61 research outputs found
Оцінка ефективності вирощування енергетичних культур як джерело біопалива
Energy crops are grown for energy purposes. Traditionally energy crops are corn and sugarcane which are grown for industrial scale ethanol, rapeseed for producing biodiesel, annual and perennial grasses, for example cane, miscanthus, cereal straw, as well as fast-growing tree crops for biomass production. The most interesting for the temperate climate zone of Europe are the fast-growing willow species. The interest in growing energy crops, which can be used as a renewable energy source, in European countries arose in the 1970s, which was related with rising prices for traditional energy sources. The growth of energy crops has been fueled by political decisions at the international level, in particular by documents such as the Renewable Energy Development Plan for Europe and the Kyoto Protocol. After some recession, landing areas for energy crops in the EU and North America have been stabilized. The fastest growing willow occupies the largest area in Europe. The average yield of willow wood in our experiments was about 50 tons per hectare at a moisture content of 45%, with a three-year biomass harvest cycle or 9.2 tons per year and dry matter from 9 to 15 tons per year per dry biomass, in depending on the conditions of cultivation, soil, clone. The weighted average cost of one ton of willow wood with a moisture content of 10% at an area of 100 hectares of plantation for its lifetime (22 years) will be 510 per hectare. About half of all biofuel production costs are depreciation deductions for the operation of special planting and harvesting equipment. The expansion of the plantation area 3–4 times compared to the base variant (30 hectares) allows to increase the profitability of energy production by 30–50%. The return on initial costs required to organize a willow plantation depends on the use of biomass. When replacing wood with traditional energy sources (natural gas), according to our calculations, the simple payback period is 3.8 years and the discounted time is 4.7 years, which corresponds to the time of harvesting the first biomass crop. With the direct sale of biomass on the market in the payback period increases to 6–11 years, which corresponds to the second or third harvesting period (with a three-year cycle). The unit cost of energy derived from willow wood is lower relatively to other energy crops, but 1.5 times and 1.8 times higher than that of natural marsh vegetation and straw, respectively. However, the additional interest in planting willow is due to their conservation value. The main indicators for calculating cost-effectiveness have been taken experimentally. The higher combustion heat of the above-ground part of the willow tree stand averaged 18500 kJ/kg. This is in line with the results obtained by other researchers for willow wood. The maximum specific heat of combustion of willow wood according to the results of experiments carried out in Sweden ranged from 18.3 to 19.7 MJ/kg, depending on the harvesting time and the willow clones. Therefore, we can confidently say that to grow energy willow is expediently and cost-effectively.Енергетичні культури вирощуються для енергетичних потреб. Традиційно енергетичними культурами є кукурудза і цукровий очерет, які вирощуються для виробництва етанолу в промислових масштабах, ріпак для отримання біодизеля, однорічні та багаторічні трави: наприклад, очерет, міскантус, солома зернових культур, а також швидко зростаючі деревні культури для виробництва біомаси. Для помірного кліматичного поясу Європи найбільший цікавість представляють швидкорослі види верби. Цікавість до вирощування енергетичних культур, біомаса яких може бути використана як відновлювальне джерело енергії, в європейських країнах виник в 70-ті роки минулого століття, що було пов’язано з ростом цін на традиційні енергоносії. Зростання площ енергетичних культур стимулювався політичними рішеннями на міжнародному рівні, зокрема такими документами як План розвитку відновлюваної енергетики в Європі та Кіотський протокол. Після певного спаду, площі посадок енергетичних культур в країнах ЄС та Північної Америки стабілізувалися. Найбільш значні площі в Європі займає швидкозростаюча верба. Середня врожайність деревини верби в наших експериментах склала близько 50 тонн з гектара при вологості 45%, при трирічному циклі