Altered cleavage of Caspase-1 in hepatocytes limits control of malaria in the liver

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, is a devastating disease that kills over half a million people each year1. Plasmodium sporozoites inoculated by mosquitoes into mammalian hosts undergo a clinically silent phase of obligatory development and replication in hepatocytes before initiating the life-threatening blood-stage of malaria2. Thus, understanding the immune responses elicited by Plasmodium infection in the liver is key to controlling clinical malaria and transmission3,4. Here, we show that Plasmodium DNA can be detected by AIM2 (absent in melanoma 2) sensors in the infected hepatocytes, resulting in Caspase-1 activation and pyroptotic cell-death. However, Caspase-1 was observed to undergo only partial cleavage in hepatocytes, limiting pyroptosis, and the maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines classically associated with Caspase-1 activation. We discovered that the extent of Caspase-1 cleavage in cells is determined by the expression of ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD). ASC expression is inherently low in hepatocytes, and transgenically enhancing it in the hepatocytes induced complete processing of Caspase-1, efficient secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, enhanced pyroptotic cell-death, and markedly improved control of malaria infection in the liver. In addition to describing a novel pathway of natural immunity to malaria, our findings uncover a key aspect of liver biology that may have been exploited during evolution by successful hepatotropic pathogens.

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS REHABILITATION POTENTIAL AND FEATURES CARE OF COMBATANTS

As a result of the hostilities that are now taking place in the East Ukraine, the psychological and physical trauma of the combatants is increasingly being seen. Due to the fact that the processes of their adaptation and rehabilitation are delayed in time, we can get stuck with even greater and deeper psychological traumatization of people who have undergone a very high level of stress and returned from the combat zone. In our opinion, the use of both independent types of psychological assistance and their complex combination will contribute to the neutralization of traumatic material, complete processing, further elimination of the long-term consequences of stressful influences in combatants, their adaptation to social life and the restoration of mental health.

Mathematical model for calculating the parameters of machines for processing near-trunk strips in a terrace

Horticulture is one of the most dynamically developing branches of agricultural production. In recent years, in the Russian Federation, there has been an annual increase in the area for gardens, including on sloping lands, gross harvest and good yield. In the conditions of the foothill zone of the North Caucasus, the most promising direction is the development of slope lands, with favorable soil and climatic conditions for the cultivation of fruit crops. The design features of the terraces impose restrictions on the operating conditions of agricultural units, among the many it is necessary to emphasize the possibility of approaching the row line for processing the near-trunk circle from only one side. Most of the horticultural businesses have mainly equipment designed for work in flat gardening conditions, which for complete processing requires the passage of the unit along each side of the row line that cannot be provided in terraces. A design technology scheme of the machine working tool is proposed, the technical result of which lies in the performance of a high-quality processing in the zone of the near-trunk circle by ensuring the bypass of rotors with cutting segments around the tree trunk, without its damaging, in one passage of the unit along the row line.

Complex Processing of Copper Smelting Slags with Obtaining of Cast Iron Grinding Media and Proppants

The Ural region has a large number of metallurgical companies. The extraction of metals from ore is always accompanied by the accumulation of wastes. Currently, most of the wastes are stored in dumps and storage facilities forming technogenic deposits. One such that occupies huge areas is copper slag from the copper-smelting production. According to current estimations, about 2.2 tons of slag is formed for each ton of copper produced and about 24 million tons are produced annually [1]. In general, a copper slag contains about 35-45% iron and 0.4-0.5 copper, which indicates that this is a valuable secondary resource for recycling and utilization [33]. However, more than 80% of copper slag is not utilized, which makes it possible to consider this waste not only as a valuable material, but also as a potential hazard for the environment; it contaminates the soil and water with heavy elements [8]. Currently, only small amounts of the waste are recycled. In addition, technologies do not allow the complete extraction of valuable elements. This offers potential for the development of new highly efficient technologies for processing copper smelting wastes with extraction of valuable elements such as iron (Fe). Improvement of Fe quality requires a decrease in non-ferrous metal content, especially Cu. In recent years, extensive research was directed at the extraction of valuable materials from copper slags by high-temperature firing of copper conglomerates with subsequent magnetic separation or leaching of non-ferrous metals. However, these studies do not allow the complete processing of copper smelting slags. This work studies the production of iron-containing briquettes from copper-smelting slags, and their subsequent processing to obtain valuable products for metallurgical and oil companies. Keywords: briquette, reduction, cast iron, proppants

Effect of Cd and SPD on structure, physical, mechanical, and operational properties of alloy of Cu-Cr-Zr

An increase in the service life of electrical products from copper and its alloys is directly related to an increase in the wear resistance of materials. Structural refinement and alloying with cadmium are known to have a positive effect on the strength characteristics and wear resistance of copper, which makes it possible, with a Cd content of 1% by weight, to increase the wear resistance of copper several times, but cadmium is considered an environmentally unsafe element. In this regard, the paper presents the results of studies of a widely used Cu-Cr-Zr alloy system in the ultrafine-grained (UFG) state, micro-alloyed with cadmium (0.2%, weight), in order to improve physical, mechanical, and operational properties, as well as environmental safety. Severe plastic deformation, providing structure refinement to ~150 nm, and microalloying with cadmium of a Cu-Cr-Zr system alloy, after a complete processing cycle, provides a tensile strength of 570±10 MPa and 67% electrical conductivity. At the same time, the abrasion resistance increases by 12 and 35% relative to the industrial systems Cu-Cd and Cu-Cr-Zr, respectively. The obtained characteristics are very promising for improving the operational properties of continuous welding tips, collector plates, and contact wires operating under conditions of intense wear.

