Gunn Oscillators Based on Shielded Dielectric Resonators with Mechanical Frequency Tuning

The features of Gunn oscillators based on shielded dielectric resonators with whispering gallery modes and ray oscillations are investigated. Their comparative analysis for oscillators with different dielectric resonant structures is carried out

Microwave Oscillator with the Shielded Dielectric Resonator

A Gunn oscillator with partially shielded hemidisk quasioptical resonator is investigated experimentally in this paper. The investigations of the generation characteristics of oscillations by the semiconductor diode in this resonator are carried out for the different radial co-ordinates of the oscillator active element. The advantages of the investigated oscillator in comparison with the oscillator with an open dielectric resonator are show

Automated control system for a mashing process

The goal of this paper is to describe a system for a mashing process, which is the first part of brewing beer. The mashing is a procedure where the fermentable (and some non-fermentable) sugars are extracted from malts. The program part based on LabVIEW, which is used to control NI CompactRIO. The main target of the project is to reach a predefined levels of the temperatures and maintain it during the pauses. When the necessary break time is ended the system is ready to go to the new value. The precise control of the temperatures during the breaks is one of the critical factors that define the texture and alcohol content of the beer. The system has two tanks with resistors PT100 in both of them, heat exchanger (coil), heater and pump. The first tank has heating element in order to rise the temperature in the other one. This project has practical solution with all explanations and graphs which are proven working ability of this control system

Stimulated emission and lasing in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films

Stimulated emission and lasing in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 thin films have been demonstrated at a temperature of 20 K using excitation by a nanosecond pulsed N 2 laser with power densities in the range from 2 to 100 kW cm − 2 . Sharp narrowing of the photoluminescence band, superlinear dependence of its intensity on excitation laser power, as well as stabilization of the spectral position and of the full-width at half-maximum of the band were observed in the films at increasing excitation intensity. The stimulated emission threshold was determined to be 20 kW cm − 2 . A gain value of 94 cm − 1 has been estimated using the variable stripe length method. Several sharp laser modes near 1.13 eV were observed above the laser threshold of I thr ~ 50 kW cm −

Monitoring and Quality Control of Diesel Fraction Production Process

In this work the mathematical model of diesel fraction and atmospheric gasoil catalytic dewaxing process has been developed. Also the pattern of applying the created model to solving such problems as monitoring and quality control of diesel fraction production in the catalytic dewaxing process. It has been represented that to meet such challenges, the model should take into consideration thermodynamic and kinetic laws of hydrocarbon conversion on the catalyst surface, and instability factors that are specified by catalyst deactivation. The developed model allows controlling the quality of obtained diesel fraction depending on feed and temperature regime in the reactor. The value of model calculation absolute error does not exceed 2%, which corroborates the adequacy of the model to actual process. The computations using the model have shown that to provide the desired product yield (not less than 40% wt. of overall yield of the unit products) of programmed quality (cold filtering plugging point not higher than minus 34°C for winter diesel fuels and not lower than minus 40°C for arctic ones) at long-time catalyst operation (during 4 years), it is necessary to sustain the reactor temperature at the average level of 19°C higher than when working with fresh catalyst. This must be done to compensate catalyst activity loss due to its deactivation

Path Integral Approach for Superintegrable Potentials on Spaces of Non-constant Curvature: II. Darboux Spaces DIII and DIV

This is the second paper on the path integral approach of superintegrable systems on Darboux spaces, spaces of non-constant curvature. We analyze in the spaces \DIII and \DIV five respectively four superintegrable potentials, which were first given by Kalnins et al. We are able to evaluate the path integral in most of the separating coordinate systems, leading to expressions for the Green functions, the discrete and continuous wave-functions, and the discrete energy-spectra. In some cases, however, the discrete spectrum cannot be stated explicitly, because it is determined by a higher order polynomial equation. We show that also the free motion in Darboux space of type III can contain bound states, provided the boundary conditions are appropriate. We state the energy spectrum and the wave-functions, respectively

NK cells expansion <i>in vitro</i> is followed by loss of inhibitory KIR expression

NK cells are innate lymphocytes that are able to eliminate altered cells, which makes them promising for the immunotherapy of viral diseases and tumors. The NK cell population is characterized by high phenotypic and functional diversity. In particular, in the pool of highly differentiated NK cells in the presence of cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a population of adaptive cells can be formed, characterized by a high lifespan and high cytotoxicity. However, in order to carry out a cytotoxic reaction, a NK cell must undergo a licensing process, during which it acquires the expression of NKG2A and KIRs. Currently, there are many effective methods of NK cell accumulation for subsequent use in therapy, one of them is the stimulation with IL-2 and K562-mbIL21 feeder cells. Highly differentiated adaptive-like NK cells are able to expand in respond to such stimulation. However, the phenotype of actively expanding NK cells dynamically changes. Loss of inhibitory KIR expression during intense proliferation of NK cells may adversely affect their cytotoxic potential. This work shows that highly differentiated CD56dimNKG2C+ NK cells from HCMV-seropositive individuals have a high proportion of KIR2DL2/3+ cells. This may indicate a high stability of KIR receptor expression in this population. We have shown that CD56dimNKG2C+ clonal cultures obtained by stimulation with IL-2 and K562- mbIL21 are characterized by high stability of KIR2DL2/3 expression compared to NKG2C-negative and less differentiated CD56brightNKG2C+. Also, in heterogeneous cultures of adaptive NK cells precursors CD57- CD56dimNKG2C+, a higher expression level of KIR2DL2/3 was observed in comparison with NKG2C-negative cultures of CD57-CD56dimNKG2C-. Thus, the accumulation of NK cells upon stimulation with IL-2 and K562- mbIL2 feeder cells can lead to loss of expression of KIR receptors and a decrease in their functional activity. However, cultures of highly differentiated NK cells of HCMV-seropositive individuals CD56dimNKG2C+, as well as cultures of precursors of adaptive NK cells CD57-CD56dimNKG2C+, are characterized by a greater stability of KIR2DL2/3 expression. As a result, stimulation with IL-2 and K562-mbIL21 feeder cells can be used to accumulate adaptive-like cells and their progenitors with stable inhibitory KIR expression and high cytotoxic potential

