Stand -alone net zero energy container houses as temporary offsite working/living

This paper is aimed to investigate and briefly analyze the conditions in Kazakhstan to predict the effectiveness of operation of standalone net zero energy container house. The description of Kazakhstani weather conditions as well as container house's characteristics is provided. The comparison was done between the specifications of solar, wind energy transformation technologies with the data collected in all regions of the country to check the feasibility of the project. Additionally, the brief description of stand-alone net zero energy container houses, including both interior-exterior design and energy control system, are provided

Innovative wireless sensor framework for enhanced characterization of oil and gas reserves in Kazakhstan

This research will develop a broad foundation in support of innovative wireless smart sensing strategies and technologies that can provide high-resolution subsurface seismic surveys to enable more effective exploration of the oil and gas reserves in Kazakhstan. The hypothesis is that next generation wireless smart sensor networks, coupled with UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technologies, can create an autonomous seismic survey system that is scalable to large geographical regions and terrains of interest. The UAV will be employed as an airborne base station to provide cooperative wireless transmission for sensor nodes and data harvesting. Digital mapping of the exploration area will take advantage of the UAV's mobility, onboard computational power, and image processing capabilities. A key benefit of the proposed solution is its ability to scale to mega-node networks, yielding an unprecedented level of resolution for seismic surveys

Innovative wireless sensor framework for enhanced characterization of oil and gas reserves in Kazakhstan

This research will develop a broad foundation in support of innovative wireless smart sensing strategies and technologies that can provide high-resolution subsurface seismic surveys to enable more effective exploration of the oil and gas reserves in Kazakhstan. The hypothesis is that next generation wireless smart sensor networks, coupled with UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technologies, can create an autonomous seismic survey system that is scalable to large geographical regions and terrains of interest. The UAV will be employed as an airborne base station to provide cooperative wireless transmission for sensor nodes and data harvesting. Digital mapping of the exploration area will take advantage of the UAV's mobility, onboard computational power, and image processing capabilities. A key benefit of the proposed solution is its ability to scale to mega-node networks, yielding an unprecedented level of resolution for seismic surveys

Хирургическое лечение пациентов с патологией коленного сустава и деформациями нижних конечностей: систематический обзор литературы

Background. In patients with knee pathology, a phased approach to surgical treatment is often used: first, corrective osteotomies and then, if necessary, arthroplasty. This technique allows achieving optimal results of treatment. The study aimed to determine promising methods of surgical treatment of patients with knee pathology and deformities of the lower limb axis. Material and Methods. Publication search was conducted in the databases of eLibrary, PubMed, and Scopus from 2000 to 2020 (a search period of 20 years) using the following keywords: deformity of the lower limb axis, deformity correction, and total knee arthroplasty. Demographic data of the patients, features of surgical techniques, and treatment results were analyzed. Results. The literature search identified 1,232 publications, of which 12 studies that analyzed a total of 2.428 patients were included in this review. The surgical treatment covered the period from 1987 to 2018. The average follow-up period was 64.17.4 months, the average patient age was 58.81.4 years, the average duration of surgery was 114.23.9 min, and the average volume of blood loss was 484.030.0 mL. The fixation period with a metal plate, from the moment of osteotomy to hardware removal, was on average 18.01.8 months. Conclusion. Corrective osteotomies can prevent or delay knee replacement by an average of 11.8 years. Osteotomy preceding total arthroplasty does not negatively affect the survival of endoprosthesis, and its results are comparable with the medium- and long-term results of primary arthroplasty.Актуальность. У пациентов с патологией коленного сустава часто используется этапный подход к хирургическому лечению: сначала корригирующие остеотомии, а затем, при необходимости эндопротезирование. Такая тактика позволяет добиться оптимальных конечных результатов лечения. Целью данного обзора является определение перспективных способов хирургического лечения пациентов с патологией коленного сустава в сочетании с деформациями оси нижней конечности. Материал и методы. Поиск публикаций проводили в базах данных eLIBRARY, PubMed и Scopus с глубиной поиска 20 лет (с 2000 по 2020 г.) по ключевым словосочетаниям: деформация оси конечности (deformity of the lower limb axis), корригирующая остеотомия (deformity correction), тотальное эндопротезирование коленного сустава (total knee arthroplasty). Были проанализированы демографические данные пациентов, особенности хирургических вмешательств и результаты лечения. Результаты. По результатам поиска было найдено 1232 публикации, для анализа отобрано 12 исследований, в которые вошли 2428 пациентов. Сроки оперативного лечения пациентов охватили период с 1987 по 2018 г. Срок наблюдения составил в среднем 64,17,4 мес., средний возраст пациентов составил 58,81,4 года, средняя продолжительность операции 114,23,9 мин., средний объем кровопотери 484,030,0 мл. Время фиксации металлоконструкцией, прошедшее от момента остеотомии до удаления, составило в среднем 18,01,8 мес. Заключение. Корригирующие остеотомии могут предотвратить эндопротезирование или отсрочить его в среднем на 11,8 лет. Остеотомия, предшествующая тотальному эндопротезированию, не оказывает отрицательного влияния на выживаемость эндопротеза, ее результаты сопоставимы со среднесрочными и долгосрочными результатами первичного эндопротезирования

