The susceptibility and excitation spectrum of (VO)2_2P2_2O7_7 in ladder and dimer chain models

We present numerical results for the magnetic susceptibility of a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin ladder, as a function of temperature and the spin-spin interaction strengths $J_\perp$ and $J_{||}$. These are contrasted with new bulk limit results for the dimer chain. A fit to the experimental susceptibility of the candidate spin-ladder compound vanadyl pyrophosphate, (VO)$_2$P$_2$O$_7$, gives the parameters $J_\perp = 7.82$ meV and $J_{||} = 7.76$ meV. With these values we predict a singlet-triplet energy gap of $E_{gap} = 3.9$ meV, and give a numerical estimate of the ladder triplet dispersion relation $\omega(k)$. In contrast, a fit to the dimer chain model leads to $J_1=11.11$ meV and $J_2=8.02$ meV, which predicts a gap of $E_{gap} = 4.9$ meV.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures available upon request, RevTex 3.0, preprint ORNL-CCIP-94-04 / RAL-94-02

РИСКИ И БЕЗОПАСНОСТЬ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ НАНОТЕХНОЛОГИЙ ПИЩЕВЫХ ПРОДУКТОВ: ОБЗОР

The problem of healthy and quality nutrition has a global character. The modern development of technologies including nanotechnologies allowed obtaining materials with unique properties, which began to be actively used in food industry and agriculturebut, at the same time, require thorough investigation of their properties and effects on the human body and environment. The paper demonstrates the main directions of the nanotechnology use in the agricultural production and food industry, examines the safetyproblems and risks occurred when using nanotechnologies in food industry with account for insufficient research on the influence of food nanotechnologies on human health and environmental ecology, and presents the normative and methodical base of the RussianFederation for assurance of safe consumption of food products produced from nanomaterials.Проблема здорового и качественного питания имеет общемировой характер. Современное развитие технологий, в том числе нанотехнологий, позволило получить материалы, обладающие уникальными свойствами, которые начинают активно использоваться в пищевой промышленности и сельском хозяйстве, но и требуют тщательного изучения их свойств и воздействия, оказываемого на организм челове-ка и окружающую среду. В статье показаны основные направления применения нанотехнолологий в сельскохозяйственном производстве и пищевой промышленности, рассматриваются проблемы безопасности и риски, возникающие при использовании нанотехнологий в пищевой промышленности, учитывая, что влияние пищевых нанотехнологий на здоровье человека и экологию окружающей среды все еще мало изучено, а также представлена нормативно-методическая база Российской Федерации для обеспечения безопасного потребления продуктов питания, произведенных из наноматериалов

АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНЫЕ МЕТОДЫ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ ОБРАБОТКИ ДЛЯ СНИЖЕНИЯ СОДЕРЖАНИЯ СОЛИ В МЯСНЫХ ПРОДУКТАХ

The world trends in table salt reduction in meat products contemplate the use of different methods for preservation of taste and consistency in finished products as well as shelf life prolongation. There are several approaches to a sodium chloride reduction in meat products. The paper presents a review of the foreign studies that give evidence of the possibility to maintain quality of traditional meat products produced with the reduced salt content. The studies in the field of salty taste perception established that a decrease in a salt crystal size to 20 µm enabled reducing an amount of added table salt due to an increase in the salty taste intensity in food products. Investigation of the compatibility of different taste directions is also interesting as one of the approaches to a sodium chloride reduction in food products. The use of water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsions allows controlling a release of encapsulated ingredients (salt), which enables enhancement of salty taste. The other alternative method of technological processing of meat raw material for reducing salt in meat products is the use of high pressure processing. This method has several advantages and allows not only an increase in the salty taste intensity, but also formation of a stable emulsion, an increase in water binding capacity of minced meat and extension of shelf-life.Мировые тенденции снижения поваренной соли в  мясной продукции предполагают использование различных способов сохранения вкуса и  консистенции готовой продукции, а  также пролонгирование сроков годности. Существует несколько подходов к  снижению хлорида натрия в  мясной продукции. В статье представлен обзор зарубежных работ, свидетельствующих о  возможности сохранения качества традиционных мясных продуктов с  пониженным содержанием соли. Исследования в  области восприятия соленого вкуса позволили установить, что уменьшения размера кристаллов соли до 20 мкм позволяет сократить количество вносимой поваренной соли за счет увеличения интенсивности соленого вкуса пищевых продуктов. В качестве еще одного подхода к снижению хлорида натрия в пищевых продуктах интерес представляет изучение совместимости различных направлений вкуса. Использование двухфазной эмульсии вода-в масле-в воде позволяет контролировать высвобождение инкапсулированных ингредиентов (соли), что позволяет усилить соленый вкус. Еще одним альтернативным способом технологической обработки мясного сырья для сокращения уровня поваренной соли в мясной продукции является применение высокого давления. Данный метод обладает целым рядом преимуществ, и позволяет не только увеличить интенсивность соленого вкуса, но и обеспечивает формирование стабильной эмульсии, повышает влагосвязывающую способность фарша и увеличивает сроки годности готового продукта.

THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THE SYSTEM OF SOLAR COLLECTORS IN THE EASTERN REGIONS OF UKRAINE

У статті проведена оцінка доцільності використання системи сонячних колекторів у Східному регіоні України. Проведено оціночні розрахунки площі таких пристроїв з метою визначення можливості використовувати їх як основне джерелотеплової енергії. У результаті проведених попередніх розрахунків встановлено, що систему сонячних колекторів для даного конкретного випадку доцільно встановлювати тільки як другорядне (додатковий) джерело підігріву води, тому велике значення має об’єм затрачуваної при цьому енергії. Для використання цього виду альтернативної енергетики як основного і єдиного джерела, необхідно або зменшувати корисну площу опалювального приміщення, або збільшувати корисну площу теплопередачі.  В статье проведена оценка целесообразности использования системы солнечных коллекторов в Восточном регионе Украины. Проведены оценочные расчеты площади таких устройств с целью определения возможности использовать их как основной источник тепловой энергии.В результате проведенных предварительных оценочных расчетов установлено, что систему солнечных коллекторов для данного конкретного случая целесообразно устанавливать только как второстепенный (дополнительный) источник подогрева воды, т.к. велико значение затрачиваемой при этом энергии. Для использования этого вида альтернативной энергетики в качестве основного и единственного источника необходимо либо уменьшать полезную площадь отапливаемого помещения, либо увеличивать полезную площадь теплопередачи.The article contains assessment of the appropriateness of the use of solar collectors in the Eastern region of Ukraine. Estimated calculations of the solar collectors surface area were carried out in order to determine the feasibility of using them as the main source of thermal energy. As a result of preliminary estimations revealed that a system of solar collectors for this particular case it is advisable to install only as a secondary (additional) source of hot water, as great value with the energy expended. To use this type of alternative energy as the main and only source, you must either reduce the effective area of the heated space, or increase the effective area of heat transfer. &nbsp

Inelastic Neutron Scattering from the Spin Ladder Compound (VO)2P2O7

We present results from an inelastic neutron scattering experiment on the candidate Heisenberg spin ladder vanadyl pyrophosphate, (VO)2P2O7. We find evidence for a spin-wave excitation gap of $E_{gap} = 3.7\pm 0.2$ meV, at a band minimum near $Q=0.8 A^{-1}$. This is consistent with expectations for triplet spin waves in (VO)2P2O7 in the spin-ladder model, and is to our knowledge the first confirmation in nature of a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin ladder.Comment: 11 pages and 2 figures (available as hard copy or postscript files from the authors, send request to [email protected] or [email protected]), TEX using jnl, reforder and eqnorder, ORNL-CCIP-94-05 / RAL-94-04

Viscous Fluids and Gauss-Bonnet Modified Gravity

We study effects of cosmic fluids on finite-time future singularities in modified $f(R,G)$-gravity, where $R$ and $G$ are the Ricci scalar and the Gauss-Bonnet invariant, respectively. We consider the fluid equation of state in the general form, $\omega=\omega(\rho)$, and we suppose the existence of a bulk viscosity. We investigate quintessence region ($\omega>-1$) and phantom region ($\omega<-1$) and the possibility to change or avoid the singularities in $f(R,G)$-gravity. Finally, we study the inclusion of quantum effects in large curvatures regime.Comment: 14 page

Health-related quality of life associated with trifluridine/tipiracil in heavily pretreated metastatic gastric cancer: results from TAGS