збору біомаси або 9,2 тонни в перерахунку на рік і на суху речовину від 9 до 15 тонн на рік в перерахунку на суху біомасу, в залежності від умов вирощування, ґрунту, клону. Середньозважена собівартість однієї тонни деревини верби вологістю 10% при площі енергетичної плантації 100 га за термін її експлуатації (22 роки) складе 30,5 долара. Витрати на вирощування верби, транспортування і подрібнення деревини при площі плантації 30 гектарів складають близько 510 доларів в розрахунку на гектар. Близько половини всіх витрат на виробництво біопалива складають амортизаційні відрахування на експлуатацію спеціальної посадкової і збиральної техніки. Розширення площ плантації в 3–4 рази в порівнянні з базовим варіантом (30 гектар) дозволяє збільшити рентабельність виробництва енергії на 30–50%. Окупність початкових затрат необхідних для організації плантації верби залежить від напрямів використання біомаси. При заміні деревиною традиційних енергоносіїв (природний газ) за нашими розрахунками простий термін окупності становить 3,8 року і дисконтований – 4,7 року, що відповідає часу збирання першого врожаю біомаси. При безпосередньому продажі біомаси на ринку в термін окупності збільшується до 6–11 років, що відповідає другому або третьому терміну збирання (при трирічному циклі). Собівартість одиниці енергії отриманої з деревини верби, нижче по відношенню до інших енергетичних культур, але в 1,5 рази та в 1,8 рази вище, ніж відповідно з біомаси природного болотної рослинності і соломи. Тим не менш, додатковий інтерес до посадки верби обумовлюється їх природоохоронним значенням. В якості основних показників для розрахунку економічної ефективності приймалися результати, отримані експериментальним шляхом. Вища теплота згоряння надземної частини деревостану верби в середньому склала 18500 кДж/кг. Це відповідає результатам, отриманим для деревини верби іншими дослідниками. Максимальна питома теплота згоряння деревини верби за результатами експериментів проведених в Швеції склала від 18,3 до 19,7 МДж/кг, в залежності від строків збирання і клонів верби. Отже, можемо з впевненістю стверджувати, що енергетичну вербу, вирощувати доцільно і економічно вигідно
Математична модель утворення зубців циліндричної прямозубої передачі гіперболічним вихідним контуром
The aim of this work is to create a fundamentals of mathematical model which consists in definition of geometry of a generating surface and machining gearing for novel cylindrical spur transmission. The generating surface is considered as rack-cutter with teeth, which profiled by hyperbola – a curve which is smooth at whole addendum and dedendum parts of reference profile. The equations of teeth surfaces which help the basic performances of this generating surface surveyed, namely quadratic forms and normal curvatures in the given directions are presented. The equations of machining gearing which help to obtain the equations of surfaces of teeth which can be applied both for working surfaces and for their fillets are obtained. For these surfaces quadratic forms also defined. Boundaries of a contact zone are defined. The results obtained in a paper can be used for definition of quality indicators of serviceability of novel transmissions which will allow carrying out a comparative estimation of novel transmission with conventional one and with other types of transmissions.Представлено теоретичне дослідження внутрішньої геометрії виробної поверхні та верстатного зачеплення для утворення зубців циліндричних прямозубих передач нового типу. Виробна поверхня розглядається як інструментальна рейка з вихідним контуром, що спрофільовано гіперболою. Наведено рівняння поверхонь зубців інструментальної рейки, розглянуто основні характеристики цієї виробної поверхні, а саме квадратичні форми і нормальні кривизни в заданих напрямках. Представлено рівняння верстатного зачеплення, за допомогою якого одержано рівняння поверхонь зубців, як робочих так і перехідних. Для цих поверхонь також визначено коефіцієнти квадратичних форм та кривизни. Визначено межі поля зачеплення. Результати, одержані в статті, в подальшому можна використовувати для визначення якісних показників працездатності нового типу передач, що дозволить проводити їх порівняльну оцінку із традиційними та іншими видами передач
Sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in peripheral lymphocytes of shoe factory workers exposed to solvents.
