Hazard Classification of Holding Ponds for Liquid Radioactive Wastes

This paper is devoted to the development of a method for hazard classification of holding ponds at the Industrial Association Mayak, the Siberian Intergrated Chemical Plant, and the Integrated Iron-Mining and Mining-Chemical Plant. The method is based on a combined approach employing the qualitative characteristics and quantitative parameters of the ponds. The classification of holding ponds is intended to be used for developing the requirements for the composition and content of the documentation presented by enterprises for licensing the operation and decommissioning of holding ponds.     

Multifrequency gyrotron with high-efficiency synthesized waveguide converter

The results of numerical simulation and experimental investigation of a prototype of a megawatt multifrequency gyrotron for controlled thermonuclear fusion facilities are presented. In experiments, the gyrotron has operated at six frequencies in the range 105–152 GHz with small diffraction losses in the internal quasi-optical system and a high Gaussian mode content in the output beam.     

Tuning fuzzy power-system stabilizers in multi-machine systems by global optimization algorithms based on efficient domain partitions

In this paper, the problem of global tuning of fuzzy power-system stabilizers (FPSSs) present in a multi-machine power system in order to damp the power system oscillations is considered. In particular, it is formulated as a problem of global minimization of a multiextremal black-box function over a multidimensional hyperinterval. A global optimization technique, recently proposed, is used for solving the stated problem: the search hyperinterval is partitioned into smaller hyperintervals and the objective function is evaluated only at two vertices corresponding to the main diagonal of the generated hyperintervals, thus avoiding unnecessary ponderous simulations. Then, the performances of this technique are numerically compared with ones of a genetic algorithm (GA).     

Generalized null space uncorrelated Fisher discriminant analysis for linear dimensionality reduction

We propose a generalized null space uncorrelated Fisher discriminant analysis (GNUFDA) technique integrating the uncorrelated discriminant analysis and weighted pairwise Fisher criterion. The GNUFDA can effectively deal with the small sample-size problem and perform satisfactorily when the dimensionality of the null space decreases with increase in the number of training samples per class and/or classes, C. The proposed GNUFDA can extract at most C-1 optimal uncorrelated discriminative vectors without being influenced by the null-space dimensionality.     

Dual role of alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

The alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene aldB is clustered with the genes for the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis. It can be transcribed with BCAA genes under isoleucine regulation or independently of BCAA synthesis under the control of its own promoter. The product of aldB is responsible for leucine sensibility under valine starvation. In the presence of more than 10 microM leucine, the alpha-acetolactate produced by the biosynthetic acetohydroxy acid synthase IlvBN is transformed to acetoin by AldB and, consequently, is not available for valine synthesis. AldB is also involved in acetoin formation in the 2,3-butanediol pathway, initiated by the catabolic acetolactate synthase, AlsS. The differences in the genetic organization, the expression, and the kinetics parameters of these enzymes between L. lactis and Klebsiella terrigena, Bacillus subtilis, or Leuconostoc oenos suggest that this pathway plays a different role in the metabolism in these bacteria. Thus, the alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase from L. lactis plays a dual role in the cell: (i) as key regulator of valine and leucine biosynthesis, by controlling the acetolactate flux by a shift to catabolism; and (ii) as an enzyme catalyzing the second step of the 2,3-butanediol pathway.     

Detection of human papillomavirus 16 and 18 DNA in epithelial lesions of the lower genital tract by in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction: cervical scrapes are not substitutes for biopsies

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in 66 women with histologically documented lesions of the genital tract and 64 control cohorts were investigated. The efficacies of in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting HPV 16 and 18 DNA were analyzed. In order to assess the usefulness of replacing biopsies with cervical scrapes, the two samples were compared by PCR. The prevalence rates of HPV infection by PCR were 59.1 and 10.9% in patients and controls, respectively. PCR was three times more sensitive than in situ hybridization (52.6 versus 17.8%). However, the need to improve PCR sensitivity by subsequent dot blot hybridization reduced one of the main advantages of PCR, i.e., expeditious diagnosis. Cervical scrapes were less sensitive than biopsies (13.6 versus 53%), although with four (6.1%) patients with intraepithelial neoplasias, HPV DNA was identified only by means of cervical scraping. We conclude that obtaining biopsy specimens and cervical scraping are complementary sampling procedures.     

Inhibition of natural killer cell cytotoxicity by cell growth-related molecules

Certain MHC class I molecules on target cells are known to inhibit the cytotoxic action of NK cells. By using monoclonal antibody (mAb) Cho-1, we have found inhibitory non-MHC class I cell surface molecules that are noncovalently-associated with 200 kDa and 40 kDa antigens. Poly I-C-induced rat NK cells were not cytotoxic to rat fetus-derived fibroblast WFB cell line. In contrast, NK cells were cytotoxic to H-ras oncogene-induced transformants of WFB, W14 and W31. FACS analysis indicated that mAb Cho-1 reacts with WFB, but not with W14 and W31 cells. Thus, this antigen may disappear concomitantly with cell growth and transformation. Cho-1 antigens were also expressed on other NK-resistant lines, such as mouse BALB3T3 fibroblast, EL-4 lymphoma and human fibroblast HEPM. However, they were not expressed on NK-sensitive mouse YAC-1 and H-ras transformant (Brash) of BALB3T3 cells. Furthermore, treatment of target cells with IFN-gamma clearly induced the cell surface expression of Cho-1 antigens, and conferred a resistance to NK cytolysis on target cells. These data strongly suggest that Cho-1 antigen expression may correlate with target cell susceptibility to NK cells. Indeed, treatment of NK-resistant WFB as well as HEPM cells with F(ab')2 fragments of mAb Cho-1 resulted in the acquisition of susceptibility to NK cytolysis. Cho-1 antigens may be novel molecules that regulate the NK resistance of cells.