Transgenic Bcl-3 slows T cell proliferation

Immunological adjuvants, such as bacterial LPS, increase the mRNA levels of the IkB-related NF-κB transcriptional transactivator, Bcl-3, in activated T cells. Adjuvants also increase the life expectancy of activated T cells, as does over-expression of Bcl-3, suggesting that Bcl-3 is part of the pathway whereby adjuvants affect T cell lifespans. However, previous reports, confirmed here, show that adjuvants also increase the life expectancies of Bcl-3-deficient T cells, making Bcl-3’s role and effects in adjuvant-induced survival uncertain. To investigate the functions of Bcl-3 further, here we confirm the adjuvant-induced expression of Bcl-3 mRNA and show Bcl-3 induction at the protein level. Bcl-3 was expressed in mice via a transgene driven by the human CD2 promoter. Like other protective events, over-expression of Bcl-3 slows T cell activation very early in T cell responses to antigen, both in vitro and in vivo. This property was intrinsic to the T cells over-expressing the Bcl-3 and did not require Bcl-3 expression by other cells such as antigen-presenting cells

Bad Can Act as a Key Regulator of T Cell Apoptosis and T Cell Development

Bad is a distant relative of Bcl-2 and acts to promote cell death. Here, we show that Bad expression levels are greatly increased in thymocytes during apoptosis. We generated bad transgenic mice to study the action of upregulated Bad expression on T cell apoptosis. The T cells from these mice are highly sensitive to apoptotic stimuli, including anti-CD95. The numbers of T cells are greatly depleted and the processes of T cell development and selection are perturbed. We show that the proapoptotic function of Bad in primary T cells is regulated by Akt kinase and that Bad overexpression enhances both cell cycle progression and interleukin 2 production after T cell activation. These data suggest that Bad can act as a key regulator of T cell apoptosis and that this is a consequence of its upregulation after exposure to death stimuli

Th17 cells are more protective than Th1 cells against the intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi

Th17 cells are a subset of CD4+ T cells known to play a central role in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, as well as in the defense against some extracellular bacteria and fungi. However, Th17 cells are not believed to have a significant function against intracellular infections. In contrast to this paradigm, we have discovered that Th17 cells provide robust protection against Trypanosoma cruzi, the intracellular protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Th17 cells confer significantly stronger protection against T. cruzi-related mortality than even Th1 cells, traditionally thought to be the CD4+ T cell subset most important for immunity to T. cruzi and other intracellular microorganisms. Mechanistically, Th17 cells can directly protect infected cells through the IL-17A-dependent induction of NADPH oxidase, involved in the phagocyte respiratory burst response, and provide indirect help through IL-21-dependent activation of CD8+ T cells. The discovery of these novel Th17 cell-mediated direct protective and indirect helper effects important for intracellular immunity highlights the diversity of Th17 cell roles, and increases understanding of protective T. cruzi immunity, aiding the development of therapeutics and vaccines for Chagas disease

Neoplastic Transformation of T Lymphocytes through Transgenic Expression of a Virus Host Modification Protein

Virus host evasion genes are ready-made tools for gene manipulation and therapy. In this work we have assessed the impact in vivo of the evasion gene A238L of the African Swine Fever Virus, a gene which inhibits transcription mediated by both NF-κB and NFAT. The A238L gene has been selectively expressed in mouse T lymphocytes using tissue specific promoter, enhancer and locus control region sequences for CD2. The resulting two independently derived transgenic mice expressed the transgene and developed a metastasic, angiogenic and transplantable CD4+CD8+CD69– lymphoma. The CD4+CD8+CD69– cells also grew vigorously in vitro. The absence of CD69 from the tumour cells suggests that they were derived from T cells at a stage prior to positive selection. In contrast, transgenic mice similarly expressing a mutant A238L, solely inhibiting transcription mediated by NF-κB, were indistinguishable from wild type mice. Expression of Rag1, Rag2, TCRβ-V8.2, CD25, FoxP3, Bcl3, Bcl2 l14, Myc, IL-2, NFAT1 and Itk, by purified CD4+CD8+CD69– thymocytes from A238L transgenic mice was consistent with the phenotype. Similarly evaluated expression profiles of CD4+CD8+ CD69– thymocytes from the mutant A238L transgenic mice were comparable to those of wild type mice. These features, together with the demonstration of (mono-)oligoclonality, suggest a transgene-NFAT-dependent transformation yielding a lymphoma with a phenotype reminiscent of some acute lymphoblastic lymphomas

Constitutive TL1A (TNFSF15) Expression on Lymphoid or Myeloid Cells Leads to Mild Intestinal Inflammation and Fibrosis

TL1A is a member of the TNF superfamily and its expression is increased in the mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease patients. Moreover, a subset of Crohn's disease (CD) patients with the risk TL1A haplotype is associated with elevated TL1A expression and a more severe disease course. To investigate the in vivo role of elevated TL1A expression, we generated two transgenic (Tg) murine models with constitutive Tl1a expression in either lymphoid or myeloid cells. Compared to wildtype (WT) mice, constitutive expression of Tl1a in either lymphoid or myeloid cells showed mild patchy inflammation in the small intestine, which was more prominent in the ileum. In addition, mice with constitutive Tl1a expression exhibited enhanced intestinal and colonic fibrosis compared to WT littermates. The percentage of T cells expressing the gut homing chemokine receptors CCR9 and CCR10 was higher in the Tl1a Tg mice compared to WT littermates. Sustained expression of Tl1A in T cells also lead to increased Foxp3+ Treg cells. T cells or antigen presenting cells (APC) with constitutive expression of Tl1a were found to have a more activated phenotype and mucosal mononuclear cells exhibit enhanced Th1 cytokine activity. These results indicated an important role of TL1A in mucosal T cells and APC function and showed that up-regulation of TL1A expression can promote mucosal inflammation and gut fibrosis

A Conserved CXXC Motif in CD3ε Is Critical for T Cell Development and TCR Signaling

Structural integrity of the extracellular membrane-proximal stalk region of CD3ε is required for efficient signaling by the T cell antigen receptor complex. The results in this article suggest that receptor aggregation may not be sufficient for a complete T cell receptor signal and that some type of direct allosteric signal may be involved