We examined sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and micronuclei (MN; cytokinesis-block method) in cultured peripheral lymphocytes from 52 female workers of two shoe factories and from 36 unexposed age- and sex-matched referents. The factory workers showed an elevated level of urinary hippuric acid, a biomarker of toluene exposure, and workplace air contained high concentrations of various organic solvents such as toluene, gasoline, acetone, and (in one of the plants only) ethylacetate and methylenediphenyl diisocyanate. The shoe factory workers showed a statistically significant higher frequency of micronucleated binucleate lymphocytes in comparison with the referents. This finding agreed with three preliminary MN determinations (each comprising 27-32 shoe workers and 16-20 controls) performed in one of the plants 2-5 years earlier. The shoe factory workers also had a lower average level of blood hemoglobin than the referents. In contrast, no difference was found between the groups in SCE analysis. Smokers showed significantly higher mean frequencies of SCEs per cell and high frequency cells (HFC) than nonsmokers. Aging was associated with increased MN rates and reduced cell proliferation. Polymorphism of the glutathione S-transferase M1 gene (GSTM1) did not affect the individual level of SCEs; but in smoking shoe workers an effect of the occupational exposure on the frequency of micronucleated cells could be seen only in GSTM1 null subjects. The low prevalence of the glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) null genotype precluded the evaluation of the influence of GSTT1 polymorphism. Our results show that the shoe factory workers have experienced genotoxic exposure, which is manifest as an increase in the frequency of MN, but not of SCEs, in peripheral lymphocytes. The exposures responsible for the MN induction could not be identified with certainty, but exposure to benzene in gasoline and methylenediphenyl diisocyanate may explain some of the findings
Адекватный менеджмент пациентов с дистрофинопатиями (мышечная дистрофия Дюшенна/Беккера): применение объективизирующих шкал и дополнительных методов исследования
There are still no guidlines on managment of Duchenne/Becker myodystrophy in domestic medical practice. It leads to decrease of quality of life and, what is more important, lifespan of patients. In this article we have described our Western coleagues lаst decade experience, including consensus guidelines published in 2010 on mаnаgment of Duchenne myodystrophy, supplemented with our practicle experience. We have described standardized motor development scale and muscle tone score for patients with MDD/MDB, and algorithm of multidiscipline care with focus on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of main disease and steroid therapy complications: cardiovascular, orthopedics, respirator etc. These recommendations not only improve quality of live and extend lifespan of MDD/MDB patients, but allow to take part in multicentre trials on searching of pathognomonic and symptomatic treatment.В отечественной медицинской практике отсутствует четкая стандартизация подходов к курации больных миодистрофией Дюшенна/Беккера (МДД/МДБ). Это зачастую приводит к снижению качества жизни пациентов и, что наиболее важно, уменьшению ее продолжительности. В статье отражен накопленный за последнее десятилетие опыт западных коллег, в том числе объединенный в соглашении консенсуса 2010 г. по курации пациентов с МДД, дополненный наблюдениями из собственной клинической практики. Описаны стандартные шкалы оценки степени ограничения моторных навыков и мышечной слабости у пациентов с МДД/МДБ, а также представлен алгоритм мультидисциплинарного подхода с фокусом внимания на профилактике, своевременной диагностике и лечении основных осложнений заболевания и терапии кортикостероидами: кардиоваскулярных, ортопедических, респираторных и т.д. Применение представленных рекомендаций позволяет не только значительно улучшить качество и продолжительность жизни пациентов с МДД/МДБ, но и участвовать в мультицентровых исследованиях с целью поиска патогномоничного и симптоматического лечения
University students’ self-regulated learning using digital technologies
