Tag: Russia

Tomsk Polytechnic University will become a coordinator of NEST Radioactive Waste Management of I-graphite, an international project uniting universities and enterprises of the nuclear industry of Russia and some European countries. This project will allow using an operating university reactor, which is considered to be a TPU unique research site, to train world-class professionals in the area of radioactive waste management and decommissioning of old nuclear reactors.

“For over 70 years, Tomsk Polytechnic University has been training highly-qualified professionals for the nuclear industry since 1950 when the TPU Physics and Engineering Institute was set up. During this period, TPU has become an anchor university of the Rosatom State Corporation, a leading Russian and global center in radiation physics, engineering and technology. Moreover, there is the only one in Russia operating university nuclear research reactor at TPU, which conducts not only advanced fundamental and applied research to create new materials and technology in energy engineering, nuclear medicine, but also gives an opportunity to TPU students, including international ones complete training. There is a pool of international nuclear educational programs at the university to train staff for the Rosatom projects in some overseas countries, such as Egypt, Ghana, Bolivia, Tanzania and others.

Accumulated educational and research experience allows TPU not only to be satisfied with what has already been achieved but also shares knowledge and opportunities of the facilities with partners to jointly make a contribution to developing the industry,”

says Dmitry Sednev, TPU Acting Rector.

The European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) and the Rosatom State Corporation took the initiative in the project. It has united Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Rosatom, the Intra-University Consortium for Nuclear Technology Research (Italy), the Sogin Italian state corporation, which is in charge of decommissioning Italian nuclear reactors and radioactive waste management. Besides, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Électricité de France S.A. (EDF), the French largest energy generating company and largest in the world operator company of nuclear power plants and University of Cologne (Germany) are intending to join the project.

According to the project organizers, many countries are facing a challenging and large-scale task related to decommissioning of nuclear facilities. At the same moment, the industry is struggling with the development of practical expertise of staff involved in this area. It applies to both students of master’s, PhD degrees and young engineers, researchers who already started to work in the industry. A response to this challenge can become an arrangement of the practice-oriented training based on the TPU Nuclear Research Reactor. A training program will include a theoretical course and practicals for attendees, including those from European countries.

“This is a unique project, which unites the universities and the industry, as well as offers a new educational model to train young professionals. This is crucial as at the moment, the industry is frequently not so much involved in the educational process remaining this task to universities.

After graduation, companies recruiting young professionals take all responsibility for them. The universities and the industry jointly will take all duties to train students and already recruited young professionals in practice at the operating nuclear facilities. This task is directly aligned with New Engineering Education, one of the strategic areas of the TPU development within the Priority 2030 program,” adds Dmitry Sednev.

Vera Verkhoturova, Head of International Nuclear Education Programs and Deputy Director the TPU School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, told about the experience of cooperation development between the universities to provide the world-class practice-oriented engineering education based on the case of NEST Radioactive Waste Management of I-graphite at the plenary session of Modes of International Cooperation to Promote Engineering Education and Development of Career in Nuclear Industry within the High-Tech for Sustainable Development theme week by Rosatom at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The attendees of NEST Radioactive Waste Management of I-graphite will study some key problems of radioactive waste management, which include, for instance, qualification of the decommissioning process, processing and conditioning of i-graphite, characteristics of graphite and shallow ground disposal of radioactive waste.

Chemists of Tomsk Polytechnic University have developed a new material, which efficiently purifies water from petrochemicals. The material is based on polymer biomedical waste: surgical masks and hospital bedsheets. The material developed by the scientists possesses hydrophobic and oleophilic properties, as well as high oil adsorption capacity and low material cost. The research findings are published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical (IF: 5,909; Q1).

According to the scientists, the fibrous structure of surgical masks and disposable bedsheets opens up opportunities for their recycling for oil spill clean-up. Nevertheless, pristine polypropylene (PP) does not provide high adsorption capacity and functionality for selective entrapping of oils. Therefore, a relevant task was the development of new methods to improve PP properties for water purification from contaminants. The TPU team under Pavel Postnikov’s supervision, Associate Professor of the TPU Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, found such a method: they deposited a metal-organic framework on PP using a simple chemical method. As a result, the new material of superhydrophobic oleophilic fabric was synthesized.

“Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous organic compounds consisting of organic ligands and metal ions. We used zinc and imidazole derivatives as a ligand. Due to the well-ordered structure, frameworks are nanoporous and possess large specific surface area, i.e. they can absorb a very large amount of substance: oils and oil spills.

Crucially, we used fluorine-free ligands while hydrophobic properties were given due to the architecture of the MOF. Despite the fact that fluorinated ligands are superhydrophobic, the preparation and development of frameworks based on such ligands are quite expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, these ligands are not very good in terms of further recycling and exhibit toxic properties since released into water,” says Olga Guselnikova, a research fellow of the TPU Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, one of the authors of the article.

