Gas-phase treatment of polyethylene terephthalate waste in nitrating atmosphere for recycling purposes.

The paper describes a new method of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling based on gas-phase treatment of the material in nitrating atmosphere. It was found that PET samples kept in the nitrating atmosphere (obtained by vaporizing 12 mol L-1 HNO3) at a temperature of 403-463 K (130-190 °C) for 5-24 h dissolve in 0.5 mol L-1 NaOH, in contrast to the untreated PET samples. Ozonation of the obtained alkaline solutions leads to a complete decomposition of the organic compounds present in the solutions. The resulting PET decomposition degree is higher than 99.9 % irrespective of the plastic color. In addition, the possibility of terephthalic acid recovery from the alkaline solutions of the conversion products was shown.

[Slow Formation and Degradation of γH2AX Foci in Human Skin Fibroblasts Exposed to Low-Dose X-Ray Radiation].

It was shown that the kinetics of changes of γH2AX foci number (marker of DNA double-strand breaks) in human skin fibroblasts after exposure to low doses of X-ray radiation (20, 40 and 80 mGy) differs from that observed after exposure to medium-low doses (160 and 240 mGy). After exposure to 160 and 240 mGy the highest number of γH2AX foci was detected at 30 min after exposure (first experimental point) and further their decrease was observed. At the same time we observed a fast phase of repair (upto 4 h), in which there was a decrease of the foci amount to ~50-60% and a slow phase of repair (from 4 h to 24 h). After 24 h only ~3-5% of the foci amount observed at 30 min after irradiation was left. After exposure to low doses, the foci number did not decrease during 2 h and even 24 h after exposure their amount was ~25% from that observed at maximum points (1 h after irradiation at 40 and 80 mGy and 2 h after irradiation at 20 mGy).

[Hemophagocytic syndrome in a patient with adult-onset Still's disease: diagnostic problems].

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is a rare life-threatening condition caused by massive cytokine release from activated macrophages and lymphocytes. The paper depicts the development of HPS in different infections, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. It describes a clinical case of hemophagocytic syndrome in a 63-year-old female patient with adult-onset Still's disease and high fever accompanied by neutrophil leukocytosis and a drastic left leukocyte count shift, high procalcitonin levels, hepatosplenomegaly, edematous syndrome, and progressive multiple organ dysfunction with the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation and adult respiratory distress syndrome. The diagnosis of HPS was established according to the diagnostic criteria and verified by autopsy: phagocytes in liver and lung tissues.

[Morton disease].

The author presents a review of 17 Russian and foreign sourses dedicated to Morton's disease and describes a clinical case.

[Heterogeneity of causes of proteinuria in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus]. / Geterogennost' prichin proteinurii u bol'nykh insulinnezavisimym sakharnym diabetom.

AIM: To make a retrospective clinicomorphological (autopsy) study of proteinuria causes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The records have been analysed for 231 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) over 60 years of age who died in a general hospital between 1990 and 1999. The choice of patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) for a further morphological investigation was based on the presence of proteinuria (> 0.5 g/day), normal renal function. 72 patients met the above criteria. Of them 26 were women. RESULTS: Proteinuria occurred more frequently in men (63.4%). A morphological examination of the kidneys revealed diabetic glomerulosclerosis (diffuse and focal) in 48(67%) patients. In 24(33%) patients proteinuria resulted from non-diabetic affection of the kidneys: amyloidosis, atherosclerotic and/or hypertensive nephroangiosclerosis, membraneous and myelomic nephropathy, mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis. Glomerular changes were not registered in 4 patients. 35(72%) DN patients had diabetic retinopathy which was not found in patients with non-diabetic renal affection. CONCLUSION: Diabetic retinopathy in patients with NIDDM and proteinuria allows to conclude that the latter is consequent to DN. The absence of diabetic retinopathy in such patients promotes a search for other causes of proteinuria.

[Renal lesions in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus]. / Porazhenie pochek u bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom pozhilogo vozrasta.

AIM: To elucidate the role of some renal diseases, pyelonephritis in particular, in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The trial included 150 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 aged over 60 years with DM duration 16.6 +/- 7.8 years. All the patients underwent general clinical examination, Reberg-Tareev test, urine seeding, renal ultrasonography. RESULTS: The diagnoses associated with renal pathology were made in 75% of patients, the specific renal parenchymal damage (diabetic nephropathy-DN) proper was much less common (73 patients with type 2 DM). 16 of them were found to have chronic renal failure. The concurrent abnormalities included pyelonephritis (21%), urolithiasis (14%), renal cysts (19%), their combination (43%). Concomitant pyelonephritis had the most significant impact on renal function. Essential hypertension occurred in 65% of patients. CONCLUSION: In old age, renal damage specific for DM develops in the presence of pyelonephritis, cystic degeneration of the parenchyma, involutional processes, atherosclerotic and hypertensive arteriolosclerosis.