Synthesis and characterisation of nanocrystalline ZrN PVD coatings on AISI 430 stainless steel

The nanocrystalline films of zirconium nitride have been synthesized using ion-plasma vacuum-arc deposition technique in combination with high-frequency discharge (RF) on AISI 430 stainless steel at 150oC. Structure examinations X-ray fluorescent analysis (XRF), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with microanalysis (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoidentation method – were performed to study phase and chemical composition, surface morphology, microstructure and nanohardness of coatings. The developed technology provided low-temperature coatings synthesis, minimized discharge breakdown decreasing formation of macroparticles (MPs) and allowed to deposit ZrN coatings with hardness variation 26.6…31.5 GPa. It was revealed that ZrN single-phase coatings of cubic modification with finecrystalline grains of 20 nm in size were formed

Public health and heavy metals in urban and periurban horticulture

148-154The health effects of heavy metals can be complex and severe. Exposure to heavy metals has been linked with developmental retardation, various cancers, kidney damage, and even death in some instances of exposure to very high concentrations. Soils in urban and suburban areas are transformed by human activities, they are characterized by a strong spatial heterogeneity resulting from the various inputs of exogenous materials and the mixing of original soil material, and they often hold pollutants that may be a threat to human health. The objective of this work is to present a study of heavy metals occurrence in 33 urban and periurban soils dedicated to horticulture in Buenos Aires (Argentina). Total heavy metal content in soils (cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc) was evaluated using Sequential Plasma Emission Spectrometer (ICP-ES). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis showing a primary separation in two groups: eight sites with high contents of one or more of the analized heavy metals and the second group with lower levels of heavy metals. Maximum values of Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu in horticultural soils resulted problematic with reference to public health

Fertilización de base en un cultivo inicial de pecan con dos marcos de plantación de alta densidad

91-97The fruit of the pecan tree, Carya illinoensis Koch, is considered a very healthy food. In Argentina, pecan cultivation has been expanding rapidly but very little research has been conducted on pecan fertilization and planting systems. The objectives of this study were to characterize some physical-chemical and chemical properties in a pecan crop, and compare different basal fertilization (FB) treatments under two high density plantation frames (MP). Plantation was conducted in Villanueva (Buenos Aires province), on a Tapthoargic Hapludoll, with 10 x 10 m frames (real part: MR) and 8 x 8 m frames (staggered: TR). The experimental design was a split plot with four replications. The main plots were the two frames and the subplots were the different fertilization treatments: Compost (C), Phosphorus (P), slow release Nitrogen (N), and an unfertilized control (T). The determinations to assess the growth of pecan plants were: plant height and stem diameter. With regard to soil fertility, phosphorus fertilization and the addition of compost significatively increased the levels of Bray-P. The organic fertilizer treatment (compost) showed a significant increase in the height of the pecan plantation under the 8 x 8 m frame, which was not apparent in any case for the stem diameter, with a MP x FB significant interaction (P = 0.01) for height variation in the first year. The plantation frame with or without basal fertilization had no effect on pecan volume during the study period

Комплексна профілактика тромбоемболічних ускладнень у хворих із гострою хірургічною абдомінальною патологією, поєднаною з хронічними захворюваннями вен нижніх кінцівок

The work studied the effect of anticoagulant comprehensive prevention of thromboembolic complications in patients with acute abdominal surgical pathology combined with chronic venous disease of lower extremities for changes in coagulation and tissue microcirculation. It was found out significant improvement tissue microcirculation by drug hypocoagulation, reducing the risk of thromboembolic complications.В работе изучено влияние комплексной антикоагулянтной профилактики тромбоэмболических осложнений у больных с острой хирургической абдоминальной патологией, сочетанной с хроническими заболеваниями вен нижних конечностей, на изменения коагуляции и тканевой микроциркуляции. Выявлено существенное улучшение тканевой микроциркуляции за счет медикаментозной гипокоагуляции, снижение рисков тромбоэмболических осложнений.У роботі вивчено вплив комплексної антикоагулянтної профілактики тромбоемболічних ускладнень у хворих із гострою хірургічною абдомінальною патологією, поєднаною з хронічними захворюваннями вен нижніх кінцівок, на зміни коагуляції та тканинної мікроциркуляції. Виявлено суттєве покращення тканинної мікроциркуляції за рахунок медикаментозної гіпокоагуляції, зниження ризиків тромбоемболічних ускладнень

КЛІНІЧНИЙ ВИПАДОК ПОДВОЄННЯ ПРАВОЇ НИРКОВОЇ АРТЕРІЇ, УСКЛАДНЕНИЙ КОМПРЕСІЄЮ ТА ТРОМБОЗОМ ПРАВОЇ НИРКОВОЇ ВЕНИ, ФЛОТУЮЧИМ ТРОМБОЗОМ НИЖНЬОЇ ПОРОЖНИСТОЇ ВЕНИ