The research was conducted using a wide range of oils, including model samples. In the conducted experiments, the scientists simulated an oil spill: they mixed diesel, dyes, rust and other solid pollutants. The superhydrophobic oleophilic fabric proved to be rather efficient in removing contaminants. In addition, the experiments showed that it is mechanically strong and resistant to ultraviolet radiation.

“In the course of fundamental research, we obtained a prototype of the oleophilic fabric up to 65 square centimeters in size. Such a sample is a prototype for a potential application of the material: the fabric is spread on top of an oil spill and a minute later it is removed mechanically, taking all oil pollution with it and leaving clean water,” explains Pavel Postnikov.

Within the common Kolmogorov Russian-French project, the research team jointly with their French colleagues from Lille University of Science and Technology (France) are starting to research the functional processing of polymer waste to create sorbents and materials for the energy industry.

The XVII Ten-Day Festival of Russian Language and Culture has finished at Tomsk Polytechnic University. Russian and international students of Tomsk universities, TPU academic and administrative staff, school students and overseas participants from all over the world took part in the ten-day Festival. In total, there were over 800 participants.

This year’s Festival was devoted to the university’s passing the selection for the Priority 2030 program. The participants were able to try their hand in one or several events, among which there was a recitation contest, poem contest, literary saloon, punctuation olympiad and workshops.
All these events were held in a hybrid mode.

“It was the first time when all six Tomsk universities, as well as Volgograd State University, Moscow State University of Technology STANKIN and the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute joined the traditional recitation contest. It proves that our event is progressing to the all-Russian level. Moreover, it was the first time when we held an online punctuation olympiad for students and staff of our university. Everyone liked the idea to check their Russian literacy that not only members of the TPU community but also Tomsk citizens joined us,” says Marina Bokhonnaya, associate professor of the TPU Division for Russian Language.

According to the results of the contests, the organizers selected winners. Francisco Simon Fernando Dala, a TPU student. became the first among attendees of the TPU Pre-University Department in the My Priorities recitation contest. Cui Yuchuan, a student of academic exchange, became the best among international students in the same contest. Simatupang Priscila Lisa Monica, an attendee of the TPU Pre-University Department, won the first place among international students in the 20 30 online poem contest. While, Simatupang Priscila Lisa Monica, a TPU postgraduate, won the Priority 2021 – World Reads Dostoevsky reading prose contest.

“The contest for staff of the TPU Division for Russian Language was held for the first time this year. It was arranged in the format of the famous ‘Open Your Mouth’ championships. The actor of Tomsk Drama Theatre Anton Antonov, the TV presenter Alesya Kurnosova and the museum guide Vadim Lobanov assessed the participants. It was quite interesting to watch colleagues in their new roles,” Marina Bokhonnaya adds.

Marina Nebera, head of the TPU Pre-University Department, became a winner of the My Priorities contest among colleagues. Meanwhile, Elena Ryabchikova, director of the TPU Center for Education Quality Assurance, was the best in the Set Priorities online punctuation olympiad.

Reference:
The Festival of Russian Language and Culture is an annual event arranged by the TPU Division for Russian Language. The Festival aims at the identification and support of talented Russian and international students, school students, demonstration of their achievements in learning Russian, literacy improvement and motivation to learn Russian, as well as promotion of the Russian language and Russian culture.

Annually the organizers do their best to make the event program diverse. Russian and international students studying at TPU and other Tomsk universities, school students, as well as TPU staff and all interested people are encouraged to take part in the following events.

Experts of Tomsk Polytechnic University and Saint Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums have published a training aid entitled Medication Life Cycle from Pharmaceutical Development to Putting Out of Commission for training engineering staff of biotechnological production in Nicaragua. The training aid is dedicated to quality assurance of medication.

Writing a joint training aid became a part of the educational project by BioNica related to the organization and construction of a Russian-Nicaraguan enterprise of the Latin American Institute of Biotechnology MECHNIKOV, S.A. in Managua (Nicaragua). It is the one biotechnological enterprise in Central America.

“Currently, there is a problem of expansion of production, therefore a question of training staff has come up. Managua universities do not train engineers for biotechnological productions. Experts of Saint Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums (a coordinator of the project by BioNica) addressed a proposal to TPU to engage in this project two years ago,” says Elena Krasnokutskaya, Head of the TPU Kizhner Research Center.

The volume of the training aid is 310 pages. The aid contains 11 chapters dedicated to government regulation in biotechnological and pharmaceutical productions, standardization and product quality control, storage and transportation of pharmaceutical goods, operation, maintenance of critical equipment and utilities, and other topics. The aid is published in Russian and Spanish. It is designed for advanced training of staff of operating biotechnological production, academic staff of University of Managua and experts of the Ministry of Health of Nicaragua.

