Thermally induced evolution of the structure and optical properties of silicon nanowires

In the present paper, we report on the investigation of thermal annealing (TA) effect on structural and optical properties of crystalline silicon nanowires produced by metal-assisted chemical etching approach. In particular, the impact of TA on nanowire length, relative volume and size distribution of voids is described in terms of Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner theory considering the TA induced Oswald ripening in the SiNW arrays. It was also found that TA leads to a decrease of the SiNWs total reflection in the wide UV–VIS-IR spectral range. The reported effects can be used for tuning of crystalline SiNWs arrays in view of their further applications in photonics related fields. © 2020 The Author

Anisotropic heat conduction in silicon nanowire network revealed by Raman scattering

Anisotropic nanomaterials possess interesting thermal transport properties because they allow orientation of heat fluxes along preferential directions due to a high ratio (up to three orders of magnitude) between their in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities. Among different techniques allowing thermal conductivity evaluation, micro-Raman scattering is known to be one of the most efficient contactless measurement approaches. In this letter, a new experimental approach based on Raman scattering measurements with variable laser spot sizes is reported. Correlation between experimental and calculated thermal resistances of one-dimensional nanocrystalline solids allows simultaneous estimation of their in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities. In particular, our measurement approach is illustrated to be successfully applied for anisotropic thermal conductivity evaluation of silicon nanowire arrays

Using Hilbert Transform for Signal Processing in Mechanical Impedance Analysis

These papers describe using of Hilbert transform in processing signal received from standard mechanical impedance sensor. It’s shown that Hilbert transform allows extract additional information from the signal and increase reliability of non-destructive testing. Presented mathematical model of typical signals received form mechanical impedance sensor and described ways to extraction and using in non-destructive testing process wide known characteristic of the signal like instantaneous phase and instantaneous frequency. Also described another parameters based on mentioned characteristics which are more stable in diagnostic decision-making compare to another widely used in contemporary flow detectors. Shown experimental results obtained from scanning samples of composite materials used in development of light-weight aircrafts

Radical prostatectomy in the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer: a retrospective, bicentric, descriptive study

Catedra de urologie, Universitatea de Stat de Medicină din Kuban, Krasnodar, Federaţia Rusă, Catedra de oncologie, Centrul de Medicină Reconstructivă al Clinicii Universitare, Universitatea Naţională de Medicină din Odessa, Odessa, UcrainaRezumat Introducere. Actualmente, există numeroase criterii ce vizează depistarea cancerului de prostată (PCa) cu risc înalt de progresie. Prostatectomia radicală (RPE) poate fi efectuată și la pacienții cu PCa local-avansat, fără riscul creșterii numărului de complicații. Material și metode. Stusdiu retrospectiv, descriptiv, bicentric, efectuat pe un eșantion total de 276 de pacienți (91 – PCa local-avansat și 185 – PCa local). Descrisă evoluția postoperatorie a pacienților pe o durată de până la 36 luni. Rezultate. Prostatectomia radicală permite un control fiabil al procesului neoplazic la 75% dintre pacienții cu PCa avansat local, aprecierea gradului de extindere al tumorii fiind mai exactă. Progresia biochimică a fost semnificativ mai des întâlnită la pacienții cu stadiul pT3 la PCa; cu toate acestea, doar la 5,6% dintre ei nivelul postoperatoriu de PSA a fost peste 0,2 mg/mL. Doar 35,2% dintre acești pacienți au necesitat tratament multimodal pe parcursul primelor 12 luni de monitorizare postoperatorie. Dintre aceștia, doar 18,9% au necesitat radioterapie adjuvantă (RT), 3,2% – tratament hormonal adjuvant (HT) și 13,1% – RT și HT, în combinație, luând în considerare factorii de pronostic negativ. Concluzii. Prostatectomia radicală oferă un control sigur al tumorii la majoritatea pacienților cu cancer de prostată localavansat și permite evaluarea mai exactă a extinderii procesului neoplazic. Pacienții cu stadiu pT3 necesită un control mai riguros al nivelului de PSA în primele 12 luni după intervenție, cu scopul unei eventuale inițieri precoce al altor tratamente adjuvante. Este argumentată și instituirea unui control programat al pacienților după prostatectomie radicală începând cu 24 luni postoperatoriu, în scopul identificării precoce a progresării tumorii din micrometastazele preexistente în ganglionii limfatici retroperitoneali și structurile osoase, care sunt nedetectabile preoperatoriu. Abstract Introduction. There are a lot of criteria characterizing highrisk of progression prostate cancer (PCa) nowadays. Radical prostatectomy (RPE) being used for years makes it possible to perform this surgery in patients with locally advanced PCa without the risk of increasing the number of complications. Material and methods. Retrospective, descriptive, bicentric study, made on a total number of 276 patients (91 – locally advanced PCa, and 185 – local PCa). The evolution of 36 months of follow-up was described. Results. Radical prostatectomy provided reliable control of the tumor in 75% of patients with locally advanced PCa, allowed to assess more accurately the extent of the tumor process. Biochemical progression was significantly more frequently found in patients with pT3 stage of PCa; however, only in 5.6% of them, postoperative levels of PSA were over 0.2 mg/mL. Only 32.5% of these patients required multimodal treatment within the first 12 months of postoperative followup. Out of them, 18.9% required adjuvant radio therapy (RT), 3.2% – adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) and 13.1% – RT and HT taking in consideration negative prognostic factors. Conclusions. Radical prostatectomy offers a reliable control of tumours in the majority of patients with locally advanced prostate cancer and allows better evaluation of the extension of the neoplastic process. Patients with pT3 stage of cancer need a more rigorous control of PSA levels in the first 12 months after the surgery, in order to early initiate other adjuvant therapies. It is also reasonable to initiate a protocol of programmed control of patients that underwent radical prostatectomy in the first 24 months after the surgery, in order to early identify tumour progression from pre-existent micrometastasis in retroperitoneal lymphatic nodes and bones that are undetectable preoperatively

