Obtainment and Characterization of Metal-Coated Polyethylene Granules as a Basis for the Development of Heat Storage Systems

The research studied the feasibility of using copper-coated polyethylene granules as a basis for creating efficient heat storage systems. A technology for imparting catalytic properties to a polymer surface by the joint processing of polymer granules and an activator metal in a ball mill with their subsequent metallization in a chemical reducing solution is proposed. The efficiency of copper-coating a polyethylene surface is shown to be largely determined by the activation stage and the assumption regarding the mechanism of interaction of the activator metal with the polymer surface is made. To obtain different amounts of metal on the polyethylene granules, it is proposed that the method of remetallization is used. It was established that the rate of copper ion reduction depends on the number of previous coatings and is determined by the area of interaction of the metal-coated granules with the chemical reducing solution. The obtained metal-coated polyethylene granules were characterized in terms of the viability of using it as a phase transition material for a heat storage system. Using the developed installation that simulates the heat accumulator operation, it was shown that the efficiency of using metal-coated polyethylene granules to create heat storage systems is higher. The copper coating deposited on the polyethylene granules was studied using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis.

Competitiveness of HR Policy as Factor of Organization Social Infrastructure

The article systematized key lines in upgrading social infrastructure of enterprise HR policy, descried factors, which affect greatly the efficiency of HR policy. The author formulated principle trends in social infrastructure organization as a factor of HR policy competitiveness, assessed and analyzed findings of the research studying the mechanism of interaction between social and HR policy on the basis of factors of competition, satisfaction and efficiency of enterprise workers. The dependence on current trends, economic situation, prevailing public values and other factors was investigated. Customers tend to buy goods of appropriate quality at low price and become more demanding for extra services, such as delivery speed, quality of accompanying service, etc. These factors make companies change, following the changing preferences of their target audience. The article put forward steps aimed at building effective HR policy in the current situation of Russian economy, among which it is necessary to point out to differentiated use of compensation packages for enterprise workers.

Interaction of the Synod and Its Institutions with the Secret Chancellery in the First Half of the 1720s

This article studies the mechanism of interaction of the Synod, its institutions and bodies of the central church administration with the Secret Chancellery during the first half of the 1720s. The analysis is based on the documents of the Synod containing correspondence with the Secret Chancellery. This study is a continuation of the research on the relationship between the Secret Chancellery and the Russian Orthodox Church, whose resluts had been published earlier. A deeper immersion in the topic provided greater insights into the joint activities of the synodal institutions and Russia’s main penal body at the time, as well as revealed the details of the most important contacts and pertinent problems. Of particular importance is the activity of the Chancellery of the Most Holy Synod, through which official correspondence with the Secret Chancellery and control over the implementation of its decisions as well as defrocking of priests before the start of investigation were carried out. Further, the paper describes the categories of convicts who were sent to the Synod from the Secret Chancellery and looks into the differences in their position. Contrary to the prevailing opinion about the absence of relations between the Synod and the Secret Chancellery, the author concludes that in practice there was a certain mechanism of interaction, which concerned investigations regarding the accused from among the clergy and their commital, as well as granting official requests from both parties, sending ecclesiastical experts, and enforcing sentences of the Secret Chancellery. In addition, facts are considered that testify to extremely complex and contradictory relations between the Synod and the Secret Chancellery. The author concludes that the relationship between these institutions was not systemic, but developed in the context of the state’s general advance on the church and subordination of the latter and the clergy to state interests. The mechanism of interaction between the Synod and the Secret Chancellery was formed in line with this trend as well.

