On the Growth of Thin-Film AlGaN/GaN Epitaxial Heterostructures on Hybrid Substrates Containing Layers of Silicon Carbide and Porous Silicon

Semiconductors - Abstract—In our work, we carry out a structural-spectroscopic study of AlGaN/GaN epitaxial layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy with nitrogen-plasma activation on a hybrid...     

Precision Spectrometric Determination of Th and Pu in Solutions with Arsenazo III Using Internal Standardization

A spectrophotometric procedure with internal standardization was suggested for precision determination of the concentrations of Th and Pu in the form of colored complexes with arsenazo III in nitric acid solutions. The sensitivity of the method was significantly improved owing to the use of colored complexes. The optical density optimum (0.3-0.5) of the solutions for spectrophotometric measurements can be achieved at concentrations in solution of the element analyzed as low as (2-3) ×10^-6 M, at the arsenazo and HNO₃ concentrations of 1 ×10^-4 and 6 M, respectively. With this composition of the solution, the relative rms deviation of the results for a single run is no greater than 0.15 and 0.3% for thorium and plutonium, respectively.     

Bistable amphoteric centers in semiconductors

It is shown that, at thermodynamic equilibrium, the release of charge carriers from the localized states of bistable amphoteric centers into quasi-free states depends on the degree of compensation. This brings about different functional dependences of the concentration of free charge carriers on temperature. It is found that, in uncompensated semiconductors, the concentration of free charge carriers follows the same dependence in the case of bistable amphoteric centers and bistable amphoteric U ^? centers, although the distributions of charge carriers over the charge states and configurations are different for these types of centers. The results can be used for interpreting various experimental data insufficiently explained in the context of the traditional approach.     

Materials with a polymeric bitumen adhesive layer

The materials based on polyethylene and poly(vinylchloride) inner tapes and polymeric bitumen mastic with the trade mark TRANSKOR used for the anticorrosion protection of steel underground pipelines are described. For the capital repair of oil pipelines, a special construction solution is offered. This structure is composed of a polymeric bitumen primer, polymeric bitumen mastic, and heat-shrinkable film.     

Effect of sulfuric acid treatment on the physicomechanical properties of polyphenyleneoxadiazole fibres

Conclusions By treatment of undried polyphenyleneoxadiazole yarns with concentrated sulfuric acid under isometric conditions, it is possible to raise their strength by 20–30% and their elongation at break 40–50%.The improvement in physicomechanical properties of the yarns which have been treated with acid is caused by a reduction in internal stresses, an improvement in the interlayer packing of the macromolecules fragments, and an increase in the degree of orientation of the macromolecules.Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 6, pp. 33–35, November–December, 1985.     

Magnesium-rich Mg-Al2Ca alloys

The magnesium solid solution in the Mg-Al-Ca system is confirmed to be in equilibrium with the Al₂Ca phase of the Al-Ca system. The solubility of Al₂Ca in solid magnesium is determined, and its decrease with decreasing temperature suggests the decomposition of a supersaturated solid solution in Mg-Al₂Ca alloys. The decomposition kinetics of the supersaturated solid solution and the accompanying strengthening effect in the alloys at aging temperatures of 175 and 200°C are established.     

Cardioinotropic Effects in Subchronic Intoxication of Rats with Lead and/or Cadmium Oxide Nanoparticles

Subchronic intoxication was induced in outbred male rats by repeated intraperitoneal injections with lead oxide (PbO) and/or cadmium oxide (CdO) nanoparticles (NPs) 3 times a week during 6 weeks for the purpose of examining its effects on the contractile characteristics of isolated right ventricle trabeculae and papillary muscles in isometric and afterload contractions. Isolated and combined intoxication with these NPs was observed to reduce the mechanical work produced by both types of myocardial preparation. Using the in vitro motility assay, we showed that the sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments drops under both isolated and combined intoxication with CdO–NP and PbO–NP. These results correlate with a shift in the expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms towards slowly cycling β–MHC. The type of CdO–NP + PbO–NP combined cardiotoxicity depends on the effect of the toxic impact, the extent of this effect, the ratio of toxicant doses, and the degree of stretching of cardiomyocytes and muscle type studied. Some indices of combined Pb–NP and CdO–NP cardiotoxicity and general toxicity (genotoxicity included) became fully or partly normalized if intoxication developed against background administration of a bioprotective complex.     

Therapeutic Effects of hiPSC-Derived Glial and Neuronal Progenitor Cells-Conditioned Medium in Experimental Ischemic Stroke in Rats

Transplantation of various types of stem cells as a possible therapy for stroke has been tested for years, and the results are promising. Recent investigations have shown that the administration of the conditioned media obtained after stem cell cultivation can also be effective in the therapy of the central nervous system pathology (hypothesis of their paracrine action). The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of the conditioned medium of hiPSC-derived glial and neuronal progenitor cells in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model of the ischemic stroke. Secretory activity of the cultured neuronal and glial progenitor cells was evaluated by proteomic and immunosorbent-based approaches. Therapeutic effects were assessed by overall survival, neurologic deficit and infarct volume dynamics, as well as by the end-point values of the apoptosis- and inflammation-related gene expression levels, the extent of microglia/macrophage infiltration and the numbers of formed blood vessels in the affected area of the brain. As a result, 31% of the protein species discovered in glial progenitor cells-conditioned medium and 45% in neuronal progenitor cells-conditioned medium were cell type specific. The glial progenitor cell-conditioned media showed a higher content of neurotrophins (BDNF, GDNF, CNTF and NGF). We showed that intra-arterial administration of glial progenitor cells-conditioned medium promoted a faster decrease in neurological deficit compared to the control group, reduced microglia/macrophage infiltration, reduced expression of pro-apoptotic gene Bax and pro-inflammatory cytokine gene Tnf, increased expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine genes (Il4, Il10, Il13) and promoted the formation of blood vessels within the damaged area. None of these effects were exerted by the neuronal progenitor cell-conditioned media. The results indicate pronounced cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory and angiogenic properties of soluble factors secreted by glial progenitor cells.