Electroless deposition and Electroplating of Metals

The present paper summarizes the main results of the research on the electroless and electrochemical metal deposition from aqueous solutions, which has been carried out in the Research Institute of Physical-Chemical problems of the Belarussian State University and at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry of the BSU for the last three decades. The paper covers the following problems: the main peculiarities of electroless and electrochemical deposition of copper, nickel, Ni-B,Ni-P, gold films 0.1-30 mkm and more in thickness, their phase composition, morphology and properties; the characteristic features of of hydrometallurgic allowing (e.g. electroless and electrochemical deposition of a number of binary alloy coatings such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cd, Cu-Sn, Cu-Zn, Ni-Sn, Ni-W, Ni-Mo), methods of their chemical and phase composition and microstructure regulation, together with correlation between these parameters and alloy properties; the methods for composite metal and alloy film plating from solutions with production of materials including metal oxides and thus possessing unusual and useful properties; the peculiarities of metal film plating onto dielectrics with production of continuous films and metal conductive patterns without the use of photoresists

The use of morphobiological characteristics in the selection of Phacelia Tanacetifolia Benth

The aim of the work is to create new adapted varieties resistant to the complex of biotic and abiotic factors on the basis of the use of Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. morphological and biological characteristic

Biological resources of the Fabaceae family in the Cretaceous south of Russia as a source of starting material for drought-resistance selection

The aim of this work is the study of biological resources of the genera Medicago and Trifolium species in Cretaceous South of the Central Russian Upland as the most valuable in genetic and economic term

Biofouling growth on plastic substrates: Experimental studies in the Black Sea

Despite long-term research on marine litter there is still insufficient knowledge about benthic organisms associated with these substrates, especially experimental studies and methodology of sampling for complex biofouling assemblages. To predict the fate of plastic in the marine environment it is necessary to know how long the macrolitter can stay in different sea matrices and what are the steps of colonisation by marine organisms. The experiments were carried out during various seasons in situ in the north-western Black Sea coastal area. Three new types of the experimental constructions intended for different durations of exposure (1–10 months) were designed. This article is the first to present the methodology and the results of complex experiments investigating marine fouling (from microalgae to meio- and macrofauna) on plastic surfaces. Overall, 28 genera of microalgae, 13 major groups of meiobenthos and 36 species of macrofauna were found on plastic during the experiments. The microalgae fouling was mainly formed by representatives of genus Cocconeis. The species composition of microalgae was common for the research area. The average density and biomass of meiobenthos were the greatest on I construction type after 8 months of exposure. In the total macrozoobenthos biomass and density of Bivalvia and Crustacea dominated, respectively. The obtained results on the interaction between fouling organisms and plastic materials in the marine environment form an important contribution to the understanding of the "good ecological status" of the sea. Additional studies based on the tested methodology could be used as a component of ecological monitoring during development and implementation of the approaches of the Marine Strategy (descriptor 10)

Saint-Petersburg Experience of the First Russian Pediatric Hospice Organization

The authors of the article note the high rate of pediatric disabilities in Russia and describe the experience of Russia’s first organization actively acting in the field of pediatric social care and palliation under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church since 2003, “Pediatric hospice”. The article describe in detail the goals and functions of the pediatric hospice, its structure, actual experience of its different branches and departments. Coordinated work of inpatient department and home care teams allows increasing the quality of life of children with disabilities

Поиск предикторов достижения минимальной активности болезни на фоне терапии тофацитинибом у больных псориатическим артритом

