Методика інженерних розрахунків біореакторів для біологічного очищення природних і доочищення стічних вод

Relevance of research. For the first time  raised the question of the expediency of microbiological methods for purification of natural waters, Professor P.I. Gvozdiak, who claims that the microbiological method can clean any contaminated water, significantly improve the efficiency of water purification, improve the quality of purified water and reduce its cost. With the biological method of neutralizing, the specific Gallonella ferruginea iron bacteria, due to their catalytic action, quickly oxidize Fe2+, and the resulting iron hydroxide Fe(OH)3 accumulate in a compact form, which significantly increases the dirt of contact clarifying filters (CСF) and the duration of the filtration cycle. Principle of BR work. Microorganisms inhabiting a biofilm, which is formed on the surface of filaments of fibrous fluid, oxidize substances that are in the source water, oxygen in the air, while receiving energy for their livelihoods. After intense aeration, the initial water enters the BR and is evenly distributed between the threads of the fibrous boom, flowing over the surface on which the biofilm is formed with aerobic microorganisms. At the same time, processes such as adhesion, sorption, diffusion, destruction, oxidation, etc. occur, which results in the rapid removal of oxidizing substances and the formation of new substances. BR has the following functions: -  biochemical oxidation of impurities present in the source water; - removal of gases from the water to eliminate bubble colmatation in the subfilter space of the CCF; - ensuring a constant rate of water filtration during the filtration cycle due to an increase in the water level in it by changing the pressure loss on the CCF from         hf.0 (at a clean loading) to hf.max (at the end of the filtration cycle). Mathematical model and algorithm of engineering calculations BR. For a mathematical description of the processes of water purification in the BR, it is necessary to establish the balance of the change in the concentration of contamination in the biofilm, the liquid film and the volume of the source water, which is located between the fibrous threads and moves from top to bottom. BR perform the role of air separators, the area of which must be taken from the calculation of the velocity of the downstream water flow not more than 0,05 m/s and the duration of water in it for at least 1 minute. Engineering calculations lead in the following sequence: - for the estimated flow of water through the BR Qe, m3/h, the accepted number of threads of the fibrous load N and the cross-sectional area of one thread, determine the cross-sectional area of the BR and the velocity of water flow in the BR; - to ensure the required time for water in the BR with a duration of te≥1 min at the limit velocity of water in the BR Vl = 0,05 m/s its height should be not less than He.min≥3 m; - for preliminary calculations, we take the estimated values of the output constants and coefficients defined in the special literature: Kc = 0,025 - 0,080 m/h;     A = 0,01 – 0,04 m/h; δp = 0,1 – 0,2 mm; - according to laboratory studies, we find the maximum specific bristle content of BR, the duration of the filtracycle in the zone of accumulation of contaminants and the duration of washing BR in its given intensity; - specify the estimated values of Hb and Cf and the efficiency of water purification in the BR. Conclusions. The required working height of the loading BR depends on the depth of the water treatment C0 / Сf, is directly proportional to the water filtration rate Vf  and inversely proportional to the number of threads in the unit of loading БР. The developed methodology of engineering calculations BR can determine their rational design and technological parameters, based on the requirements of providing the required time for water in the BR at the marginal velocity of the downward movement of water and the calculated efficiency of water purification from impurities.Проаналізовано систему біологічного очищення води з різними домішками в ній при прямоточному русі води через послідовно взаємодіючі споруди: біореактор (БР) – контактний прояснювальний фільтр (КПФ). Розроблена методика інженерних розрахунків БР для забезпечення процесів насичення води киснем, видалення з води газів та біохімічного окиснення домішок, що перебувають у вихідній воді, за допомогою мікроорганізмів, іммобілізованих на волокнистому фільтрувальному завантаженні

Pancreatic β-cell imaging in humans: Fiction or option?

Diabetes mellitus is a growing worldwide epidemic disease, currently affecting 1 in 12 adults. Treatment of disease complications typically consumes ∼10% of healthcare budgets in developed societies. Whilst immune‐mediated destruction of insulin‐secreting pancreatic β cells is responsible for Type 1 diabetes, both the loss and dysfunction of these cells underly the more prevalent Type 2 diabetes. The establishment of robust drug development programmes aimed at β‐cell restoration is still hampered by the absence of means to measure β‐cell mass prospectively in vivo, an approach which would provide new opportunities for understanding disease mechanisms and ultimately assigning personalized treatments. In the present review, we describe the progress towards this goal achieved by the Innovative Medicines Initiative in Diabetes, a collaborative public–private consortium supported by the European Commission and by dedicated resources of pharmaceutical companies. We compare several of the available imaging methods and molecular targets and provide suggestions as to the likeliest to lead to tractable approaches. Furthermore, we discuss the simultaneous development of animal models that can be used to measure subtle changes in β‐cell mass, a prerequisite for validating the clinical potential of the different imaging tracers

