Some Molecular and Cellular Stress Mechanisms Associated with Neurodegenerative Diseases and Atherosclerosis

Chronic stress is a combination of nonspecific adaptive reactions of the body to the influence of various adverse stress factors which disrupt its homeostasis, and it is also a corresponding state of the organism’s nervous system (or the body in general). We hypothesized that chronic stress may be one of the causes occurence of several molecular and cellular types of stress. We analyzed literary sources and considered most of these types of stress in our review article. We examined genes and mutations of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and also molecular variants which lead to various types of stress. The end result of chronic stress can be metabolic disturbance in humans and animals, leading to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, energy deficiency in cells (due to a decrease in ATP synthesis) and mitochondrial dysfunction. These changes can last for the lifetime and lead to severe pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. The analysis of literature allowed us to conclude that under the influence of chronic stress, metabolism in the human body can be disrupted, mutations of the mitochondrial and nuclear genome and dysfunction of cells and their compartments can occur. As a result of these processes, oxidative, genotoxic, and cellular stress can occur. Therefore, chronic stress can be one of the causes forthe occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases and atherosclerosis. In particular, chronic stress can play a large role in the occurrence and development of oxidative, genotoxic, and cellular types of stress.     

Shaping the Toroidal Section of End Mills

The shaping of the toroidal cutting section of end mills is considered. Methods are devised for selecting the positional parameters in shaping the helical rake surface on the toroidal section. Relations are established between the geometric parameters of the end mill in the toroidal section.     

Electrochemical cell current requirements for toxic organic waste destruction in Ce(IV)-mediated electrochemical oxidation process

The electrochemical cell for cerium oxidation and reactor for organic destruction are the most important operation units for the successful working mediated electrochemical oxidation (MEO) process. In this study, electrochemical cells with DSA electrodes of two types, single stack and double stack connected in series, were used. The performances towards the electrochemical generation of Ce(IV) in nitric acid media at 80 °C were studied. The current-voltage curves and cerium electrolysis kinetics showed the dependence on number of cell stacks needed to be connected in series for the destruction of a given quantity of organic pollutant. The presence of an optimum region for Ce(III) oxidation with a contribution of oxygen evolution, especially at low Ce(III) concentration (high conversion ratios), was found. The cells were applied for the Ce(IV) regeneration during the organic destruction. The cell and reactor processes were fitted in a simple model proposed and used to calculate the current needed in terms of Ce(III) oxidation rate and the number of cell stacks required for maintaining Ce(IV)/Ce(III) ratio at the same level during the organic destruction. This consideration was based on the kinetic model previously developed by us for the organic destruction in the MEO process.     

The Multimeter at the Nanoscale

A multi‐tip scanning tunneling microscope (STM) specifically designed for charge transport measurements at the nanoscale is described. Complementing the instrument with a versatile measurement electronics creates a powerful tool to give insight into fundamental transport properties at the nanoscale. We demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument by measuring resistance profiles along freestanding GaAs nanowires, by the acquisition of nanoscale potential maps, and by the identification of an anisotropy in the surface conductivity at a silicon surface.     

Automated recordkeeping of nuclear materials at electric power plants powered with a water-moderated-water-cooled nuclear reactor

Conclusions The automated nuclear-material recordkeeping system based on the NUMIS-2 program is at present being introduced at the Novororonezh electric power plant. Concurrently, the program is being modified in order to allow its use by the computer model being created in the COMECON member-nations. In the long term, it is expected that the recordkeeping program will become a component part of a single automated control systems of individual electric power plants.The NUMIS-2 program was approved for nuclear-material recordkeeping use after it was tested on the first fuel load of the fourth unit of the Novovoronezh electric power plant. The experiment confirmed the feasibility of automating the processing and storing of nuclear-material information and of recording that information and on the standard computer carriers of information. In principle, these same records can be submitted to the national recordkeeping service (or to the International Atomic Energy Agency) for their further immediate processing by means of the computer program employed by the service. In this manner, the recordkeeping system becomes closed, which makes it promising.We note that the propesed nuclear-material recordkeeping system satisfied the basic requirements of recordkeeping by computer laid down by the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as the required order of reporting by the plants under the control of the Agency.Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 267–270, October, 1978.     

Photoluminescence and Electrical Conductivity of As<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>3</Subscript>〈Au〉 and As<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>5</Subscript>〈Au〉 Glasses

The 77-K photoluminescence spectra of (As₂S₃)_{100 − x} Au_x and (As₂S₅)_{100 −x} Au_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) semiconducting glasses are measured for the first time. At low doping levels, the spectra of the (As₂S₅)_{100 − x} Au_x glasses are split into two components, one of which arises from the Au dopant. The temperature-dependent conductivity of the glasses shows two breaks at low Au concentrations and anomalous behavior in the range 300–360 K. Qualitative analysis of the conductivity data suggests that most of the impurity atoms have saturated valence bonds and form solid solutions with host atoms, changing the band gap of the material. A small fraction of the impurity atoms, those having unsaturated valence bonds, produce an electrically active level responsible for impurity conduction.__________Translated from Neorganicheskie Materialy, Vol. 41, No. 7, 2005, pp. 876–880.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Babaev, Kamilov, Sultanov, Askhabov, Terukov.     

Real time algorithms for digital pulse processing applied to gamma-ray and hard X-ray spectroscopy

The duration of a single plasma discharge in the next generation of fusion experiments will be much longer than in the present devices. Storing all raw data acquired in each discharge will be more difficult and the high rates achieved by the new digitizers are already contributing to storage overload. This gap can be mitigated by real time (RT) analysis and compression, using devices such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) capable to transfer and process data on the fly. However, to ensure a correct RT analysis, the FPGA algorithm must be adapted to the signal to be acquired. Since minor changes in signal shape may require significant algorithm modifications, it is important to know in advance the signal attributes. For that reason, the availability of more than one RT algorithm, especially during commissioning of new sub-systems and during campaigns with relevant changes in diagnostic conditions, is advantageous. This paper presents an implementation using two RT algorithms processing simultaneously, developed for the gamma-ray and hard X-ray diagnostics of the Joint European Torus (JET). Both algorithms perform pulse height analysis with pile-up rejection. While the first algorithm is suitable for Gaussian shaped pulses, the second is suitable for exponential signals. The algorithms are selectable by the user, during discharge configuration. Tests with radioactive sources made in JET are presented.     

Polymer Composites Based on Shungite and Taunite-M Carbon Nanomaterial for Radioprotective Coatings

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - The present brief review presents the results of studies of the electrical conductivity and microwave properties of polymer composites...