Background: Radioactive contamination and chemical pollution of the environment can affect the processes of carcinogenesis, including the formation of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in women. We used the data of official state statistics for 2000–2020 to test the hypothesis about the effect of radioactive contamination (following the Chernobyl disaster) and chemical pollutants on the incidence of ovarian malignancies in the female population of the Bryansk region. Methods: A variety of statistical approaches were used to estimate the incidence of ovarian malignancies, including the Shapiro–Wilk test, Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation test and linear regression. Results: We did not establish statistically significant differences in the frequency of primary morbidity of women with malignant neoplasms of the ovaries, regardless of the environmental conditions of living. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found between the frequency of primary morbidity of ovarian malignancies, both with the level of contamination by Cesium-137 and Strontium-90, and air pollution with volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. A statistically significant increase in the long-term trend in the frequency of ovarian malignant neoplasms was revealed in the areas of chemical pollution (p = 0.02), however, in other territories, no statistically significant regularities were established. The forecast of the frequency of newly diagnosed malignant neoplasms of the ovaries on average in the Bryansk region shows an increase of 12.4% in 2020 in comparison with the real data for 2020, while the largest increase in predicted values is recorded in the territories of radioactive contamination (by 79.6%), and the least in the combined territories (by 6.9%). Conclusions: The results obtained indicate the need for further work to understand the trends in the presence/absence of independent and combined effects of pollutants and the growth of oncogynecological pathology from the perspective of assessing the distant and regional metastasis, histological and immunohistochemical profile of a specific malignant ovarian neoplasm with levels of environmental contamination. According to the latest estimates of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) at the World Health Organization (WHO) GLOBOCAN 2020 , the incA number of studies reveal a significant relationship between the risk of malignant neoplasms of the female reproductive system with an increase in the level of technogenic radioactive contamination ,11,12,13As a result of nuclear weapons testing, the disposal of radioactive waste in the seas and major radiation accidents in the second half of the twentieth century , a huge amount of technogenic radionuclides was introduced into the biosphere , the con137Cs and 90Sr, will remain radiologically significant for several decades if not centuries more [Thirty-five years after the Chernobyl accident, about 5 million people live in the radioactively contaminated territories of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia , and theies more ,25,26.Currently, about 316,000 people in 749 settlements still live in the radioactively contaminated areas of the Bryansk region (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 10.08.2015 No. 1074) .137Cs and 90Sr in the southwestern territories significantly exceeds the established radiological limits [Regular radioecological monitoring in the area of the Bryansk region indicates that the density of soil contamination by l limits , while tl limits .x), as well as solid household and industrial waste.According to official data  , in recep = 0.034; chemical pollutants alone: 1.9 times, p = 0.008). These findings suggest additive and potentially synergistic effects of radioactive and chemical pollutants on the frequencies of multiple congenital malformations.It should be noted that in some areas of the Bryansk region, the population is exposed to the combined influence of radioactive and chemical contamination of the environment ,32. ThusAccordingly, the increase in the rate of the mutational process, which occurs as a result of environmental pollution and the degradation of the ecological situation, creates a threat to the genetic safety of all living things .In this regard, the study of the health status of the female population living in ecologically unfavorable conditions is highly relevant. Therefore, we carried out a comparative assessment of the frequency of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in the female population of the Bryansk region living in conditions of radioactive, chemical and combined contamination during 2000–2020.We conducted an ecological and hygienic assessment of the state of the environment and the level of primary morbidity of the female population with malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in the Bryansk region, namely, in 4 cities and 27 districts in terms of radiation (as a result of the Chernobyl accident), chemical (due to atmospheric air pollution) and combined radiation and chemical contamination over a twenty-year period (2000–2019).137Cs and 90Sr due to the Chernobyl accident was estimated according to the data [2) was carried out in (grams/m2), according to [The density of radioactive contamination of the territories by the data , and chethe data . We idenrding to .According to the information guide , we usedThe primary morbidity of the female population ovaries malignancies (age 18 and over) in the Bryansk region was analyzed according to the data of the Bryansk regional oncological dispensary .In total, in the Bryansk region during 2000–2020 there were 2647 registered cases of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in woman, including 439 cases in ecologically safe areas, 1750 cases of chemical pollution and 169 and 289 cases of radioactive and combined contamination, respectively. The recalculation of newly diagnosed malignant neoplasms of the ovaries  was carried out per 100,000, taking into account the female population in cities and districts.137Cs and 90Sr, and separately for each pollutant and for the sum of pollutants. Therefore, to assess the relationship between the level of chemical and radioactive contamination with the frequency of ovarian malignant neoplasms, we used the Spearman rank correlation test. To test the statistical significance of differences (paired comparisons), we used the Mann–Whitney U test [Statistical analysis of the data obtained was carried out using the tools of the Stata SE 14.2 package . The sample mean (M) and the standard error of the mean (m) were used for estimation of main parameters. The normal distribution of the level of chemical and radioactive contamination was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. We showed that the sample is far from normal distribution both for y U test .a, showing the direction of the trend.We calculated the linear regression of the frequency of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in ecologically different areas in the Bryansk region for 2000–2019. When testing the hypothesis about the relationship between the frequency of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries and the year, the Spearman rank correlation test was used. Calculations of 95% confidence intervals were completed for the angular coefficient y = ax + b by the least squares method, which most accurately approximates the available statistical data for each of the indicated categories. We used data for 2000–2019. Using this linear function, we calculated the forecast for 2020 and compared the predicted values with the real ones. The presented forecast will allow us to assess how the real values of the frequency of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries differ from those predicted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Based on the available data, we calculated the prognosis of the frequency of ovarian malignant neoplasms. To do this, we found a linear function 2, CO and NOx) on the area of the district, the density of radioactive contamination by 137Cs and 90Sr due to the Chernobyl accident and the primary morbidity of ovarian malignancies in women. We also presented the average sample sizes for the female population over 18 years old in cities and districts of the Bryansk region , we ranked the territories  dependink region .We identified four groups of territories of the Bryansk region according to the degree of unfavorable ecology of the environment : (1) eco137Cs and 90Sr and the level of chemical pollution by leading gaseous pollutants vary within wide limits. For 137Cs—from 4.4 to 460.6 kBq/m2, for 90Sr—from 0.4 to 16.3 kBq/m2. In terms of gross emissions of gaseous pollutants into the air per area (g/m2)—from 12 to 32,191, of which: carbon monoxide—from 7 to 5217, nitrogen oxides—from 6 to 10,886, sulfur dioxide—from 0 to 2617 and VOCs—from 0 to 13,470.As 137Cs (up to 37 kBq/m2) and 90Sr (up to 5.6 kBq/m2). The total level of chemical pollution of atmospheric air by gaseous pollutants is from 12 to 128 g/m2, which makes it possible to classify these territories as control  areas. The frequency of primary morbidity with malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in ecologically safe areas ranges from 15.1 to 26.3; the average over a twenty-year period was 20.6, which is 8.8% less than the all-Russian public values .In the areas of chemical pollution, the gross emissions of gaseous pollutants per area of the district significantly exceed the analogous indicators of ecologically safe territories (sometimes by a factor of thousands), fluctuating within wide limits—from 123 to 32,191 g/m137Cs contamination density exceeds the established standards by 3.8–12.4 times, and ranges from 139.6 to 460.6 kBq/m2. The density of 90Sr contamination reaches its maximum values in the Zlynkovsky district (16.3 kBq/m2), which exceeds the established standards by 2.9 times, but in two districts (Gordeevsky and Klintsovsky) it does not exceed the established standards, amounting to 5.0 and 4.7 kBq/m2. At the same time, the level of atmospheric air pollution by technogenic pollutants is quite low and is comparable to the indicators of ecologically safe areas, ranging from 16.0 to 169 g/m2. Such indicators make it possible to classify this group of regions as territories of radioactive contamination. It should be noted that in the areas of radioactive contamination, the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries ranges from 11.0 to 21.2, the average value is 18.3, which is less than the indicators of the control territories by 11.2% and the all-Russian values by 19.0%.In the group of areas of radioactive contamination, the 137Cs, as well as in the radiation-contaminated territories, exceeds the established standards (by 1.23–12.3 times), amounting to 45.4–456.5 kBq/m2. The highest density of 137Cs contamination is recorded in the city of Novozybkov (456.5 kBq/m2), and the density of 90Sr contamination is exceeded only in the city of Novozybkov (9.7 kBq/m2). At the same time, in addition to the increased and high level of radioactive contamination, the level of chemical pollution by gaseous pollutants is 2.6–491 times higher than the values of radiation-contaminated areas, amounting to 392–7422 g/m2, which allows them to be classified as combined , see The results obtained indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in cities and districts of the Bryansk region, regardless of the environmental conditions of residence  in ecologically different territories of the Bryansk region in 2000–2020 are presented in The dynamics of the frequency of primary morbidity with ovarian malignancies in ecologically different territories of the Bryansk region in 2000–2020 are presented in p = 0.02)—Since the dynamics of the frequency of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in 2000–2019 in ecologically different territories of the Bryansk region often have a spasmodic character over the years, we performed a linear calculation for three-year periods  and over the last 2 years (2018–2019)—Our forecast of the frequency (based on 2000–2019 data) of newly diagnosed malignant ovarian neoplasms on average in all cities and districts of the Bryansk region shows an increase of 12.4% in 2020 in comparison with real data for 2020. The reason for this, in all probability, is a reorientation of the healthcare system in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic—Furthermore, the increase in predicted values in comparison with real data is uneven. Thus, the greatest increase in newly diagnosed malignant neoplasms of the ovaries was recorded in areas of radioactive contamination by 79.6% , and a less pronounced increase was found in ecologically safe areas by 18.8% , in areas of chemical pollution by 11.9% (30.2 versus 27.0) and combined contamination by 6.9% —137Cs contamination  and 90Sr , as well as air pollution by VOCs , CO , NOx  and SO2 .Correlation analysis of the primary incidence of ovarian malignant neoplasms in cities and districts of the Bryansk region with the level of radiation contamination and chemical pollution of the environment  did not As a result of our study, we did not reveal an increased frequency of ovarian malignancies in ecologically unfavorable areas in comparison with ecologically safe ones, as well as a relationship between the level of chemical and radioactive contamination with the primary incidence of ovarian malignant neoplasms. This indicates that the effect of endogenous factors on female reproductive processes is of a greater extent than exogenous.It should be noted that among the circumstances of the risk of malignant neoplasms, there are many exogenous and endogenous factors, which are practically impossible to take into account. According to the literature ,42,43,44More exact measurements of radioactive contamination and chemical pollution of the environment;137Cs and 90Sr);More exact estimates of accumulated radiation doses in the population .When conducting further research, it is necessary to utilize:We did not find statistically significant differences in the frequency of primary morbidity with malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in women, regardless of the environmental conditions of residence.137Cs and 90Sr, and air pollution with volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.We did not find significant correlations between the frequency of primary morbidity of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries, both with the level of contamination by p = 0.02), however, in other areas, no statistically significant regularities were established.We found a significant increase in the long-term trend in the frequency of malignant neoplasms of the ovaries in areas of chemical pollution , and the least in the combined territories (by 6.9%).The results obtained indicate the need for further work to understand the trends in the presence/absence of independent and combined effects of pollutants on the growth of oncogynecological pathology from the perspective of assessing distant and regional metastasis, histological and immunohistochemical profile of a specific malignant ovarian neoplasm with levels of environmental contamination.


