[Current trends and prospects of development of biofeedback hardware].

Current trends in the development of biofeedback hardware are considered. At present, computer-based systems hold the leading positions on the market of biofeedback devices. Development of computer technologies affects the design of biofeedback hardware. One of the trends in the evolution of biofeedback devices is the simplification of electronic circuitry, while an increasing role in the signal processing is allocated to a computer. Modern wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, hold much promise for the development of biofeedback hardware.

[Transrectal microwave hyperthermia in the treatment of chronic prostatitis]. / Transrektal'naia mikrovolnovaia gipertermiia v lechenii khronicheskogo prostatita.

The efficacy of transrectal microwave hyperthermia (TMH) was investigated in 124 patients aged 20 to 55 years. Of them, 75 (60.5%) patients had chronic noninfectious and 49 (39.5%) patients infectious prostatitis. In addition to standard pre- and posttreatment examinations the following tests were made: bacteriological and biochemical tests of prostatic secretion, uroflowmetry, transrectal color Dopplerographic mapping. The course of the treatment included 10 one-hour sessions of microwave hyperthermia, drug therapy and prostatic massage. Patients with both forms of chronic prostatitis exhibited disorders of prostatic circulation, activated lipid peroxidation, low concentration of catalase in the organ secretion, defective urodynamics of the lower urinary tracts. More pronounced changes occurred in noninfectious process. Microwave hyperthermia produced clinical improvement, recovery of hemodynamics in the prostate, structure and function of cell membranes in prostatic secretion, positive response of urodynamics. Thus, TMH generated on domestic equipment can be considered as one of the methods of pathogenetically sound treatment of noninfectious and infectious chronic prostatitis.

[Impact of transrectal microwave hyperthermia on hemodynamics and prostatic cell membranes in chronic prostatitis]. / Vliianie transrektal'noi mikrovolnovoi gipertermii na gemodinamiku i sostoianie kletochnykh membran predstatel'noi zhelezy pri khronicheskom prostatite.

An Aden-Ch apparatus programming complex made in our country was used for transrectal microwave hyperthermia in 75 patients with chronic prostatitis. In addition to its good clinical results achieved in most patients, the complex restored hemodynamics and stabilized the status of prostatic cell membranes. The complex described in the paper may be recommended for the treatment of chronic prostatitis.

[Treatment of lower respiratory tract infections in the elderly]. / Lecheniie infektsil nizhnikh dykhatel'nykh putel u lits pozhilogo vozrasta.

Sixty outpatients at the age of 65 to 75 years with exacerbated chronic bronchitis were treated with antibiotics: amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (20 patients), cefaclor (20 patients) and ciprofloxacin (20 patients). The treatment course in all the cases was 5 days. Bacteriological tests of the sputum specimens and estimation of the isolate antibiotic susceptibility by the disk diffusion method were applied to all the patients before and after the treatment. 73 per cent of the patients had mixed infection. The microflora mainly included various species of streptococci highly susceptible to the drugs (54 per cent) as well as highly susceptible strains of pneumococci and hemophilic bacilli (33 and 17 per cent respectively). Atypical microflora was detected in 10 per cent of the cases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were isolated in 2 cases. Acinetobacter sp. slightly susceptible only to ciprofloxacin was isolated in 1 case. Citrobacter sp. slightly susceptible to cefaclor and moderately susceptible to ciprofloxacin was detected in 1 case. Enterobacter sp. moderately susceptible only to ciprofloxacin was isolated in 1 case. A positive factor was moderate susceptibility of Proteus mirabilis to all the three drugs. In 24 patients (the average age of 54.7 years) the pharmacokinetics of ofloxacin administered under 2 different regimens was studied. The drug was used in a single dose of 400 mg once a day (group 1) or in a dose of 200 mg twice a day (group II) followed by estimation of the drug concentration in the blood and sputum. The pathogen eradication was stated in 61.5 and 72.7 per cent of the patients in groups I and II, respectively. By the results of the treatment with the use of the above mentioned antibiotics in the elderly patients fluoroquinolones should be considered preferable from the clinical and pharmacoeconomic viewpoints.

[Organization of reflex sympathetic influence on rate and force of cardiac contraction]. / Organizatsiia reflektornykh simpaticheskikh vliianii na chastotu i silu sokrashchenii serdtsa.

In acute experiments on 21 cats it was proved that the change of afferent impulse on vagus nerves by means of either freeze-block or electrostimulation of their central ends results in differential reflex influences on rhythm and force of the cardiac contractions caused by sympathetic nervous system. The cut of the lower cardiac nerves may cause 'break-up' of the observed reflex, removing or inverting its ino- or chronotropy component. The given phenomenon was revealed in the experiments with high arterial pressure and with absence of tonic chronotropy influences of the left lower cardiac nerve.

Responses of the swimbladder of the carp to sound stimulation.

The oscillations of the swimbladder anterior chamber of the carp (Cyprinus carpio) following stimulation with tones of 300-1500 Hz were studied by the method of holographic interferometry. The oscillation amplitude appeared to be maximal at frequencies close to the resonance frequency of an air bladder of equivalent volume as well as at frequencies corresponding approximately to the second and third harmonics of the resonance frequency. A change in the frequency of the sound signal or in the instantaneous pressure amplitude could result in spatial displacement of the oscillation centers on the swimbladder wall. The interference picture which resulted from recording the swimbladder oscillations over the tested frequency range was not observed on the holograms recorded within 20-24 h after the fish had been killed.