea, prescribe drugs that suppress peristalsis, in particular loperamide. With significant loss of liver function with feces, the use of sequestrants of bile (cholestyramine) is recommended.Мета роботи – узагальнити дані про етіологію, механізм розвитку, клінічні прояви, лабораторну діагностику та принципи лікування хологенної діареї (ХД). ХД – хронічна діарея, яка спричинена надлишковим надходженням жовчних кислот (ЖК) в ободову кишку. Найчастіше такий стан виникає через порушення всмоктування ЖК в тонкій кишці або при швидкому транзиті їх внаслідок підвищеної моторно-евакуаторної функції тонкої кишки. Наведені основні механізми обміну ЖК в нормі та при різних патологічних станах. Порушення всмоктування ЖК в тонкій кишці може бути первинним (вродженим) – найчастіше при целіакії і вторинним. Вторинні порушення всмоктування ЖК розвиваються у пацієнтів, яким виконано резекцію клубової кишки або які мають захворювання, що супроводжуються запальним процесом у тонкій кишці (хвороба Крона). Розвиток ХД також може бути обумовлений патологією біліарної системи. Надмірне потрапляння жовчі у кишки можливе після холецистектомії або при різних дискінезіях жовчних шляхів, при синдромі дисфункції сфінктера Одді. Основним симптомом ХД є часті випорожнення калом рідкої консистенції яскраво-жовтого або зеленого забарвлення. Іншим характерним симптомом ХД є виникнення больового синдрому у правих відділах живота. В основі діагностичного алгоритму ХД, окрім збору анамнезу і деталізації скарг пацієнта, лежить дослідження калу та проведення низки специфічних тестів: 75SeHCAT-тесту, визначення рівня сироваткового метаболіту C4 (7a-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one) та концентрації фактора росту фібробластів FGF-19. Лікування ХД включає корекцію харчування та симптоматичну терапію. Призначають ентеросорбенти, при больовому синдромі – спазмолітики, для усунення асинхронного надходження з їжею жовчі в тонку кишку – жовчогінні препарати, для лікування синдрому надлишкового бактерійного росту у верхніх відділах тонкої кишки – кишкові антибіотики, кишкові антисептики, пробіотики та пребіотики. У період вираженої діареї призначають препарати, що пригнічують перистальтику, зокрема лоперамід. При значній втраті ЖК із калом рекомендовано застосування секвестрантів жовчі (холестираміну)

Деятельность НОРАД: модель военно-политического сотрудничества в региональной системе международных отношений

У статті розглядається діяльність Об’єднаного командування протиповітряної оборони як цілісної системи та унікальної моделі військово-технічного співробітництва. Зроблено спробу виявити особливості формування та еволюції, цілі та завдання, а також можливості пристосування такої моделі до нових умов сучасного світу.This article considers the activity of North American Aerospace Defense Command as an all-in-one system and unique model of military-technical cooperation. It was done an attempt to detect features of formation and evolution, purposes and tasks, and also the possibility to adapt of this model to new conditions of modern world.В статье рассматривается деятельность Объединенного командования противовоздушной обороны как целостной системы и уникальной модели военно-технического сотрудничества. Сделано попытку выявить особенности формирования и эволюции, цели и задания, а также возможности приспособления такой модели к новым условиям современного мира