Al3 reinforcing precipitates were examined by hardness, microscopic examinations, tensile tests and software analysis. The results showed that, firstly, the hardness results are well proportional to the results of the tensile properties of alloys and, secondly, the strength of the alloy with thermomechanical treatments compared to T6 treatments increased from 492 MPa to 620 MPa and the elongation increased from 8% to 17% and was 100% upgraded. Microstructural and fracture cross section investigations showed that Al3 nanosize dispersoids were evenly distributed among MgZn2 dispersoids and the alloy fracture was of semi-ductile type and nanosize dispersoids less than 10 nm were observed at the end of the dimples in the fracture section. The volume fraction of nanosize dispersoids in the whole microstructure of thermomechanical treatment samples was also much higher than that of T6 heat treated samples, so that the percentage of Al3 precipitates arrived from less than 1% in T6 operation to 8.28% in the quench-controlled thermomechanical operation (with 50% deformation). The quality index (QI) in thermomechanical treatment samples is 19% higher than T6 samples, so that this index has increased from 641 in T6 operation to 760 in samples under thermomechanical treatment due to precipitate morphology, volume fraction of precipitates, their uniform distribution in the matrix, and nano sized precipitates in samples under thermomechanical treatment.In this study, the mechanical and microstructural properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr cast alloy with 0.1% Sc under homogeneous, dissolution, and T6 and thermomechanical treatments with the aim of increasing the volume fraction of MgZn Al3Sc particles act as grain modifiers in the solidification process of Al alloys, reinforcing precipitates by fixing dislocations, and dispersed particles controlling the grain structure [3Zr particles [Aluminum (Al) alloys are widely used in various industries. The addition of rare earth elements to Al alloys has been proven to have optimal effects ,4,5,6,7.articles ,9,10. All matrix . It has eatments ,13. Thereatments ,15,16. Teatments ,18,19. Aeatments ,22,23,24eatments ,28,29,30eatments ,35,36,37tructure . Considearticles .The 7075 alloy is used in advanced industries ,41, and A resistive furnace with programmability and accuracy of ±3 degrees was used for heat treatment, and a Brinell hardness tester , according to the ASTM E10 standard , was useIn engineering applications, instead of using any of the parameters of tensile strength and elongation to failure separately, it is better to derive a more acceptable parameter from the combination of tensile strength and elongation. Therefore, in this study, the quality index (QI) was used ,46,47. QConsidering that the purpose of this study was to increase the volume fraction of precipitates and their uniform distribution using thermomechanical treatments, MIP software v4 was used to calculate the volume fraction of precipitates created in thermomechanical treatments and the results are compared with the volume fraction of precipitates from T6 treatment.3Sc and Al3Zr dispersoids were allowed to dissolve; then, before casting and for balancing the amount of zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg), Al-Zn and Al-Mg alloys were used and, finally, the melt was mixed with a graphite lancer and under argon gas. Then the casting was performed in a vertical cast iron mold. The amount of Sc and Zr in the alloy was analyzed by the ICP method and other elements were analyzed by quantometer analysis. Alloy samples were prepared by alloying and casting. For this purpose, alloy 7075 was first melted in a resistive furnace under argon gas and then Al-2Sc and Al-15Zr alloys were added to it and the initial AlAfter alloying and casting, some specimens with the dimensions of 6 mm × 100 mm × 20 mm were cut from the center of the ingots. Then, the resulting specimens were machined and polished to remove contamination and surface scratches. Based on DSC analyses and metallographic studies, which are reported in another work by the authors , the temAccording to 3 precipitates. According to DSC analyzes performed by Zhang et al. [3 dispersoids increases in this region, therefore the second peak of ageing is created. In this region, the combined effect of Al3 and MgZn2 dispersoids leads to a further increase in hardness, so the second peak has a higher hardness. The Al3 phase is coherent with the Al matrix [According to g et al. , the pheg et al. , which ll matrix , and thel matrix .Comparing the maximum hardness obtained in T6 hardening treatment with thermomechanical treatment, it is observed that the maximum hardness obtained in thermomechanical treatment is higher than the T6 hardening treatment. This increase in hardness is related to the deformation, which was performed before the ageing treatment. During deformation, the interaction of two sets of processes controls the behavior of the material: material softening processes including partial recovery and recrystallization and hardening processes including the increasing of dislocations density and the formation of precipitates. The main variables affecting these processes are the deformation temperature, the method of dissolution treatment, and the applied deformation rate. Under the same conditions of dissolution treatment, the deformation before ageing increases the diffusion coefficient; and as the deformation rate increases, the density of the dislocations increases. These dislocations are regions for heterogeneous nucleation as well as rapid diffusion pathways. Therefore, due to the increase in diffusion power, the high-energy centers for nucleation are increased and, by rolling at 100 °C, the effects of dislocations are recovered and, during ageing at 120 °C, the volume fraction of precipitates increases.In metallographic studies, the size and shape of the grains  are considered. The microstructure of the alloy CD50 is shown in The microstructure of the alloy containing 0.1% Sc after thermomechanical treatments with controlled quenching and different deformation is shown in In order to more precisely study the effect of thermomechanical treatments and also the effect of deformation rate and dissolution method on alloy microstructure, the alloy microstructure in 50% and 30% deformations and also in two methods of conventional dissolution and controlled quenching treatments were investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine the grain size and volume fraction of precipitates generated during the process. The distribution of precipitates in the samples CD50 and MD50 is shown in The distribution of precipitates in the sample CD30 is shown in 2 and Al3 precipitates in the matrix in the sample CD30 along with the element distribution map are given in The distribution of MgZnThe elemental analysis of the phases is given in According to this table, phase A is rich in Zn and Mg and the ratio of Zn to Mg is 2:1. Phase B is rich in Sc and Zr, and the composition of Sc and Zr is higher than the chemical composition of the primary alloy.The distribution of precipitates in the alloy MD30 is shown in Precipitate distribution in the sample MD50 is shown in The elemental analysis of the phases of 3 and MgZn2 precipitates are observed; these precipitates are uniformly distributed in the microstructure. Tao and Romestch have also shown that Al3 dispersoids are formed in thermomechanical treatments [3 precipitates in the specimen under thermomechanical operation with controlled quenching is more than the specimen undergoing thermomechanical treatment with conventional heat treatment. It seems that increasing the diffusion rate due to controlled quenching increases the nucleation sites of the precipitate and thus increases the number of precipitates.According to FESEM images and EDS analysis of precipitates, Aleatments ,59. Tota3 dispersoids in the alloy and their inhibitory effect on grain growth due to controlled quenching, have optimized the grain size. Since the number of precipitates in the alloy under controlled quenching thermomechanical treatments is higher than the alloy under conventional dissolution thermomechanical treatments, then the grain structure is modified. Minor amounts of Sc and Zr improve the grain structure and alloy strength and restrict the grain [It is also observed that, under the same ageing conditions (50% rolling at 100 °C and ageing at 120 °C for 12 h), the grain size in the alloy under thermomechanical treatments with controlled quenching is less than the grain size in the alloy under thermomechanical treatments with conventional dissolution. The presence of more Alhe grain .3 and MgZn2 precipitates are uniformly distributed throughout the structure (instead of aggregation at the grain boundaries), which increases the strength of the structure and does not reduce ductility. These precipitates are dynamic precipitates created during thermomechanical treatments. In general, dynamic precipitation is related to the high density of point defects and the high recovery rate during rolling [3 dispersoids increases the heterogeneous nucleation capacity of this phase. The volume fraction of precipitates during thermomechanical treatments  is analyzed by MIP software and is shown in 2 and Al3 precipitates in the sample MD30 were 33.91% and 6.66%, respectively, and in the sample CD30 were 32.58% and 4.94%, respectively, and in the sample MD50 were 30.43% and 8.21%, respectively.It can be said that, by using thermomechanical treatments, precipitate nucleation conditions are facilitated and more nucleation sites lead to a uniform distribution of precipitates throughout the structure. As the FESEM images  show, Al rolling . Precipi rolling . In the  rolling  reported3 and MgZn2 precipitates has become more uniform than T6 heat treatment and also the volume fraction of precipitates has increased. The volume percentage of Al3 has increased from 0.38% in T6 treatment to 8.2% in sample MD50 and the volume percentage of MgZn2 from 7.67% to 33%. Secondly, with increasing the deformation, the volume fraction of precipitates in the microstructure has increased. As mentioned, the increase in precipitate nucleation sites and the less energy required for nucleation due to thermomechanical treatments is the reason for the increase in precipitate in the microstructure and their uniform distribution.The results of precipitate distribution analysis with MIP software performed on specimens undergoing T6 treatment were compared with the distribution of precipitates in specimens under thermomechanical treatment and are shown as a comparison in In order to more accurately study microstructure in the specimens under thermomechanical treatment, the specimen with the highest volume fraction of precipitates (sample MD50) was selected and its microstructure was investigated by TEM. The TEM micrograph of this specimen is shown in 3 precipitates type and the rod particles are of MgZn2 type. The diffracted pattern in 3 precipitates and is taken in the region axis (011). Superlattice diffractions such as (100) in the selected area diffraction patterns (SADP) confirm the existence of these precipitates [EDS analysis of particles with rod and spherical morphology is shown in ipitates .3 precipitates, their spherical morphology, and their uniform distribution throughout the structure, which leads to a simultaneous increase in tensile strength and elongation, resulting in increased QI. According to The results of the tensile test of the specimens  and a comparison between the results of the present study with other studies are presented in The results show that the tensile strength of the alloy containing 0.1%Sc with thermomechanical and ageing treatments has increased by 25% compared to the alloy under T6 treatment, so that the tensile strength of the alloy has increased from 490 MPa to 620 MPa. This is while the rate of elongation has increased. However, ductility is expected to decrease with increasing strength. While with thermomechanical treatments, in addition to increasing