Features of Day-Long Statistic Campaigns in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century (Based on the Materials of Western Siberia and the Steppe Territory)

Based on archival material and published documents, the article identifies the features of day-long censuses in the territorial borders of Western Siberia and (the Steppe territory in the late 19th — early 20th centuries). Taking into account regional specifics, a comprehensive analysis was made for individual census campaigns in such cities as Tomsk, Omsk, and Semipalatinsk. Their features have been considered in the development of the statistic forms, the organization of the counters, working mechanisms. The first complete processing of the received material was the day-long census of Omsk, conducted in 1877. A systematic, methodologically developed statistic campaign, taking into account the achievements of the theory and practice of statistical science, was the daylong census of Tomsk in 1880. In administrative terms, the provincial statistic Committee played a significant role in this event. Based on the sources, it was revealed that the day-long campaign of Semipalatinsk in 1882 received broad public involvement in the implementation of statistical works under the control of the regional statistic Committee. It is shown in a comprehensive manner that the designated measures had disadvantages, which were manifested in the organizational and technical part. There was little explanation of the census tasks among the population, and the census staff was not always ready for the upcoming work, many forms in the census forms were not understood by the enumerators, they did not know what to do.

Model Sesar Pati di Jawa Tengah Berdasarkan Data GPS

The campaign GPS survey was conducted in the 2017 - 208 by Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Geological Agency for the purpose of studying the caracteristic of the Pati Fault. The complete processing and analysis of the GPS observations were performed using Gamit/Globk software version 10.6. Horizontally, displacement of GPS stations generally to the southwest and to the south with a velocity of 3.04 mm/yr up to 19.49 mm/yr. While the vertical displacement up and down with values varying from -125.60 mm/yr to 4.07 mm/yr. Base on displacement pattern of GPS stations by using Coulomb 3.3 softwaere, a Pati Fault model consist of three segments that have potensial produce earthquakes with moment magnitude Mw 6.2, Mw 6.2, and Mw 6.4 respectively.Keywords: GPS survey, Pati Fault, displacement, fault model.

Multidimensional and Multiscale GIS

The advent of new data collection technologies, such as LiDAR and drones, have made geospatial data available in large amounts and at low costs. While access to data is getting easier, geospatial tools have to evolve towards further automation and guarantee the reproducibility of the process and the quality of the results. As such, algorithms and data structures for handling geospatial data also need to be more and more robust and efficient to model complex, multidimensional geospatial phenomena in GISystems and provide higher levels of analysis. Articles in this special issue address two complementary aspects of the problem. They introduce new algorithms and data structures that allow for a more efficient handling of multidimensional data but also present complete processing chains dealing with the integration and the dissemination of multidimensional data.

3C seismic data processing and interpretation: a case study from Carpathian Foredeep basin

Chałupki Dębniańskie seismic profile 2D–3C is located in Carpathian Foredeep basin, Poland, and is an object of interest for geologists and geophysicists due to the presence of gas-bearing layers. Multicomponent seismic plays a significant role in supporting reservoir analysis related to accumulations of crude oil and natural gas. The purpose of the research was the optimal processing workflow design, which integrated seismic images of three-component 2D seismic line (2D–3C seismic). A complete processing flow for vertical and both horizontal components was conducted to obtain stacks and prestack gathers with preserved amplitude relations (RAP processing). The main issue of the research was the interpretation of S-wave velocity, which was not provided by well log data. The obtained results increased the reliability of seismic interpretation within Chałupki Dębniańskie area. The research provided valuable information regarding amplitude anomalies and helped in the verification of the potential gas accumulations. Several reservoir analysis tools were tested, including seismic attributes and AVO analysis. Conducted research confirmed the existence of reservoir which is characterized by good reservoir parameters.

Complete Processing of the High-Iron Content Red Mud

When bauxites from the Middle Timan and Severouralsk deposits are processed into alumina by the low-temperature sintered process the high-iron content red mud can be obtained. The red mud contain up to 58 % of iron and are a potential raw material for ferrous metallurgy. Rare earth elements (REEs) such as Sc, Y and La are converted from bauxites to red mud in the form of hydroxides during processing and are easily leached by weak acid solutions. In this work, the red mud is treated with a solution of sulfuric acid (pH = 2.5–5), the REEs pass into solution, and then the solution is neutralized to obtain a precipitate, i.e. a concentrate of rare elements. The recovery of REEs is about 75–90 % (Sc, Y, La). The high-iron content red mud is converted to the naturally-doped cast iron and titanium slag (up to 50 wt.% TiO2). As a result of processing bauxite, alumina (Al2O3), the naturally-doped cast iron, concentrate of REEs (Sc, Y, La, etc.) and titanium slag (TiO2) are obtained. The flowsheet of the proposed complete processing of the high-iron content red mud is given.