Abstract Analysing the process by which students—whether at university or not—manage and facilitate their own learning has been a recurrent educational research problem. Recently, the question arises about how the development of strategies taking place during the aforementioned process could be made easier by using technologies. In an effort to know whether university students really use digital technologies to plan, organize and facilitate their own learning, we have proposed three research questions. Which technologies do university students use to self-regulate their learning? What self-regulated learning strategies do they develop using technologies? What profiles could be identified among students based on their use of self-regulation strategies with technology? To answer these questions, the “Survey of Self-regulated Learning with Technology at the University” was designed. Information from a sample group with 711 students from various universities located in the region of Andalusia (Spain) was collected with this survey. The results indicate that university students, even when they are frequent users of digital technology, they tend not to use these technologies to regulate their own learning process. Of all technologies analysed, Internet information search and instant communication tools are used continually. In turn, the most generalised self-regulation learning strategies are those relative to social support. Nevertheless, students differ from each other regarding their use and frequency. There are groups of students who make use of self-regulation strategies when learning with technologies. In this regard, two distinctive groups of students have been identified, who show differentiated self-regulated levels
Многоуровневые инъекции ботулинического токсина типа А (Абоботулотоксина) при лечении спастических форм детского церебрального паралича: ретроспективное исследование опыта 8 российских центров
Background: The contemporary application of Botulinum toxin A (BTA) in cerebral palsy (CP) implies multilevel injections both in on-label and off-label muscles. However, there is no single international opinion on the effective and safe dosages, target muscles, and intervals between the injections.Objective: Our aim was to analyze the Russian multicenter independent experience of single and repeated multilevel injections of Abobotulinum toxin А in patients with spastic forms of CP.Methods: 8 independent referral CP-centers (10 hospitals) in different regions of Russia. Authors evaluated intervals between the injections, dosages of the BTA for the whole procedure, for the body mass, for the each muscle, and functional segment of the extremities.Results: 1872 protocols of effective BTA injections (1–14 repeated injections) for 724 patients with spastic CP were included. The age of the patients was between 8 months to 17 years 4 months at the beginning of the treatment (with a mean of 3 years 10 months). Multilevel BTA injections were indicated for the majority (n = 634, 87.6%) of the patients in all the centers. The medians of the dosages for the first BTA injection were between 30–31 U/kg (500 U), the repeated injections doses up to 45 U/kg (1000 U) (in most centers). The median intervals between the repeated injections were 180–200 days in 484 (66.9%) patients and 140–180 days in 157 (24.7%) patients. In 2 centers, children with GMFCS IV–V were injected more often than others.Conclusion: Multilevel BTA injections were indicated for the most patients. The initial dose of Abobotulinum toxin A was 30–31 U/kg. The repeated injections dose could increase up to 40 U/kg. The repeated injections were done in 140–200 days after the previous injection.Современная концепция ботулинотерапии при детском церебральном параличе (ДЦП) предлагает использование многоуровневых инъекций в расширенное число мышц. Однако по-прежнему отсутствует консенсус относительно выбора оптимальных доз, мышц и интервалов между инъекциями.Цель исследования: изучить российский опыт применения однократных и повторных многоуровневых инъекций абоботулотоксина при лечении спастичности у пациентов с ДЦП.Методы: в ретроспективном исследовании проанализирован опыт ботулинотерапии при ДЦПв 8 специализированных центрах России. Изучали протоколы клинически эффективных инъекций. Оценивали общие дозы препарата БТА, дозы на единицу массы тела пациентов, на всю инъекционную сессию и отдельные мышцы, а также интервалы между инъекциями.Результаты: изучено 1872 протокола клинически эффективных инъекций, всего от 1 до 14 повторных инъекций, сделанных 724 пациентам в возрасте от 8 мес до 17 лет 4 мес (медиана возраста на момент первой инъекции БТА — 3 года 10 мес) на момент начала ботулинотерапии. Большинство пациентов (n = 634; 87,6% инъекций) получили многоуровневую ботулинотерапию. Во всех центрах при первичных инъекциях БТА медиана доз находилась в пределах 30–31 Ед/кг массы тела (общая — 500 Ед). При повторных инъекциях в большинстве учреждений максимальные дозы превышали 45 Ед/кг (1000 Ед). Средние интервалы между повторными инъекциями колебались в пределах 140–180 сут для 157 (24,7%) и 180–200 сут для 484 (66,9%) пациентов. В 2 из 8 центров пациенты с наиболее выраженными двигательными нарушениями (GMFCS IV–V) требовали более частых повторных инъекций БТА.Заключение: в специализированных центрах большинству пациентов с ДЦП ботулинотерапию проводили по многоуровневой схеме. Общая доза абоботулотоксина при первичных инъекциях составляла 30–31 Ед/кг; при повторных инъекциях она могла быть увеличена до 40 Ед/кг и более. Вопрос о повторном проведении инъекции БТА рассматривался в интервале 140–200 сут после предшествующей инъекции