Background In TAGS, an international, double-blind, phase 3 trial, trifluridine/tipiracil significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo in heavily pretreated metastatic gastric cancer patients. This paper reports pre-specified quality of life (QoL) outcomes for TAGS. Methods Patients were randomized 2:1 to trifluridine/tipiracil (35 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1–5 and 8–12 of each 28-day cycle) plus best supportive care (BSC) or placebo plus BSC. QoL was evaluated at baseline and at each treatment cycle, using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-STO22 questionnaires; results were considered valid for analysis only if ≥ 10% of patients completed the questionnaires. Key QoL outcomes were mean changes from baseline and time to deterioration in QoL. A post hoc analysis assessed the association between QoL and time to deterioration of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score (ECOG PS) to ≥ 2. Results Of 507 randomized patients, 496 had baseline QoL data available. The analysis cut-off was 6 cycles for trifluridine/tipiracil and 3 cycles for placebo. In both treatment groups, there were no clinically significant deteriorations in the mean QLQ-C30 Global Health Status (GHS) score, or in most subscale scores. In a sensitivity analysis including death and disease progression as events, there was a trend towards trifluridine/tipiracil reducing the risk of deterioration of QoL scores compared with placebo. Deterioration in the GHS score was associated with deterioration in ECOG PS. Conclusion QoL was maintained in TAGS, and there was a trend towards trifluridine/tipiracil reducing the risk of QoL deterioration compared with placebo

Future of the universe in modified gravitational theories: Approaching to the finite-time future singularity

We investigate the future evolution of the dark energy universe in modified gravities including $F(R)$ gravity, string-inspired scalar-Gauss-Bonnet and modified Gauss-Bonnet ones, and ideal fluid with the inhomogeneous equation of state (EoS). Modified Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) dynamics for all these theories may be presented in universal form by using the effective ideal fluid with an inhomogeneous EoS without specifying its explicit form. We construct several examples of the modified gravity which produces accelerating cosmologies ending at the finite-time future singularity of all four known types by applying the reconstruction program. Some scenarios to resolve the finite-time future singularity are presented. Among these scenarios, the most natural one is related with additional modification of the gravitational action in the early universe. In addition, late-time cosmology in the non-minimal Maxwell-Einstein theory is considered. We investigate the forms of the non-minimal gravitational coupling which generates the finite-time future singularities and the general conditions for this coupling in order that the finite-time future singularities cannot emerge. Furthermore, it is shown that the non-minimal gravitational coupling can remove the finite-time future singularities or make the singularity stronger (or weaker) in modified gravity.Comment: 25 pages, no figure, title changed, accepted in JCA

Expression of a Stilbene Synthase Gene from the Vitis labrusca x Vitis vinifera L. Hybrid Increases the Resistance of Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum L. Plants to Erwinia carotovora

‘Isabel’ grape (Vitis labrusca x V. vinifera L. hybrid) is one of the main grape cultivars in Russia and some other countries for processing, due to its vigor, tolerance to the main fungal diseases, high yield and potential for sugar accumulation. The stilbene synthase gene VlvSTS was isolated from the hybrid grape cv. Isabel and cloned into a pSS plant transformation vector under the control of a constitutive 35S RNA double promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV 35SS. VlvSTS-gene containing transgenic tobacco lines were obtained and analyzed. For the first time plants expressing the VlvSTS gene were shown to have an enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora B15. Transgenic plants were tested for resistance to a number of fungal pathogens. The plants were resistant to the grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea, but not to the fungi Fusarium oxysporum, F. sporotrichioides, or F. culmorum. According to the results of a high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the amount of trans-resveratrol in leaves of transgenic plants with the highest expression of the VlvSTS gene was in a range from 150 to 170 µg/g of raw biomass. Change in the color and a decreased anthocyanin content in the flower corollas of transgenic plants were observed in transgenic lines with the highest expression of VlvSTS. A decrease in total flavonoid content was found in the flower petals but not the leaves of these tobacco lines. High expression of the VlvSTS gene influenced pollen development and seed productivity in transgenic plants. The size of pollen grains increased, while their total number per anther decreased. A decrease in the number of fertile pollen grains resulted in a decreased average weight of a seed boll in transgenic plants. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This research was carried out within the state program of Ministry of Science and High Education of the Russian Federation (theme "Plant molecular biology and biotechnology: their cultivation, pathogen and stress protection (BIBCH)" (No. 0101-2019-0037)

Genome-wide sequence analyses of ethnic populations across Russia

The Russian Federation is the largest and one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, however no centralized reference database of genetic variation exists to date. Such data are crucial for medical genetics and essential for studying population history. The Genome Russia Project aims at filling this gap by performing whole genome sequencing and analysis of peoples of the Russian Federation. Here we report the characterization of genome-wide variation of 264 healthy adults, including 60 newly sequenced samples. People of Russia carry known and novel genetic variants of adaptive, clinical and functional consequence that in many cases show allele frequency divergence from neighboring populations. Population genetics analyses revealed six phylogeographic partitions among indigenous ethnicities corresponding to their geographic locales. This study presents a characterization of population-specific genomic variation in Russia with results important for medical genetics and for understanding the dynamic population history of the world's largest country