strength, ductility has also increased compared to T6 treatments. It can also be seen that, with controlled quenching thermomechanical treatments, the ductility increased to 16% while the tensile strength decreased by only 10% compared to thermomechanical treatments with conventional dissolution. In fact, there is a 10% decrease in strength and 50% increase in ductility in thermomechanical treatments with modified quenching compared to thermomechanical treatments with conventional dissolution. This change in tensile strength and ductility relative to the alloy with T6 treatment is 20% and 70%, respectively. In the thermomechanical treatment, after the dissolution, the rolling was performed at 100 °C temperature in successive passes. Since this temperature is the recovery temperature of the alloy, so after each rolling pass, remaining at 100 °C helps to recover the effects of dislocations and increases ductility, and on the other hand, the energy required for precipitate nucleation is provided and the number of precipitate nucleation sites in the matrix increases. FESEM images show that a large number of precipitates are uniformly distributed in the matrix, so the main reason for increasing the strength of the specimens is strengthening with precipitates. These precipitates prevent dislocation movements. In fact, the size and distribution of precipitates and discontinuities of precipitates have a great effect on improving the mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy . Simulta3 precipitates are small with a uniform distribution among MgZn2 precipitates. The morphology and distribution of these phases play an essential role in the performance of the alloy [Precipitate distribution affects hardness, tensile strength and the failure mechanism. When the precipitates are small and well distributed, the strength and hardness are greater than when the precipitates are large. Therefore, in order to achieve high hardness and strength, heat treatment should be done in such a way that fine precipitates are created with uniform distribution in the structure ,69,70. Ihe alloy . Small she alloy . Therefohe alloy . It has he alloy . Therefohe alloy .Fracture is often the end point of deformation processes. Therefore, fracture surfaces can indicate the deformation processes to which matter has been exposed . The mecThe volume fraction of precipitates at the fracture surface and the average size and the percentage of dimples at the fracture surface, which determine the type of fracture, are analyzed using MIP software and their comparison results are presented in 3 precipitates in aged alloys can create suitable areas for crack nucleation. The fracture surface of the specimens shows that the predominant fracture phenomenon is a semi-ductile fracture and some brittle fracture is also seen in the fracture surfaces.At the fracture surface of the samples, a large number of fine dimples are observed. The type of fracture indicates the inter-connection of micro-cavities whose formation, growth and their inter-connection are the dominant phenomena in the fracture mechanism . The siz3 dispersoids are present in the fracture surface. The presence of these nano precipitates at the fracture surface may indicate that the probable mechanism of fracture in these specimens is the Orowan mechanism. Other research has shown that the mechanism of Al3Sc nano-sized precipitate strengthening is the Orowan mechanism (dislocation bypassing behavior) [As can be seen in the fracture surface images of the specimens, a large number of nanometer-sized Alehavior) ,72,73. Tehavior) . In the 3 nano-dispersoids throughout the microstructure and among MgZn2 dispersoids. Investigation of the fracture surfaces showed that Al3 nano-dispersoids were distributed at the fracture surface and the fracture surface consisted of small dimples indicating the semi-ductile fracture of the alloy, and the possible fracture mechanism is the Orowan mechanism.Thermomechanical treatments consisted of three stages of dissolution, a multi-pass rolling process at 100 °C recovery temperature and hardening at a temperature of 120 °C for 12 h. The age hardening temperature in this treatment for specimens with 50% and 30% deformation was obtained at 120 °C and 130 °C, respectively. Tensile and yield strength increased 110% in specimens with thermomechanical treatment compared to annealed specimens, while the elongation has not changed much. In the T6 age hardening treatment, tensile/yield strength and elongation compared to the annealed specimen increased by 50% and decreased by 40%, respectively. While tensile/yield strength and elongation in thermomechanical treatment increased by 25% and 50% compared to T6 treatment, respectively. A simultaneous increase in tensile/yield strength and elongation in these specimens is due to the uniform distribution of Al


In order to realize the self-centering, high energy consumption, and high ductility of the existing building structure through strengthening and retrofit of structure, a method of reinforced concrete (RC) beam strengthened by using Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) and Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) was proposed. Four kinds of specimens were designed, including one beam strengthened with enlarging section area of steel reinforced concrete, one beam strengthened with enlarging section area of SMA reinforced concrete, beam strengthened with enlarging section area of SMA reinforced ECC, and beam strengthened with enlarging section area of steel reinforced ECC; these specimens were manufactured for the monotonic cycle loading tests study on its bending behavior. The influence on the bearing capacity, energy dissipation performance, and self-recovery capacity for each test specimens with different strengthening materials were investigated, especially the bending behavior of the beams strengthened by SMA reinforced ECC. The results show that, compared with the ordinary reinforced concrete beams, strengthening existing RC beam with enlarging section area of SMA reinforced ECC can improve the self-recovery capacity, ductility, and deformability of the specimens. Finally, a revised design formula for the bending capacity of RC beams, strengthened with enlarging sections of ECC, was proposed by considering the tensile capacity provided by ECC, and the calculated values are in good agreement with the experimental value, indicating that the revised formula can be well applied to the beam strengthening with enlarging section of SMA-ECC Materials. At present, among many structural forms in China, reinforced concrete (RC) structure is the most widely used structural type. As the service time of the structure increases, the performance of reinforced concrete will be affected by factors, such as adverse environment, aging, concrete carbonization, etc. . These fShape Memory Alloys (SMA) is a new type of intelligent material with shape memory effect, super-elasticity, high damping, and fatigue resistance. If SMA is used as the longitudinal reinforcement of concrete beam, it can provide good self-recovery capacity for concrete beam. However, due to the high price of SMA, it is rarely used in new structures. It can still be used in the strengthening works of some important structures. Many scholars in the world have carried out a series of research on the self-recovery structural system based on SMA. For example, energy dissipation bracings ,4, dampeEngineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) is a kind of high-performance cementitious composite with obvious strain hardening characteristics and good crack control ability ,30. DingFor the composite structure of SMA reinforced ECC, scholars have studied beams ,36, pierEnlarged section method is a traditional strengthening method of concrete structure. It is a strengthening method to improve the bearing capacity of original members by increasing section area and reinforcement area. This method can significantly improve the mechanical performance of members because of the increase of member section. However, the component size becomes larger after strengthening, which may affect the serviceability of the structure. Therefore, the premise of this strengthening method is that it does not affect the serviceability of the structure. At present, the strengthening method of concrete structure pasted with FRP has also been widely studied ,42,43. IIn summary, the durability of concrete can be improved significantly by the super-elasticity of SMA and high toughness and fine cracking mechanism of ECC. Therefore, this paper proposes to use the enlarge section area of SMA reinforced ECC to strengthen the existing RC beams. Four types of strengthened beams were designed and fabricated. Through monotonic cycle loading tests, the influences on the bearing capacity, energy dissipation performance, and self-recovery capacity of the test beams with different strengthening materials are investigated, especially the bending behavior of the beams strengthened by SMA reinforced ECC.h = 40 mm (including the chiseled 10 mm protective layer). The specifications of the test specimens are shown in Due to the limitation of the loading capacity of the testing device, the section of the specimen needs to be controlled below then 130 × 130 mm. At the same time, in order to meet the requirements of the minimum thickness of concrete/ECC cover of enlarged section, the height of enlarged section must meet the minimum requirements of 30 mm. Based on the above principles, the member section is determined as: the existing beam length is 1000 mm, and the original beam section is a rectangle of width × height = 120 mm × 80 mm before the strengthening, and the upper and lower reinforcements are 2 HRB355 steel bars with diameter of 6 mm, and the stirrup is HPB300 steel bars with diameter of 6 mm and spacing of 100 mm. Strengthening is carried out after the existing beam has been fully cured. The strengthening method is: firstly, chisel off the 10 mm protective layer at the bottom of the test piece and then roughen the bottom surface; finally, the enlarged section will be poured at the beam bottom by secondary pouring, as shown in A total of 6 specimens with the same shape and size were produced in this test, of which SJ-1 is strengthened with steel reinforced concrete, SJ-2 is strengthened with SMA reinforced concrete, SJ-3 is strengthened with SMA reinforced ECC, and SJ-4 is strengthened with steel reinforced ECC. SJ-5 and SJ-6 are two spare test pieces, which are designed as the same as SJ-1 and SJ-3, respectively. The reinforcement ratio of enlarged section is designed according to the principle of the same total tensile bearing capacity of reinforcements in the enlarged section. The design parameters of specimens are shown in Af) is −10 °C. After the test piece is processed into an annealed state, it will be heat-treated. The heat treatment process of SMA bar is at 400 °C for 30 min, followed by water quenching [In the material test, the test specimen of SMA bar has a diameter of 5.5 mm, a length of 250 mm, and a gauge length of 150 mm, as shown in uenching .The test device adopts the CMT (Crane Motor Traction) electro-hydraulic servo universal material testing machine controlled by a microcomputer, as shown in (1)With the increase of strain amplitude, the phase transformation stress of the hyper-elastic SMA bar gradually decreases, the recovery stress gradually increases, and finally tends to be stable with the decrease of strain amplitude. Therefore, the SMA bar is stretched under circulation of loading and unloading is conducive to the stability of its material properties before it is used.(2)The phase transformation stress and recovery stress tend to be stable with the increase of loading cycle; the residual strain gradually increases during the loading process, and the variation range becomes smaller and smaller. Therefore, SMA bars are stretched under circulation of loading and unloading before use, which is also conducive to improve the super-elasticity of SMA.