Changes in the crystal lattice parameters of montmorillonite during its modification by cobalt and aluminum cations

The effect the modification (pillarization) of montmorillonite clays from different locations has on the crystallographic lattice parameters of montmorillonite is determined. It is revealed through ultrahigh resolution transmission electron microscopy and analyzing microdiffraction patterns that pillarization raises the distance between montmorillonite structural units to 2.2 nm, while the intracrystal distance between the atoms grows by 0.4 n

Multiferroic Coupling of Ferromagnetic and Ferroelectric Particles through Elastic Polymers

Multiferroics are materials that electrically polarize when subjected to a magnetic field and magnetize under the action of an electric field. In composites, the multiferroic effect is achieved by mixing of ferromagnetic (FM) and ferroelectric (FE) particles. The FM particles are prone to magnetostriction (field-induced deformation), whereas the FE particles display piezoelectricity (electrically polarize under mechanical stress). In solid composites, where the FM and FE grains are in tight contact, the combination of these effects directly leads to multiferroic behavior. In the present work, we considered the FM/FE composites with soft polymer bases, where the particles of alternative kinds are remote from one another. In these systems, the multiferroic coupling is different and more complicated in comparison with the solid ones as it is essentially mediated by an electromagnetically neutral matrix. When either of the fields, magnetic or electric, acts on the ‘akin’ particles (FM or FE) it causes their displacement and by that perturbs the particle elastic environments. The induced mechanical stresses spread over the matrix and inevitably affect the particles of an alternative kind. Therefore, magnetization causes an electric response (due to the piezoeffect in FE) whereas electric polarization might entail a magnetic response (due to the magnetostriction effect in FM). A numerical model accounting for the multiferroic behavior of a polymer composite of the above-described type is proposed and confirmed experimentally on a polymer-based dispersion of iron and lead zirconate micron-size particles. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Funding: The reported study was funded by the Russian Scientific Foundation according to research project No. 21-72-30032 (experimental investigation and analysis); authors Makarova L.A. and Isaev D.A. acknowledge the President of the Russian Federation Grant Number MK-716.2020.2 (simulation results). Authors Isaenko M.B. and Perov N.S. acknowledge partial support from Lomonosov Moscow State University Program of Development

Changes in the crystal lattice parameters of montmorillonite during its modification by cobalt and aluminum cations

The effect the modification (pillarization) of montmorillonite clays from different locations has on the crystallographic lattice parameters of montmorillonite is determined. It is revealed through ultrahigh resolution transmission electron microscopy and analyzing microdiffraction patterns that pillarization raises the distance between montmorillonite structural units to 2.2 nm, while the intracrystal distance between the atoms grows by 0.4 n

Identification of a universally primed-PCR-derived sequence-characterized amplified region marker for an antagonistic strain of Clonostachys rosea and development of a strain-specific PCR detection assay

We developed a PCR detection method that selectively recognizes a single biological control agent and demonstrated that universally primed PCR (UP-PCR) can identify strain-specific markers. Antagonistic strains of Clonostachys rosea (syn. Gliocladium roseum) were screened by UP-PCR, and a strain-specific marker was identified for strain GR5. No significant sequence homology was found between this marker and any other sequences in the databases. Southern blot analysis of the PCR product revealed that the marker represented a single-copy sequence specific for strain GR5. The marker was converted into a sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR), and a specific PCR primer pair was designed. Eighty-two strains, isolated primarily from Danish soils, and 31 soil samples, originating from different localities, were tested, and this specificity was confirmed. Two strains responded to the SCAR primers under suboptimal PCR conditions, and the amplified sequences from these strains were similar, but not identical, to the GR5 marker. Soil assays in which total DNA was extracted from GR5-infested and noninoculated field soils showed that the SCAR primers could detect GR5 in a pool of mixed DNA and that no other soil microorganisms present contained sequences amplified by the primers. The assay developed will be useful for monitoring biological control agents released into natural field soil

Antarctic subglacial lakes

Over 400 lakes exist beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. They range from giant stable lakes at the centre of the ice sheet, isolated from the atmosphere for millions of years, to small through-flow pockets of water beneath fast-flowing ice streams. Subglacial lakes likely harbour unique micro-organisms, adapted to the extreme conditions such as pressure and darkness under the ice, and records of ice and climate change from when the ice sheet first formed. Uncovering their microbiological and climatological secrets requires direct access and sampling of these pristine environments. SCAR has been involved in guiding plans for subglacial lakes access and exploration, ensuring experiments are conducted in a safe, clean and environmentally sustainable manner. A formal code of conduct was accepted by the ATCM in 2011 and a revised version endorsed in 2017. To date, only two lakes at the edge of the West Antarctic ice sheet have been sampled cleanly for water and sediment - subglacial lakes Whillans (in January 2013) and Mercer (in December 2018)

EFFICIENCY OF COMPLEX THERAPY OF PREMATURE WITH SURGICAL PATHOLOGY

Aim. Estimate the efficiency of improved complex therapy of premature with surgical pathology.Materials and methods. 374 medical histories of premature infants were studied. The number of medical histories for 2011 was 169, and the number of medical histories for 2016 was 205.Results. There is an increase in the number of premature with surgical pathology. The number of premature infants increased with a gestation period of less than 28 weeks and decreased among children with a gestation period of 32-34 weeks. The percentage of deceased children with a gestation period of 32-37 weeks has significantly decreased. Decrease in lethality of premature with surgical pathology in 2 times.Conclusion. Results of this study confirmed effectiveness of the improvement of complex therapy of premature with surgical pathology