IMMUNOREGULATION OF BLOOD SERUM ESTRADIOL AND PROGESTERONE LEVELS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Specific antibodies against estradiol (Es) and progesterone (Pg) are known to modulate blood serum concentrations of these hormones and their biological effects after immunization of animals. It was suggested that specific IgA-Es and IgA-Pg could influence on Es and Pg levels in human blood serum. The purpose of this study was to identify the suggested correlations between serum Es and Pg and specific IgA-Es and IgA-Pg in postmenopausal healthy women (HW) and breast cancer patients (BCP). The serum levels of Es, Pg, IgA-Es and IgA-Pg were studied in 226 HW and 633 BCP by means of solid-phase immunoassay. The following results were obtained. The levels of Es in BCP (0.25 nmol/l) were higher than in HW (0.16; р &lt; 0.0001). The levels of Pg were lower (0.79 vs 0.87; р &lt; 0.0001), and individual Pg/Es ratios were lower (3.19 vs 6.64; р &lt; 0.0001). Individual IgA-Pg/IgA-Es ratios correlated with decrease of Es (rs = -0.15; p = 0.029), with increase in Pg (rs = 0.38; р &lt; 0.0001), and with increased Pg/Es ratio (rs = 0.29; р &lt; 0.0001) in healthy women. Similar correlations were determined in BCP (correspondingly: rs = -0.14, р &lt; 0.001; rs = 0.1, р = 0.009; rs = 0.15, р &lt; 0.0001). The decrease of Es and increase of Pg and Pg/Es in BCP were less significant than in HW: the a quotients in regression у = ах+b (y = hormones levels and x = antibodies levels) in BCP were 3 to 4-fold lower than in HW. These peciliarities of interrelations between hormones and specific antibody levels were revealed only in ER+/PR+ BCP but not in ER+/PR- and ER-/PR- BCP. In conclusion, we have confirmed a suggestion about participation of specific antibodies in regulation of steroids levels in human blood serum. The immune regulation of hormonal status was weakened in BCP

Association of antibodies to benzo[a]pyrene, estradiol and progesterone with gene polymorphisms of cytokines in postmenopausal women

Previous studies reported some associations between IgA and IgG antibodies specific to benzo[a] pyrene (Bp), estradiol (Es) and progesterone (Pg), and breast cancer (BC) in postmenopausal women. Likewise, the individual ratios of these antibodies (IgA-Bp/IgA-Pg, IgG-Bp/IgG-Pg, IgG-Es/IgG-Pg, IgG-Es/IgG-Pg) were associated with BC. It was suggested that development of antibodies to chemical carcinogens and steroid hormones was determined by functional polymorphisms of cytokine genes. The purpose of this study was to identify the suggested associations of antibodies to Bp, Es, Pg, and their individual ratios to the following gene polymorphisms: IL1RN (rs4251961), IL1B (rs16944), IL6 (rs1800795, rs1800796, rs1554606), IL8 (rs4073), TNFA (rs1800629) and CD40 (rs6074022) detected in postmenopausal healthy women and BC patients.The serum IgA and IgG antibodies specific to Bp, Es and Pg were studied in 470 healthy women and 995 BC patients by non-competitive solid phase immunoassay. The conjugates of Bp, Es, Pg with bovine serum albumin were used as adsorbed antigen. The goat antibodies against human IgA or IgG conjugated with horseradish peroxidase were used for the detection of bound hapten-specific antibodies. Cytokine gene polymorphisms were analyzed by the real-time PCR.Associations between the studied antibodies and their ratios with the gene polymorphisms in IL1RN (rs4251961), IL6 (rs1800795), TNFA (rs1800629) and CD40 (rs6074022) were found in healthy women. Higher individual ratios of IgA-Bp/IgA-Pg (p = 0.0001), IgG-Bp/IgG-Pg (p &lt; 0.0001), IgG-Es/IgG-Pg (p = 0.0003) were associated with the allele C gene IL1RN. The higher IgG-Es levels were more common in the persons with allele G gene IL6 (p = 0.007), and with C allele of CD40 gene (p = 0.005). The high IgA-Pg levels were associated with A allele gene of TNFA (p = 0.008). Associations of antibodies were found only with genes polymorphisms in CD40 (rs6074022) in BC patients. Higher IgG-Es levels were more common in persons with allele T gene CD40 (p = 0.007).In conclusion, we revealed the participation of cytokines in immune regulation of antibody genesis for environmental chemical carcinogens and endogenous steroid hormones in healthy women and BC patients. The future investigations of antibodies specific to Bp, Es and Pg combined with the analysis genes polymorphisms in cytokines will be useful for detection of the individual hormone-dependent cancer risks in humans