“When the main content of the aid was prepared, we realized that there was a lot of material and it had a different level of complexity. Therefore, there was a decision to publish two aids. The first aid is more focused on relevant questions related to the operation of modern pharmaceutical productions in accordance with the requirements of international law. The second aid is more fundamental. Its main idea is to give future engineers an understanding of the importance of a systematic approach for the creation of medication at all stages of its life cycle. By agreement with the colleagues from Saint Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums this aid will be published at TPU,” Elena Krasnokutskaya adds.

Within the cooperation of TPU and Saint Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums, it is planned to arrange advanced training for academic staff at universities, experts of the Ministry of Health of Nicaragua, as well as training for master’s degree students from Nicaragua who study the Pharmaceutical Biology educational program at TPU sponsored by a future employer.

“Participation in such projects as BioNica is quite essential. It is that real contribution, which Russian education can make in the promotion of domestic high-tech products to the international market,”

“Participation in such projects as BioNica is quite essential. It is that real contribution, which Russian education can make in the promotion of domestic high-tech products to the international market,” Elena Krasnokutskaya adds.

Scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University jointly with their overseas colleagues have developed a coating, which reduces the biofouling of metals in water and other biological environments by 100 folds. The coating allows making medical implants more lasting and safer. The research findings are published in the Applied Surface Science journal (IF: 6,707, Q1).

Biofouling is the accumulation of undesirable deposits on metal surfaces submerged into the biological environment. It causes due to microorganism activity, reduces functional properties of metal and may lead to its destruction. The problem is relevant for many areas, in particular, marine vessels and medical devices to be implanted.

According to the scientists, the main solution is giving properties preventing microorganism settlement on the surface. For these purposes, titanium dioxide is frequently used, however, it is expensive and not effective in all cases.

The TPU scientists proposed a cheap means, which allows reducing the activity of biofouling by 100 folds. It is higher than indexes of titanium dioxide by several folds. First of all, the solution is designed to fight against pathogenic microbial flora on the surface of medical implants, however, it is also applicable for any other devices.

“Using cations, we combined bulk soft alginate films, which were obtained from brown algae (Phaeophyceae) with calcium and copper in different proportions. Moreover, we also researched the impact of strength film properties and their wettability with water and oil on the amount of settled microscopic life forms,”

Sergey Tverdokhlebov, Associate Professor of the TPU Weinberg Research Center, tells the journalists of the RIA Novosti news agency.

According to the scientists, the structure of the film surface of copper alginate prevents attaching bacteria, microalgae and other organisms for which copper is toxic. Varying the volume of this metal in the film, it is possible to prepare a construction for operation in a certain environment taking into account its bioactivity.

In the long run, such films can be introduced in both shipbuilding and targeted drug delivery attaching required drug compounds to the film before implantation. It will allow reducing drug load to the organism and impeding contagion,”

Sergey Tverdokhlebov comments.

The research work was conducted jointly with experts of Harbin Institute of Technology (China).

A stray dog called Monica from Krasnodar has been mounted unique paw prostheses, which substituted limbs to the animal. Doctors of the BEST veterinary hospital in Novosibirsk performed a surgery. Scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University applied a biocoating to the implants to prevent rejection and speed up regeneration.

The doctors from the BEST hospital closely cooperate with the TPU scientists. The scientists under the supervision of Sergey Tverdokhlebov, Associate Professor of the TPU Weinberg Research Center, developed calcium phosphate coatings for veterinary implants. These coatings were already used for prostheses of cats and dogs.

“It is the first surgery in the world to implant four bionic prostheses to a dog. The surgery was quite successful. Monica has already begun walking without any help and soon will be back to a normal life,”

“It is the first surgery in the world to implant four bionic prostheses to a dog. The surgery was quite successful. Monica has already begun walking without any help and soon will be back to a normal life,” Sergey Gorshkov, a veterinarian of the BEST hospital told the journalists of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.

The stray dog that suffered from animal abusers was found in the small village of Plastunovskaya in Krasnodar Krai in December 2020. Animal rights activists adopted the animal and after long-term preparations brought Monica for the surgery to Siberia. The surgery was complicated due to the bone deformity of the dog.

The new paws were designed based on an individual digital model and printed from nickel-titanium-vanadium using a 3D printer. A special porous structure of the implants allows achieving ultimate osseointegration.

“To prevent rejection, the implants were applied by a special biocoating developed by the scientists from Tomsk. The biocoating makes the implant similar in its properties to a real bone. Such prostheses are rarely rejected and better taken by an organism, as well as speed up regeneration,” Sergey Gorshkov adds.

At the moment, Monica is walking outside and friendly wagging its tail. After osseointegration is finished, the dog will be ready to discharge from the hospital.

Monica’s story touched the famous British animal rights activist Casey, who stated that she was ready to take the dog to London.