Molecular Dynamics and Experimental Study of the Effect of CeF3 and NdF3 Additives on the Physical Properties of FLiNaK.

The paper presents the results, which are consistent within 2%, obtained both in the simulation of molecular dynamics and in the experiment on the study of the kinetic properties of molten FLiNaK with addition of lanthanide fluorides. The parameters of the Born-Huggins-Meier potential for the interaction of CeF3 or NdF3 with FLiNaK components are first calculated using the ab initio approach. The enthalpy of the system with dissolved CeF3 or NdF3 calculated in the model increases by ∼4.4% over the entire temperature range studied (800 ≤ T ≤ 1020 K). The self-diffusion coefficients of the molten salt components are calculated from the Einstein relation and also estimated from the shear viscosity data. The temperature dependences of the shear viscosity of molten FLiNaK as well as FLiNaK with additions of 15 mol % CeF3 or NdF3 are determined experimentally and by calculation. In addition, the dependence of shear viscosity on the concentration of CeF3 and NdF3 in FLiNaK is measured and calculated. The linear growth of the shear viscosity with the CeF3 and NdF3 concentrations is obtained. Experimental dependence is in good agreement with the simulated results in the case of NdF3, and there is the discrepancy while CeF3 addition. An analytical approximation of the temperature and concentration dependences for the viscosity of molten FliNaK and for the calculated self-diffusion coefficients of constituent elements is proposed. Linear approximation of temperature dependence of the self-diffusion coefficients of similar components in the corresponding extended systems is presented.

Antibacterial and Antimycotic Activity of Cotton Fabrics, Impregnated with Silver and Binary Silver/Copper Nanoparticles.

Effective method of obtaining of the bactericidal bandage materials by impregnation of cotton fabric by aqueous solutions of silver and copper salts followed by a certain regime of heat treatment is developed. The study of obtained materials by methods of optical spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray phase analysis showed the formation of crystalline silver nanoparticles (NPs) and bimetallic Ag/Cu composites with the corresponding surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands in the absorption spectra. High antimicrobial and antimycotic properties of tissues with low concentrations of Ag and Ag/Cu nanoparticles (Ag/Cu NPs) (in the range 0.06-0.25 weight percent (wt%) for Ag and 0.015-0.13 wt% for Ag/Cu) is confirmed in experiments with a wide range of multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi: Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans yeasts, and micromycetes. Textile materials with Ag NPs demonstrate high antibacterial activity, while fabrics doped with bimetallic composite Ag/Cu have pronounced antimycotic properties. Bactericidal and antifungal properties of the obtained materials do not change after a washing. Production of such materials is extremely fast, convenient, and cost-effective.

[Trastuzumab-induced cardiomyopathy].

The treatment of malignant tumors may cause severe adverse reactions including cardiovascular problems. The case of a young woman with trastuzumab (Herceptin) induced dilatation cardiomyopathy with favorable outcome is presented in the article.

Outcomes of conventional surgery and combined with endovascular intervention for acute thromboses of atherosclerotically arteries comparative study.

UNLABELLED: The study was aimed at early outcome retrospective analysis of conventional surgery (CS) for acute arterial obstruction (AAO) of lower limb arteries with atherosclerotic lesions and of simultaneous combined treatment (SCT) - endovascular intervention undertaken during open surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 166 histories of patients with AAO and atherosclerotic lesions of lower limb arteries, treated during 1998-2005. Conventional surgical therapy was used in 72 cases and comprised open and indirect thrombectomy with endarterectomy and/or femoral arterioplasty if indicated. In 94 eases open surgery was combined with pre- or intraoperative angiography and endovascular balloon angioplasty. RESULTS: restoration of blood flow during primary intervention was achieved in 58.3% of patients after CS and in 72.3% of patients after SCT; the rate of amputations was 31.9% and 18.1%, respectively, mortality - 16.6% and 6.3%, respectively, favorable outcome at the discharge - 62.5% and 79.9%. CONCLUSION: endovascular angioplasty of atherosclerotic stenoses during open surgery for acute thromboses of lower limb arteries has distinct benefits over conventional surgical treatment.

Surgical treatment of acute infective valvular endocarditis (18 years experience).

