N=2 Super-Higgs, N=1 Poincare' Vacua and Quaternionic Geometry

In the context of N=2 supergravity we explain the occurrence of partial super-Higgs with vanishing vacuum energy and moduli stabilization in a model suggested by superstring compactifications on type IIB orientifolds with 3-form fluxes. The gauging of axion symmetries of the quaternionic manifold, together with the use of degenerate symplectic sections for special geometry, are the essential ingredients of the construction.Comment: 18 page

Power supplies for dual-frequency induction melting of metals

The article discusses the benefits of multi frequency induction melting in the production of synthetic cast iron, structural (electric circuit) principles of dual frequency Power supplies of melting systems. The ways of electric power regulation of low frequency and high frequency components of the current in the inductor sections of furnace are demonstrated, namely power rescheduling at the metal melting stage, alloying stage and recarburizing of synthetic cast iron

Effectiveness of Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma and Stromal Vascular Fraction in Autologous Skin Grafting

Introduction: Despite the medical advances, burns remain a serious challenge and require new and promising treatment options, such as biomedical technologies with a high potential for burn wound treatment. However, high cost and complexity of biotechnologies limit their routine use, but autologous tissues, such as stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP), overcome these shortcomings.   Objective: To demonstrate a successful case of using a combination of adipose-derived SVF and autologous PRP during autologous skin grafting in a severely burned patient.   Material and methods: We present a successful case of 84-year-old Patient B. treated at Saint Petersburg I. I. Dzhanelidze Research Institute of Emergency Medicine in September-October 2022. He was diagnosed with a 11% (6%) / II-III degree flame burn of the head, neck, trunk, and upper extremities and first-degree inhalation injury. At the first stage, the general condition of the patient was stabilized, and he was prepared for surgery. At the second stage, on day 25 of treatment we performed skin grafting using split-thickness autografts with rare perforations and application of SVF and autologous PRP on a burn wound. We evaluated the treatment effectiveness using planimetry, cytology, and histology.   Results: We observed complete engraftment of the autograft with no lysis or rejection during the first dressing change on day 3 after surgery and complete skin restoration on day 11. Cytologic findings over time showed an active decrease in inflammatory cells and an increase in regenerative cells, indicating successful wound healing. Histology demonstrated formation of normal stratified squamous epithelium with areas of hyperkeratosis and young granulation tissue in the superficial layers of the dermis on day 6.   Conclusions: Our case demonstrated that the combination of SVF and autologous PRP facilitates split-thickness skin autograft engraftment

N=4 gauged supergravity and a IIB orientifold with fluxes

We analyze the properties of a spontaneously broken D=4, N=4 supergravity without cosmological constant, obtained by gauging translational isometries of its classical scalar manifold. This theory offers a suitable low energy description of the super-Higgs phases of certain Type-IIB orientifold compactifications with 3-form fluxes turned on. We study its N=3,2,1,0 phases and their classical moduli spaces and we show that this theory is an example of no-scale extended supergravity.Comment: Misprints corrected. Version appeared on NJP 4 (2002)7

An All-Cryogenic THz Transmission Spectrometer

This paper describes a THz transmission spectrometer for the spectral range of 2-65 cm^-1 (100 GHz to 2 THz) with a spectral resolution of at least 1.8 cm^-1 (50 GHz) where the source, sample, and detector are all fully contained in a cryogenic environment. Cyclotron emission from a two-dimensional electron gas heated with an electrical current serves as a magnetic field tunable source. The spectrometer is demonstrated at 4.2 K by measuring the resonant cyclotron absorption of a second two dimensional electron gas. Unique aspects of the spectrometer are that 1) an ultra-broadband detector is used and 2) the emitter is run quasi-continuously with a chopping frequency of only 1 Hz. Since optical coupling to room temperature components is not necessary, this technique is compatible with ultra-low temperature (sub 100 mK) operation.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Author affiliation and funding acknowledgements clarifie

Double Parton Scattering Singularity in One-Loop Integrals

We present a detailed study of the double parton scattering (DPS) singularity, which is a specific type of Landau singularity that can occur in certain one-loop graphs in theories with massless particles. A simple formula for the DPS singular part of a four-point diagram with arbitrary internal/external particles is derived in terms of the transverse momentum integral of a product of light cone wavefunctions with tree-level matrix elements. This is used to reproduce and explain some results for DPS singularities in box integrals that have been obtained using traditional loop integration techniques. The formula can be straightforwardly generalised to calculate the DPS singularity in loops with an arbitrary number of external particles. We use the generalised version to explain why the specific MHV and NMHV six-photon amplitudes often studied by the NLO multileg community are not divergent at the DPS singular point, and point out that whilst all NMHV amplitudes are always finite, certain MHV amplitudes do contain a DPS divergence. It is shown that our framework for calculating DPS divergences in loop diagrams is entirely consistent with the `two-parton GPD' framework of Diehl and Schafer for calculating proton-proton DPS cross sections, but is inconsistent with the `double PDF' framework of Snigirev.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. Minor corrections and clarifications added. Version accepted for publication in JHE

Evaluating the effectiveness of combined use of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma and frequently-modulated electric field signal in skin wound healing

Background. Scientists around the world are interested in applying physical phenomena to various fields of science. The development of entire areas united by one concept (‘plasma medicine’, etc.) stands as an outstanding example. This study focuses on only two concepts of interest, which are plasma jet and electric field, as far as results of their combined use in clinical practice and in surgery remain understudied. Objective. Experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of physical methods of treatment in skin wound healing. Material and Methods. Animal testing involved 45 small laboratory animals (rats). They were divided into 5 groups of 9 according to methods for experimental wound healing. To generate the plasma jet, a portable generator was used, which is the original development of specialists of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Planimetric and histological measurements were analysed. The antibacterial effectiveness of methods under research was investigated using Staphylococcus aureus 209P, cultivated in vitro on 6- and 12-millimeter discs. Discussion. A combination of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma and frequency-modulated electric field signal exhibited the ability to accelerate eschar separation by 52.1% (p < 0.05) and stimulate restorative regeneration by 56% (p < 0.05). Combination of physical methods of treatment demonstrated pronounced antibacterial effect. A histological examination on biopsy sample on the 21st day of observation revealed formed (mature) granulations and large number of newly formed vessels. The cellular composition of epidermal basement membrane showed high level of differentiation. Conclusion. The data obtained suggest that the use of the proposed methods in clinical practice will improve the treatment process of the patients with wounds of different etiology

Structural insights into thrombolytic activity of destabilase from medicinal leech

Destabilase from the medical leech Hirudo medicinalis belongs to the family of i-type lysozymes. It has two different enzymatic activities: microbial cell walls destruction (muramidase activity), and dissolution of the stabilized fibrin (isopeptidase activity). Both activities are known to be inhibited by sodium chloride at near physiological concentrations, but the structural basis remains unknown. Here we present two crystal structures of destabilase, including a 1.1 Å-resolution structure in complex with sodium ion. Our structures reveal the location of sodium ion between Glu34/Asp46 residues, which were previously recognized as a glycosidase active site. While sodium coordination with these amino acids may explain inhibition of the muramidase activity, its influence on previously suggested Ser49/Lys58 isopeptidase activity dyad is unclear. We revise the Ser49/Lys58 hypothesis and compare sequences of i-type lysozymes with confirmed destabilase activity. We suggest that the general base for the isopeptidase activity is His112 rather than Lys58. pKa calculations of these amino acids, assessed through the 1 μs molecular dynamics simulation, confirm the hypothesis. Our findings highlight the ambiguity of destabilase catalytic residues identification and build foundations for further research of structure–activity relationship of isopeptidase activity as well as structure-based protein design for potential anticoagulant drug development.</p

Deformation of nanocrystalline binary aluminum alloys with segregation of Mg, Co and Ti at grain boundaries

The influence of the temperature and sort of alloying element on the deformation of the nanocrystalline (NC) binary Al alloys with segregation of 10.2 at% Ti, Co, or Mg over grain boundaries has been studied using the molecular dynamics. The deformation behavior of the materials has been studied in detail by the simulation of the shear deformation of various Al bicrystals with the grain-boundary segregation of impurity atoms, namely, Ti, Co, or Mg. The deformation of bicrystals with different grain orientation has been studied. It has been found that Co introduction into grain boundaries of NC Al has a strengthening effect due to the deceleration of the grain-boundary migration (GBM) and difficulty in the grain-boundary sliding (GBS). The Mg segregation at the boundaries greatly impedes the GBM, but stimulates the development of the GBS. In the NC alloy of Al–Ti, the GBM occurs actively, and the flow-stress values are close to the values characteristic of pure Al