Molecular Mechanism of Interaction Between Fatty Acid Delta 6 Desaturase and Acyl-CoA by Computational Prediction

Enzyme catalyzed desaturation of intracellular fatty acids plays an important role in various physiological and pathological processes related to lipids. Limited to the multiple transmembrane domains, it is difficult to obtain their three-dimensional structure of fatty acid desaturases. So how they interact with their substrates is unclear. Here, we predicted the complex of Micromonas pusilla delta 6 desaturase (MpFADS6) with the substrate linoleinyl-CoA (ALA-CoA) by trRosetta software and docking poses by Dock 6 software. The potential enzyme-substrate binding sites were anchored by analysis of the complex. Then, site-directed mutagenesis and activity verification clarified that W290, W224, and F352 were critical residues of the substrate tunnel and directly bonded to ALA-CoA. H94 and H69 were indispensable for transporting electrons with heme. H452, N445, and H358 significantly influenced the recognition and attraction of MpFADS6 to the substrate. These findings provide new insights and methods to determine the structure, mechanisms and directed transformation of membrane-bound desaturases.

Fabrication of Cobalt-Based Nano-Composite Film for Corrosion Mitigation of Copper in Flow Chloride Medium

Corrosion of metals leads to high maintenance costs, as well as potential threats to structural health and safety. Here, we demonstrate the coating of cobalt tungstate (CoWO4) nanoparticles (NPS)/5-mercapto-1-phenyl-1 H-tetrazole derivative (MPT) used as a nano-composite film on Cu surface for the blocking of micropores to hinder the propagation of metastable pits in an aggressive NaCl medium. The mechanism of interaction between the nanoparticles and tetrazole derivative, in addition to the mode of anchoring to the metal surface and blocking the penetration of chloride ions (Cl−), are all investigated. In this investigation, CoWO4 is synthesized via a wet chemical route and thereafter, is combined with MPT at an optimized ratio thus formulating a nano-composite corrosion inhibitor which in solution gets coated on Cu surface. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopic images of the bare Cu reveal dip pits, which by the coating of the nano-composite are suppressed at the nucleation stage during exposure to the aggressive 3.5% NaCl electrolyte under flow conditions. Electrochemical analysis shows high protection of Cu up to 97% efficiency in the presence of the newly formulated nano-composite inhibitor film.

A distributed residue network permits conformational binding specificity in a conserved family of actin remodelers

Metazoan proteomes contain many paralogous proteins that have evolved distinct functions. The Ena/VASP family of actin regulators consists of three members that share an EVH1 interaction domain with a 100 % conserved binding site. A proteome-wide screen revealed photoreceptor cilium actin regulator (PCARE) as a high-affinity ligand for ENAH EVH1. Here, we report the surprising observation that PCARE is ~100-fold specific for ENAH over paralogs VASP and EVL and can selectively bind ENAH and inhibit ENAH-dependent adhesion in cells. Specificity arises from a mechanism whereby PCARE stabilizes a conformation of the ENAH EVH1 domain that is inaccessible to family members VASP and EVL. Structure-based modeling rapidly identified seven residues distributed throughout EVL that are sufficient to differentiate binding by ENAH vs. EVL. By exploiting the ENAH-specific conformation, we rationally designed the tightest and most selective ENAH binder to date. Our work uncovers a conformational mechanism of interaction specificity that distinguishes highly similar paralogs and establishes tools for dissecting specific Ena/VASP functions in processes including cancer cell invasion.

Composition based on one-component polyurethane modified with tetrapropoxysilane

The questions of interaction of one-component polyurethane and organosilicon compound from the group of alkoxysilanes - tetrapropoxysilane are considered. The composition is intended to obtain a hydrophobic coating with improved performance properties to protect building structures from the effects of technogenic and natural factors. The mechanisms of interaction of one-component polyurethane with tetrapropoxysilane have been studied using spectroscopy. The product of the interaction of the polymer and tetrapropoxysilane is a three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer in which polyurethane macromolecules are crosslinked by organosilicon molecules. The chemical reaction is based on the mechanism of interaction of isocyanate groups with reactive groups of alkoxysilane. The effect of the modifier on the surface structure of the cured coating was studied using a microscope. The contact angle of wetting of the modified and unmodified composition is determined, and the concentration of tetrapropoxysilane at which the coating acquires hydrophobic properties is determined. The effect of tetrapropoxysilane on the adhesive characteristics of the polymer composition has been studied. The change in the hardness of the composition at various concentrations of alkoxysilane was studied. Chemical modification of polyurethane allows you to vary its properties in the desired direction without deteriorating its other characteristics.