Biomorpher: interactive evolution for parametric design

Combining graph-based parametric design with metaheuristic solvers has to date focussed solely on performance based criteria and solving clearly defined objectives. In this paper, we outline a new method for combining a parametric modelling environment with an interactive Cluster-Orientated Genetic Algorithm (COGA). In addition to performance criteria, evolutionary design exploration can be guided through choice alone, with user motivation that cannot be easily defined. As well as numeric parameters forming a genotype, the evolution of whole parametric definitions is discussed through the use of genetic programming. Visualisation techniques that enable mixing small populations for interactive evolution with large populations for performance-based optimisation are discussed, with examples from both academia and industry showing a wide range of applications

The Biomolecular Interaction Network Database and related tools 2005 update

The Biomolecular Interaction Network Database (BIND) (http://bind.ca) archives biomolecular interaction, reaction, complex and pathway information. Our aim is to curate the details about molecular interactions that arise from published experimental research and to provide this information, as well as tools to enable data analysis, freely to researchers worldwide. BIND data are curated into a comprehensive machine-readable archive of computable information and provides users with methods to discover interactions and molecular mechanisms. BIND has worked to develop new methods for visualization that amplify the underlying annotation of genes and proteins to facilitate the study of molecular interaction networks. BIND has maintained an open database policy since its inception in 1999. Data growth has proceeded at a tremendous rate, approaching over 100 000 records. New services provided include a new BIND Query and Submission interface, a Standard Object Access Protocol service and the Small Molecule Interaction Database (http://smid.blueprint.org) that allows users to determine probable small molecule binding sites of new sequences and examine conserved binding residues

A phase III randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study comparing SB4 with etanercept reference product in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate therapy

To compare the efficacy and safety of SB4 (an etanercept biosimilar) with reference product etanercept (ETN) in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) despite methotrexate (MTX) therapy. METHODS:This is a phase III, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre study with a 24-week primary endpoint. Patients with moderate to severe RA despite MTX treatment were randomised to receive weekly dose of 50 mg of subcutaneous SB4 or ETN. The primary endpoint was the American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response at week 24. Other efficacy endpoints as well as safety, immunogenicity and pharmacokinetic parameters were also measured. RESULTS: 596 patients were randomised to either SB4 (N=299) or ETN (N=297). The ACR20 response rate at week 24 in the per-protocol set was 78.1% for SB4 and 80.3% for ETN. The 95% CI of the adjusted treatment difference was -9.41% to 4.98%, which is completely contained within the predefined equivalence margin of -15% to 15%, indicating therapeutic equivalence between SB4 and ETN. Other efficacy endpoints and pharmacokinetic endpoints were comparable. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was comparable (55.2% vs 58.2%), and the incidence of antidrug antibody development up to week 24 was lower in SB4 compared with ETN (0.7% vs 13.1%). CONCLUSIONS:SB4 was shown to be equivalent with ETN in terms of efficacy at week 24. SB4 was well tolerated with a lower immunogenicity profile. The safety profile of SB4 was comparable with that of ETN

Appearance of dark neurons following anodal polarization in the rat brain.

An anodal direct current of 3.0 microA or 30.0 microA was unilaterally applied for 30 min or 3 h to the surface of the sensorimotor cortex of rats, and the effects of polarization on the morphology of brain cells were examined by light microscopy. After five repeated anodal polarization trials, dark neurons appeared mainly in the polarized neocortex regardless of the intensity and duration of the polarizing currents. Such dark neurons were scarce in the control animals or the animals receiving only one trial of polarization. The dark neurons were most abundant in the second to fourth layers of the ipsilateral superior-lateral convexity of the frontal cortex, but a few were present in the contralateral cortex. The dark neurons began to appear 24 h after the last polarization; thereafter almost all of these neurons gradually reverted to their normal morphological profiles through a transitory state within 1 month of the last trial of repeated polarization. No morphological changes were apparent in any of the brain structures other than the cerebral cortex. These findings indicate that repeated anodal polarization has reversible morphological effects on the cortical neurons, suggesting that the appearance of dark neurons after anodal polarization is an important index for evaluation of cortical plastic change induced by polarization.</p

Controls on explosive-effusive volcanic eruption styles

One of the biggest challenges in volcanic hazard assessment is to understand how and why eruptive style changes within the same eruptive period or even from one eruption to the next at a given volcano. This review evaluates the competing processes that lead to explosive and effusive eruptions of silicic magmas. Eruptive style depends on a set of feedbacks involving interrelated magmatic properties and processes. Foremost of these are magma viscosity, gas loss, and external properties such as conduit geometry. Ultimately, these parameters control the speed at which magmas ascend, decompress and outgas en route to the surface, and thus determine eruptive style and evolution