Objective: to search predictors of achieving minimal disease activity (MDA) during therapy in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).Materials and methods. The study included 41 patients, predominantly men (58.9 %), with a confirmed PsA diagnosis and a disease duration of at least 6 months. In all cases, the diagnosis fulfilled the CASPAR criteria. The mean age of the patients at the time of enrolment in the study was 43.0±10.1 years, the duration of PsA was 7.7±7.1 years, the duration of psoriasis was 18.6±10.4 years, and the DAPSA index was 44.2±17.1. All patients were prescribed tofacitinib at a dose of 5 mg twice daily, followed by a possible dose increase to 10 mg twice daily. In addition to a general clinical examination and a standard rheumatological examination, the level of secreted DKK-1 protein and health-related quality of life (HRQoL, using a special PsAID-12 questionnaire) were determined. Multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis was used to search for predictors for the achievement of MDA in patients with PsA and to calculate the coefficients.Results and discussion. Based on the results obtained, a predictor for the achievement of MDA (PMDA) was developed: PMDA=-1.165 × number of inflamed entheses + DKK-1 level (pmol/l) + 3.086 × PsAID-12 “Skin lesions” scale value (if this indicator was ≤3 points, it was assigned a value of 1, if it was >3 points – 0) + 2.568 × PsAID-12 “Pain” scale (if this indicator was ≤6 points, it was assigned a value of 1, if it was >6 points – 0).The ROC analysis, which reflects the prognostic significance of this index, showed AUC (area under the curve) of 0.803 (95% confidence interval 0.739–0.867; p=0.02). PMDA=3.89 was chosen as the cut-off value; the sensitivity of this indicator was 91 %, the specificity – 79 %. Therefore with a PMDA ≥3.89, the probability of the patient achieving a MDA after 3 months is high; with a PMDA ˂ 3.89, it is low.Conclusion. We identified factors influencing the achievement of MDA in patients with PsA and developed a mathematical model. It allows timely assessment of the quality of treatment and its correction if necessary, thereby slowing disease progression.Цель исследования – поиск предикторов достижения минимальной активности болезни (МАБ) на фоне терапии у больных псориатическим артритом (ПсА).Материал и методы. В исследование включен 41 больной, преимущественно мужчины (58,9%), с подтвержденным диагнозом ПсА и длительностью заболевания не менее 6 мес. Во всех случаях диагноз соответствовал критериям CASPAR. Средний возраст пациентов на момент включения в исследование составлял 43,0±10,1 года, длительность ПсА – 7,7±7,1 года, псориаза – 18,6±10,4 года, индекс DAPSA – 44,2±17,1. Всем больным назначался тофацитиниб по 5 мг 2 раза в сутки с последующим возможным увеличением дозы до 10 мг 2 раза в сутки. Наряду с общеклиническим обследованием и стандартным ревматологическим осмотром проводили оценку уровня секретируемого белка DKK-1 и качества жизни, связанного со здоровьем (КЖСЗ), с помощью специфического опросника PsAID-12. Поиск предикторов достижения МАБ у пациентов с ПсА и расчет коэффициентов осуществляли с помощью многофакторного пошагового дискриминантного анализа.Результаты и обсуждение. На основании полученных результатов был разработан предиктор достижения МАБ (ПМАБ). ПМАБ = -1,165 × число воспаленных энтезисов + уровень DKK-1 (пмоль/л) + 3,086 × значение показателя шкалы «Поражение кожи» PsAID12 (если этот показатель составлял ≤3 балла, ему присваивали значение 1, а при величине >3 баллов – 0) + 2,568 × шкала «Боль» PsAID-12 (если этот показатель равнялся ≤6 баллам, ему присваивали значение 1, при уровне >6 баллов – 0).ROC-анализ, отражающий прогностическую значимость данного индекса, показал, что AUC (площадь под кривой) составила 0,803 (95% доверительный интервал 0,739–0,867; p=0,02). В качестве пограничного значения был выбран ПМАБ=3,89; чувствительность этого показателя составила – 91%, специфичность – 79%. Таким образом, при ПМАБ ≥3,89 вероятность того, что пациент достигнет МАБ через 3 мес, высокая, а при ПМАБ ˂ 3,89 – низкая.Заключение. Выявлены факторы, влияющие на достижение МАБ у пациентов с ПсА, разработана математическая модель, позволяющая своевременно оценивать качество проводимого лечения и при необходимости осуществлять его коррекцию, что замедляет прогрессирование заболевания

Copolymer-induced stabilizing effect of highly swollen hexagonal mesophases

We show quantitatively that tiny amounts of copolymer that decorate a oil/water interfaces can greatly enhance the stability of swollen surfactant hexagonal phases, comprising oil tubes regularly arranged in a water matrix. Such soft composite materials, whose both radius of the tubes and water channel between the tubes can be controlled independently over large ranges, offer a potential interest for the synthesis of mesoporous materials