Dynamic, but Not Necessarily Disordered, Human-Virus Interactions Mediated through SLiMs in Viral Proteins

Most viruses have small genomes that encode proteins needed to perform essential enzymatic functions. Across virus families, primary enzyme functions are under functional constraint; however, secondary functions mediated by exposed protein surfaces that promote interactions with the host proteins may be less constrained. Viruses often form transient interactions with host proteins through conformationally flexible interfaces. Exposed flexible amino acid residues are known to evolve rapidly suggesting that secondary functions may generate diverse interaction potentials between viruses within the same viral family. One mechanism of interaction is viral mimicry through short linear motifs (SLiMs) that act as functional signatures in host proteins. Viral SLiMs display specific patterns of adjacent amino acids that resemble their host SLiMs and may occur by chance numerous times in viral proteins due to mutational and selective processes. Through mimicry of SLiMs in the host cell proteome, viruses can interfere with the protein interaction network of the host and utilize the host-cell machinery to their benefit. The overlap between rapidly evolving protein regions and the location of functionally critical SLiMs suggest that these motifs and their functional potential may be rapidly rewired causing variation in pathogenicity, infectivity, and virulence of related viruses. The following review provides an overview of known viral SLiMs with select examples of their role in the life cycle of a virus, and a discussion of the structural properties of experimentally validated SLiMs highlighting that a large portion of known viral SLiMs are devoid of predicted intrinsic disorder based on the viral SLiMs from the ELM database.

Reform of the organization of public power: the main directions of implementation

The monograph examines topical issues of reforming the organization of public power in our country in connection with the adoption in 2020 of the Law on Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The logic of changes in the organization of public power and the directions of concretization of constitutional values, taking into account the laws of the development of the constitutional system of Russia, are revealed. The most significant characteristics of the updated model of interaction of federal public authorities in accordance with the principle of separation of powers are identified, the trends of constitutional transformations in the spheres of federal relations and local self-government, ensuring the fulfillment by public authorities of international obligations of the Russian Federation are investigated. Particular attention is paid to the development of the legal mechanism of interaction between public authorities and civil society. The authors of the book take into account the results of legislative support for the reform of public power in 2020-2021, a forecast assessment of the implementation of the relevant constitutional and legislative novelties is given, including taking into account the existing legal risks. Solutions are proposed to a number of legal issues of legislative regulation of public power, which can increase the efficiency of its functioning. For researchers, teachers, students and postgraduates, deputies of representative authorities, state and municipal employees, as well as anyone interested in constitutional law issues.

The world-modeling function of Russian-foreign bilingualism in the prose of S. Aflatuni (“Clay letters, floating apples”)

The prose of the Central Asian writer Suhbat Aflatuni is analyzed in the article in the context of the concept of transculturation, which is based on the principle of interference in the interaction of different national cultures, when “cultural diversity and universality” become the “heritage” of one person (M. Epstein). To determine the specifics of the image of the world in the novel “Clay Letters, Floating Apples” (2005), the article aims to reveal the mechanism of interaction between different languages and cultural codes and to trace the world-modeling function of Russian-foreign bilingualism. The text of the novel-parable is complexly organized, it intertwines the events of the present and the past, united by the themes of the Teacher and students, the awakening of genetic memory and the acquisition of the lost ancient alphabet, the return to national spiritual origins as the life-giving moisture of life (the motive of the connection of “clay letters” and water as the source of life in the symbolism of the image of “floating apples”). Thanks to the fairy tale form of the narration and the stylized language based on Russian-foreign bilingualism, the effect of interference carried out “at the borders”, in the zone of inter-lingualism, the author manages to create a universal, syncretic image of the world that demonstrates the attachment of the writer's personality to many cultures. The artistic style of the novel resembles a bright ornament of an oriental carpet with cultural codes encrypted in the drawing – as a continuation of ancient national traditions. At the same time, the form of the parable, the mythologized space, images and motives, the special author's optics, which is based on Russian-foreign bilingualism, allow us to talk about the connection between the novel and the traditions of magical realism.