(3)As the strain amplitude increases, the residual strain of SMA gradually increases, and the maximum residual strain is only 0.003, indicating that the SMA bars used in the material tests have good recovery ability. With the increasing loading cycle, the increasing rate of residual strain gradually slows down, and the residual strain tends to be stable.Through the analysis of the material tensile test results, it can be concluded that:In summary, monotonic cycle loading can make the mechanical properties of SMA more stable, in order to ensure that the material properties of SMA can be significantly displayed in the tests.This test uses concrete with a strength grade of C30, and ECC adopts high-strength PVA  fiber-reinforced cement mortar. Its components include cement, water, fly ash, fine sand, PVA fiber, and admixtures, which are configured according to the mix proportion given in This test loading device adopts the CMT microcomputer controlled electro-hydraulic servo universal testing machine in the Structure Laboratory of Zhengzhou University, and the measuring range of force sensor is 2000 kN. The test adopts four-point bending loading, and the force were applied to the trisection point of the beam by the distributing beam. All test data are automatically collected by the test software of Power Test V3.4. The loading device is shown in Pcr. Then, the vertical ultimate displacement Δ in the middle of the span should be determined by monotonic loading test on the specimen of SJ-5. The results of monotonic loading test on the specimen of SJ-5 shows that the Δ is about 15 mm. Therefore, in the formal loading, the displacement of the initial loading cycle is 1.5 mm, and then the displacement of each cycle increases by 1.5 mm progressively. The monotonic cycle loading protocol is shown in Using variable amplitude displacement control loading mode. Firstly, the test specimen should be preloaded once before the formal loading, in order to check whether the loading equipment and instruments can work normally. The value of preloading should be less than the design cracking load (1)SJ-1 (Strengthened by Steel reinforced concrete)Six cracks were observed in the pure bending section of the specimen. As the load increased, the width of the cracks increased, and finally part of the concrete was crushed. After unloading, the number of cracks and the crack widths remain basically unchanged, and the ultimate bearing capacity was 32.16 kN. The failure mode of the specimen after unloading is shown in (2)SJ-2 (Strengthened by SMA reinforced concrete)The failure mode of specimen SJ-2 was similar to that of SJ-1, and the number of vertical cracks observed by SJ-2 is slightly reduced. After unloading, the maximum crack width at the beam bottom decreased, some small cracks were closed, and the ultimate bearing capacity was 27.17 kN. The failure mode of the specimen after unloading is shown in (3)SJ-3 (Strengthened by SMA reinforced ECC)Due to the characteristics of ECC, there was no obvious main crack in the strengthened section at the bottom of the beam until the end of loading. In the existing beam section, there were still main cracks that appeared. With the increase of loading cycle, the number of micro-cracks in the strengthened section of the specimen increased, but the width of these cracks increased slowly. Finally, more than 70 micro-cracks were counted in the pure bending section of the strengthened section. The crack distribution of specimen SJ-3 was shown in the (4)SJ-4 (Strengthened by steel reinforced ECC)ECC material was also used in specimen SJ-4, so the development of cracks during loading was basically similar to SJ-3, mainly a large number of fine micro-cracks. With the increase of the load, the number of micro-cracks in the strengthened section of the specimen increased obviously. Finally, more than 40 micro-cracks were counted in the pure bending section of the strengthened section. The width of the cracks was small, and it appeared as obvious multiple micro-cracking when it failed. After unloading, the crack width was basically unchanged, and the ultimate bearing capacity was 30.16 KN. The failure mode of the specimen after unloading is shown in It can be clearly seen from (1)Comparing the number of loading cycles of the load–displacement curves of the four specimen, it can be found that the number of loading cycles of beams strengthened by ECC is more than that of beams strengthened by concrete, indicating that strengthening with ECC can significantly improve the ductility of specimens. Among all tested members, the ductility of SJ-3 is the best, followed by SJ-4, and the ductility of SJ-1 and SJ-2 are the worst.(2)The ultimate bearing capacities of SJ-1 and SJ-4 are higher than that of the other two specimens, because both SJ-1 and SJ-4 are reinforced by steel bars. The total tensile capacity of steel reinforcements is slightly greater than that of SMA bars, and the bond strength of ribbed steel bar in concrete or ECC is better than that of the SMA bar.(3)The residual deformation of SJ-2 and SJ-3 after unloading is smaller than the other two specimens. However, the self-recovery performances of SJ-2 and SJ-3 are still not obvious, and the super-elasticity of SMA is not significantly displayed while strengthening beams.The load–displacement curves for all the specimens are shown in (1)All the test processes of the four specimens have gone through three stages, respectively, which are elastic stage, elastic-plastic stage, and failure stage.(2)Replacing the steel bars in the concrete enlarged section by SMA bars with equivalent strength, the ultimate bearing capacity of the beam reduces by 15.5%. If the concrete is replaced by ECC, the ultimate bearing capacity decreases by about 6%. However, the number of loading cycles of ECC specimen is significantly more that of the concrete specimen, which shows that ECC can improve the ductility of specimens.(3)After reaching the ultimate bearing capacity, the bearing capacity of SJ-3 decreases significantly slower than that of the other three members, followed by SJ-4, and SJ-1 decreases the fastest. It indicates that the ductility of SJ-3 and SJ-4 is significantly improved while being strengthened by ECC.The skeleton curves of 4 specimens are shown in (1)As the number of loading cycle increases, the cracks continue to develop and the crack width becomes wider. After unloading, the values of maximum crack width for all specimens reduce, but the reductions are quite different.(2)By comparing the maximum crack width before and after unloading, it can be seen that the reduction of the maximum crack width of SJ-1 and SJ-4 after unloading is very small and can be basically ignored. The maximum crack width of SJ-2 and SJ-3 decreases obviously after unloading, the decreasing rates are 19.2% and 31.8%, which indicates that the self-recovery performances of specimens can be improved while strengthening with SMA. Due to the use of plain SMA bars as the reinforcement, the bond strength between SMA bars and concrete/ECC is small. Therefore, the super-elasticity of SMA cannot be fully utilized in the deformation process of the specimen. That is the reason why the specimens of SJ-2 and SJ-3 can only be partially recovered after unloading.(3)By comparing the values of maximum crack width for all specimens, the maximum crack widths of SJ-3 and SJ-4 are much smaller than the other 2 specimens, which are less than 500μm before the 16th loading cycle. Due to its good ductility, the specimen of SJ-3 can be continuously loaded until the vertical displacement in mid-span reaches 42 mm (the 28th loading cycle). The maximum crack width of SJ-3 at this time is only 1078 μm, which is still less than the maximum crack widths of SJ-1 and SJ-2. It proves that using ECC as reinforcement layer can effectively control the development of crack width in the tensile zone of the beam section.The curves of maximum crack width distribution during loading and unloading are shown in (1)For specimens strengthened with ECC, the number of cracks in the tensile area of beam section is significantly more than that of concrete specimens. With the increase of loading cycles, ECC strengthened specimens will quickly produce new cracks, but the crack width does not increase significantly. However, after the cracking of concrete specimens, the crack width increases with the increasing load in order to form obvious main cracks, and the number of cracks does not increase significantly in the later cycles of loading.(2)By comparing the curves of number of cracks of SJ-2 and SJ-3, it can be seen that the number of cracks of SJ-2 does not reduce significantly after unloading, but the number of cracks of SJ-2 decreases significantly after unloading. It indicates that the development of fine cracks is conducive to the shape memory effect and super-elasticity of SMA. The self-recovery performance of beams can be better realized by strengthening beams with SMA reinforced ECC layer.(3)By comparing the curves of number of cracks of SJ-1 and SJ-2, two curves are basically the same, and the number of cracks after unloading does not decrease. This is because the bonding performance between SMA and concrete is poor, so the super-elasticity of SMA is not effective under this situation.The curves of number of cracks for each specimen is shown in The curves of mid-span deflection for all the specimens are shown in The energy consumption capacity of the specimen can be determined by the area enveloped by the load–displacement curve of each level of loading. The curves of energy consumption capacity for all the specimens are shown in According to the “Code for design of strengthening concrete structure” (GB50367-2013) , the fleM—Design value of bending moment after strengthening of member (kN·m)αs—Strength utilization factor of reinforcements in enlarged section, taken as αs = 0.9fy—Design value of tensile strength of reinforcements in enlarged section (N/mm2)As—The cross-sectional area of the reinforcements in enlarged section (mm2), as shown in h0, h01—Effective height of section after strengthening and before strengthening (mm), as shown in x—Height of compression zone of the section concrete (mm)fy0, f’y0—Design value of tensile and compressive strength of steel bars in existing structure member (N/mm2)As0, A’s0—The cross-sectional area of the tensile reinforcements and compressive reinforcements (mm2), as shown in a’—The distance from the resultant force point of longitudinal compressive reinforcements to the edge of compression zone of the beam (mm), as shown in ft,ecc—Equivalent strength of ECC (N/mm2), Use value of σtc in the tensile stress–strain relationship curve of the ECC shown in b—Section width (mm)h1—The height of enlarged section strengthened by ECC (mm), h1 = 40 mm in these testsThrough the verification of the test results, it is found that when ECC is used to strengthen the tensile zone of the beam, due to the excellent tensile performance of ECC, the contribution of ECC to the bending capacity of the strengthened beam must be considered. Therefore, formula 1 needs to be revised. The revised formula is shown as Formulas (2) and (3).By using the parameters of material properties in Mcu is the calculated theoretical value of the bearing capacity of the beam strengthening with increasing section area, Mtu is the experimental value of the bearing capacity of the beam strengthening with increasing section area, which can be determined by the loading when the reinforcements are yielded, and Mcu/Mtu is the ratio of the theoretical value to the experimental value.The theoretical values and the experimental value of flexural bearing capacity for all 4 specimens are shown in Mcu are always less than the value of Mtu, representing that the theoretical values calculated by Formula (2) are much safer compared with the actual value, and the revised formula can be well applied to beam strengthening with increasing section of ECC.It can be seen from (1)The effects of heat treatment, strain amplitude, and number of loading cycle on the mechanical properties of SMA were studied. The results show that the mechanical properties of SMA can be improved by heat treatment significantly; the stability of mechanical properties of SMA can be significantly improved by increasing the strain amplitude and loading cycle.(2)The reinforced concrete beam strengthened with increasing section of ECC have good toughness, the cracking characteristics of the strengthened beam is the fine cracks when it fails. The strengthened beam can continue to bear the load beyond the ultimate bearing capacity, and the bearing capacity decreases slowly, indicating that the beam strengthening with increasing section of ECC has good energy dissipation capacity.(3)The total tensile capacity of steel reinforcements is slightly greater than that of SMA bars, and the bond strength of ribbed steel bar in concrete or ECC is better than that of SMA bar. Therefore, the bearing capacity of specimens strengthened with steel is better than that of SMA bar.(4)The crack width, number of cracks, and recovery performance of concrete beams strengthened with SMA bars are better than those of ordinary reinforced concrete beams. In order to give full play to shape memory effect and super-elasticity of SMA, the bond strength between SMA and concrete/ECC should be improved. The effect of temperature on the material properties of SMA cannot be ignored.(5)The combination of SMA and ECC gives full play to their own respective advantages, respectively. ECC provides good toughness and cracking characteristics, and SMA provides excellent recovery ability. These two materials working together can significantly improve the reliability of the structure.(6)Based on the design formula of bending capacity recommended by the design code and considering the tensile capacity provided by ECC in the strengthened section, a revised design formula for the bending bearing capacity of RC beams strengthened with increasing section of ECC is proposed. The revised design formula are well demonstrated by the test results, indicating that the revised formula can be well applied to the beam strengthening with increasing section of ECC.The purpose of this paper is to reveal the bending capacity, failure mode, and self-recovery capacity of concrete beams strengthened with SMA/ECC enlarged section based on full-scale beam specimens with small dimensions. In the follow-up research, the influence of different design parameters, such as section size, flexure reinforcement ratio, and material strength, etc., on the flexural performance of concrete beams strengthened with SMA/ECC enlarged section will be further analyzed theoretically and experimentally to improve the design principle of the strengthening method and provide a theoretical basis for design of strengthening works.


Objective: The purpose of this research is to assess the analgesic efficiency of Photobiomodulation (PBM) in pain reduction in young patients during rapid maxillary expansion therapy. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients were included and allocated to an experimental group [Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE) and PBM] and a control group (RPE only) at random. Inclusion criteria were skeletal age from CVS1 to CVS3, examined on the cephalometric lateral teleradiography, with cervical vertebra staging and completed eruption of upper first molar. Exclusion criteria were previous orthodontic treatment, bone disease, disability, or skeletal age from CVS4. Patients referred the pain they felt using a Numerical scale rate (NRS), ranging from 0 to 10, with specific intervals of time: 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and from days 2 to 7. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was used to evaluate differences in NRS reported values between the two groups. Results: The final sample included 30 patients, 14 males and 16 females, with a mean age of 7.8 ± 1.2 years. The pain that was felt at each time interval and the maximum score of pain were significantly lower in the experimental group (p < 0.05) and decreased faster in the experimental group, with a score test near to 0 after 2/3 days. Conclusions: PBM is efficient in reducing the intensity and the time of pain felt by young patients that undergo rapid maxillary expansion. Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is the treatment of choice for the correction of transversal maxillary deficiency and posterior cross-bite in growing subjects . This trConcerning patients’ experience, previous evidence would suggest that pain is the symptom mostly reported, with a frequency >90% among children . OrthodoPhotobiomodulation is a therapy with many different applications in medicine and dentistry and it is free of side effects ,18. It cThe present randomized clinical trial, with single operator and parallel groups (1:1) was performed with respect to the Declaration of Helsinki of 2013. This study does not have a clinical trial registration number, because it is a strictly observational study: we simply reported the pain perceived by patients undergoing rapid palatal expansion treatment, some who had a Photobiomodulation session with ATP38 , and some who did not. We did not measure the pain with any device, we limited ourselves by pain reported by patients.Patients were chosen and treated in the period between April 2019 and March 2020, and they all signed an accurate informed consent.Patients were chosen following these criteria: (1) skeletal age from CVS1 to CVS3, determined with the cervical vertebra staging on the cephalometric lateral teleradiography, (2) complete eruption of the first upper molars, and (3) clinical need to undergo an RPE. Some patients were excluded following these other criteria: (1) skeletal age from CVS4, (2) craniofacial disorders or bone diseases, (3) orthodontic treatment in the past, and (4) disability.Patients were divided at random into a group that received RPE and LED irradiation and group that received RPE only following a randomized balanced block protocol that had sex and ages as stratification factors.Patients belonging to the control group were treated without LED irradiation at the Odontostomatology department of the San Gerardo Hospital of Monza (University of Milan-Bicocca). As for the patients belonging to the experimental group, they were treated with LED irradiation in a private clinic in the province of Bergamo.For randomization purposes, we used the SPSS Statistics software  to generate an allocation sequence.A total of 151 patients were recruited from a larger sample of patients, 117 of whom were excluded because the inclusion criteria were not met.Of the remaining 34 patients, 18 were assigned to the experimental group and 16 to the control group . This di®   of each of the three active panels (16 J/cm2 × 3 = 48 J/cm2). These standards are based on a specified distance of 4 cm of the side panels from the cheeks and of the side panel from the lips. We used 3 consecutives cycles of PBM, because 48 J/cm2 are lower than the fluence range used for orthodontic PBM, for an overall time of 18 min and 144 J/cm2 of fluence (48 J/cm2 × 3 cycles) with 1 min suspension between each cycle. The level of pain perceived by each participant was assessed with the NRS  at a distance of 6, 12, 24 h, and after each day up to the seventh day from the positioning of the expander in situ. Verbal instructions were provided to parents and young patients on how to correctly evaluate the perceived pain level, to indicate on the scale a value from 0 or absence of pain to 10 or the maximum pain imaginable. No one of those analyzed used analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs during the active expansion phase. The collection, processing, and storage of data took place through electronic questionnaires, which can be filled in online and were accessible to each participating researcher. The data were recorded electronically and analyzed.We took the alginate impressions for the execution of the rapid expansion device with bands on the first permanent molars and we cemented them with glass ionomer cement (3M ™ Ketac ™ Cem). We used the same protocol for the palatal expansion for both the test and control groups, 2 activations per day were executed distant 12 h from each other for an overall period of 7 days . No LED biostimulation was performed on the control group. The test group, on the other hand, was treated with LED irradiation at the time of the positioning of the RPE with ATP38 France) . This dep ≤ 0.05.For both test and control groups, gender distribution was analyzed, descriptive statistics, mean, and standard deviation of age were calculated, and data reported on the NRS scale for all time intervals analyzed by T0 (day of positioning of the device in situ) at time T1 (at the end of the first week of activations), with the use of Excel worktables. Using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test , the normal distribution of the data obtained was preliminarily checked . Since the data were not normally distributed, a nonparametric test was chosen to evaluate the statistical significance of the analyzed values. The differences in the NRS assess between the experimental and control group at each time record were analyzed by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney nonparametric statistical test . In addition, a linear regression was used to evaluate the effect of timing on pain experienced within the entire period. Statistical significance was set as ® laser protocol, showed the following results.The statistical analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaires completed by the patients of the control group and the experimental group, irradiated according to the ATP38In the test group, the highest perception of pain was at six hours after the expander was placed, with an intermediate scoring of 2, and then it progressively decreased to an intermediate scoring of 1 after 12 h, and 0 from day two .In the control group, the highest perception of pain was at 6 and 12 h after the expander was placed, with an intermediate scoring of 4, and then it initially declined to a median of 3 from 24 h, but then increased again at day three to a median of 4, decreasing to 2 on day four, 3 on day five, 2 on day six, and 1 on day seven .The Mann-Whitney showed that the pain perceived by patients in each moment we recorded and the highest pain scored were significantly different between the two groups . In thisA strong correlation was found between the timing (assessed as multiple follow-up) and pain perceived in control group (R = 0.933) and the experimental group (R = 0.750), according to the linear regression model. The R-squared value, which reflects the percentage of variability in each dependent variable (pain) attributed to the changes of the predictor (time), was 0.852 in the control group and 0.563 in the experimental group .The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to assess the effects of LED photobiomodulation on pain perception during rapid expansion of the maxilla in growing subjects. Previous studies have analyzed the trend of perceived pain intensity during rapid expansion of the palate showing a peak in the first three days due to the release of the chemical mediators of inflammation and the creation of hyalinization zones, following the application of orthodontic strength. Our results are consistent and confirm this pattern. First of all, we observed that in the literature there were studies that analyzed the effectiveness of laser photobiomodulation in orthodontics during the positioning of elastic separators ,26 or or® allows a simultaneous irradiation of all circummaxillary sutures in clinically acceptable times, difficult to achieve with other types of laser machines managed directly by the operator. The operator dependency parameter, which can certainly represent a bias for the statistical evaluation and a reproducibility constraint of the study itself, was eliminated by the standardization of the irradiation protocol [® device was dictated by the analysis of the biological effects on the tissues, by the analgesic efficacy shown by the LEDs in the literature, but above all by the possibility of eliminating the operator-related bias, with a saving of time useful for the clinician, and the ability to control the setting and parameterization of the instrument itself with extreme precision and reproducibility [Certainly, a first reason lies in the fact that the application of a correct biostimulation must face the technical difficulties inherent in the type of device used. In fact, ATP38protocol . Animal cibility ,40,41. T® laser for reducing orthodontic pain related to RPE for these reasons: (1) demonstrated analgesic effect with no known undesirable effects on tissues, (2) the secondary effects reported with the use of analgesic drugs, and (3) the benefits of an operator-free LED appliance in gaining of time and precision of the device setting provided.According to our statistics, the pain perceived by subjects who endured LED appliance was significantly lower than that experienced in control group. Similarly, the maximum pain score was significantly lower. Based on the study of Farrar et al. , a decre® laser alleviates the intensity and duration of pain perceived by few patients enduring rapid maxillary expansion.LED photobiomodulation with ATP38® could be an important aid for the orthodontist professional in the treatment of young patients with rapid expansion of the palate, as the reduction in the intensity and duration of pain would certainly benefit the patient and their compliance would increase, as well as the parents’ willingness to continue with further orthopedic-orthodontic therapies necessary for a harmonious growth of the dento-facial complex.It follows that the use of LED irradiation with ATP38


Experimental results showed that Fe2O3 had a catalytic effect on both semicoke and bituminous coal, but there were differences in the catalytic stages of the same catalyst for different pulverized coal types. The addition of 2 wt % Fe2O3 to semicoke and bituminous coal each led to the ignition temperature and maximal burning rate temperature of the semicoke decreasing, indicating that the catalyst promoted the precipitation of a volatile fraction from the semicoke. The maximal burning rate temperature and burnout temperature of the bituminous coal decreased, and maximal weight loss rate increased, indicating that the catalyst promoted the combustion of the fixed carbon of bituminous coal. The optimal proportioning amount of semicoke in the mixed coal powder without the addition of a catalyst was 25%. After adding 2 wt % Fe2O3, the proportional amount of semicoke increased by 10%. The addition of the catalyst resulted in even lower activation energy for the same conversion rate. When the conversion rate was in the ranges of 0.1–0.2 and 0.5–0.7, the activation energy decreased by 22% and 26%, respectively, compared with that without a catalyst. Fe2O3 promoted the combustion of bituminous coal and semicoke. This enhanced the combustion performance of the pulverized coal mix and increased the proportion of semicoke in the mix, which has certain guiding significance in reducing the cost of blast-furnace iron making.We study the specific catalytic effect of the catalyst on the combustion process of pulverized coal of increasing the proportion of semicoke in the mixture of semicoke and bituminous coal, and reducing the cost of blast-furnace coal injection. A combination of thermogravimetric and kinetic analyses were used to study the catalytic effect of Fe Blast-furnace-pulverized coal injection is mainly a comingling of anthracite coals and bituminous coals. However, the reserves of anthracite coal in China and the amount that can be imported are gradually decreasing, resulting in the price of anthracite coal continuing to climb. So, to solve the problem of the increasing scarcity of anthracite coal, replacement coal powder for anthracite coal is sought. Semicoke, a new type of fuel, is produced from low-grade coal. Semicoke has a high fixed carbon content, and low-impurity S and P content. In China, reserves of low-rank coal are more than 50%, nearly 56 billion tons . The use2/CO2 atmospheric ratios. Sun et al. [2O3 had the best catalytic effect. Ma et al. [2O3, MnO2, BaCO3) on pulverized coal combustion using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Results indicated that the three additives could enhance the combustion performance of coal powder, but there were differences in catalytic effect. Gong X et al. [2 and Fe2O3 on the combustion of pulverized coal, and results indicated that these two catalysts improved the combustion performance of pulverized coal, and made the combustion of pulverized coal more complete.Semicoke is obtained by the low-temperature dry distillation of low-rank coal. In this process, carbon content increases as temperature increases, which is mainly because carbon releases small-molecular-weight gases during the combustion process . The porn et al.  showed tn et al.  found thn et al.  studied a et al.  investigX et al.  studied The combustion of semicoke mixed with high volatile coal powder solves the problem of higher cost due to the scarcity of anthracite coal, and also improves the combustion performance of semicoke. However, in a mixture of semicoke and bituminous coal, the content of semicoke is limited. The results of Jiang et al. showed that Fushun oil shale (FS) in a mixture of Qinghai coal (QH) and Fushun oil shale (FS) had the largest ignition and burnout indices at 10% of the mixture . The res2O3, which does not adversely interfere with the blast-furnace iron-making process, and is cheap and easily available. First, the optimal ratio of semicoke instead of anthracite coal mixed with bituminous coal for combustion was analyzed . Then, the catalytic effect of the catalyst on the combustion of semicoke and bituminous coal was analyzed by the change in the combustion characteristics parameters of pulverized coal. Then, the change in the amount of semicoke ration in the mixed pulverized coal after adding the catalyst was analyzed by combustion characteristic parameters. Lastly, the effect of the catalyst on the activation energy of mixed pulverized coal was studied with kinetics. The adopted method was adding a Fe2O3 catalyst to the mixed coal powder to increase the semicoke proportioning amount, which is important for blast-furnace iron making, mainly to improve blast-furnace production efficiency and reduce iron-making costs.The mixed coal powder was prepared by mixing semicoke and bituminous coal according to the design ratio. The used catalyst was Fe2O3. Samples were mixed according to the designed proportions. The mixing ratios of the semicoke for this study were 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, and 50%. The mixture of anthracite coal was 50%. We added 1, 2, and 3 wt % of Fe2O3 to the specified coal powder and uniformly mixed it.The anthracite, bituminous coal, and semicoke used in the experiments were all from a Sichuan steel company  to avoid the effects of moisture in the pulverized coal. The three types of pulverized coal were dried in a constant-temperature oven  at 105 °C for 3 h, crushed and ground with a crusher , sieved in a 200 mesh, and stored in a sealed bag for backup. The compositional analysis of the three coal powders from a steel company in Sichuan is shown in This experiment investigates the reaction characteristics of pulverized coal combustion by means of TG(Thermogravimetry) and DTG (Derivative Thermogravimetry) curves. Thermogravimetric experiments were carried out using a thermogravimetric analyzer . The mass of each experimental sample was 6 ± 0.1 mg, and test samples were placed in an aluminum crucible. The experimental atmosphere was air, and the gas flow rate was 60 mL/min. The experimental temperature was increased from room temperature to 1100 °C at different heating rates . The combustion characteristic parameters of pulverized coal were mainly obtained from the TG and DTG curves, and calculations. In this experiment, the burning performance of pulverized coal was judged by comparing variations in the characteristic parameters of pulverized coal combustion. i. The horizontal coordinate of point A is Tmax.From the TG–DTG tangent method , the ignb [i is the ignition temperature of the sample (°C); Tb is the combustion temperature of the sample (°C). The average burning rate was calculated by the following equation.The temperature at which the combustion process lost more than 98% of its weight is burnout temperature Tb . ComprehThe isoconversion method is also known as the model-free method, which means that the kinetic parameters of the reaction can still be calculated more accurately in the absence of the mechanism function. The mechanism function does not change with the heating rate at the same conversion rate . The comi and m∞ are the initial and final weights of the samples, respectively; mt is the weight at moment t.Heating rate in Equation (3) is calculated as follows.The integral deformation of Equation (4) leads to the kinetic model function corresponding to the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) method, as shown in Equation (6).A different heating rate β, the first term on the right-hand side of Equation (6) is constant for the same conversion rate α . From thThe mixing ratio of pulverized coal met the In this study, comprehensive combustion characteristic index S of the current blended pulverized coal ratio  of a smelter in Sichuan was used as the reference standard, as shown in The combustion of pulverized coal after drying goes through two main stages : the com2O3 additions of 1, 2, and 3 wt %, using a thermal analyzer. The effect of Fe2O3 with different addition ratios on the combustion performance of and bituminous coal and semicoke was studied. Experimentally obtained DTG curves are shown in 2O3, and there was a difference in the catalytic effect of the catalysts for the two types of pulverized coal. The maximal combustion rate decreased with the addition of the catalyst to the semicoke. However, for bituminous coal, the addition of the catalyst significantly increased the maximal combustion rate. The peaks of the DTG curves narrowed at 2 wt % of catalyst addition, indicating a more concentrated combustion of bituminous coal. To further comprehend the difference in catalytic effect, the combustion characteristic parameters of semicoke and bituminous coal with 2 wt % Fe2O3 were selected for comparison. Combustion characteristic parameter curves are shown in It is necessary to further increase the proportional amount of semicoke and to study the catalytic effect of the catalyst on pulverized coal combustion. Combustion tests were carried out on semicoke and bituminous coal samples with Fe2O3 to semicoke, the ignition temperature and maximal combustion-rate temperature of semicoke both decreased by 0.79% and 1.7%, respectively, and the burnout temperature of semicoke increased by 0.17%. In contrast, when 2 wt % Fe2O3 was added to the bituminous coal, its ignition temperature was basically unchanged, its maximal combustion-rate temperature decreased by 1.4%, and its burnout temperature decreased by 2.9%. 2O3 had a greater effect on the early stages of the combustion phase of semicoke, and a greater effect on the middle and late stages of the combustion phase of bituminous coal. Fe2O3 mainly plays a role in transferring oxygen during the reaction. The same conclusion was obtained from their mechanistic diagrams [2O3 into FeO [2O3 has almost no effect on reducing the ignition temperature. However, as the combustion reaction proceeded, the temperature and pressure around the bituminous coal gradually increased, and the diffusion rate of oxygen reaching the surface of pulverized coal slowed down. The addition of the catalyst at that point increased the oxygen content around the pulverized coal, allowing for the bituminous coal to burn more quickly and completely. After the combustion of the volatile fraction of pulverized coal, only the combustion of fixed carbon remained, but the catalytic effect on the combustion of fixed carbon of semicoke and bituminous coal significantly differed. The main reason is the difference in the composition of the two pulverized coals. Compared to bituminous coal, semicoke has high fixed carbon content and low volatile content, which results in semicoke not being easily decomposed during combustion, and porosity being relatively low. The catalyst is not evenly distributed in the semicoke, so the catalytic effect is not as obvious as that of bituminous coal.diagrams ,36. As tinto FeO , making into FeO . The lowinto FeO . At the 2O3 catalyst was added. When the semicoke share was 30%, the comprehensive combustion characteristic index of the mixed coal powder was lower than the standard value and did not meet the requirements of pulverized coal injection. The above analysis showed that the catalyst improved the combustion of pulverized coal. In order to improve the semicoke proportion, 2 wt % Fe2O3 was added to the mixed pulverized coal with 30%, 35%, and 40% semicoke proportions. The combustion characteristic parameters of the mixed pulverized coal were obtained and are shown in The optimal amount of semicoke in the mixed pulverized coal was 25% when no FeTo investigate the effect of heating rate on the combustion of pulverized coal mixtures, pulverized coal with a semicoke ratio of 30% was heated in an air atmosphere with heating rates of 10, 20, 30, and 40 °C/min. The isoconversion method is called the model-free method , with wh2O3 on the combustion of semicoke and bituminous coal, and the effect of the catalyst on the proportional amount of semicoke in the coblending of bituminous coal and semicoke using thermogravimetric and kinetic analyses. Results showed that 2 wt % Fe2O3 had a catalytic effect on the combustion of both pulverized coal types, but there were huge difference in the stage of catalysis. The catalyst mainly affected the early stage of semicoke combustion, which led to the pyrolysis of the volatile fraction being more concentrated. For bituminous coal, it mainly affected the middle and late stages of bituminous combustion, leading to the combustion of fixed carbon being more complete. Since the catalyst improved the combustion performance of both semicoke and bituminous coal at different stages, the addition of the catalyst also increased the amount of semicoke in the coblend of bituminous coal and semicoke from 25% to 35%. The activation energy of the blended pulverized coal decreased less with the increase in conversion rate after the addition of the catalyst, and the conversion rate decreased more when it was in the ranges of 0.1–0.2 and 0.5–0.7. This further indicated that there were discrepancies in catalytic stages of catalysts for different pulverized coal types.This paper focused on the catalytic effect of Fe


Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranks among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. COPD rarely occurs in isolation and is often combined with various diseases. It is considered that systemic inflammation underlies the comorbid course of COPD. The data obtained in recent years have shown the importance of violations of the cross-links of lipid metabolism and the immune response, which are links in the pathogenesis of both COPD and atherosclerosis. The role of lipid metabolism disorders in the pathogenesis of the comorbid course of COPD and atherosclerosis and the participation of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in these processes is discussed in this article. It is known that about 20 representatives of a large family of ABC transporters provide lipid homeostasis of cells by moving lipids inside the cell and in its plasma membrane, as well as removing lipids from the cell. It was shown that some representatives of the ABC-transporter family are involved in various links of the pathogenesis of COPD and atherosclerosis, which can determine their comorbid course. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important medical problem, which is due to the high prevalence of the disease, its impact on the quality of life, and the high incidence of disability and mortality ,2,3. An 1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) in patients with COPD, which is associated with its involvement in inflammation . Th. Th70]. Experiments on animals contributed to producing data on the role of ABCA1. In Abca1-knockout mice, pronounced changes in the lungs were detected, which included alveolar proteinosis, thickening of interalveolar septa, the formation of foamy alveolar macrophages, and hyperplasia of alveolar pneumocytes of type II .These changes progressed with age and were characterized by the destruction of the alveolar architecture and epithelization of the remaining alveoli due to type II pneumocyte hyperplasia .Thus, a decrease in the lipid transport function of ABCA1 in macrophages, both in the bronchi and in the vascular wall, is an important link in the development of COPD and atherosclerosis. Although no parallels have been established between these processes in the lungs and arteries, the current understanding of the function of ABCA1 in the pathogenesis of COPD and atherosclerosis is based on the fact that reverse cholesterol transport not only provides cellular and extracellular cholesterol homeostasis but also participates in inflammation through several mechanisms. These mechanisms include the regulation of the TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) signaling pathway, which provides an inflammatory response to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria and is widely represented in the cytoplasmic membrane of various cell types, including macrophages, and is actively involved in the pathogenesis of both COPD and atherosclerosis. It is considered that tobacco smoke promotes TLR4 activation. The participation of ABCA1 in the regulation of TLR4 is carried out through a change in the cholesterol content in the so-called lipid rafts, domains of the plasma membrane into which signaling molecules, such as TLR4, are recruited .Excessive intracellular accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages due to a decrease in the transport function of ABCA1 contributes to the initialization of NLRP3 (NLR family pyrin domain containing 3) inflammation, which makes a significant contribution to the progression of atherosclerosis. It should be noted that although NLRP3 inflammation is one of the key links in the pathogenesis of COPD, unlike atherosclerosis, there is currently no evidence that it can be initiated by the accumulation of cholesterol in lung macrophages ,78,79.ABCA1 may also be involved in inflammation through the regulation of the JAK2/STAT3  pathway, which is connected by the IL-6 (interleukin-6) signaling pathway ,81, whicSeveral recent studies have shown that ABCA1 also participates in the regulation of inflammation by inhibiting the secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β)  and tumoThus, smoking, which changes the transport activity of ABCA1, can participate in the violation of the lipid homeostasis of cells and contribute to the initialization and generalization of inflammation . The assThe mentioned data may generally indicate the presence of a link between COPD and atherosclerosis, although they do not explain why the same etiological factor, namely, cigarette smoking, leads to the development of different COPD phenotypes.Taking into account the significance of metabolic syndrome and overweight in atherosclerosis, it was shown that obesity and insulin resistance are associated with lower ABCA1 expression in visceral adipose tissue ,91. BaseA decrease in the functional activity of ABCA1 in skeletal muscles contributes to the abnormal accumulation of cholesterol and a decrease in glucose transport under conditions of insulin resistance . The menOther important mechanisms in which the transporter participates are the processes of apoptosis and phagocytosis, violations of which are well known in COPD ,95,96. AAnother function of ABCA1 in phagocytosis is that it enhances the reverse transport of cholesterol in phagocytic active macrophages, providing a reduction in the cholesterol load of the macrophage after the absorption of apoptotic cells. It is known that ABCA1-deficient cells are less effective phagocytes ,76, as aThe data on the participation of ABCA1 in platelet function and ensuring adequate hemostasis are interesting, considering the significance of hemostatic disorders in COPD and atherosclerosis. A decrease in the expression of ABCA1 leads to defects in platelet aggregation due to regulation impairment of vesicular granule transfer from the Golgi compartment to the plasma membrane ,102,103.Thus, the closely intertwined disorders of ABCA1-mediated cellular lipid efflux, homeostasis of membrane lipid rafts, and inflammatory activation of macrophages make a significant contribution to the pathogenesis of COPD and atherosclerosis.It should be noted that, currently, there is insufficient information about the possible role of other members of the subfamily in the pathogenesis of COPD and atherosclerosis. At the same time, some of them are well known for their participation in lipid metabolism.Caenorhabditis elegans, which functions in both phagocytic and apoptotic cells during phagocytosis and is necessary for the clustering of CED-1, which is a transmembrane receptor that initiates uptake signals. It was shown that CED-7 participates in the exposure of phospholipid ligands on the surface of apoptotic cells [In recent years, there has been interest in ABCA7, another member of the subfamily, which is the closest homolog of ABCA1 and has some similarities in its functions since it carries out lipid transport and participates in the formation of HDL ,108,109.ic cells . It was ic cells ,116. Howic cells . Moreoveic cells .Another member of the subfamily, namely, ABCA3, is well known for its participation in the formation of a surfactant ,120, whiThe results of a recent bioinformatic analysis showed a decrease in the expression levels of ABCA13 in the bronchial epithelium in smokers . These d−/−Abca5 mice, but changes similar to cardiomyopathy develop in the heart [At the moment, the biological role of representatives of the group of ABCA6-like transporters, which include ABCA5, 10, 6, 9, and 8, is not understood well enough ,139,140.he heart . In addihe heart .Thus, representatives of the ABCA subfamily make a great contribution to the regulation of lipid transport processes. ABCA1 plays a particularly significant role in these processes, participating in the pathogenesis of COPD and atherosclerosis, which most studies are devoted to. However, it should be noted that for many representatives of the subfamily, the biological function is not fully known and requires further research.Members of the ABCB subfamily are well known to clinicians and researchers for their role in the development of multiple drug resistance. At the same time, a number of members of the ABCB subfamily are also characterized by their ability to transport lipids, such as ABCB1 ,147,148,ABCB1 ), cloned by J.R. Riordan in 1985, was originally described as a major participant in the mechanism of multiple drug resistance to chemotherapeutic agents of colchicine-resistant Chinese hamster ovarian cells ,152,153.It is known that ABCB1 participates in lipid transport ,56,157, It was shown that the predominant localization of ABCB1 in lipid rafts is necessary for its functioning ,163,164.Although the lungs are not among the organs with a high expression of ABCB1, the protein is found in the bronchi, where it is mainly localized on the apical surface of the ciliated epithelial cells, the apical and lateral surfaces of the serous cells of the bronchial glands, and the lumen surface of the endothelial cells of the bronchial capillaries, but it is not found in the mucus-secreting goblet cells ,170. In ABCB1 in the cells of smokers compared to non-smokers was shown. Moreover, a tendency toward a negative correlation of ABCB1 expression with an increase in the number of packs-years and the number of cigarettes smoked per day was observed [ABCB1 is activated during differentiation from monocytes to macrophages and is sensitive to activation by LXR (liver X receptor) agonists ,174. In observed .ABCB1 in the lungs [It should be noted that the inhaled administration of glucocorticoids in patients with severe COPD may cause existing differences in the expression of he lungs .ABCB1 gene can affect the effectiveness of COPD therapy [It has been shown that polymorphism of the  therapy  and medi therapy . In addi therapy ,182.Another member of the subfamily, namely, ABCB4, participates in phosphatidylcholine transport and the formation of bile in the liver . The expABCB6 expression in bronchial epithelial cells, while smoking cessation is associated with lower ABCB6 expression [The results of bioinformatics analysis indicate that exposure to cigarette smoke is associated with increased levels of pression .ABCB6 may also have negative effects on the form of increased resistance to chemotherapeutic agents [Literature data suggest that ABCB6 protects cells from oxidative stress by modulating cytosolic reactive oxygen species ,189. Desc agents .ABCB6 may also be involved in atherogenesis ,191. It Thus, representatives of the ABCB family are of great clinical importance, not only due to their involvement in the efflux activity for xenobiotics but also due to the movement of endogenous substrates.ABCC1 (MRP1 (multidrug resistance-associated protein 1)) was initially identified as a glutathione-conjugate transporter ,199,200,In the lungs, ABCC1 is found in alveolar macrophages, as well as in bronchial epithelial cells , and itsABCC1 is localized in cholesterol-rich actin-dependent lipid rafts, which determines the functional dependence of the efflux activity of the transporter on cortical actin ,207. CorABCC1 gene is regulated by a feedback mechanism since it is associated with oxidative stress and exposure to toxins caused by exposure to cigarette smoke and contributes to the enhancement of antioxidant activity in the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract [It was shown that ABCC1 can protect the lungs from developing COPD by reducing the oxidative stress caused by smoking, preventing the accumulation of toxic metabolites ,211. It ry tract .ABCC1 in COPD is ambiguous [ABCC1 expression in the bronchial epithelium of COPD patients compared to healthy former smokers was shown [ABCC1 gene in smoking patients with COPD compared to people who do not have COPD [ABCC1 may play an important role in smoking-related loss of lung function . At the mbiguous ,216,217.as shown . Expressas shown ,220. In ave COPD . The avaave COPD . However4 occupies an important place among the physiological substrates of ABCC1 [−/− mice are more resistant to Streptococcus-pneumoniae-induced pneumonia than wild-type animals [4, which is a powerful chemoattractant for neutrophils and increases the activity of phagocytic cells [4 in the lungs is alveolar macrophages [4 increase the generation of LTB4.The association of ABCC1 with inflammation is interesting. Leukotrienes, which are a group of highly effective lipid mediators, are important participants in the antibacterial protection of the lungs. Their synthesis is induced by different microorganisms ,222. Leuof ABCC1 ,223,224. animals . They shic cells ,227,228.rophages ,230. It Mrp1 and Mdr1a/1b genes were more susceptible to the development of COPD. These mice had lower levels of IL-8 production and showed an almost complete absence of inflammatory cells in response to cigarette smoke [4 excretion [In addition to these data, it was shown that mice with triple knockout of the te smoke ,223. Thexcretion .Data about the participation of ABCC1 in the export of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which is a lipid mediator that is involved in many processes, including inflammation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and macrophage function, are of great importance ,240,241.It was shown that S1P levels were elevated in the induced sputum of COPD patients compared to non-smokers . It was Interestingly, the impairment of S1P metabolism is an important factor determining the emphysematous phenotype in COPD .In addition to ABCC1, ABCA1 and ABCG2 also participate in S1P transport ,246,247.4 (LTC4) [4 under the action of ABCC1 from vascular smooth muscle cells may be of great importance. In the later stages, the main source of LTC4 is most likely macrophages. In addition, modulation of ABCC1 expression in human aortic endothelial cells affects vascular function [The participation of ABCC1 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is currently the subject of active research. It has been determined that ABCC1 plays a definite role in the regulation of vascular endothelial homeostasis and arterial blood pressure by inducing the release of glutathione from vascular endothelial cells ,249,250.4 (LTC4) ,250,251,function ,251.Thus, ABCC1 demonstrates involvement in the development of COPD and atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms of this participation require further study.It is known that many proteins of the ABCG subfamily also participate in lipid homeostasis . An impo−/− macrophages express higher levels of Abca1 compared to wild-type macrophages in the tumor [ABCG1 is expressed in various cell types, including alveolar macrophages, epithelial cells, and type II pneumocytes [−/−Abcg mouse by 6–8 months after birth. In addition, there are signs of hemorrhage in the tissue. It was shown that inflammation in the lungs of Abcg1−/− mice is a secondary process that develops in response to the accumulation of lipids [Abcg1 [The most well-studied representative of this subfamily is ABCG1 . It is ehe tumor . The resumocytes ,270,271.umocytes ,271,272.s [Abcg1 .−/− macrophages were characterized by increased production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, IL-1α, and IL-12, and a decrease in anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 [−/−Abcg1 mice [It was shown that Abcg1ne IL-10 ,274, whi−/− mice , they de−/− mice ,276.The information about the participation of ABCG1 in the polarization of macrophages is important. Experimental data indicate that ABCG1 deficiency contributes to the proinflammatory M1 polarization of human macrophages, and the molecular mechanism is probably mediated via the Akt signaling pathway . Moreove−/−Abcg1 have an increased ability to absorb apoptotic cells, accumulate lipids, and become apoptotic [It is believed that ABCG1 participates in the apoptosis of cells, including macrophages ,278,279.poptotic ,280,281.It is known that apoptosis plays an important role not only in the development of COPD but also in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: it is antiatherogenic in the early foci of lesions, and the apoptosis of macrophages contributes to atherogenesis in progressive lesions . The mecTaking into account the presence of the ABCG1-transporter in macrophages (“foam cells”) in human atherosclerotic plaque, it was assumed that macrophagic ABCG1 plays an important role in the development of atherosclerotic lesions ,282. ThiAnother member of the subfamily, ABCG4 has 69% identity and 84% similarity in amino acid composition to ABCG1 and mediates the outflow of cholesterol to HDL-like ABCG1 ,262,265.The obtained results allowed for suggesting the role of ABCG1 and ABCG4 transporters in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and immune responses, and that these different processes may be related to the regulation of lipid metabolism ,292,293.Abcg4 gene knockout, which correlated with an increase in the number of reticular platelets, platelet complexes, leucocytes, and microparticles of platelet origin, which have proven pro-atherosclerotic and prothrombotic properties. Researchers associated increased platelet production caused by impaired cholesterol metabolism in progenitor cells with accelerated atherogenesis and arterial thrombosis [Currently, there is no information about the possible participation of ABCG4 in the development of COPD. Although ABCG4 is not expressed in macrophage foam cells, its potential role in atherogenesis is described . ABCG4 irombosis ,295.ABCG2  is another representative of the ABCG subfamily and is most commonly associated with drug excretion ,296. BCRThe expression of ABCG2 in the lungs is low and decreases in the trachea–large bronchi–small bronchi series, but the protein is found in the epithelial layer and seromucinous glands, as well as in the endothelial cells of capillaries . ABCG2 i−/− mice have not been reported yet [The role of BCRP/ABCG2 in the lungs is completely unknown. Furthermore, lung pathologies in Abcg2rted yet ,303,304.It has been shown that ABCG2 in lung tissues is responsible for the formation of the SP-phenotype (side population) of lung cancer cells, which have high efflux activity .It was found in numerous studies that BCRP also participates in the transport of sterols, and cholesterol can stimulate the ATPase activity of the transporter ,306,307.ABCG5 and ABCG8 genes cause sitosterolemia, which is characterized by an increase in the absorption of plant and fish sterols, and their reduced biliary excretion leads to an increase in the level of toxic sitosterols in the blood and the early development of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. The participation of ABCG5 and ABCG8 in atherogenesis may also consist in the fact that they provide trans-intestinal excretion of cholesterol, i.e., an alternative non-biliary route of its excretion [ABCG5 and ABCG8 play a role in lipid metabolism and mediate the outflow of cholesterol and sitosterol from the intestinal walls and hepatocytes to the bile duct and intestinal lumen ,310. Thexcretion .Thus, representatives of the subfamily are actively involved in lipid transport and perform many important functions. In the pathogenesis of COPD and atherosclerosis, ABCG1 is one of the most interesting since its transport activity disturbances disrupt a number of processes associated with the development of inflammation.Recent studies confirm that COPD and atherosclerosis do not just occur simultaneously; both diseases have a great mutual influence, largely determining the nature of progression. Interestingly, the prevalence and severity of atherosclerosis are not equally represented among patients with different COPD phenotypes. In addition, depending on the body mass index, the prognosis of COPD has features that distinguish it from cardiovascular diseases. The well-known association of weight loss with the development of emphysema is also described. These findings open up a new perspective on the metabolic-mediated mechanisms participating in COPD development.The performed analysis showed a significant role of lipid metabolism disorders in the pathogenesis of the comorbid course of COPD and atherosclerosis. It was shown that a number of members of the ABC-transporter family perform important functions in maintaining lipid homeostasis . Their pThe information of interest is that cholesterol is able to regulate the transport activity of some ABC transporters. Change in the concentration of cholesterol and its distribution in cell membranes may represent a mechanism for modulating the function of transmembrane proteins.To date, the function of ABCA1 and ABCG1 transporters is best known in the pathogenesis of the comorbid course of COPD and atherosclerosis. Changes in their transport activity disrupt a number of processes associated with inflammation. Inflammation can develop via several mechanisms and can be caused by the accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages.It should be recognized that for many ABC transporters, the biological role is not sufficiently clear and requires study. Obviously, we are still at the beginning of studying all the functions of lipid metabolism and the significance of their disorders.Thus, this review, which aimed at taking a fresh look at the possible functions of ABC transporters in the development of COPD, showed that lipid metabolism mediated by ABC transporters and its disorders can make a large contribution to the nature of the progression and comorbid course of COPD.