Co(NO3)2 as an Inverted Umbrella-type Chiral Noncoplanar Ferrimagnet

The low-dimensional magnetic systems tend to reveal exotic spin-liquid ground states or form peculiar types of long-range order. Among systems of vivid interest are those characterized by the triangular motif in two dimensions. The realization of either ordered or disordered ground state in triangular, honeycomb, or kagome lattices is dictated by the competition of exchange interactions, also being sensitive to anisotropy and the spin value of magnetic ions. While the low-spin Heisenberg systems may arrive to a spin-liquid long-range entangled quantum state with emergent gauge structures, the high-spin Ising systems may establish the rigid noncollinear structures. Here, we present the case of chiral noncoplanar inverted umbrella-type ferrimagnet formed in cobalt nitrate Co(NO3)2 below TC=3K with the comparable spin and orbital contributions to the total magnetic moment. © 2020 American Physical Society.This work has been supported by Russian Scientific Foundation, Grant No. 19-42-02010 and by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) Grants No. 18-52-52005, No. 18-502-12022, No. 19-02-00015, and No. 19-03-01059. We acknowledge support by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Contracts No. 02.A03.21.0004, No. 02.A03.21.0006, and No. 02.A03.21.0011. O.V.M. and A.N.V. acknowledge support by NUST “MISiS,” Grant No. K2-2020-008. We acknowledge the support of Hochfeld Magnetlabor Dresden at Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, member of the European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL). B.L. acknowledges the support of DFG through Project No. B06 of SFB 1143 (ID No. 247310070). J.-Y.L. was supported by Taiwan MOST Grant No. 107-2923-M-009-001-MY3 and by the center for Emergent Functional Matter Science of NCTU from the Featured Areas Research Center program within the framework of the Higher education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan. M.A.-H. acknowledges the support from the Swedish Research Council Grant No. (VR) 2018-05339. I.V.S. was supported by Program AAAA-A18-118020190095-4 (Quantum)

CVD graphene sheets electrochemically decorated with “core-shell” Co/CoO nanoparticles

The paper reports on the first successful fabrication of Co-graphene composites by electrochemical deposition of Co nanoparticles (NPs) on the sheets of twisted graphene. Characterization of the surface morphology and element mapping of twisted graphene decorated with Co NPs by transmission and scanning electron microscopy in combination with the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy reveals the formation of isolated quasi-spherical oxidized Co NPs with the mean diameter h di _ 220 nm and core-shell structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the core of deposited NPs consists of metal Co while the shell is CoO. Composite Co-graphene samples containing core-shell NPs reveal an exchange bias field up to 160 Oe at 4 K as detected by vibrating sample magnetometry after the field cooling procedure

Влияние осаждения частиц кобальта на квантовые поправки к проводимости Друде в твистированном CVD графене

The use of graphene in electronics requires both an experimental study of the formation of high-quality low-resistance contacts and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of electron carrier transport in graphene sheets and in the vicinity of metal / graphene interface. In this work, we studied the charge carrier transport in twisted CVD graphene, which was decorated with electrochemically deposited Co particles forming an ohmic contact with the graphene sheet. The temperature and magnetic field dependences of the sheet resistance R(T,B) in the pristine and decorated twisted graphene on silicon oxide substrate are compared. The coexistence of the negative (at magnetic fields with induction B below 1 T) and positive (B higher than 1 T) contributions to the magnetoresistive effect in both types of samples is shown. The R(T,B) dependences are analyzed in fraimwork of the theory of two-dimensional interference quantum corrections to Drude conductivity, taking into account the competition of the contribution from the hopping conduction mechanism. It has been shown that in the studied temperatures range (2-300 K) and magnetic fields (up to 8 T), when describing the transport of charge carriers in the studied samples, it is necessary to take into account at least three interference contributions to the conductivity: from weak localization, intervalley scattering, and breaking of pseudospin chirality, as well as warping of graphene due to thermal fluctuations.Использование графена в электронике требует как экспериментального исследования процесса формирования высококачественных низкоомных контактов, так и углубления понимания механизмов электронного переноса в окрестности контакта металл/графен. В работе исследован транспорт носителей заряда в твистированном CVD графене, который декорирован электрохимически осажденными частицами Co, образующими омический контакт с графеновым слоем. Сопоставляются температурные и магнетополевые зависимости слоевого сопротивления R(T,B) исходного и декорированного  твистированного графена на подложке из оксида кремния. Показано сосуществование отрицательного (при индукции магнитного поля ниже 1 Тл) и положительного (индукция выше 1 Тл) вкладов в магниторезистивный эффект в обоих типах образцов. Зависимости R(T,B) анализируются на основе теории двумерных интерференционных квантовых поправок к проводимости Друде с учетом конкуренции вклада от прыжкового механизма проводимости. Показано, что в изученной области температур (2–300 К) и магнитных полей (до 8 Тл) при описании транспорта носителей заряда в исследованном графене необходимо учитывать не менее трех интерференционных вкладов в проводимость: от слабой локализации, междолинного рассеяния и нарушения хиральности псевдоспина, а также короблением графена вследствие тепловых флуктуаций