Carbonization and Regeneration of Mo/ZSM-5 Catalysts for Methane Dehydroaromatization

The character of carbonaceous deposits formed during methane dehydroaromatization reaction in the presence of Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts was studied by differential thermal analysis. The dependence of the concentration and condensation degree (C/H ratio) of the carbonaceous deposits on the catalyst synthesis conditions (Mo content = 1-10%, Si/Al ratio in the initial H-ZSM-5 = 17-45) and reaction conditions (feed flow rate = 405-1620 h-1, methane concentration = 90-98%, reaction temperature = 720-780 °C) was investigated. The oxidative treatment conditions of carbonized Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts providing stable operation of the catalysts under multiple reaction-oxidative treatment cycles were selected

ПРЕСТУПНОСТЬ НЕСОВЕРШЕННОЛЕТНИХ: ОСНОВНЫЕ ТЕНДЕНЦИИ (РЕГИОНАЛЬНЫЙ АСПЕКТ)

he article analyzes the nature and internal structure of various types of crimes in which involved minors. Describes the main social factors contributing to this anomaly in the period of development of society. Investigated the motivation, the system and the types of crimes of minors in the Volgograd region, are the main trends of development of this phenomenon. The study also discusses the theoretical basis of the problem of the influence of economic stability on the species structure of juvenile delinquency. In this study the analysis of various types of deviance minors in different areas of the city of Volgograd. In the process of rapid modernization of communication processes most of today’s youth have not been able to quickly rebuild their behavior. Currently, the value-perception of the adolescents focused on the material benefits in terms of expanded economic interactions. In these conditions, social processes become increasingly removed from humane and spiritual orientations. The effective functioning of society in its interaction based on cooperation and understanding is of great importance to stimulate the positive trends in social sphere in modern Russia. The modern period of development, coupled with a drastic breaking of the foundations of life, the formation of new social relations and institutions and the destruction of the old, inevitably contributes to social tension, the reassessment of social and moral values and development of deviant behavior of minors. The advantages of this study are the involvement of local archives regional committees on Affairs of minors, was first introduced to active scientific revolution, as well as logical structuring and grouping of the main issues related to the dynamics and changes in the species structure of juvenile crime, which allowed us to perform a fairly extensive archive of statistical material. Based on this analysis, the authors made a “psychological portrait” of a juvenile offender, identified the main motives that caused teenagers to commit various crimes, considered in detail the structure of their crimes. The problem of motivation has received considerable attention, as its study brings researchers to the subjective knowledge of the motor components, causing a minor to commit a crime. It is equally important that, given the socio-economic factors in the analysis of human aggression is of great value not only for theoretical analysis through a systemic approach, but also for further improvement of preventive, rehabilitative work with young offenders. The process of modernization of the Russian society have not only brought much positive change, but destroying the traditional way of life, have brought cardinal changes in communication processes of the younger generation. Overall, the article gives some increase of knowledge in the identified scientific fields, contributes to the development of the science and practice of studying of illegal behaviour of minors and promotes the understanding of problems related to social processes in modern society. Having carefully studied the main factors that intensify illegal behavior of adolescents in the period of economic transformation of society, the authors come to the conclusion that the processes of industrialization, urbanization, changing economic structure has had on the structure and activity of deviant behavior of teenagers in the period under review, a significant impact. This is probably due to the fact that these processes at the initial stage of its development has resulted in significant changes in the internal foundations of the structure of society.