The tested and measured coefficients of the protective materials to keep from harm of the ionizing radiation

У статті викладено результати лабораторних випробувань нових матеріалів, призначених для виготовлення засобів індивідуального захисту для працівників атомних електричних станцій, які обмежують вплив зовнішніх іонізуючих випромінювань. Експериментально встановлено, що запропоновані матеріали мають захисні властивості від α-, β-випромінювань. Визначено коефіцієнти захисту і встановлено їхні параметричні залежності від кількості шарів матеріалу.The article presents the results of laboratory tests of the developed materials, used for the manufacture of permeable protective clothing, which has characteristics to limit the impact of external ionizing radiation. It has been experimentally proved that these materials have the properties to protect from α-, β-ionizing radiation. The coefficients of protection were determined and their parametric dependence on the number of material layers was defined.В статье изложены результаты лабораторных испытаний новых материалов, предназначенных для изготовления средств индивидуальной защиты, которые ограничивают влияние внешних ионизирующих излучений на работников атомных электрических станций. Экспериментально установлено, что предложенные материалы имеют защитные свойства от α-, β-излучений. Определены коэффициенты защиты и установлены их параметрические зависимости от количества слоев материала

Agrobiological assessment of productivity and nitrogen fixation of vegetable soybean (edamame) in the conditions of Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Received: May 25th, 2023 ; Accepted: October 18th, 2023 ; Published: October 30th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] evaluation of vegetable soybean cultivars (Glycine max var. Shirofumi) according to a complex of economically valuable traits for introduction in the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine it was carried out with the aim of selecting the source material and selecting promising breeding forms according to morpho-biological and physiologicalbiochemical characteristics. The research was conducted in the conditions of the educational and production department of Uman National University of Horticulture during 2020–2022, collection cultivars of different ecological and geographical origins were used. The cultivars ‘Sac’ (166.00 g plant-1 ), ‘Vesta’ (139.33 g plant-1 ), ‘Fiskeby V’ (133.33 g plant-1 ), and ‘Fiskeby V-E5’ (146.67 g plant-1 ) possessed a large mass of edamame beans. The maximum yield of edamame beans was formed by plants of the ‘L 380-2-13’ (12.67 t ha-1 ), ‘Vesta’ (12.33 t ha-1 ), ‘Sac’ (13.20 t ha-1 ), ‘Fiskeby V’ (13.97 t ha-1 ), and ‘Fiskeby V-E5’ (14.53 t ha-1 ). Weather conditions during the period of research significantly influenced the yield and biochemical composition of edamame varieties. The yield of edamame beans ranged from 5.40 t ha-1 in 2020 (min) to 22.40 t ha-1 in 2021 (max), and the coefficient of variation by varieties was at the level of 19–41%. This phenomenon is explained by the minimum amount of precipitation in 2020 and the high amount in 2021, which is confirmed by the hydrothermal coefficient during the period of intensive pod growth (VII–VIII) - 2020 - 0.3; 2021 - 1.3 and 1.1 respectively for the month. The protein concentration in Edamame beans was in the range of 27.94–36.29%. A higher protein content relative to the standard was noted in one sample - ‘Karikachi’ - 36.29%. Minimal accumulation of oligosaccharides was noted in ‘Sac’ and ‘Astra’ cultivars, which indicates their suitability for consumption. Promising cultivars were identified by the amount of fixed nitrogen - ‘Sac’ (168.00 ± 4.32 kg ha-1 ), ‘Astra’ (161.67 ± 2.36 kg ha-1 ) and SybNYYSOH 6 (158.19 ± 4.56 kg ha-1 ). The conducted regression analysis showed close relationships (from moderate to functional) between various indicators of the development and productivity of the nodulation apparatus of edamame cultivars. The evaluation of the collection cultivars of vegetable soybeans, their use according to the variability of morphological features and productivity made it possible to single out the ‘Sac’ among the introduced collection cultivars based on a set of valuable traits for use in the selection process to create new cultivars of vegetable soybeans

Designing of rational structure of range of insulating protective clothing on the basis of the principles of transformation

The aim of this work is to develop a range structure of insulating change of clothes with predictable characteristics for the employees of nuclear power plants (NPP). It was applied a systematic approach to solve the assigned tasks, which made it possible to use the principles of transformation through the gradual changes in design and complete of protective clothing. The implementation of the assigned tasks was carried out using the method of structural optimization of construction of insulating protective clothing. The rational structure of range of insulating change of clothes with predictable coefficient of protection, weight and cost was formed on the basis of the principles of transformation by the method of structural optimization. It was obtained the formula for calculation of protection coefficient under constraints on weight, cost, number of material layers (taking into consideration the non-linearity of the objective function), under constraints and discretization of initial information for the packages of protective clothing. Structural and logical matrix for insulating change of protective clothing was formed. There were proposed a structure of insulating change of clothing for NPP employees, structural and technological solutions for the products from the product range. Task-oriented selection of modules and methods of their transformation within the designed object was carried out

Genomic analysis of estrogen cascade reveals histone variant H2A.Z associated with breast cancer progression

We demonstrate an integrated approach to the study of a transcriptional regulatory cascade involved in the progression of breast cancer and we identify a protein associated with disease progression. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and genome tiling arrays, whole genome mapping of transcription factor-binding sites was combined with gene expression profiling to identify genes involved in the proliferative response to estrogen (E2). Using RNA interference, selected ERα and c-MYC gene targets were knocked down to identify mediators of E2-stimulated cell proliferation. Tissue microarray screening revealed that high expression of an epigenetic factor, the E2-inducible histone variant H2A.Z, is significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and decreased breast cancer survival. Detection of H2A.Z levels independently increased the prognostic power of biomarkers currently in clinical use. This integrated approach has accelerated the identification of a molecule linked to breast cancer progression, has implications for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, and can be applied to a wide range of cancers

