Effect of laser-radiation polarization on the nonlinear scattering of light in nanodiamond suspensions

The effect of laser radiation polarization on the nonlinear scattering of light in aqueous suspensions of detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) in a regime of optical power limiting (OPL) has been studied. It is established that the nonlinear transmission coefficient of DND suspension in the OPL regime in a field of nanosecond laser pulses with a wavelength of 532 nm is independent of the polarization of incident radiation. The nonlinear scattering of light observed at an angle of 90° in the plane perpendicular to the plane of polarization of the incident radiation depends on the polarization angle in accordance with a trigonometric law. It is shown that the ratio of the signals of scattered radiation for the vertical and horizontal polarizations exhibits nonmonotonic dependence on the laser-beam power density. The results are explained by the Rayleigh-Mie scattering and a change in the size of scattering centers as a result of the effect of a laser upon the DND suspension.     

The effect of nanolayer thickness on the structure and properties of multilayer TiN/MoN coatings

The effect of nanolayer thickness on the structure and properties of nanocomposite multilayer TiN/MoN coatings is revealed. The multilayer (alternating) TiN/MoN coatings are prepared by the Arc-PVD method. The selected thickness of the nanolayers is 2, 10, 20, and 40 nm. The formation of two phases—TiN (fcc) and γ-Mo₂N—is found. The ratio of Ti and Mo concentrations varies with varying layer thickness. The maximum hardness value obtained for different thicknesses of the layers does not exceed 28–31 GPa. The stability of TiN/MoN during cutting and tribological tests is significantly higher than that of products with TiN coatings. The nanostructured multilayer coatings with layer thicknesses of 10 and 20 nm exhibit the lowest friction coefficient of 0.09–0.12.     

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of N-Docosahexaenoylethanolamine and N-Eicosapentaenoylethanolamine in a Mouse Model of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation

The search for methods of cognitive impairment treatment and prevention in neurological and neurodegenerative diseases is an urgent task of modern neurobiology. It is now known that various diseases, accompanied by dementia, exhibit a pronounced neuroinflammation. Considering the significant docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic polyunsaturated fatty acids’ therapeutic potential, we decided to investigate and compare anti-inflammatory activity of their N-acylethanolamine derivatives. As a result, we found that both N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine (synaptamide) and N-eicosapentaenoylethanolamine (EPEA) prevents an LPS-mediated increase in the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 production in the SIM-A9 microglia culture. In an in vivo experiment, synaptamide reversed an increase in LPS-mediated hippocampal TNF-α and IL-1β, but EPEA did not. However, both compounds contributed to the microglia polarization towards the M2-phenotype. Synaptamide, rather than EPEA, inhibited the Iba-1-positive microglia staining area increase. However, both synaptamide and EPEA prevented the LPS-mediated astrogliosis. A study of BDNF immunoreactivity showed that synaptamide, but not EPEA, reversed an LPS-mediated decrease in BDNF production. Despite the more pronounced anti-inflammatory activity of synaptamide, both compounds were effective in maintaining a normal level of hippocampal long-term potentiation in neuroinflammation. The results indicate a high therapeutic potential for both compounds. However, some tests have shown higher activity of synaptamide compared to EPEA.     

Titanium-boride eutectic materials. Structure of the Ti-Nb-B alloys and phase equilibria

The structure of Ti-Nb-B alloys that are cast and annealed at subsolidus temperatures and at 1400°C is experimentally analyzed (x-ray diffraction, metallography, and electron probe microanalysis), and so are temperatures of their phase transformations (differential thermal analysis and pyrometry). No ternary phases are found in the alloys. Projections of solidus and liquidus surfaces, an isothermal section at 1400°C, and a vertical section at 7.5 at.% B are constructed. A reaction scheme is proposed for alloy crystallization. __________ Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, Vol. 46, No. 1–2(453), pp. 72–87, 2007.     

Slow rhythmic oscillations of blood pressure, intracranial pressure, microcirculation, and cerebral oxygenation. Dynamic interrelation and time course in humans

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various biological signals show nonpulsatile, slow rhythmic oscillations. These include arterial blood pressure (aBP), blood flow velocity in cerebral arteries, intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral microflow, and cerebral tissue PO2. Generation and interrelations between these rhythmic fluctuations remained unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze whether stable dynamic interrelations in the low-frequency range exist between these different variables, and if they do, to analyze their exact time delay. METHODS: In a clinical study, 16 comatose patients with either higher-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage or severe traumatic brain injury were examined. A multimodal digital data acquisition system was used to simultaneously monitor aBP, flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (FVMCA), ICP, cerebral microflow, and oxygen saturation in the jugular bulb (SjO2). Cross-correlation as a means to analyze time delay and correlation between two periodic signals was applied to a time series of 30 minutes' duration divided into four segments of 2048 data points (approximately 436 seconds) each. This resulted in four cross-correlations for each 30-minute time series. If the four cross-correlations were consistent and reproducible, averaging of the original cross-correlations was performed, resulting in a representative time delay and correlation for the complete 30-minute interval. RESULTS: Reproducible cross-correlations and stable dynamic interrelations were found between aBP, FVMCA, ICP, and SjO2. The mean time delay between aBP and ICP was 6.89 +/- 1.90 seconds, with a negative correlation in 81%. A mean time delay of 1.50 +/- 1.29 seconds (median, 0.85 seconds) was found between FVMCA and ICP, with a positive correlation in 94%. The mean delay between ICP and SjO2 was 9.47 +/- 2.21 seconds, with a positive correlation in 77%. Mean values of aBP and ICP did not influence the time delay and dynamic interrelation between the different parameters. CONCLUSIONS: These results strongly support Rosner's theory that ICP B-waves are the autoregulatory response of spontaneous fluctuations of cerebral perfusion pressure. There is casuistic evidence that failure of autoregulation significantly modifies time delay and the correlation between aBP and ICP.     

Evolution of the metal microstructure and conditions of strain localization under high-strain-rate loading

Specific features of evolution of the microstructure of coarse-grained and fine-grained copper are examined on the basis of an available dependence of the critical parameters of strain localization on the grain size, which was derived in an explosive collapse of hollow thick-walled cylinders. Similarity of the properties and mechanisms of deformation of fine-grained and ultrafine-grained materials is established. Based on the analysis of the results obtained, a scenario of the change in deformation mechanisms of fine-grained copper in the course of the development of deformation structures under high-strain-rate loading is proposed. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 121–131, May–June, 2006.     

Determination of the plutonium content in samples from a 30-km zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

A method of determining the content of α-emitting plutonium isotopes according to the characteristic L_x radiation line emitted from uranium in samples taken from the environment is proposed. Comparing the method decribed and the standard radiochemical determination of plutonium isotopes for soil samples taken from a 5-km zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant showed that the results are in good agreement with one another. The concentration of plutonium and americium in the zones with high contamination with transuranium nuclides is measured. It is established that the migration rate of americium is the same as that of plutonium. It is shown that about 90% of the α-emitting nuclides are located at depths of 5–10 cm. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya,Vol. 100, No. 2, pp. 146–150, February, 2006.