TECHNICAL RE-RING FURNACE

The paper describes the main technical characteristics of the ring furnace. Designed furnace heat balance. The data obtained revealed the main shortcomings of the work, with the result that suggested technical upgrading in order to reduce resource consumption.В работе рассмотрены основные технические характеристики кольцевой печи. Рассчитан тепловой баланс печи. По полученным данным выявлены основные недостатки работы, в результате чего предложено техническое перевооружение с целью снижения ресурсопотребления

Pleiotropic immunomodulating effects of peptide Arginyl-alpha-Aspartyl-Lysyl-Valyl-Tyrosyl-Arginine on various subsets of neutrophilic granulocytes and their phenotype in patients with COVID-19 <i>in vitro</i>

The key role of neutrophilic granulocytes (NG) in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 makes them new targets for therapeutic approaches and of influencing the course and outcome of the disease, restoring changes in the phenotype and functions of NG. Synthetic peptides or polypeptide complexes of action are the most promising in the treatment of COVID-19. Aim: to reveal the effects of the influence of the hexapeptide (HP) – Arginyl-alpha-Aspartyl-Lysyl-Valyl-Tyrosyl-Arginine on the phenotype of functionally significant NG subsets in moderate COVID-19.The study examined patients 61 (57-71) years old (n = 45) in the acute period of COVID-19 – study group1 (SG1). In vitro, samples SG1 were incubated with HP (106 g/L, 60 min, 37 °C) – study group2 (SG2). The number of NG subsets was evaluated: CD16+IFNα/βR1+CD119+, CD16+IFNα/βR1+CD119- , CD16+IFNα/βR1+CD119+, CD64- CD16+CD32+CD11b+, CD64+CD16+CD32+CD11b+ and phenotype by membrane receptor expression density (MFI) (FC 500, Beckman Coulter, USA); NG phagocytic activity was tested before and after incubation with HP. The comparison group (GS) – of 22 volunteers examined in the pre-COVID period.It was revealed that unidirectional effects of HP in vitro contributing to the restoration of the phenotype of subsets CD16+IFNα/βR1- CD119+, CD16+IFNα/βR1+CD119- to CG indicators. There was a decrease in MFI CD16 (p &lt; 0.05) in both subsets; MFI CD119 (p &lt; 0.05) in the CD16+IFNα/βR1- CD119+NG subset, MFI IFNa/βR1 in the CD16+IFNα/βR1+CD119- NG subset. The effects of HP on the phenotype of CD16+IFNα/βR1+CD119+NG subsets in 76% of cases were manifested by a decrease in MFI CD16 (p&lt;0.05), an increase in MFI IFNα/βR1 and CD119 (p1, 2&lt;0.05), and in 24% of cases a decrease in MFI IFNα/βR1 (p&lt;0.05). HP in vitro remodeling of the phenotypes subsets CD64- CD16+CD32+CD11b+ and CD64+CD16+CD32+CD11b+ were established, providing the usefulness of effector functions from hyperactivated to normal. In the CD64- CD16+CD32+CD11b+ subset, there was a decrease in MFI CD16 and CD11b to the indicators CG (p1, 2 &lt; 0.05). Recovery of the NG phenotype under the influence of HP led to the restoration of the phagocytic function of NG.Positive effects of HP in vitro on the phenotypes of subsets actively and NGfunctions in COVID-19 open up prospects for the creation of new methods of immunotherapy to restore NG dysfunctions

Clinical and immunological efficacy of immunotherapeutic program after surgical treatment of children with various forms of acute peritonitis

Acute peritonitis (AP) is among the most frequent and severe conditions in pediatric abdominal surgery. Due to development of antibiotic resistance and increasing number of atypical infectious and inflammatory diseases (IIDs), a lot of specialists suggest combined treatments for these patients which should include not only surgical and etiotropic approaches, as well as therapy aimed at correction of functional defects of immunity. Neutrophilic granulocytes (NGs) reepresent a unique population of cells of primary anti-infectious immune response. Functional NG defects in pediatric AP play a leading role in development, prevalence, severity of peritoneal inflammation, and response to the therapy. Special role is given to functionally significant NG subsets responsible for triggering and implementation of phagocytosis and microbicidal properties of NG in purulent lesions and inflammatory process in children. There is an urgent need for development of new approaches to targeted immunomodulatory therapy in order to correct the NG dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to arrange the programs of immunomodulatory therapy after surgical treatment of immunocompromised children with various forms of acute peritonitis followed by subsequent evaluation of its clinical and immunological efficacy. The study included 12 immunocompromised children aged 5-12 years with different clinical course of acute peritonitis. The study group 1 included patients with local nonrestricted AP; study group 2 involved children with diffuse AP. The comparison groups consisted of 6 children who received standard therapy, i.e., clinical comparison groups 1 and 2, matched for sex, age and diagnosis. A control group consisted of 18 conditionally healthy children at similar age. Clinical examination included collection of the patient’s history, complaints, objective examination and clinical course assessment of the underlying disease. Immunological study included determination of receptor, phagocytic and microbicidal activity of NCs; assessment of NC subpopulations by their numbers and phenotype using flow cytometry, i.e., the cells co-expressing CD64, CD16, CD32, CD11b, with testing density of these membrane receptors by the MFI approach. Targeted immunomodulatory therapy programs were applied for treatment of children with unrestricted local and diffuse AP, taking into account clinical features of AP, as well as changes in number and phenotype of NC subpopulations, and impairment of their effector function. The standards of postsurgical treatment in the children with various forms of AP included different courses of treatment with Imunofan (Hexapeptide – arginyl-alpha-aspartyl-lysyl-valyl-tyrosyl-arginine; HP) using different schedules and duration. We have shown high clinical and immunological efficiency of these therapeutic programs. Thus, reversal of adequate NG functioning was observed, including positive rearrangements of negatively transformed functional NG subpopulations. In this respect, a positive clinical effect was noted in children with atypical AP with various clinical courses, i.e., absence of postsurgical complications, rapid regression of intoxication signs, normalization of body temperature, reduced volume of antibiotic therapy and shorter hospitalization terms

