The structural evolution of dunite and chromite ore from the Kharcheruz massif, the Polar Urals

The Kharcheruz block of the Syumkeu ultramafic massif is a southern fragment of the Khadata ophiolitic belt, which closes the ophiolites of the Polar Urals in the north. The block, striking in the latitudinal direction, is sheetlike in shape and primarily composed of dunite with nearly latitudinal zones of chromite mineralization. The dunites are subject to ductile deformation various in intensity, and this variability is displayed in their heterogeneous structure and texture. The following microstructural types are distinguished by the variety and intensity of their deformation: protogranular → mesogranular → porphyroclastic → porphyrolath → mosaic. The petrostructural patterns of olivines pertaining to the above types reflect conditions of ductile deformation. Protogranular dunite is formed as a product of pyroxene decomposition in mantle harzburgite accompanied by annealing recrystallization at a temperature above 1000°C. Mesogranular dunite is formed as a product of high-temperature plastic flow by means of translation sliding in olivine and diffuse creep at a temperature dropping from 1000 to 650°C and at a low rate (10–6 s–1). Dunite is deformed by means of syntectonic recrystallization and subordinate translation gliding. Linear zones of disseminated mineralization undergo destruction thereby, with the formation of lenticular chromitite bodies from which ductile olivine is squeezed out with the formation of densely impregnated and massive ores

Chain Model for Carbon Nanotube Bundle under Plane Strain Conditions

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have record high tensile strength and Young’s modulus, which makes them ideal for making super strong yarns, ropes, fillers for composites, solid lubricants, etc. The mechanical properties of CNT bundles have been addressed in a number of experimental and theoretical studies. The development of efficient computational methods for solving this problem is an important step in the design of new CNT-based materials. In the present study, an atomistic chain model is proposed to analyze the mechanical response of CNT bundles under plane strain conditions. The model takes into account the tensile and bending rigidity of the CNT wall, as well as the van der Waals interactions between walls. Due to the discrete character of the model, it is able to describe large curvature of the CNT wall and the fracture of the walls at very high pressures, where both of these problems are difficult to address in frame of continuum mechanics models. As an example, equilibrium structures of CNT crystal under biaxial, strain controlled loading are obtained and their thermal stability is analyzed. The obtained results agree well with previously reported data. In addition, a new equilibrium structure with four SNTs in a translational cell is reported. The model offered here can be applied with great efficiency to the analysis of the mechanical properties of CNT bundles composed of single-walled or multi-walled CNTs under plane strain conditions due to considerable reduction in the number of degrees of freedom

НЕЧЕТКИЕ МОДЕЛИ ДЛЯ ИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛЬНЫХ ПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ РЕГУЛЯТОРОВ В СИСТЕМАХ АВТОМАТИЧЕСКОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ЭНЕРГОБЛОКАМИ ТЕПЛОВЫХ ЭЛЕКТРОСТАНЦИЙ

Ideas and results of applying fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic are considered here for analysis and diagnosis of condition of real power plants, which are represented as opened mechanisms. Procedures of defining “generic state shapes” of power plant’s elements (or nodes) are composed for fuzzy production rule models. Fuzzy models are applied first time for fuzzy intelligent controller design for vacuum system in condenser.Рассматриваются идеи и результаты применения теории нечетких множеств и нечеткой логики при анализе и диагностике состояния функционирующих энергоустановок, которые представляются в виде открытых МЕХАНИЗМОВ. Разработаны процедуры узнавания «обобщенных образов состояния» элементов (или узлов) энергоустановки, формализуемые в нечеткие продукционные модели. Нечеткие модели применены впервые при проектировании интеллектуального нечеткого регулятора разрежения в конденсаторе турбины

Identification of some Types of Crops in Southern Regions of Russia Based on MODIS Data

The new approach for crop identification based on MODIS data is described. Algorithms of images pre-processing and crops identification are discussed. The proposed methods are tested based on district statistical crop acreage data for Rostov and Krasnodar regions of Russia.JRC.G.3-Agricultur

The Effect of a Single Dose of Citrulline on the Physical Performance of Soccer-Specific Exercise in Adult Elite Soccer Players (A Pilot Randomized Double-Blind Trial)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single intake of citrulline at 3 g and 6 g doses in adult elite soccer players performing sport-specific exercise. Materials and Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study analyzed 18 soccer players from the top divisions of three European countries. Participants were randomized into three groups of six each and performed a field-based soccer-specific test for 18 min. Comparative analysis of heart rate, fatigue and post-exercise recovery was conducted. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in most of the analyzed parameters, nor at any of the time points for lactate concentration. Players’ RPE exercise test score did not reveal any differences. Conclusions: Neither a single intake of 3 g nor of 6 g of citrulline malate affected physical performance, subjective feelings of fatigue or post-exercise recovery in adult elite soccer players who performed a soccer-specific test

Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a rare complication of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis to describe the clinical characteristics of HS patients developing cSCC and determine predictors of poor outcome. Methods: Medline/PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for studies reporting cSCC arising in patients with HS from inception to December 2019. A routine descriptive analysis, statistical hypothesis testing, and Kaplan–Meier survival curves/Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed. Results: A total of 34 case reports and series including 138 patients were included in the study. The majority of patients were males (81.6%), White (83.3%), and smokers (n = 22/27 reported) with a mean age of 53.5 years. Most patients had gluteal (87.8%), Hurley stage 3 HS (88.6%). The mean time from the diagnosis of HS to the development of cSCC was 24.7 years. Human papillomavirus was identified in 12/38 patients tested. Almost 50% of individuals had nodal metastasis and 31.3% had distant metastases. Half of the patients succumbed to their disease. Conclusions: cSCC is a rare but life-threatening complication seen in HS patients, mainly occurring in White males who are smokers with severe, long-standing gluteal HS. Regular clinical examination and biopsy of any suspicious lesions in high-risk patients should be considered. The use of HPV vaccination as a preventive and possibly curative method needs to be explored

Effect of diamond seeds size on the adhesion of CVD diamond coatings on WC-Co instrument

In this study, we investigated the effect of the size of diamond seeds on the adhesion of multilayered polycrystalline diamond (PCD) films, grown by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). For that, identical WC-Co substrates were separately seeded by a set of diamond powders with various average particle sizes from water-based suspensions using similar seeding procedures. This investigation included powders with a difference in particle sizes of nearly 3 orders of magnitude: from 5 nm up to 2-4 μm. Seeded substrates were used to grow 8-10 μm thick multilayered PCD films using MPCVD with time-limited cycling injections of N2 gas. The Raman spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed the similarity of microstructure and phase composition of all grown films, which confirmed that all films were grown in similar conditions. The performed scratch tests revealed sufficient differences in the adhesion of the films seeded with different diamond particles. The PCD film grown on 250-500 nm particles delaminated even before any mechanical investigations. The substrates seeded with 50 nm particles allowed the formation of the stable PCD film, but it started flaking under a load as small as 15 N. The 2-4 μm powder allowed the formation of PCD film with decent adhesion, which had local flaking under scratch test, which can be explained by the inhomogeneity of seeds distribution. Detonation nanodiamond (DND) powders allowed the formation of continuous diamond films with decent adhesion, however, powders with positive zeta potential were superior due to a much lower agglomeration of separate particles

Incidence and Mortality of Prostate Cancer in Canada during 1992–2010

In Canada, prostate cancer is the most common reportable malignancy in men. We assessed the temporal trends of prostate cancer to gain insight into the geographic incidence and mortality trends of this disease. Three independent population-based cancer registries were used to retrospectively analyze demographic data on Canadian men diagnosed with prostate cancer and men who died of prostate cancer between the years of 1992 and 2010. The incidence and mortality rates were calculated at the provincial, city, and forward sortation area (FSA) postal code levels by using population counts that were obtained from the Canadian Census of Population. The Canadian average incidence rate was 113.57 cases per 100,000 males. There has been an overall increasing trend in crude prostate cancer incidence between 1992 and 2010 with three peaks, in 1993, 2001, and 2007. However, age-adjusted incidence rates showed no significant increase over time. The national mortality rate was calculated to be 24.13 deaths per 100,000 males per year. A decrease was noted in crude and age-adjusted mortality rates between 1992 and 2010. Several provinces, cities, and FSAs had higher incidence/mortality rates than the national average. Several of the FSA postal codes with the highest incidence/mortality rates were adjacent to one another. Several Canadian regions of high incidence for prostate cancer have been identified through this study and temporal trends are consistent with those reported in the literature. These results will serve as a foundation for future studies that will seek to identify new regional risk factors and etiologic agents

Effect of Substrate Holder Design on Stress and Uniformity of Large-Area Polycrystalline Diamond Films Grown by Microwave Plasma-Assisted CVD

In this work, the substrate holders of three principal geometries (flat, pocket, and pedestal) were designed based on E-field simulations. They were fabricated and then tested in microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition process with the purpose of the homogeneous growth of 100-μm-thick, low-stress polycrystalline diamond film over 2-inch Si substrates with a thickness of 0.35 mm. The effectiveness of each holder design was estimated by the criteria of the PCD film quality, its homogeneity, stress, and the curvature of the resulting “diamond-on-Si” plates. The structure and phase composition of the synthesized samples were studied with scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, the curvature was measured using white light interferometry, and the thermal conductivity was measured using the laser flash technique. The proposed pedestal design of the substrate holder could reduce the stress of the thick PCD film down to 1.1–1.4 GPa, which resulted in an extremely low value of displacement for the resulting “diamond-on-Si” plate of Δh = 50 μm. The obtained results may be used for the improvement of already existing, and the design of the novel-type, MPCVD reactors aimed at the growth of large-area thick homogeneous PCD layers and plates for electronic applications