В представленной статье проанализированы природа и внутренняя структура различных  видов преступлений, в которых принимали участие несовершеннолетние. Описаны  основные социальные факторы, способствующие развитию данной аномалии в  рассматриваемый период развития общества. Исследованы мотивация, система и виды  преступлений несовершеннолетних в Волгоградском регионе, представлены основные тенденции развития данного явления. Также в исследовании рассматриваются  теоретические основы проблемы влияния экономической стабильности на видовую  структуру правонарушений несовершеннолетних. В исследовании предпринят анализ  различных видов девиаций несовершеннолетних в различных районах города Волгограда. В процессе ускоренной модернизации коммуникационных процессов большинство  современной молодежи оказалось не в состоянии в короткие сроки перестроить свое поведение. В настоящее время ценностное восприятие подростков ориентировано на  материальные блага в условиях расширения экономических форм взаимодействия. В этих  условиях социальные процессы становятся все более отстраненными от гуманных и духовных ориентаций. Эффективное функционирование общества в его взаимодействии,  основанном на сотрудничестве и понимании, имеет большое значение для стимулирования  положительных тенденций в социальной сфере современной России. Современный период  развития, сопряженный с кардинальной ломкой устоев жизни, образованием новых  общественных отношений и институтов и разрушением старых, неизбежно способствует  росту социальной напряженности, переоценке социально-нравственных ориентиров и развитию девиантного поведения несовершеннолетних. Преимуществами данного  исследования являются привлечение материалов местных архивов районных комитетов по делам несовершеннолетних, впервые вводящихся в активный научный оборот, а также  логическая структурированность и группировка основных вопросов, связанных с динамикой  и изменением видовой структуры правонарушений несовершеннолетних, которые позволили проанализировать довольно обширный архивный статистический материал. На основе этого  анализа авторы составили “психологический портрет” несовершеннолетнего  правонарушителя, определили основные мотивы, побуждавшие подростков к совершению различных преступлений, подробно рассмотрели структуру совершенных ими преступлений. Проблеме мотивации уделяется значительное внимание, поскольку ее изучение приближает  исследователей к уяснению субъективно-двигательных компонентов, приводящих  несовершеннолетних к совершению преступления. Не менее важно, что учет социально- экономических факторов при анализе человеческой агрессивности имеет большую ценность  не только для теоретического анализа в рамках системного подхода, но и для дальнейшего  совершенствования профилактической, коррекционной работы с подростками- правонарушителями. Процесс модернизации российского общества принес не только много  позитивных перемен, но, разрушая традиционный уклад жизни, привнес кардинальные  изменения в коммуникационные процессы подрастающего поколения. В целом статья дает свой прирост знаний в обозначенной научной области, вносит свой вклад в развитие науки  и практики изучения противоправного поведения несовершеннолетних и способствует  осмыслению проблем, связанных с социальными процессами, происходящими в современном обществе. Внимательно изучив основные факторы, активизирующие противоправное поведение подростков в период экономической трансформации общества,  авторы приходят к выводу о том, что процессы индустриализации, урбанизации, изменения  экономического уклада оказали на структуру и активность девиантного поведения  подростков в рассматриваемый период значительное влияние. Вероятно, это связано с тем,  что данные процессы на начальной стадии своего развития привели к существенному изменению внутренних устоев структуры общества

