Platinum recycling going green via induced surface potential alteration enabling fast and efficient dissolution

The recycling of precious metals, for example, platinum, is an essential aspect of sustainability for the modern industry and energy sectors. However, due to its resistance to corrosion, platinum-leaching techniques rely on high reagent consumption and hazardous processes, for example, boiling aqua regia; a mixture of concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acid. Here we demonstrate that complete dissolution of metallic platinum can be achieved by induced surface potential alteration, an 'electrode-less' process utilizing alternatively oxidative and reductive gases. This concept for platinum recycling exploits the so-called transient dissolution mechanism, triggered by a repetitive change in platinum surface oxidation state, without using any external electric current or electrodes. The effective performance in non-toxic low-concentrated acid and at room temperature is a strong benefit of this approach, potentially rendering recycling of industrial catalysts, including but not limited to platinum-based systems, more sustainable

Reconstruction of unbroken vasculature of mouse by varying the slope of the scan plane in MRI

Reconstruction of vascular net of small laboratory animals from MRI data is associated with some problems. This paper proposes a method of MRI data processing which allows to eliminate the fragmentation of reconstructed vascular net. Problem of vessels fragmentation occurs in the case when vessels are parallel to the scanning plane. Our approach is based on multiple scanning, object under consideration is probed by several sets of parallel planes. The algorithm is applied to real MRI data of small laboratory animals and shows good results

Особенности цитокинового профиля у детей с расстройством аутистического спектра

The aim of the study: to reveal the particularities of the concentration of cytokines IL4, IL6, IL10, IL17, IFNγ in blood serum in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Materials and methods. The blood samples obtained from children of two study groups: children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 93) and clinically healthy children (n = 30), served as the material for the  study. Cytokine concentrations were determined in blood serum using the Bender Medsystems (Austria) kits  for IL17A and Vector-Best (Russia) kits for IL4, IL6, IL10, IFNγ. Serum cytokine concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay using kits for IL17A (Bender Medsystems, Austria), IL4, IL6, IL10, IFNγ (Vector-Best, Russia). Assessment of cognitive and psychophysiological indicators in children was performed using the  Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC).Results. The concentrations of IL17A (U = 54; p = 0,015) and IFNγ (U = 4.64; p = 0,006) were increased and the concentrations of IL6 (U = 327; p = 0.001) and IL4 (U = 177; p = 0.001) were decreased in children with ASD. The concentration of IL6 correlates with the concentration of IL4 (r = 0.68; p < 0.05). The concentration of IL17A correlates with the concentration of IFNγ (r = 0.41; p < 0.05), IL6 (r = 0.87; p < 0.05) and ATEC score (r = 0.24; p < 0.05) in the group of children with ASD.Conclusion. The cytokine disbalance in children with ADS, which was observed in our study, confirms the  hypothesis of their participation in the development of the disease and clearly shows the Th17  immunoregulation pathway in the pathogenesis of the autism spectrum disorder.Цель работы: выявить уровень концентрации цитокинов IL-4, I-L6, IL-10, IL-17, IFNγ в сыворотке крови у детей с расстройством аутистического спектра (РАС).Материалы и методы. Материалом исследования служили образцы крови, полученные от детей двух групп исследования: детей с расстройством аутистического спектра (n = 93) и клинически здоровых детей (n = 30). Средний возраст в обеих группах составил (7 ± 2) лет. В сыворотке крови методом иммуноферментного анализа определяли концентрацию цитокинов IL-17А (с применением набора Bender Medsystems, Австрия) и IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFNγ (Вектор-Бест, Россия). Оценку когнитивных и  психофизиологических показателей проводили с помощью анкеты Autism TreatmentEvaluation Checklist (АТЕС).Результаты. У детей с РАС повышены значения концентрации IL-17A (U = 54; p = 0,015) и IFNγ (U = 4,64; p = 0,006) и снижены – IL-6 (U = 327; p = 0,001) и IL-4 (U = 177; p = 0,001) по сравнению с этими показателями у детей в контрольной группе. Установлены корреляции между концентрацией IL-6 и IL-4 (r = 0,68; p < 0,05); между IL-17A и IFNγ (r = 0,41; p < 0,05), IL-6 (r = 0,87; p < 0,05), количеством баллов АТЕС (r = 0,24; p < 0,05) у детей с РАС.Заключение. Установленный нами дисбаланс цитокинов у детей с РАС подтверждает гипотезу его участия в развитии РАС и свидетельствует об Th17-направлении  иммунорегуляции в патогенезе расстройств аутистического спектра

Features of cytokine spectrum in chronic urticarial

Urticaria is a serious medical and social problem due to its high prevalence, lack of unified approaches to diagnosis and treatment, with high financial costs for therapy and rehabilitation. Long-term recurrent course of the disease, resistance to traditional methods of therapy lead to a significant decrease in the quality of life of patients with chronic urticaria. Itching accompanying this disease leads to deterioration in the patient’s general well-being, frequent sleep disturbances and, as a result, significant decrease in working capacity. Up to the present moment, etiopathogenesis of urticaria is a complex challenge due to the multivector nature of cytokine response, interference of protides of the complement system, patterns of kininbradykinin interference, peculiar expression of the immune response. The problem of current population is lipotrophy – chronic, heterogeneous, cytokine mediating, progressive inflammatory disease attributed by abnormal accumulation of excessive adipose tissue. Adipose tissue, being a sporadic organ of endocrine system secretes multiple hormone-like substances, mediators, cytokines and chemokines which have been given a common name, i.e., adipokines or adipocytokines. True signs of destructive parenchymal changes of liver in the form of increasing bilirubin and AST, decreasing level of vitamin D in patients with chronic recurrent urticarial in presence of obesity have been revealed during the study performed. The action of cytokines, as mediators of intercellular interaction is closely related to the physiological and pathophysiological responses of the body with modulation of both local and systemic defense mechanisms. It is assumed that the cytokine status of patients with chronic urticaria is dominated by cytokines that increase allergic inflammation of the skin. Analysis of 12 T regulatory biomarker concentrations revealed increased concentrations of IL-10, IL-19, IL-20, IL-27, IL-35, IFNλ2 and IFNλ1 in blood serum of patients with chronic urticaria. It was found that in the group of patients with chronic urticaria and increased body mass index (BMI), the level of all investigated T regulatory cytokines is lower than in the patients with normal BMI, except for IL-10. Decreased levels of biologically active IFN I (α/β) and, especially, IFN II (γ) types of blood leukocytes in patients with chronic urticaria were revealed. The levels of 12 Treg cytokines were determined in blood serum of patients with chronic urticaria, showing trend for imbalance of Treg cytokines: IL-10, IL-19, IL-20, IL-27, IL-35, IFNλ2 and IFNλ1

Effects of diet on blood rheological indices, cytokine concentrations, and emergence of metabolic disorders in the persons with increased body mass index

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a serious medical and social problem due to its high prevalence, lack of common approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Prevention of food dysadaptation reactions and the studies of control mechanisms of immune tolerance to food antigens is of special scientific interest, thus providing available anti-inflammatory tools for correcting increased permeability of the intestinal epithelium and vascular endothelium associated with development of MS. Nutritional dysadaptation occurs due to inappropriate diet being mediated by the geno-phenotypic characteristics of digestive enzymes and immune system which control the efficiency of food digestion.Immunological control of digestion, including dynamic maintenance of tolerance to food antigens, is carried out at two levels of immune system: innate response with functional involvement of microbiota, and adaptive response, represented by cellular and humoral mechanisms associated with molecular epitopes and critical mass of persistent food antigens which are present in immunologically competent areas of small intestine, due to changing permeability of intestinal barrier and transcytosis processes. Patients and methods: aiming for assessment of the diet contribution to the immuno-biochemical and rheological imbalance in people with increased body weight, 170 volunteers of both sexes aged 20-55 years were examined, depending on the body mass index: > 27.0 kg/m2 (clinical group, n = 120), and those with BMI of < 25.0 kg/m2 (control group, n = 50). We have revealed statistically significant increase of multiple parameters in the clinical group, i.e., concentration of IL-6, IL-17, cholesterol, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin, indices of insulin resistance and atherogenicity. Increased levels of specific IgG antibodies to a number of food antigens were found in the subjects in the clinical group. In the course of our study, a statistically significant relationships was found between total numbers of platelets (p < 0.05; r = 0.213), erythrocytes (p < 0.05; r = -0.211), mean erythrocyte volume (MCV) (p < 0, 05; r = 0.339), and the concentration of IgG to casein in the blood, as well as a correlation between the levels of sIgG to soybeans and the number of platelets (p < 0.05; r = 0.231). At the same time, some associations were found between the established values of IgG to casein pAG, and the risk of developing atherogenic changes (atherogenicity index > 3) being significant at OR = 2.68 (1.33-5.42), as well as between IgG values to casein pAG (OR = 8.9 (2.6-30.5)), to soybean pAG (OR = 5.6 (1.8-16.7)), to gluten pAG ((F = 0.00359. p < 0.05), and increased body mass index.The results obtained were interpreted as a possible impairment of food tolerance for a number of food antigens in individuals with high body mass index, due to the revealed correlations between concentrations of IgG to food antigens, imbalance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, rheological and metabolic parameters. These data may be used as biomarkers suggesting higher risk of evolving metabolic syndrome