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis morbidity remains high: 3 to 8 cases per 100,000 of population. Antibiotic therapy is ineffective. Its surgical treatment experience is relatively limited. AIM: To share the surgical treatment experience of 855 patients with acute infective valvular endocarditis (AIVE) treated during 1982 to 2000 in the Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery AMS, Ukraine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 855 (75.4%) of 1128 hospitalized patients with AIVE were operated upon. Surgical interventions included removal of diseased tissues, heart chambers treatment with antiseptic solutions, wash out with normal saline solution, replacement or plastic procedure of valves. RESULTS: Heart abscesses were found in 132 (15.5%) patients. Hospital mortality was after aortic valve replacement 12.6%; mitral valve replacement 9.7%; plastic procedure on mitral valve 0%; aortic and mitral valve replacement 30%; tricuspid valve replacement 15.4%; and plastic procedure on tricuspid valve 6.1%. Recurrences of infective process occurred in 51 (6.0%) patients. Infections were observed more frequently in patients with heart abscesses: 10.6% versus 5.7% (p < 0.02). RESULTS: 716 (96.7%) patients were studied 2 to 194 (87.4+/-39.4) months postoperatively. Tenth year postoperative survival was 62.1+/-27.7% including hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: (1) AIVE has become one of the most frequent causes of acquired heart lesions in the postChernobyl nuclear power station catastrophe era. (2) Heart failure development in postoperative period is stipulated by the disease duration. (3) Presence of heart abscesses favors recurrence of development of infective endocarditis. (4) Postoperative antibiotic therapy for more than 3 weeks does not help in prevention of recurrences.

[Prognosis of pretreatment outcome in patients with acute glomerulonephritis after an immunological review]. / Prognozuvannia bezposeredn'oï klinichnoï efektyvnosti likuvannia khvorykh na gostryi glomerulonefryt.

Expediency has been shown for the immunological investigation to be done in those patients with acute glomerulonephritis in the nephrosis stage before the start of treatment to find out relevant approaches to such patients. The most informative parameters characterizing immunity include the peripheral blood absolute content T-lymphocytes, relative and absolute content of B-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, IgA, IgG in blood plasma. However, to prognosticate near term clinical efficiency of treatment with immunodepressive drugs it is essential that all basic indices for the cell-bound and humoral immunity be taken account of.

[Changes in immune status in patients with infectious endocarditis in surgical treatment involving artificial blood circulation]. / Izmenenie immunnogo statusa u bol'nykh infektsionnym éndokarditom pri khirurgicheskom vmeshatel'stve s ispol'zovaniem iskusstvennogo krovoobrashcheniia.

In 98.2% patients with infectious endocarditis, admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment, the moderate immune deficiency state is revealed with the cell link of immunity depression and phagocytic function of neutrophils insufficiency, which become aggravated after operative intervention performance, especially using artificial blood circulation. The cell link of immunity depression, the B-lymphocytes function inhibition are preserved during 6 months after the operation.

Experimental clinical study of the effect of millimeter waves on microbial and inflammatory renal diseases.

An investigation is made of the effect of low-intensity millimeter waves on the development of acute and chronic pyelonephritis. It is shown that the application of millimeter waves diminishes the rate of pyelonephritis recurrence and reduces the probability of chronic pyelonephritis. Furthermore, these waves normalize lipid peroxidation, stimulate antioxidant protection, and improve blood rheology. Experimental investigations performed on animals provided evidence for the positive effect of millimeter waves on the morphofunctional state of organs and tissues as well as on blood circulation. This especially concerns pyelonephritis of mycoplasmic etiology.

[Lipid metabolic disorders in patients with glomerulonephritis in the presence of a herpetic infection]. / Porushennia obminu lipidiv u khvorykh na hlomerulonefryt za naiavnosti herpetychnoï infektsiï.

Abnormalities were studied of lipid metabolism in patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) depending on the presence of herpes infection (antibodies to herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus) versus similar indices in GN patients free from this infection (n = 75). Of these, 34 presented with the urinary syndrome (US), 41 had nephrotic syndrome (NS). Abnormalities of lipid metabolism in GN patients (irrespective of the syndrome) were shown to be more manifest in the presence of herpes infection. GN severity (in comparative evaluation within one entity) was not found to be dependent on the viral infection but disturbances in functional indices for the liver in patients in its presence occurred far more frequently. More profound abnormalities of lipid metabolism in GN patients in the presence of herpes virus infection can be a factor in GN chronization, affect the rate of progression of not only atherosclerotic lesions of kidneys but of glomerulosclerosis as well.

[The effect of the prolonged action of cytostatics and hormones on the properties of Escherichia coli]. / Vplyv tryvaloï diï tsytostatykiv i hormoniv na vlastyvosti Escherichia coli.

Cytostatics and hormones were studied for their effect on biological peculiarities of Escherichia coli--the main agent of inflammatory processes of kidneys and urinary tracts in children and adults. It was established that low doses of glucocorticoids, cytostatics and their combinations lead to changes in morphological properties in the strain of E. coli: M- and R-forms appeared in some variants. Besides, changes in a number of the biochemical peculiarities of M- and R-forms were found. These peculiarities are taken into account during identification of these microorganisms. The decrease of adhesion activity in almost all variants of E. coli 2417 was registered under long-term cultivation with cytostatics and prednisolone; hemolytic activity and ability to hydrolyze DNA were also established in certain variants.

[Differential diagnosis of the transplant rejection and herpesvirus-related infections in kidney transplant recipients]. / Differentsial'naia diagnostika reaktsii ottorzheniia transplantata i gerpesvirusnykh zabolevanii u retsipientov posle peresadki pochki.

An algorythm of differential diagnosis conduction of the transplant rejection reaction and the diseases caused by herpes viruses in recipients after the kidney transplantation was elaborated, basing on the analysis of results of the clinical, laboratory, immunological and serological examination methods.

[The use of thienam for the emergency antibacterial therapy of acute suppurative pyelonephritis]. / Zastosuvannia tiienamu dlia ekstrenoï antybakterial'noï terapiï hostroho hniinoho piielonefrytu.

Results of a clinical and microbiological investigation designed to study thienam permit recommending this drug as an urgent agent of choice in acute purulent pyelonephritis. The drug is well tolerated. Among other benefits is extremely high sensitivity of bacteria (pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic) to the medication, achievement of an expected clinical effect within a short time since its therapy institution.

[New data on the etiological factors in acute pyelonephritis]. / Novye dannye ob étiologicheskikh faktorakh ostrogo pielonefrita.

Spectrum of microbe agents of acute pyelonephritis has been studied. It is shown that Mycoplasma hominis plays an important role in etiology of acute pyelonephritis besides the already known enterobacteria and Gram-positive cocci. It is also established that mycoplasmal pyelonephritis more often develops in patients with the diseases of urinary blade (cystitis) and genital organs. Results of serological investigations which confirm etiological role of isolated microorganisms in the initiation of acute pyelonephritis are presented.

[The effect of bacterial polysaccharides on the course of a Mycoplasma infection]. / Vliianie bakterial'nykh polisakharidov na techenie mikoplazmennoi infektsii.

Polysaccharides of Clavibacter michiganense have been studied for their effect on Mycoplasma infection. It is established that content of T-lymphocytes truthfully increased in the groups of animals whose PS 1 and PS 2 were administered both with protective and medical purpose as compared with that in a group of animals with natural course of mycoplasmosis. Under these conditions the effect of polysaccharides on T-helpers were not evidently expressed, while they exerted considerable effect on T-suppressors, normalizing their high index in the animals infected by Mycoplasma hominis. Polysaccharides also exerted a normalizing effect on the content of T-killers, whose level in the animals with natural proceeding of mycoplasmosis was considerably decreased. One can observe a decrease of content of B-lymphocytes (which approached the level of their control in a group of conditionally healthy animals) under the effect of polysaccharides as compared to infected animals. Metabolic processes are activated in immunocompetent cells as affected by polysaccharide. Results obtained when studying the effect of polysaccharides on immunologic factors in the animals with mycoplasma infection as well as histomorphological data confirm the above evidences that polysaccharides of C. michiganense are promising immunomodulators.

[Ionizing radiations and the antimicrobial resistance of the body in warm-blooded animals]. / Ioniziruiushchie izlucheniia i antimikrobnaia rezistentnost' organizma teplokrovnykh.

Various aspects of ionizing radiation action on microorganisms and course of endo- and exogenous infections are considered. The immune response is discussed from the standpoint of its significance in development of infectious-inflammatory processes under conditions of radiation of a microorganism and higher radiation background. Quantitative and functional changes in the immune system of the organism subjected to radiation are discussed in detail and peculiarities of these changes under low doses of radiation are shown. The analysis of the data obtained has confirmed a decrease of the natural resistance of organism to various infectious agents of endo- and exogenous origin under the effect of ionizing radiation; the main reason of that is disturbance of the immunity system, particularly at the cellular level.

[Susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs of strains of bacilli used as a basis for various probiotics]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' k antimikrobnym preparatam shtammov batsill, sostavliaiushchikh osnovu nekotorykh probiotikov.

Five strains of the genus Bacillus used as components of biological preparations i.e. bacterin SL, biosporin, bactisubtil and subalin were tested for their susceptibility to 38 antimicrobial agents, The strains were simultaneously resistant to 5 antibiotics: astreonam, colistin, penicillin, ceftizoxime and cefuroxime. High susceptibility of the strains to some penicillins, cephalosporins and aminoglycosides was recorded. The gene engineered strain B. subtilis 2335(105) marked by the kanamycin resistance gene showed cross resistance to amikacin and tobramycin. Trimetoprim, sulfotrimetoprim and norfloxacin proved to be active against the strains.