Summary. Patient K., apply to Ternopil University Hospital with complaints of hematuria and intermittent low back pain. Complaints were noted in the last two days, for the first time. During examination of patient limb edema was detected. Laboratory indexes: general blood tests and electrocardiogram – without pathological changes. Cystourethroscopy, no pathology was detected. According to ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen, retroperitoneal organs, lower extremities, no pathological changes were detected. Computed tomography with contrast of the vessels of the abdominal organs was performed. Doubling of the right renal artery with an atypical abnormal location of the accessory artery was revealed. As a result of the conducted diagnosis of diseases the patient was able to establish a congenital anomaly development of the arterial system of the right kidney which caused compression of the right renal vein, and ectasia, venous stasis of blood and the phenomenon of phlebohypertension in the right kidney, which, in fact, caused hematuria. Venous stasis caused thrombosis with progression of thrombosis to the vena cava inferior with flotation into the lumen. Considering the fact of flotation with the spread of thrombotic masses in the inferior vena cava, the method of treatment is surgery – thrombectomy of the right renal and vena cava inferior.РЕЗЮМЕ. Больной К. обратился в Тернопольскую университетскую больницу с жалобами на гематурию и периодические боли в пояснице. Жалобы возникли за последние два дня впервые. При осмотре у больного обнаружен отек конечностей. Лабораторные показатели – общие анализы крови и электрокардиограмма – без патологических изменений. При проведении цистоуретроскопии патологии не выявлено. По данным УЗИ брюшной полости, забрюшинных органов, нижних конечностей патологических изменений не выявлено. Выполнена компьютерная томография с контрастированием сосудов органов брюшной полости. Выявлено удвоение правой почечной артерии с атипичным патологическим расположением добавочной артерии. В результате проведенной диагностики у пациента удалось установить врожденную аномалию развития артериальной системы правой почки, вызвавшую сдавление правой почечной вены, ее эктазию, венозный застой крови и явления флебогипертензии в правой почке, которое, собственно, и вызвало гематурию. Венозный застой вызвал тромбоз с прогрессированием тромбоза в нижнюю полую вену с флотацией в ее просвет. Учитывая факт флотации с распространением тромботических масс в нижнюю полую вену, методом лечения избрано оперативное вмешательство – тромбэктомия из правой почечной и нижней полой вен.РЕЗЮМЕ. Пацієнт К. звернувся в Тернопільську університетську лікарню зі скаргами на гематурію та періодичний біль у попереку, які з’явилися протягом останніх двох днів, вперше. При об’єктивному фізикальному обстеженні виявлено пастозність шкірних покривів та виражений набряк обох нижніх кінцівок. Лабораторні показники – загальний, біохімічний аналізи крові, коагулограма та електрокардіограма – без патологічних змін. Наявна макрогематурія. При проведенні цистоуретроскопії патології не виявлено. За даними ультрасонографічного обстеження живота, органів заочеревинного простору, нижніх кінцівок патологічних змін не виявлено. Проведено комп’ютерну томографію з контрастуванням судинного русла органів черевної порожнини, в результаті якої виявлено подвоєння правої ниркової артерії з нетиповим аномальним розташуванням додаткової артерії. У результаті проведеної діагностики захворювання у пацієнта вдалось встановити вроджену аномалію розвитку артеріальної системи правої нирки, що спричинила компресію правої ниркової вени, її ектазію, венозний стаз крові та явища флебогіпертензії у правій нирці, що, власне, і стало причиною гематурії. Саме венозний стаз і спричинив тромбоутворення із прогресуванням тромбозу на нижню порожнисту вену з флотацією в її просвіт. Враховуючи явища флотації з поширенням тромботичних мас у нижню порожнисту вену, методом лікування обрано оперативне втручання – тромбектомію з правої ниркової та нижньої порожнистої вен

Phylogenetic and Molecular Characterization of a 23S Ribosomal-Rna Gene Positions the Genus Campylobacter in the Epsilon-Subdivision of the Proteobacteria and Shows That the Presence of Transcribed Spacers Is Common in Campylobacter Spp

The nucleotide sequence of a 23S rRNA gene of Campylobacter coli VC167 was determined. The primary sequence of the C. coli 23S rRNA was deduced, and a secondary-structure model was constructed. Comparison with Escherichia coli 23S rRNA showed a major difference in the C. coli rRNA at approximately position 1170 (E. coli numbering) in the form of an extra sequence block approximately 147 bp long. PCR analysis of 31 other strains of C. coli and C. jejuni showed that 69% carried a transcribed spacer of either ca, 147 or ca. 37 bp. Comparison of all sequenced Campylobacter transcribed spacers showed that the Campylobacter inserts were related in sequence and percent G+C content. All Campylobacter strains carrying transcribed spacers in their 23S rRNA genes produced fragmented 23S rRNAs. Other strains which produced unfragmented 23S rRNAs did not appear to carry transcribed spacers at this position in their 23S rRNA genes. At the 1850 region (E. coli numbering), Campylobacter 23S rRNA displayed a base pairing signature most like that of the beta and gamma subdivisions of the class Proteobacteria, but in the 270 region, Campylobacter 23S rRNA displayed a helix signature which distinguished it from the alpha, beta, and gamma subdivisions. Phylogenetic analysis comparing C. coli VC167 23S rRNA and a C. jejuni TGH9011 (ATCC 43431) 23S rRNA with 53 other completely sequenced (eu)bacterial 23S rRNAs showed that the two campylobacters form a sister group to the alpha, beta, and gamma proteobacterial 23S rRNAs, a positioning consistent with the idea that the genus Campylobacter belongs to the epsilon subdivision of the class Proteobacteria

Challenges in QCD matter physics - The Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (sqrt(s_NN) = 2.7 - 4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials (mu_B > 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation-of-state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2022, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Published in European Physical Journal

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Laser photoplethysmography in integrated evaluation of collateral circulation of lower extremities

The paper evaluated the diagnostic value of laser photoplethysmography when examining patients with chronic lower limb ischemia. A statistical analysis of the research results was made, and diagrams of relationship between the degrees of ischemia and blood flow are presented