Scientific, institutional and personal rivalries among Soviet geographers in the late Stalin era

Scientific, institutional and personal rivalries between three key centres of geographical research and scholarship (the Academy of Sciences Institute of Geography and the Faculties of Geography at Moscow and Leningrad State Universities) are surveyed for the period from 1945 to the early 1950s. It is argued that the debates and rivalries between members of the three institutions appear to have been motivated by a variety of scientific, ideological, institutional and personal factors, but that genuine scientific disagreements were at least as important as political and ideological factors in influencing the course of the debates and in determining their final outcome

Thin-Capped Atheromata With Reduced Collagen Content in Pigs Develop in Coronary Arterial Regions Exposed to Persistently Low Endothelial Shear Stress

Objective—The mechanisms promoting the focal formation of rupture-prone coronary plaques in vivo remain incompletely understood. This study tested the hypothesis that coronary regions exposed to low endothelial shear stress (ESS) favor subsequent development of collagen-poor, thin-capped plaques. Approach and Results—Coronary angiography and 3-vessel intravascular ultrasound were serially performed at 5 consecutive time points in vivo in 5 diabetic, hypercholesterolemic pigs. ESS was calculated along the course of each artery with computational fluid dynamics at all 5 time points. At follow-up, 184 arterial segments with previously identified in vivo ESS underwent histopathologic analysis. Compared with other plaque types, eccentric thin-capped atheromata developed more in segments that experienced lower ESS during their evolution. Compared with lesions with higher preceding ESS, segments persistently exposed to low ESS (<1.2 Pa) exhibited reduced intimal smooth muscle cell content; marked intimal smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation; attenuated procollagen-I gene expression; increased gene and protein expression of the interstitial collagenases matrix-metalloproteinase-1, -8, -13, and -14; increased collagenolytic activity; reduced collagen content; and marked thinning of the fibrous cap. Conclusions—Eccentric thin-capped atheromata, lesions particularly prone to rupture, form more frequently in coronary regions exposed to low ESS throughout their evolution. By promoting an imbalance of attenuated synthesis and augmented collagen breakdown, low ESS favors the focal evolution of early lesions toward plaques with reduced collagen content and thin fibrous caps—2 critical determinants of coronary plaque vulnerability.Novartis (Firm)Boston Scientific CorporationBehrakis Foundation (Research Fellowship)Hellenic Heart FoundationHellenic Atherosclerosis SocietyNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant RO1 GM49039

Augmented Expression and Activity of Extracellular Matrix-Degrading Enzymes in Regions of Low Endothelial Shear Stress Colocalize With Coronary Atheromata With Thin Fibrous Caps in Pigs

Background—The molecular mechanisms that determine the localized formation of thin-capped atheromata in the coronary arteries remain unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that low endothelial shear stress augments the expression of matrix-degrading proteases and thereby promotes the formation of thin-capped atheromata. : Methods and Results—Intravascular ultrasound–based, geometrically correct 3-dimensional reconstruction of the coronary arteries of 12 swine was performed in vivo 23 weeks after initiation of diabetes mellitus and a hyperlipidemic diet. Local endothelial shear stress was calculated in plaque-free subsegments of interest (n=142) with computational fluid dynamics. At week 30, the coronary arteries (n=31) were harvested and the same subsegments were identified. The messenger RNA and protein expression and elastolytic activity of selected elastases and their endogenous inhibitors were assessed. Subsegments with low preceding endothelial shear stress at week 23 showed reduced endothelial coverage, enhanced lipid accumulation, and intense infiltration of activated inflammatory cells at week 30. These lesions showed increased expression of messenger RNAs encoding matrix metalloproteinase-2, -9, and -12, and cathepsins K and S relative to their endogenous inhibitors and increased elastolytic activity. Expression of these enzymes correlated positively with the severity of internal elastic lamina fragmentation. Thin-capped atheromata developed in regions with lower preceding endothelial shear stress and had reduced endothelial coverage, intense lipid and inflammatory cell accumulation, enhanced messenger RNA expression and elastolytic activity of MMPs and cathepsins, and severe internal elastic lamina fragmentation. : Conclusions—Low endothelial shear stress induces endothelial discontinuity and accumulation of activated inflammatory cells, thereby augmenting the expression and activity of elastases in the intima and shifting the balance with their inhibitors toward matrix breakdown. Our results provide new insight into the mechanisms of regional formation of plaques with thin fibrous caps.Novartis Pharmaceuticals CorporationBoston Scientific CorporationHellenic Heart FoundationHellenic Atherosclerosis SocietyAlexander S. Onassis Public Benefit FoundationPropondis FoundationHellenic Harvard FoundationA.G. Leventis FoundationPhilip Morris International. External Research ProgramAmerican Heart Association (Scientist Development Grant)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant NIHR01 GM49039

Cathepsin S Deficiency Results in Abnormal Accumulation of Autophagosomes in Macrophages and Enhances Ang II–Induced Cardiac Inflammation

BACKGROUND: Cathepsin S (Cat S) is overexpressed in human atherosclerotic and aneurysmal tissues and may contributes to degradation of extracellular matrix, especially elastin, in inflammatory diseases. We aimed to define the role of Cat S in cardiac inflammation and fibrosis induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cat S-knockout (Cat S(-/-)) and littermate wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice were infused continuously with Ang II (750 ng/kg/min) or saline for 7 days. Cat S(-/-) mice showed severe cardiac fibrosis, including elevated expression of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), as compared with WT mice. Moreover, macrophage infiltration and expression of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, transforming growth factor β and interleukin 1β) were significantly greater in Cat S(-/-) than WT hearts. These Ang II-induced effects in Cat S(-/-) mouse hearts was associated with abnormal accumulation of autophagosomes and reduced clearance of damaged mitochondria, which led to increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in macrophages. CONCLUSION: Cat S in lysosomes is essential for mitophagy processing in macrophages, deficiency in Cat S can increase damaged mitochondria and elevate ROS levels and NF-κB activity in hypertensive mice, so it regulates cardiac inflammation and fibrosis

