The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in extracorporeal oocyte fertilization and the transfer of cleavage-stage embryos

Major clinical characteristics of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome are described and criteria of predicting the course of this disease and measures to prevent it presented. Statistical data on the presence of this syndrome in various forms during various schemes of superovulation stimulation are offered. Optimal schemes for the treatment of the condition are suggested.     

Increasing the linear density uniformity of yarn spun from an aggressive solution

Conclusions It has been found experimentally that to increase the uniformity of linear density of yarn spun from an aggressive spinning solution of 40–50 Pa·sec viscosity, it is necessary to use metering pumps of high output and to maintain a positive pressure difference of up to 1 MPa between the spinning solution pressure at intake and that at discharge from the pump.A new candle filter construction has been proposed for maintaining a positive difference between the spinning solution pressure at intake and at discharge.Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 1, pp. 40–41, January–February, 1986.     

Using biochemically purified water at coke plants

The use of biochemically purified water in place of industrial-grade water for the exhaust-gas scrubbers in the drying department of the coal-enrichment shop and for irrigation of the cyclone washers in the coke shops at OAO ZSMK is considered. It is found that biochemically purified water may be used for 100% of the water needs in coke production. Using biochemically purified water in the dust-trapping equipment, the coaland coke-dust content of the atmospheric emissions may be reduced by 24.5%. Additional purification of wastewater by adsorption on coke and coal dust is possible.     

Role of Chiral Configuration in the Photoinduced Interaction of D- and L-Tryptophan with Optical Isomers of Ketoprofen in Linked Systems

The study of the L- and D-amino acid properties in proteins and peptides has attracted considerable attention in recent years, as the replacement of even one L-amino acid by its D-analogue due to aging of the body is resulted in a number of pathological conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A recent trend is using short model systems to study the peculiarities of proteins with D-amino acids. In this report, the comparison of the excited states quenching of L- and D-tryptophan (Trp) in a model donor–acceptor dyad with (R)- and (S)-ketoprofen (KP-Trp) was carried out by photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Quenching of the Trp excited states, which occurs via two mechanisms: prevailing resonance energy transfer (RET) and electron transfer (ET), indeed demonstrates some peculiarities for all three studied configurations of the dyad: (R,S)-, (S,R)-, and (S,S)-. Thus, the ET efficiency is identical for (S,R)- and (R,S)-enantiomers, while RET differs by 1.6 times. For (S,S)-, the CIDNP coefficient is almost an order of magnitude greater than for (R,S)- and (S,R)-. To understand the source of this difference, hyperpolarization of (S,S)-and (R,S)- has been calculated using theory involving the electron dipole–dipole interaction in the secular equation.     

The influence of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) modification on the transport properties and fuel cell performance of Nafion-117 membranes

Nafion-117/PEDOT composite membranes were synthesized by in situ chemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) using ammonium persulfate as an oxidant. The polymerization of EDOT in Nafion membranes for various EDOT/oxidant treatment sequences was studied for the first time. PEDOT introduction leads to a slight decrease in both the ion-exchange capacity and water uptake of the composite membranes, as well as to an increase in cationic transport. Membranes initially treated with an oxidant exhibit better conductivity and lower hydrogen permeability. The effect of both modification of Nafion-117 membranes by PEDOT and hot-pressing of hydrogen-oxygen membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) on the performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells was studied. The maximum power density of the fabricated MEAs increases 1.5-fold: from 510 (for a pristine Nafion-117 membrane) to 810 mW cm⁻² (for a membrane modified by PEDOT). The current density at a voltage of 0.4 V reaches 1248 and 2246 mA cm⁻², respectively.     