Atomically dispersed Pt-N-4 sites as efficient and selective electrocatalysts for the chlorine evolution reaction

Chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a critical anode reaction in chlor-alkali electrolysis. Although precious metal-based mixed metal oxides (MMOs) have been widely used as CER catalysts, they suffer from the concomitant generation of oxygen during the CER. Herein, we demonstrate that atomically dispersed Pt-N-4 sites doped on a carbon nanotube (Pt-1/CNT) can catalyse the CER with excellent activity and selectivity. The Pt-1/CNT catalyst shows superior CER activity to a Pt nanoparticle-based catalyst and a commercial Ru/Ir-based MMO catalyst. Notably, Pt-1/CNT exhibits near 100% CER selectivity even in acidic media, with low Cl- concentrations (0.1M), as well as in neutral media, whereas the MMO catalyst shows substantially lower CER selectivity. In situ electrochemical X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the direct adsorption of Cl- on Pt-N-4 sites during the CER. Density functional theory calculations suggest the PtN4C12 site as the most plausible active site structure for the CER

Features of Food Hypersensitivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Currently, the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to increase in the children’s population. However, the pathogenesis of autism remains controversial.The purpose of this work is to evaluate the performance of the elimination nutritional approaches to the dynamics of indicators of food hypersensitivity, the balance of interleukins and psychophysiological parameters in children with ASD.Methods. A prospective cohort study of children aged 7 ± 2 years, healthy and diagnosed with ASD was performed. Determination of specific immunoglobulin concentrations to 111 food antigens and interleukins was measured by ELISA. Psychophysiological indicators of communicative competence in children with ASD were evaluated in the ATEC-test.Results. It was established that in children with ASD (n = 69), the frequency of occurrence of food hypersensitivity and indicators of specific sIgG concentrations to food antigens of dairy and grain products are higher (р < 0.05). A direct correlation was found between the concentration of INFγ, IgG concentrations to antigens of dairy, grain products and C. albicans. High ratios of the INFγ/IL4 and INFγ/IL10 ratios (p < 0.05) were revealed. As a result of compliance with the elimination diet was noted significant decrease in the concentration of sIgG to food antigens, sIgG to C. albicans, changes indicators following the results of ATEC testing.The data obtained revealed the unexplored effects the influence of specific food hypersensitivity on the process of initiation and maintenance of immune inflammation, as well as on the communicative competence in pathological conditions. A personalized elimination diet can improve the immunorehabilitation and the quality of life of children with autism

Оценка расстройств гемо- и ликвородинамики при синдроме идиопатической внутричерепной гипертензии по данным МРТ

Highlights. An increase in the pulsatility index of intracranial venous blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid flow at the foramen magnum level, and a decrease in arteriovenous delay and an intracranial compliance index indicate disturbances in the pulse wave distribution, and a decrease in compliance/extensibility of the brain due to increased intracranial pressure.Aim. To assess the parameters of hemodynamics and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension syndrome according to phase-contrast MRI.Methods. The study included 18 patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension syndrome and 20 controls, all patient were examined using the Ingenia 3,0T MRI scanner. The analysis was performed using phase-contrast MRI to assess quantitative parameters of hemodynamics and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in 14 different structures. The blood and CSF volumes, pulsatility index (PI), arterio-venous delay, and intracranial compliance index were calculated. The Mann-Whitney U-test reliability was used to assess the differences between the controls and patients.Results. The group of patients had an increased CSF systolic peak at the foramen magnum without significant changes in CSF volume, and significantly increased CSF PI at the cervical level by 11.88% (p<0,05). There was a tendency toward an increase in the intracranial venous blood volume, as well as a tendency toward significant increase in PI at the straight and superior sagittal sinuses by 1,3 times (p><0,01, p><0,05). Moreover, there was a reduction of intracranial arterio-venous delay by 1,9 times (p><0,05), and a significant decrease in the intracranial compliance index by 1,2 times (p><0,05). Conclusion We have assessed the parameters of hemodynamics and CSF dynamics in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and revealed disturbances in CSF dynamics and pulse wave propagation in the intracranial regions. Such changes may indicate a decrease in compliance/increase in stiffness of the brain tissue due to an increase in intracranial pressure and a possible diffuse stagnation of interstitial fluid. Keywords Phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging • Central nervous system • Idiopathic intracranial hypertension • Hemodynamics • Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics • Intracranial compliance index>˂0,05). There was a tendency toward an increase in the intracranial venous blood volume, as well as a tendency toward significant increase in PI at the straight and superior sagittal sinuses by 1,3 times (p˂0,01, p˂0,05). Moreover, there was a reduction of intracranial arterio-venous delay by 1,9 times (p˂0,05), and a significant decrease in the intracranial compliance index by 1,2 times (p˂0,05).Conclusion. We have assessed the parameters of hemodynamics and CSF dynamics in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and revealed disturbances in CSF dynamics and pulse wave propagation in the intracranial regions. Such changes may indicate a decrease in compliance/increase in stiffness of the brain tissue due to an increase in intracranial pressure and a possible diffuse stagnation of interstitial fluid.Основные положения. Повышение пульсационного индекса интракраниального венозного кровотока и потока ликвора на уровне большого затылочного отверстия, уменьшение артериовенозной задержки и индекса интракраниального комплаенса свидетельствуют о нарушении характера распределения пульсационной волны и снижении податливости/растяжимости головного мозга на фоне повышенного внутричерепного давления.Цель. Оценить параметры гемо- и ликвородинамики у пациентов с синдромом идиопатической внутричерепной гипертензии по данным фазо-контрастной МРТ.Материалы и методы. На МР-томографе Ingenia 3.0Т (Philips, США) обследованы 18 пациентов с синдромом внутричерепной гипертензии и 20 пациентов группы контроля. Использованы рутинный протокол и методика фазо-контрастной МРТ для оценки количественных показателей гемо- и ликвородинамики. Измерены скоростные показатели потоков крови и ликвора для различных структур (ликворные пространства на уровне водопровода мозга, большого затылочного отверстия и шейной области, артерии, вены, прямой и верхний сагиттальный синусы). Рассчитаны объемы крови и ликвора, пульсационный индекс, артериовенозная задержка, индекс интракраниального комплаенса. Достоверность различий между группами контроля и пациентов оценена с применением U-критерия Манна – Уитни.Результаты. В группе пациентов выявлены тенденция к увеличению систолического пика объемной скорости ликвора на уровне большого затылочного отверстия без значимого изменения объема пульсирующего ликвора, достоверное увеличение пульсационного индекса ликвора на шейном уровне на 11,88% (p<0,05). Определены тенденция к увеличению объема венозной крови на интракраниальном уровне, а также достоверное увеличение пульсационного индекса на уровне прямого и верхнего сагиттального синусов в 1,3 раза (p><0,01 и p><0,05 соответственно). На интракраниальном уровне отмечены сокращение времени артериовенозной задержки в 1,9 раза (p><0,05) и достоверное уменьшение индекса интракраниального комплаенса в 1,2 раза (p><0,05). Заключение Оценены показатели гемо- и ликвородинамики у пациентов с синдромом идиопатической внутричерепной гипертензии. В группе пациентов выявлено нарушение параметров ликвородинамики и характера распространения пульсовой волны в интракраниальных отделах. Изменения могут свидетельствовать о снижении податливости/увеличении жесткости мозговой ткани на фоне повышения внутричерепного давления и вероятного диффузного застоя интерстициальной жидкости. Ключевые слова Фазо-контрастная магнитно-резонансная томография • Центральная нервная система • Идиопатическая внутричерепная гипертензия • Гемодинамика • Ликвородинамика • Индекс интракраниального комплаенса >˂ 0,05). Определены тенденция к увеличению объема венозной крови на интракраниальном уровне, а также достоверное увеличение пульсационного индекса на уровне прямого и верхнего сагиттального синусов в 1,3 раза (p˂ 0,01 и p˂ 0,05 соответственно). На интракраниальном уровне отмечены сокращение времени артериовенозной задержки в 1,9 раза (p˂ 0,05) и достоверное уменьшение индекса интракраниального комплаенса в 1,2 раза (p˂ 0,05).Заключение. Оценены показатели гемо- и ликвородинамики у пациентов с синдромом идиопатической внутричерепной гипертензии. В группе пациентов выявлено нарушение параметров ликвородинамики и характера распространения пульсовой волны в интракраниальных отделах. Изменения могут свидетельствовать о снижении податливости/увеличении жесткости мозговой ткани на фоне повышения внутричерепного давления и вероятного диффузного застоя интерстициальной жидкости

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ЛАБОРАТОРНЫЕ МЕТОДЫ ДИАГНОСТИКИ ПИЩЕВОЙ НЕПЕРЕНОСИМОСТИ

Аn analytical review of modern methods of food intolerance diagnostics based on interpretation of markers used in the various tests is рresented. It is shown that tests based on observation of the reaction of specific antibodies of the immune system to food antigens tested, are the most accurate, reliable and representative for the diagnosis of food intolerance.Представлен обзор современных лабораторных методов диагностики пищевой непереносимости. Обсуждаются достоинства и недостатки различных критериев (маркеров), используемых для выявления пищевой непереносимости в различных инструментальных тестах. Показано, что методы, основанные на исследовании реакции специфических антител к тестируемым пищевым антигенам, наиболее точны, надежны и представительны для диагностики пищевой непереносимости с целью использования в практической медицине