Analysis of Drosophila segmentation network identifies a JNK pathway factor overexpressed in kidney cancer

We constructed a large-scale functional network model in Drosophila melanogaster built around two key transcription factors involved in the process of embryonic segmentation. Analysis of the model allowed the identification of a new role for the ubiquitin E3 ligase complex factor SPOP. In Drosophila, the gene encoding SPOP is a target of segmentation transcription factors. Drosophila SPOP mediates degradation of the Jun kinase phosphatase Puckered, thereby inducing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/Eiger-dependent apoptosis. In humans, we found that SPOP plays a conserved role in TNF-mediated JNK signaling and was highly expressed in 99% of clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), the most prevalent form of kidney cancer. SPOP expression distinguished histological subtypes of RCC and facilitated identification of clear cell RCC as the primary tumor for metastatic lesions

The growth pattern of transplanted normal and nodular hepatocytes

Overt neoplasia is often the end result of a long biological process beginning with the appearance of focal lesions of altered tissue morphology. While the putative clonal nature of focal lesions has often been emphasized, increasing attention is being devoted to the possible role of an altered growth pattern in the evolution of carcinogenesis. Here we compare the growth patterns of normal and nodular hepatocytes in a transplantation system that allows their selective clonal proliferation in vivo. Rats were pre-treated with retrorsine, which blocks the growth of resident hepatocytes, and were then transplanted with hepatocytes isolated from either normal liver or hepatocyte nodules. Both cell types were able to proliferate extensively in the recipient liver, as expected. However, their growth pattern was remarkably different. Clusters of normal hepatocytes integrated in the host liver, displaying a normal histology; however, transplanted nodular hepatocytes formed new hepatocyte nodules, with altered morphology and sharp demarcation from surrounding host liver. Both the expression and distribution of proteins involved in cell polarity, cell communication, and cell adhesion, including connexin 32, E-cadherin, and matrix metalloproteinase-2, were altered in clusters of nodular hepatocytes. Furthermore, we were able to show that down-regulation of connexin 32 and E-cadherin in nodular hepatocyte clusters was independent of growth rate. These results support the concept that a dominant pathway towards neoplastic disease in several organs involves defect(s) in tissue pattern formation

Fashion design in a multicultural space

The collective monograph contains the results of the synthesis of theoretical materials, as well as the authors` applied research developments on the design of the clothes of different assortment and purpose, made from different materials considering the modern scientific methods

Cancer Biomarker Discovery: The Entropic Hallmark

Background: It is a commonly accepted belief that cancer cells modify their transcriptional state during the progression of the disease. We propose that the progression of cancer cells towards malignant phenotypes can be efficiently tracked using high-throughput technologies that follow the gradual changes observed in the gene expression profiles by employing Shannon's mathematical theory of communication. Methods based on Information Theory can then quantify the divergence of cancer cells' transcriptional profiles from those of normally appearing cells of the originating tissues. The relevance of the proposed methods can be evaluated using microarray datasets available in the public domain but the method is in principle applicable to other high-throughput methods. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using melanoma and prostate cancer datasets we illustrate how it is possible to employ Shannon Entropy and the Jensen-Shannon divergence to trace the transcriptional changes progression of the disease. We establish how the variations of these two measures correlate with established biomarkers of cancer progression. The Information Theory measures allow us to identify novel biomarkers for both progressive and relatively more sudden transcriptional changes leading to malignant phenotypes. At the same time, the methodology was able to validate a large number of genes and processes that seem to be implicated in the progression of melanoma and prostate cancer. Conclusions/Significance: We thus present a quantitative guiding rule, a new unifying hallmark of cancer: the cancer cell's transcriptome changes lead to measurable observed transitions of Normalized Shannon Entropy values (as measured by high-throughput technologies). At the same time, tumor cells increment their divergence from the normal tissue profile increasing their disorder via creation of states that we might not directly measure. This unifying hallmark allows, via the the Jensen-Shannon divergence, to identify the arrow of time of the processes from the gene expression profiles, and helps to map the phenotypical and molecular hallmarks of specific cancer subtypes. The deep mathematical basis of the approach allows us to suggest that this principle is, hopefully, of general applicability for other diseases

The glial growth factors deficiency and synaptic destabilization hypothesis of schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: A systems approach to understanding the etiology of schizophrenia requires a theory which is able to integrate genetic as well as neurodevelopmental factors. PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS: Based on a co-localization of loci approach and a large amount of circumstantial evidence, we here propose that a functional deficiency of glial growth factors and of growth factors produced by glial cells are among the distal causes in the genotype-to-phenotype chain leading to the development of schizophrenia. These factors include neuregulin, insulin-like growth factor I, insulin, epidermal growth factor, neurotrophic growth factors, erbB receptors, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, growth arrest specific genes, neuritin, tumor necrosis factor alpha, glutamate, NMDA and cholinergic receptors. A genetically and epigenetically determined low baseline of glial growth factor signaling and synaptic strength is expected to increase the vulnerability for additional reductions (e.g., by viruses such as HHV-6 and JC virus infecting glial cells). This should lead to a weakening of the positive feedback loop between the presynaptic neuron and its targets, and below a certain threshold to synaptic destabilization and schizophrenia. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: Supported by informed conjectures and empirical facts, the hypothesis makes an attractive case for a large number of further investigations. IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS: The hypothesis suggests glial cells as the locus of the genes-environment interactions in schizophrenia, with glial asthenia as an important factor for the genetic liability to the disorder, and an increase of prolactin and/or insulin as possible working mechanisms of traditional and atypical neuroleptic treatments