Ceramics and Thick Films Based on Bi2 – x(Pb, Sb)xSr2Ca2Cu3Oy Compounds as High-Tc Superconductors and Electrode Materials

Complex cuprates of the compositions Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr_1.8Ca₂Cu₃O _y and Bi_1.7Pb_0.2Sb_0.1Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O _y are synthesized. The electrical properties of the superconductors prepared are investigated. Thin films based on the bismuth cuprates studied are produced. It is demonstrated that the thin films prepared can be used as electrodes being in contact with a solid electrolyte for designing oxygen partial pressure gauges.     

Investigation on Purification of Saturated LiNO3 Solution Using Titanium Phosphate Ion Exchanger: Kinetics Study

Lithium compounds are of high interest to many industries. The presence of undesirable impurities in Li precursors leads to uncontrolled change in the functional properties of final compounds. Therefore, the development of reliable methods for lithium salt purification is considered a key factor for their application in various industries. This work focuses on the application of a titanium phosphate ion exchanger (Li-TiOP) toward Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cr³⁺ ions in the purification of a saturated LiNO₃ solution. The sorption kinetics of the selected ions, considering external and internal mass transfer, as well as chemical interaction, were deeply studied. The kinetic study showed that the values of intraparticle diffusion rate and effective diffusion coefficients for the studied ions decreased in the following order: Cr(III) ˃ Cu(II) Mn(II) ˃ Co(II) ˃ Ni(II). For all the selected ions, chemical interaction was described with a pseudo-second-order reaction model. The sorption kinetics were controlled by the size of the solvated metal ion, its effective charge, the electronic structure of the adsorbed ion, and the interaction with the functional groups of the sorbent. Due to fast kinetics, the high degree of removal of trace quantities of the impurities this material gives it consideration as a promising sorbent for the deep purification of lithium salts.     

Contrast-Free FLIM Reveals Metabolic Changes in Pathological Islets of Langerhans

FLIM (Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy) is a powerful tool that could be used in the future to diagnose islet cell recovery after therapy. The identification of appropriate FLIM parameters is required to determine islet quality and islet cell metabolism throughout the organ under various conditions of insulin deficiency. The aim of the work was to identify key FLIM parameters, changes of which are characteristic of pancreatic pathologies. The τm, τ1, τ2, α1, α2 and α1/α2 of free and bound forms of NAD(P)H of the islet cells of animals (rats and pigs) and of humans with and without pathologies were measured and analyzed. The data were confirmed by IHC and histological studies. We identified three FLIM parameters in islet cells from animals with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) and from humans with chronic pancreatitis + type 2 diabetes (T2D), which differ in the same way: τm and α2 take lower values compared to the nonpathological islet cells, while α1/α2 takes higher values. In islet cells from patients with adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and chronic pancreatitis, these parameters had reverse tendency relative to the norm or did not differ. Thus, minimally invasive and non-contrast FLIM methods may, in the future, be used to diagnose pathological islet cells.     

Experimental Crossing Confirms Reproductive Isolation between Cryptic Species within Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Lake Baikal

Ancient lakes are known speciation hotspots. One of the most speciose groups in the ancient Lake Baikal are gammaroid amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Gammaroidea). There are over 350 morphological species and subspecies of amphipods in Baikal, but the extent of cryptic variation is still unclear. One of the most common species in the littoral zone of the lake, Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Gerstfeldt, 1858), was recently found to comprise at least three (pseudo)cryptic species based on molecular data. Here, we further explored these species by analyzing their mitogenome-based phylogeny, genome sizes with flow cytometry, and their reproductive compatibility. We found divergent times of millions of years and different genome sizes in the three species (6.1, 6.9 and 8 pg), further confirming their genetic separation. Experimental crossing of the western and southern species, which are morphologically indistinguishable and have adjacent ranges, showed their separation with a post-zygotic reproductive barrier, as hybrid embryos stopped developing roughly at the onset of gastrulation. Thus, the previously applied barcoding approach effectively indicated the separate biological species within E. verrucosus. These results provide new data for investigating genome evolution and highlight the need for precise tracking of the sample origin in any studies in this morphospecies.