Electric field gradients in MgB2_2 synthesized at high pressure: 111^111Cd TDPAC study and ab initio calculation

We report the high-pressure synthesis of novel superconductor MgB$_2$ and some related compounds. The superconducting transition temperature of our samples of MgB$_2$ is equal to 36.6 K. The MgB$_2$ lattice parameters determined via X-ray diffraction are in excellent agreement with results of our ab initio calculations. The time-differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) experiments demonstrate a small increase in quadrupole frequency of $^111$Cd probe with decreasing temperature from 293 to 4.2 K. The electric field gradient (EFG) at the B site calculated from first principles is in fair agreement with EFG obtained from $^11$B NMR spectra of MgB$_2$ reported in the literature. It is also very close to EFG found in our $^111$Cd TDPAC measurements, which suggests that the $^111$Cd probe substitutes for boron in the MgB$_2$ lattice.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Information Technologies for the Analyzing of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands Volcanoes Activity in 2019-2020

The work is devoted to the activity analysis of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands volcanoes in 2019-2020.The activity of the volcanoes was estimated based on the processing of data from daily satellite monitoring carried out using the information system “Remote monitoring of Kamchatkan and the Kuriles volcanoes activity (VolSatView)”. The activity of the Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands volcanoes considered based on the analysis of their thermal anomalies. Analysis of the characteristics of thermal anomalies over volcanoes was carried out in KVERT IS. Analysis of the temperature of thermal anomalies of volcanoes in the Kuril - Kamchatka region in 2019-2020 shows a significantly higher activity of the Kamchatka volcanoes in comparison with the Kuril volcanoes

Long-term functional results of first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis for hallux rigidus

Introduction First metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) osteoarthritis hallux rigidus (HR) is the most common arthritic condition in the foot and occurs in 2.5-7.8 % of the population over 50 years. First MTPJ arthrodesis is currently considered to be the gold standard for the treatment of end-stage HR. When treating the advanced stage of HR, arthrodesis has long been established as an effective surgical procedure providing very predictable and satisfying results. Although the surgical authors prefer joint-sparing procedures first MTPJ fusion when required is the joint destructive procedure of choice in severe HR to eliminate or minimize pain, stabilize the first MTPJ and allow the hallux to bear weight. Functional outcomes achieved with fusion are also consistent with those from other surgical procedures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate long-term functional outcomes of first MTPJ arthrodesis. Material and methods Clinical and functional outcomes of MTPJ arthrodesis performed for 19 patients (25 feet) with grade 3 or 4 HR using the Coughlin and Shurnas Classification System between September 2010 and December 2017 were reviewed. The patients' mean age was 60 years (range, 35 to 86 years). The median interval between surgery and the last follow-up was 5 years (interquartile range, 1.5 to 8 years). Ultimately, outcome assessment relied on patient satisfaction, radiographic examination, visual analogue scale (VAS), the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) scores. Results AOFAS score was rated as good in 92 % of the cases (23/25), as fair in 8 % (2/25) with neither excellent nor poor results recorded. The median AOFAS score increased from preoperative 43.0 to postoperative 85.0 that was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Postoperative median FAAM Activities of Daily Living (ADL) was 99 %, median subjective ADL was 90 %, median FAAM sport was 84 %, and median subjective sport was 80 %. Patient subjective assessment was scored as "excellent" in 36 % of cases (9/25), "good" in 56 % (14/25), "fair" in 8 % (2/25) with no "poor" results recorded. The median VAS pain score decreased from 6 at baseline to 1 point postsurgery (p < 0.05). Conclusion First MTPJ arthrodesis was shown to be a very effective, reliable and lasting primary procedure for severe HR that provided 92% of good outcomes in our series. The procedure can be advocated as a predictable and excellent option for Coughlin and Shurnas grades 3 and 4 HR facilitating high success rates in pain relief and restoration of function. © 2020 lchenko D.V., Korolev A.V., Kardanov A.A

Interplay between pi-stacking and AFM interaction in the novel triazine based dimeric crystal

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Complex approach to the conservative treatment of hallux rigidus [Комплексный подход к консервативному лечению пациентов с остеоартрозом первого плюснефалангового сустава]

Introduction. Hallux rigidus (HR) is a common source of forefoot pain, which leads to progressive loss of range of motion in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP1) joint and pathologically affects biomechanics of the whole lower limb. HR is characterized by degeneration of the articular surfaces of MTP1 joint with the formation of bone growths, cysts and erosions, osteochondral defects and loose bodies. The frequency of occurrence of HR is 1 in 40 adults older than 50 years, and this localization of osteoarthritis is the most common among all joints of the foot. The aim of this article is to improve the results of conservative treatment of HR through the use of physical rehabilitation methods, such as manual therapy, therapeutic exercises and foot orthotics. Materials and methods. This study included retrospective cases of 24 patients (28 feet), who underwent a single course of conservative treatment of HR at the European Clinic for Sports Traumatology and Orthopedics (ECSTO) of the European Medical Center (EMC) since January 2014 to December 2018. The patients' mean age was 51 years (range, 41 to 69 years). Median time between the beginning of treatment and final examination was 26 months (interquartile range from 17 to 36 months). Patient satisfaction, VAS pain scale, AOFAS and FAAM questionnaires and MTP1 dorsiflexion were evaluated in this study. Results. According to AOFAS scale, we obtained 18% (5/28) of excellent, 78% (22/28) of good, 4% (1/28) of fair and no poor results. Median AOFAS score significantly increased from 58.5 points before treatment to 87.0 points on the final examination (p<0.05). Median FAAM daily activity subscale showed 98% of functional outcome with median subjective score of 95%, median FAAM sports score was 97% and median subjective sports score rate was 90%. Patient's satisfaction at the final examination was “excellent” in 57% (16/28), “good” in 39% (11/28), “fair” in 4% (1/28) of cases and no poor results were obtained. Median VAS pain scale decreased from 5 points before treatment to 1 point at the final examination (p<0.05). Median angle of the MTP1 dorsiflexion significantly increased from 23° before treatment to 30° on the final examination (p<0.05). Conclusion. Described approach of the conservative treatment of HR is an effective method of treatment of early stages of the disease with high patient satisfaction rate and functional outcome. © 2021 Ima-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved

Effect of Annealing, Stoichiometry, and Surface on Magnetism of (Pr,Dy)FeCoB Microparticles Ensemble

Magnetic properties of powder (Pr,Dy)FeCoB ferrimagnetic alloys and effects of annealing, surface states were analyzed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectra of powders indicate the effect of surface states on phase composition and magnetic properties of the studied powder, if particles average size is smaller than 10 μm. Effect of stoichiometry on magnetic anisotropy was found. Thermal stability of anisotropy field was proved by replacement of Fe atoms with Co atoms

Development of a manual extruder for liposome homogenization

Medications using liposomes are of great interest in pharmaceuticals. They increase the therapeutic index of the drug by enclosing the medicinal substance inside a biocompatible lipid envelope, which releases the solution only in the required area. Such drugs have already shown their effectiveness in the treatment of diseases related to oncology, dermatology, neurology, surgery, etc. To use liposomes for these purposes, it is necessary that their size be in the range from 50 to 200 nm. There are several ways to create vesicles of this size, but mostly they use either ultrasound exposure to a liposome solution or extrusion. The extrusion method is a method that allows to obtain the most homogeneous solution from liposomal particles. For extrusion, a special device – an extruder is required. It is a system that passes a liposomal solution under pressure through a filter with a certain pore size. In this paper, the process of liposome extrusion, types of liposomal extruders are considered and their pros and cons are evaluated, a model of a manual extruder capable of homogenizing up to 20 ml of solution was also developed. Different materials were considered and used for the construction of this device. The inspection of the extruder showed its operability and showed the advantages of using extrusion compared to the ultrasound exposure method

Computer simulation of neutron transmutation doping of isotopically engineered heterostructures

Neutron transmutation doping (NTD) of silicon-based isotopically engineered heterostructures is a powerful technique for the creation of the semiconductor devices with the desired spatial distribution of 31P impurities that is defined by the initial distribution of 30Si nuclei. Computer simulation allows to study dopant distribution changes during NTD process and post-irradiation annealing and to determine appropriate annealing regimes. The initial distribution of the radiation defects was obtained by the dynamic Monte Carlo code DYTRIRS_N, while the subsequent annealing stage was simulated by the rate equations (RE) method. Concentrations of intrinsic defects and depth profiles of phosphorus atoms were obtained. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: cp.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe