Energy efficiency of world's leading copper producers

This paper provides an overview of the leading role that energy efficiency plays in the development of modern socio-economic systems, which serve as the foundation for building green economies. The main purpose of the paper is to develop a methodological toolkit for assessing energy efficiency of large industrial complexes and test it on the world's largest metallurgical complexes. The central object of the research is the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC), which mainly specializes in the production of copper and copper-based products. The study follows a comparative analysis of a set of preliminary selected energy efficiency indicators obtained from UMMC with those of the world's leading copper manufacturers and copper-based products. At the same time, in accordance with the methodical approach, it is proposed to divide the energy efficiency indicators of an industrial complex into three levels: the level of an industrial complex as a whole (1); the level of certain types of products manufactured in the industrial complex (2); the level of the technological process (3). To obtain summarized (synthetic) energy efficiency estimates of the industrial complex, the hierarchy analysis method has been proposed. For the comparative analysis of energy efficiency indicators of UMMC, the authors chose the following companies: Norilsk Nickel and Russian Copper Company and leading world companies, such as Glencore Xstrata Plc (Switzerland), Codelco (Chile), KGHM Polska Miedz SA (Poland), and Vedanta Resources (India). The obtained results revealed that UMMC strongly lags behind in a number of key energy efficiency indicators. During 2010-2016, a negative trend was observed in the majority of UMMC enterprises. The results also showed the practical applicability of the given methodical approach and the possibility of its wide use in solving energy efficiency problems of Russian industrial complexes for their strategic development. © 2020 WIT Press, www.witpress.co

Dynamics of flexible shells and Sharkovskiy's periodicity

Complex vibration of flexible elastic shells subjected to transversal and sign-changeable local load in the frame of nonlinear classical theory is studied. A transition from partial to ordinary differential equations is carried out using the higher-order Bubnov-Galerkin approach. Numerical analysis is performed applying theoretical background of nonlinear dynamics and qualitative theory of differential equations. Mainly the so-called Sharkovskiy periodicity is studied

Children’s myocardiodystrophy (literary review)

Myocardiodystrophy (MCD) is a secondary non – inflammatory lesion of the heart muscle that occurs when metabolic processes are disrupted and leads to partially reversible or completely reversible myocardial dystrophy and its dysfunction. This review examines the issues of the prevalence of myocardiodystrophy in the children’s population, the causes of its occurrence, methods and results of diagnosis, the effectiveness of therapy at different stages of myocardial damage.Миокардиодистрофия (МКД) – вторичное невоспалительное поражение сердечной мышцы, возникающее при нарушении метаболических процессов и приводящее к частично или полностью обратимой дистрофии миокарда и его дисфункции. В данном обзоре рассмотрены вопросы распространенности миокардиодистрофии в детской популяции, причины ее возникновения, способы и результаты диагностики, эффективность терапии на разных стадиях поражения миокарда

Polyarteritis Nodosa: Clinical Cases in Boys 12 and 9 Years Old

Background. Polyarteritis nodosa is an acute, subacute or chronic immune complex disease associated with peripheral and visceral artery involvement, predominantly of middle and small sizes, development of destructive-proliferative arteritis and subsequent peripheral and visceral ischaemia.Cases description. The present paper describes two clinical cases of polyarteritis nodosa in patient R., aged 12, and patient A., aged 9, and demonstrates the difficulties of diagnosing the disease in its early stages. Patient R., aged 12, was admitted to the Rheumatology Unit of the Krasnodar Krai Children’s Clinical Hospital with complaints of red, patchy, dense rash on the palms and plantar surface of the feet. The child has been ill since September 2017, and after a history of tonsillitis suffered a fever of 37 °C, pain in the right heel area, nodular thickening on the feet, livedo reticularis, swelling of both hands. The disease had a recurrent course. The boy was treated with prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, hydroxychloroquine and three courses of rituximab (April 2018, January 2019, September 2020). Repeated courses of human normal immunoglobulin and alprostadil therapy were carried out. The treatment showed positive dynamics, fever was eliminated, general well-being improved, and acute inflammatory markers in blood became normal. The skin retained minimal manifestation of livedo, nodularities on the feet did not progress in dynamics. Patient A. was admitted to the Rheumatology Unit of the Krasnodar Krai Children’s Clinical Hospital in April 2022 with complaints of weakness, myalgia of the lower extremities and necrosis foci in the left lumbar region. The medical history indicates that in March 2022, the boy, being in good health before, developed a bluish, painful rash on his lower legs after a workout. Skin changes and soreness resolved on their own without treatment. After examination, a diagnosis was made as follows: juvenile polyarteritis nodosa, activity score — 3.Conclusion. The diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa can be often problematic due to the very character of the disease featured by absence of specific symptoms, by polymorphism of clinical manifestations, and by lack of clear diagnostic and laboratory markers

COMPLEX OF ARTEFACTS OF SOUTHERN URALS BASHKIRS OF 18TH–19TH CENTURIES (ACCORDING TO DATA FROM IMSYAK-TAU-1 SETTLEMENT IN MOUNTAIN-STEPPE TRANSURALS)

The article presents the archaeological and paleosoil findings from the settlements dated 18th – 19th century. Imsyak-Tau-1 settlement is situated in the narrow strand of mountain steppes in the Southern Transurals (currently Abzelilovsky District, the Republic of Bashkortostan) on the bank of Bolshoy Kizil River. The monument was first discovered in 2000. The area was closely researched in 2022. The research shows remains of a permanent settlement with linear layouts and two key functional areas. The research totally registered 23 items. Most of them were reconstructed as above-ground housings based on their appearance. A significant amount of remains was collected from the surface. Mainly they were fragments of cast iron pots, various household items, single pottery and porcelain fragments. Pits reveal the cultural deposit within the top horizon only. Coins make the findings date back to the middle 18th century. Paleosoil research allows to determine that locally within the monument there is a lot porcelain (P2O5). It is evident of high anthropogenic load caused by substantial number of cattle. The analysis of 18th – 19th centuries map and historical resources shows that this settlement is an ‘old place’ (Bashkir: Iske uryn) for the contemporary village Ishkulovo (Bashkir tribe of Tangaurs). It had been abandoned by 1784. However, the analysis of the existing coins, including samples discovered in 2022, allows to date the monument within 1740s – 1860s. The studied cast iron pots prove their high chronological and partly ethnocultural significance. To date Imsyak-Tau-1 settlement is one of the few monuments in the Southern Urals to help describe the archaeologically registrable artefacts of Transurals Bashkirs of 18th – 19th century. © The Author(s) 2023.Russian Science Foundation, RSF: 22-28-00815Keywords: Southern Transurals, mountain steppe, Modern Age, Bashkirs, settlement layout, ethnos artefacts, soil science, historical cartography Citation.SavelevN.S., NikolaevS.Yu., RumyantsevM.M., RuslanovE.V., SavelevaA.G., SuleymanovR.R., KhurmaevA.A., KungurtsevA.Ya., 2023. Complex of Artefacts of Southern Urals Bashkirs of 18th – 19thCenturies (According to Data from Imsyak-Tau-1 Settlement in Mountain-Steppe Transurals). Ufimskij arkheologiches-kiy vestnik [Ufa Archaeological Herald]. Vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 300–319. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.31833/ uav/2023.23.2.009 Acknowledgements. The article was prepared with the support of the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 22-28-00815 “Comprehensive reconstruction of the development of the mountain steppes of the Southern Urals from the Stone Age to Modern times (socio-cultural and natural transformations)”

Проявления апоптоза в субпопуляциях циркулирующих опухолевых клеток с фенотипами, ассоциированными со стволовостью и эпителиально-мезенхимальным переходом, при карциноме молочной железы