The Effectiveness of the Fungal Autolysate Use in the Quails Breeding

The article presents the results of the application of a feed additive in the diet of Texas quails based on autolysate of biomass of the non-pathogenic soil fungus Cephaliophora tropica D3, grown in the environment enriched with macro- and microelements (“Albit-BIO”). It has been established that the use of fungal autolysate in the diet of quails contributes to the improvement of the economic indicators of poultry, increases preservation, live weight, increases and reduces the cost of feed for weight gain. The use of a feed additive in the diet of Texas breed quails kept by the outdoor method is more promising, since a positive trend was observed in the dynamics of the studied economic indicators than at cage keeping. The use of “Albit-BIO” contributes to an increase in the slaughter yield, as well as the mass of the muscle part, which is especially pronounced in poultry of the second experimental group, where the additive was used for outdoor keeping of quails. It was revealed that the feed additive, regardless of the conditions of poultry keeping, has a positive effect on the formation of beneficial intestinal microflora while simultaneously suppressing representatives of opportunistic microorganisms. As a result, the process of digestibility and application of feed nutrients improves, which is especially pronounced in poultry in experimental groups that received a feed additive and were kept in the outdoor way. It is recommended to increase the economic indicators and efficiency of the quail industry to grow poultry in the outdoor way and additionally introduce Albit-BIO fungal autolysate into the diet at a dose of 0.13 ml per 1 liter of drinking water throughout the growing period

Photoacoustic effects in nanocomposite structure ‘porous silicon-liquid’

Photoacoustic effect in nanocomposite structure ‘porous silicon-liquid’ has been investigated. Main mechanisms involved in the formation of photoacoustic signal in such structures have been experimentally studied. Liquids with different viscosity (ethanol and acetone) filling the nanopores have been used. A proposed mathematical model describing the photoacoustic signal formation was found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The role of thermally induced pressures provoked by the liquids confined inside the nanopores in the photoacoustic process has been analyzed

Methodical recommendations for conducting an audit of the financial institution of the manager of the lower level

The methodological recommendations highlighted in the article will be useful for auditors who carry out audits of financial and economic activity in the system of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and other components of the security and defense sector. It is determined that the subject matter of the article is not sufficiently investigated, both from a practical and a theoretical point of view. The article presents a retrospective analysis of the activities of the second-level funds managers in the overall construction of funds managers in the system of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The main directions of activity of second level managers are determined. The article analyzes the legislative and regulatory acts regulating the second level manager at both the state and departmental levels. The analysis carried out in the article made it possible to highlight a number of key functions of the financial authority of the second-level funds manager. The article outlines nine areas for conducting an audit, the need for a second-tier administrator in a financial institution and identifies specific areas of verification. Also, the article deals with issues that are to be investigated when assessing the activity of a financial institution of the manager of lower-level funds, which, in its functions, is the organ of provision for subordinate military units, institutions (hereinafter - the manager of lower-level funds), depending on its functions and tasks they are executed. Taking into account the practical experience, the methodical recommendations for conducting a check on the activity of the financial institution of the manager of the lower level funds are presented, and the questions, which according to the authors, are subject to compulsory study, are presented. The substantiated conclusions concerning the necessity of determining a number of other (additional) areas of verification are formulated depending on the peculiarities of functioning of the other financial institution of the second level administrator and the mandatory inclusion in the audits of the overall indicator of the state of financial and economic activity of military units, institutions and organizations, which are in financial security