Profiling and imaging of forensic evidence – a pan-European forensic round robin study part 1: document forgery
The forensic scenario, on which the round robin study was based, simulated a suspected intentional manipulation of a real estate rental agreement consisting of a total of three pages. The aims of this study were to (i) establish the amount and reliability of information extractable from a single type of evidence and to (ii) provide suggestions on the most suitable combination of compatible techniques for a multi-modal imaging approach to forgery detection. To address these aims, seventeen laboratories from sixteen countries were invited to answer the following tasks questions: (i) which printing technique was used? (ii) were the three pages printed with the same printer? (iii) were the three pages made from the same paper? (iv) were the three pages originally stapled? (v) were the headings and signatures written with the same ink? and (vi) were headings and signatures of the same age on all pages? The methods used were classified into the following categories: Optical spectroscopy, including multispectral imaging, smartphone mapping, UV-luminescence and LIBS; Infrared spectroscopy, including Raman and FTIR (micro-)spectroscopy; X-ray spectroscopy, including SEM-EDX, PIXE and XPS; Mass spectrometry, including ICPMS, SIMS, MALDI and LDIMS; Electrostatic imaging, as well as non-imaging methods, such as non-multimodal visual inspection, (micro-)spectroscopy, physical testing and thin layer chromatography. The performance of the techniques was evaluated as the proportion of discriminated sample pairs to all possible sample pairs. For the undiscriminated sample pairs, a distinction was made between undecidability and false positive claims. It was found that none of the methods used were able to solve all tasks completely and/or correctly and that certain methods were a priori judged unsuitable by the laboratories for some tasks. Correct results were generally achieved for the discrimination of printer toners, whereas incorrect results in the discrimination of inks. For the discrimination of paper, solid state analytical methods proved to be superior to mass spectrometric methods. None of the participating laboratories deemed addressing ink age feasible. It was concluded that correct forensic statements can only be achieved by the complementary application of different methods and that the classical approach of round robin studies to send standardised subsamples to the participants is not feasible for a true multimodal approach if the techniques are not available at one location
Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover.
Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale
Selling Money on Ebay: A Field Study of Surplus Division
We study the division of trade surplus in a competitive market environment by conducting a natural field experiment on German eBay. Acting as a seller, we offer Amazon gift cards with face values of up to 500 Euro. Randomly arriving buyers, the subjects of our experiment, make price offers according to eBay rules. Using a novel decomposition method, we infer offered shares of trade surplus and find that the average share proposed to the seller amounts to 29%. Additionally, we document: (i) insignificant effects of stake size; (ii) poor use of strategically relevant public information; and (iii) behavioural differences between East and West German subjects
Recent insights into targeting the IL-6 cytokine family in inflammatory diseases and cancer
The IL-6 family of cytokines consists of IL-6, IL-11, IL-27, IL-31, oncostatin M (OSM), leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1) and cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1 (CLCF1). Membership of this cytokine family is defined by usage of common β-receptor signalling subunits, which activate various intracellular signalling pathways. Each IL-6 family member elicits responses essential to the physiological control of immune homeostasis, haematopoiesis, inflammation, development and metabolism. Accordingly, distortion of these cytokine activities often promotes chronic disease and cancer; the pathological importance of this is exemplified by the successful treatment of certain autoimmune conditions with drugs that target the IL-6 pathway. Here, we discuss the emerging roles for IL-6 family members in infection, chronic inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer and review therapeutic strategies designed to manipulate these cytokines in disease
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