Introduction. Ability of circulating tumor cells (CTC) initiate metastases in distant sites is associated primarily with their resistance to apoptosis which allows them to retain viability in the blood. Knowledge of phenotypical signs associated with this ability would allow to predict the risk of metastases and optimize adjuvant therapy.Aim. To examine signs of apoptosis in CTC populations with various phenotypical characteristics.Materials and methods. The study included 58 patients with invasive breast carcinoma of unspecified type, stages T1–4N0–3M0. Cell concentrates extracted from patients’ whole blood were stained with an antibody cocktail against CK7 / 8, CD45, EpCAM, CD44, CD24, CD133, ALDH, N-cadherin which allowed to identify CTC with signs of stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Annexin V and 7‑amino-actinomycin D staining was used for evaluation of apoptosis stage in CTC populations.Results. Circulating tumor cells are characterized by heterogeneity in respect to signs of stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and presence of early and late signs of apoptosis and necrosis. CTC phenotypes including co-expression of epithelial marker CK7 / 8 and stemness marker CD133 (but not CD44) are characterized by absence of signs of apoptosis. Co-expression of CK7 / 8 and CD133 in CTC with stemness markers CD44+ / C D24– is associated with development of early but not late signs of apoptosis and necrosis. Circulating tumor cells without co-expression of CK7 / 8 and CD133 could have both early and late signs of apoptosis and necrosis. Circulating tumor cells phenotypes with signs of early apoptosis expressing CD133 remain in blood after non-adjuvant chemotherapy opposed to CTC without CD133 expression.Conclusion. There are CTC phenotypical signs associated with stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and linked to apoptosis resistance or sensitivity.Введение. Способность циркулирующих опухолевых клеток (ЦОК) инициировать метастазирование в отдаленных сайтах, прежде всего, связана с их резистентностью к апоптозу, что позволяет сохранить жизнеспособность в кровотоке. Знание фенотипических признаков, связанных с этой способностью, позволило бы прогнозировать риск развития метастазов и оптимизировать адъювантную терапию.Цель исследования – изучение проявлений апоптоза в популяциях ЦОК с различными фенотипическими характеристиками.Материалы и методы. В исследование включены 58 пациенток с инвазивной карциномой молочной железы неспецифического типа стадии T1–4N0–3M0. Клеточные концентраты, полученные из цельной крови пациентов, окрашены коктейлем антител к C K7 / 8, CD45, EpCAM, CD44, CD24, CD133, ALDH, N-кадгерину, что позволяет идентифицировать ЦОК с признаками стволовости и эпителиально-мезенхимального перехода. Окрашивание аннексином V и 7-аминоактиномицином D использовали для оценки разных стадий апоптоза каждой из популяций ЦОК.Результаты. Циркулирующие опухолевые клетки характеризуются выраженной гетерогенностью по проявлениям признаков стволовости и эпителиально-мезенхимального перехода и ассоциации с наличием ранних и поздних признаков апоптоза и некроза. Для ЦОК с фенотипами, включающими коэкспрессию эпителиального маркера CK7 / 8 и маркера стволовости CD133 (но не C D44), более характерно отсутствие признаков апоптоза. Коэкспрессия CK7 / 8 и C D133 ЦОК с маркерами стволовости CD44+ / C D24– ассоциирована с развитием ранних, но не поздних признаков апоптоза и некроза. Циркулирующие опухолевые клетки с отсутствием коэкспрессии CK7 / 8 и C D133 могли иметь и ранние, и поздние признаки апоптоза и некроза. Фенотипы ЦОК с признаками раннего апоптоза, экспрессирующие CD133, в отличие от ЦОК без экспрессии CD133, сохраняются в крови после неоадъювантной химиотерапии.Заключение. Существуют фенотипические признаки ЦОК, имеющие отношение к стволовости и эпителиально-мезенхимальному переходу, сопряженные с устойчивостью к апоптозу или чувствительностью к нему

ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ ДВУХЭНЕРГЕТИЧЕСКОЙ КОМПЬЮТЕРНОЙ ТОМОГРАФИИ В ДИФФЕРЕНЦИАЛЬНОЙ ДИАГНОСТИКЕ ОЧАГОВЫХ ОБРАЗОВАНИЙ ПЕЧЕНИ

Timely and accurate diagnosis of focal lesions of the liver, despite the existing arsenal of of radiation examination modalities, still remains a challenge. Particular difficulty is caused by foci of small diameter, an atypical character of contrasting; a combination of multiple formations of different genesis; focus against the background of diffuse liver damage; liver damage, mimicking tumors. DECT method givesnew analysis algorithms that are different from traditional CT. The article presents a review of the literature on the use of qualitative and quantitative parameters of spectral scanning in different phases of contrast enhancement in the differential diagnosis of liver focal lesions. The use of low-energy monochromatic images and the quantitative analysis of iodine content contribute to a better detection of liver foci and greater confidence in differential diagnosis.Своевременная и точная диагностика очагового поражения печени, несмотря на имеющийся арсенал модальностей лучевого обследования, до сих пор остается сложной задачей. Особую трудность представляют очаги малого диаметра, атипичный характер контрастирования; сочетание множественных образований различного генеза; очаги на фоне диффузных изменений печени; поражения печени, имитирующие новообразования. Метод двухэнергетической компьютерной томографии дает новые алгоритмы анализа, отличные от традиционной КТ. В статье представлен обзор литературы, посвященной использованию качественных и количественных параметров спектрального сканирования в  разные фазы контрастного усиления в  дифференциальной диагностике очаговых образований печени. Использование низкоэнергетических монохроматических изображений и количественный анализ содержания йода способствуют лучшей визуализации очагов печени и большей уверенности в их дифференциальной диагностике