Bioerosion of siliceous rocks driven by rock-boring freshwater insects

Macrobioerosion of mineral substrates in fresh water is a little-known geological process. Two examples of rock-boring bivalve molluscs were recently described from freshwater environments. To the best of our knowledge, rock-boring freshwater insects were previously unknown. Here, we report on the discovery of insect larvae boring into submerged siltstone (aleurolite) rocks in tropical Asia. These larvae belong to a new mayfly species and perform their borings using enlarged mandibles. Their traces represent a horizontally oriented, tunnel-like macroboring with two apertures. To date, only three rock-boring animals are known to occur in fresh water globally: a mayfly, a piddock, and a shipworm. All the three species originated within primarily wood-boring clades, indicating a simplified evolutionary shift from wood to hardground substrate based on a set of morphological and anatomical preadaptations evolved in wood borers (e.g., massive larval mandibular tusks in mayflies and specific body, shell, and muscle structure in bivalves)

Antigen presenting subset of СD66b⁺CD16⁺CD33⁺HLA-DR⁺ neutrophilic granulocytes in acute osteomyelitis in children: Immunomodulating effects of immunotropic hexapeptide in an <i>in vitro</i> experimental system

Inclusion of neutrophilic granulocytes (NG) in inflammation depends on the expression of receptors providing the functions of NG. Acute osteomyelitis (AOM) occupies a central place among purulentinflammatory diseases in children. AOM purulent-necrotic process proceeds in the bone, bone marrow – the site of hematopoiesis. It is interesting to determine the functionally significant NG subsets, their phenotype in OM and evaluate the effect of immunotropic substances for the correction of dysfunctions. Aim: to specify the variants of changes in quantitative and phenotypic characteristics of CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR-, CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+ NG subsets at AOM in children and evaluate the possibility of their immunomodulation under the influence of hexapeptide (HP) – Arginyl-alpha-Aspartyl-Lysyl-Valyl-Tyrosyl-Arginine in vitro.Peripheral blood (PB) of 24 children 8-15 years old AOM were the study group (SG). The comparison group (CG) – 13 healthy children. HP (10-6 g/L) were incubated with PB SG (60 min, 37 °C) to evaluate the effects (SG1). The number of NG subsets CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+, CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR- (FC500, Beckman Coulter, USA), receptor expression density (MFI), phagocytic activity before and after incubation with HP were determined.The NG subset expressing HLA-DR – 29.9 (18.4-43.6) % CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+ was registered in children with AOM. The number of CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+ was 1.5 times lower (p &gt; 0.05), of CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+ was 1.2 times higher (p &gt; 0.05) than before incubation with of HP. The redistribution of subsets apparently occurs due to the binding of HPs to HLA-DR on the NG membrane. Also MFI HLA-DR was low (p &gt; 0.05); the 1.3-fold increase in MFI CD66b, 1.4-fold decrease in MFI CD16 were revealed (p &lt; 0.05).The study was the first to demonstrate the presence of NG subset of CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+ in the PB of children with AOM. Subset of CD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+NG in AOM indicates the appearance of an activated subset of NG in PB with the properties of APC. The positive influence of HP on the phenotypic characteristics of subsets СD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR-, СD66b+CD16+CD33+HLA-DR+. Restoration of phagocytic function of NGs under the influence of HP is connected with the increase of CD66b expression, which influences the effector function of NGs and decrease of CD16 molecule hyperexpression that stipulates decrease of damaging cytotoxic activity of NGs

A new genus and species of planthopper from Seychelles endemic palm forest (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Derbidae)

Bolotov, Ivan N., Kolosova, Yulia S., Chapurina, Yulia E., Spitsyna, Elizaveta A., Spitsyn, Vitaly M. (2021): A new genus and species of planthopper from Seychelles endemic palm forest (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Derbidae). Journal of Natural History 55 (19-20): 1311-1321, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1947536, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2021.194753

A freshwater mussel species reflects a Miocene stream capture between the Mekong Basin and East Asian rivers

Freshwater mussels belonging to the genus Cristaria Schumacher, 1817 (Bivalvia: Unionidae) are widespread from Mongolia to Indochina while the range of one species, C. plicata (Leach, 1814), covers two biogeographic subregions, i.e., East Asian (Amur River to Vietnam) and Sundaland (Mekong River basin). We present here a taxonomic revision of the nominal taxon Anodonta bellua Morelet, 1866 which was described from the Mekong (Lake Tonle-Sap, Cambodia) but is currently considered a synonym of C. plicata. We obtained molecular data for newly collected Cristaria representatives from the Mekong’s tributaries in Laos, which were found as a divergent species-level phylogenetic clade within the genus that is distant from C. plicata. Nevertheless, comparative morphological and morphometric studies did not reveal any significant differences between these two congeners. Our time-calibrated biogeographic modeling reveals that the split between Cristaria bellua (Mekong) and C. clessini (East Asia) probably occurred in the mid-Miocene (15.8 Ma) and may reflect an ancient stream capture between the Mekong Basin and East Asian rivers