Analysis of positional candidate genes in the AAA1 susceptibility locus for abdominal aortic aneurysms on chromosome 19

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a complex disorder with multiple genetic risk factors. Using affected relative pair linkage analysis, we previously identified an AAA susceptibility locus on chromosome 19q13. This locus has been designated as the AAA1 susceptibility locus in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. METHODS: Nine candidate genes were selected from the AAA1 locus based on their function, as well as mRNA expression levels in the aorta. A sample of 394 cases and 419 controls was genotyped for 41 SNPs located in or around the selected nine candidate genes using the Illumina GoldenGate platform. Single marker and haplotype analyses were performed. Three genes (CEBPG, PEPD and CD22) were selected for DNA sequencing based on the association study results, and exonic regions were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining of aortic tissue sections from AAA and control individuals was carried out for the CD22 and PEPD proteins with specific antibodies. RESULTS: Several SNPs were nominally associated with AAA (p < 0.05). The SNPs with most significant p-values were located near the CCAAT enhancer binding protein (CEBPG), peptidase D (PEPD), and CD22. Haplotype analysis found a nominally associated 5-SNP haplotype in the CEBPG/PEPD locus, as well as a nominally associated 2-SNP haplotype in the CD22 locus. DNA sequencing of the coding regions revealed no variation in CEBPG. Seven sequence variants were identified in PEPD, including three not present in the NCBI SNP (dbSNP) database. Sequencing of all 14 exons of CD22 identified 20 sequence variants, five of which were in the coding region and six were in the 3'-untranslated region. Five variants were not present in dbSNP. Immunohistochemical staining for CD22 revealed protein expression in lymphocytes present in the aneurysmal aortic wall only and no detectable expression in control aorta. PEPD protein was expressed in fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the media-adventitia border in both aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS: Association testing of the functional positional candidate genes on the AAA1 locus on chromosome 19q13 demonstrated nominal association in three genes. PEPD and CD22 were considered the most promising candidate genes for altering AAA risk, based on gene function, association evidence, gene expression, and protein expression

ТРАНСПЛАНТАЦИЯ СЕРДЦА У ПАЦИЕНТКИ С ПОСТТРАВМАТИЧЕСКОЙ АНЕВРИЗМОЙ ЛЕГОЧНОЙ АРТЕРИИ

Right heart catheterization (RHC) should be performed on all candidates in preparation for listing for cardiac transplantation. Patient, 64 y. o., with chronic heart failure NYHA III class, had developed a rare complication while performing that procedure – a rupture of segmental branch of pulmonary artery (PA) with pulmonary haemorrhage. The episode of pulmonary bleeding was stopped conservatively without surgical management. There was a pseudoaneurysm formation of segmental branch of PA 2,7 × 2,8 cm with signs of thrombosis. Afterfi ve months the patient underwent heart transplantation without severe complications in perioperative period. No more recurrent episodes of pulmonary haemorrhage were identifi ed.Обязательной процедурой, выполняемой перед включением кандидата на трансплантацию сердца в лист ожидания, является катетеризация правых отделов сердца и легочной артерии (ЛА). У пациентки 64 летс хронической сердечной недостаточностью III функционального класса по NYHA при выполнении данной манипуляции возникло редкое осложнение – разрыв сегментарной ветви ЛА с развитием легочного кровотечения. На фоне комплексной интенсивной терапии эпизод легочного кровотечения был купирован, не потребовав хирургического лечения. Сформировалась ложная аневризма сегментарной ветви ЛА размерами 2,7 × 2,8 см с признаками тромбирования. Спустя пять месяцев пациентка перенесла трансплантацию сердца, периоперационный период протекал без развития тяжелых осложнений, повторных эпизодов легочного кровотечения зафиксировано не было

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference