Thermoelectric enhancement in PbTe with K, Na co-doping from tuning the interaction of the light and heavy hole valence bands

The effect of K and K-Na substitution for Pb atoms in the rock salt lattice of PbTe was investigated to test a hypothesis for development of resonant states in the valence band that may enhance the thermoelectric power. We combined high temperature Hall-effect, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity measurements to show that K-Na co-doping do not form resonance states but2 can control the energy difference of the maxima of the two primary valence sub-bands in PbTe. This leads to an enhanced interband interaction with rising temperature and a significant rise in the thermoelectric figure of merit of p-type PbTe. The experimental data can be explained by a combination of a single and two-band model for the valence band of PbTe depending on hole density that varies in the range of 1-15 x 10^19 cm^-3.Comment: 8 figure

Design and construction of new central and forward muon counters for CDF II

New scintillation counters have been designed and constructed for the CDF upgrade in order to complete the muon coverage of the central CDF detector, and to extend this coverage to larger pseudorapidity. A novel light collection technique using wavelength shifting fibers, together with high quality polystyrene-based scintillator resulted in compact counters with good and stable light collection efficiency over lengths extending up to 320 cm. Their design and construction is described and results of their initial performance are reported.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figure

The experience in treatment of dengue fever using antiviral drug riamilovir in the Republic of Guinea (case report)

Dengue fever is classified as one of the most common viral diseases with a transmission mechanism implemented through arthropod vectors. The expansion of of the Aedes aegypti mosquito is leading to a significant increase in the number of cases of dengue fever in more than 100 countries, highlighting the importance of developing and implementing specific prevention and treatment measures. Etiotropic drugs with proven efficacy against the pathogen are not registered, and the use of the vaccine is approved only among seropositive individuals. In this regard, pathogenetic treatment remains the main therapeutic strategy, however, work on the synthesis of antiviral drugs is being actively carried out. Due to the unique functions of non-structural proteins NS3 and NS5 in the viral replication cycle, they have become the main targets for studying the antiviral activity of a number of chemotherapy drugs. Of these proteins, due to the most conserved structure, the NS5 protein is a promising target for inhibition, however, success in obtaining a clinical effect using a number of available antiviral drugs has not been reached. This study describes the positive experience of using the nucleoside analogue riamilovir in the treatment of a patient with dengue fever in the Republic of Guinea

Experience in Building Infectious Hospital for Treatment of Particularly Dangerous Infectious Diseases in the Republic of Guinea

Ebola treatment hospital was constructed within the frames of the West Africa support infinitive of the Russian Federation, in cooperation with the United Company “RUSAL”. Permanent building with bed capacity rated 60 and strict separation of clean area from hazard zone set this medical facility apart from tent camps, which are used by international organizations. For the first time ever, in West Africa, deployed was a strategy of waste decontamination using caustic. It is of note that due to biological safety procedure compliance, no case of nosocomial infection was registered during the whole time of operation. Commissioning of this hospital is an effective mechanism for Ebola virus disease control

Epidemiological Peculiarities and Clinical Features of Ebola Virus Disease in the Republic of Guinea

The current outbreak of the Ebola fever in West Africa is unprecedented in terms of its scale. As of today, 27550 suspected cases and 11235 deaths have been reported. The outbreak differs from previous epidemics in terms of epidemiological and clinical progression of the disease. The article covers several epidemiological issues related to Ebola virus disease by the example of the Guinean outbreak, which has been plaguing the country since 2014. Given is the preliminary clinical analysis of the medical observations, performed in the Research and Diagnostic Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology built by RUSAL. Regarded are epidemiological and clinical features of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in 83 patients, who were admitted to RUSAL Treatment Center since March 6th till June 30th, 2015. In 28 of the patients, EVD diagnosis was laboratory confirmed. The principle assessment criteria are: morbidity rate, lethality index, gender, age, occupation, time since the onset of the disease until hospitalization, an average duration of the stay at the hospital, complaints, symptoms, complications, and the therapy provided

МОЛЕКУЛЯРНО-ГЕНЕТИЧЕСКИЕ МЕХАНИЗМЫ ВИРУЛЕНТНОСТИ PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM И ПАТОГЕНЕЗА ТРОПИЧЕСКОЙ МАЛЯРИИ

There is introduced the analysis of molecular-genetic mechanisms of tropical malaria pathogenesis and P. falciparum virulence. It is shown, that pathogenesis of tropical malaria is associated with the properties of red blood cells membrane surface (RBCs or erythrocytes) that are infected by P. falciparum. There are «knobs structures» on membrane surface infected RBCs. Knobs structures contains a complex of P. falciparum proteins – PfEMP1 (Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1). PfEMP1 is associated with virulence of P. falciparum. Complex PfEMP1 has difficult polymorphous structure. Domains of PfEMP1 are able to associate with different cell receptors. Virulence`s individual components of the main factor are selectively sensitive to different tissues and organs. The severity of the clinical malaria infection course depends on the complex structure PfEMP1 of malaria parasites. Composition of polypeptide PfEMP1 is determined by var-complex. Nowadays there are 60 variants of var-complex. Regulation of gene expression, forming part of the var-complex, is carried out on a molecular-genetic level, cellular level, tissue level. Modern research in this area are aimed to explore genes polymorphism of the virulence`s main factor, to identify mechanism of its differential expression. Search of molecular – genetic markers is relevant to develop methods of gene diagnostic and malaria vaccine.Представлен обобщенный анализ данных о молекулярно-генетических механизмах реализации патогенного действия возбудителей тропической малярии и их вирулентности. Определены современные тенденции научных исследований в этой области. Показано, что основной механизм патогенного действия P. falciparum связан с изменением свойств пораженных эритроцитов за счет формирования на их поверхности малярийных бугорков («knobs structure», «knobs»), на верхушке которых находятся особые структуры «ручки», образованные паразитарным белком PfEMP1 (Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1). Этот протеин выполняет роль основного фактора вирулентности P. falciparum. Комплекс PfEMP1 имеет сложную полиморфную структуру. Его отдельные области обладают способностью избирательно связываться с основными клеточными рецепторами, что приводит к адгезии пораженных эритроцитов на поверхности эндотелия, тромбозу капилляров и развитию диссеминированного внутрисосудистого свертывания. Отдельные компоненты главного фактора вирулентности обладают избирательной тропностью к различным тканям и органам. От структуры комплекса PfEMP1 и других факторов зависит тяжесть клинического течения малярийной инфекции. Состав полипептида PfEMP1 определяется комплексом генов (var-комплекс). В настоящее время выявлено около 60 различных вариантов var-комплекса, кодирующих различные нуклеотидные последовательности главного фактора вирулентности Pl. falciparum. Регуляция экспрессии генов, входящих в состав varкомплекса, осуществляется на молекулярно-генетическом, клеточном, тканевом уровне, а также за счет эпигенетических механизмов. Современные научные исследования в этой области направлены на изучение полиморфизма генов главного фактора вирулентности P. falciparum, выявление механизмов их дифференцированной экспрессии. Основные усилия сосредоточены на поиске молекулярно-генетических маркеров малярийной инфекции с целью разработки методов генодиагностики, а также создания эффективной противомалярийной вакцины

Response of the ATLAS tile calorimeter prototype to muons

A study of high energy muons traversing the ATLAS hadron Tile calorimeter in the barrel region in the energy range between 10 and 300~GeV is presented. Both test beam experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations are given and show good agreement. The Tile calorimeter capability of detecting isolated muons over the above energy range is demonstrated. A signal to background ratio of about 10 is expected for the nominal LHC luminosity ($10^{34} cm^{-2} sec^{-1}$). The photoelectron statistics effect in the muon shape response is shown. The e/mip ratio is found to be $0.81 \pm 0.03$; the e/$\mu$ ratio is in the range 0.91 - 0.97. The energy loss of a muon in the calorimeter, dominated by the energy lost in the absorber, can be correlated to the energy loss in the active material. This correlation allows one to correct on an event by event basis the muon energy loss in the calorimeter and therefore reduce the low energy tails in the muon momentum distribution

A measurement of the energy loss spectrum of 150 GeV muons in iron

The energy loss spectrum of 150 GeV muons has been measured with a prototype of the ATLAS hadron calorimeter in the H8 beam of the CERN SPS.\\ The differential probability $dP/dv$ per radiation length of a fractional energy loss $v = \Delta E_{\mu} / E_{\mu}$ has been measured in the range $v = 0.01 \div 0.95$; it is then compared with the theoretical predictions for energy losses due to bremsstrahlung and production of electron-positron pairs or of energetic knock-on electrons.\\ The integrated probability $\int_{0.01}^{0.95} (dP/dv) dv$ is $(1.610\pm0.015_{stat.}\pm0.105_{syst.})\cdot10^{-3}$ in agreement with the theoretical predictions of $1.556\cdot10^{-3}$ and $1.619\cdot10^{-3}$. %7.8.96 - start Agreement with theory is also found in two intervals of $v$ where production of electron-positron pairs and knock-on electrons dominates. In the region of bremsstrahlung dominance ($v = 0.12\div0.95$) the measured integrated probability $(1.160\pm0.040_{stat}\pm0.075_{syst})\cdot 10^{-4}$ is in agreement with the theoretical value of $1.185 \cdot 10^{-4}$, obtained using Petrukhin and Shestakov's \cite{PS} description of the bremsstrahlung process. The same result is about 3.6 standard deviations (defined as the quadratic sum of statistical and systematic errors) lower than the theoretical prediction of $1.472\cdot 10^{-4}$, obtained using Tsai's \cite{TS} description of bremsstrahlung