Piezoelectric Accelerator.

Here we propose the conception of small-size piezoelectric accelerator of charged particles that operates due to the piezoelectric effect at varying mechanical force applied to piezoelectrics in vacuum. The accelerating voltage and the energy of accelerated particles are estimated. In the proof-of-principle experiment we demonstrate the effect of the emission of X-ray radiation at the mechanical compression of piezoelectric ceramics in vacuum. The compression leads to the appearance of charges and potentials on the surfaces of the piezoelectrics and also to the arising of the electric field in vacuum. Electrons are accelerated in the electric field, strike the matter and produce the X-ray radiation. In the experiment, we have observed emission of the characteristic and bremsstrahlung X-ray radiation of energy up to 60 keV due to the compression of piezoelectric ceramics in vacuum. This means that electrons are accelerated in the piezoelectric accelerator up to the energy at least of 60 keV. The agreement of calculated and experimental data confirms the conception. Advantages of the piezoelectric accelerator and possibilities of its development and applications are discussed.

[Adenosine deaminase in the complex diagnosis of different forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis].

The paper summarizes the results of studies of the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in biological fluids (including that during tuberculin tests) as a tool for the differential diagnosis of different forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, such as pleuritis, synovitis, meningitis, tuberculosis of female genitals and peripheral lymph nodes, and uveitis. The threshold for the activity of ADA or the magnitude of its increase in antigenic stimulation, which provides the optimum ratio of the sensitivity to specificity of the tests and their maximum diagnostic efficiency, are given. The optimization of diagnosis of tuberculous synovitis is shown to facilitate the study of ADA activity concomitantly with the determination of the level of antituberculosis antibodies. The tests under discussion are economically sound and yield results in several hours and, in case of a provocative test, in 3 days.

[Active genital tuberculosis with peritoneal involvement in women]. / Aktivnyi tuberkulez zhenskikh polovykh organov s vovlecheniem v protsess briushiny.

The paper presents the results of a study of clinical and laboratory features in patients with active genital tuberculosis with peritoneal involvement. It has been shown that patients with active genital tuberculosis involving the peritoneum show a more pronounced clinical picture and changes recorded by laboratory studies than those with a restrictive process. A growth of the number of patients with specific peritonitis, an unwarranted increase in the volume of surgical interventions, lack of systemic data on this category of patients under the present condition make it necessary to make further studies of this problem.

[Comparative analysis of a new modification of segmental tuberculin test with the routine Koch test]. / Sravnitel'nyi analiz novoi modofokatsii segmentarnykh tuberkulinovykh prob s traditsionnoi proboi Koch.

A focal reaction plays the leading role in the assessment of segmental tests (ST). The sensitivity of ST is 72.4% and that of the Koch test is 64.5%, their specificity is 94.1 and 80.0%, respectively. A 10% or more increase in adenosine deaminase during peritoneal fluid ST indicates to the exacerbation of genital tuberculosis. Analysis of the cellular composition of peritoneal fluid from the Douglas space is proposed as a criterion for a focal reaction. There are ultrasound symptoms which accompany the exacerbation of an inflammatory process in the genitals in response to ST and which are indicative of a positive focal reaction. The minimum tuberculin load and lack of contraindications allow ST to be introduced into the practical work of tuberculosis facilities.

[Clinical picture of genital tuberculosis in different forms of its pathogen]. / Klinicheskaia kartina genital'nogo tuberkuleza pri razlichnykh formakh vozbuditelia.

Improvement of bacteriological diagnosis is of great value for the clinical picture of genital tuberculosis. The purpose of the study is to reveal the clinical features of genital tuberculosis in L-forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) versus traditional bacteriological methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test with MBT DNA. A hundred and fourteen patients with verified active genital tuberculosis were examined. They were divided into 3 groups: 1) 36 patients with L-forms of MBT in the endometrial scrapes; 2) 32 with bacteriologically verified GT; 3) 46 with positive PCR test. A control group (Group 4) comprised 120 patients with NGD. Among the patients with L-forms there were prevalent females aged 21-40 years (83.4%). These patients had a history of spontaneous abortions more frequently than patients from other groups, in a third was found to have MBT with their L-variants. Signs of intoxication were observed in 47.2%. Oviductal obliteration and specific changes typical of tuberculosis were revealed on a hysterogram in 63.9%, other forms of prior and current extragenital tuberculosis were detected in a half of cases, traces of prior pulmonary tuberculosis were observed in 15%, 63.9% of the patients with L-forms and in 87% of those with positive PCR test were found to have pathological changes in the endometrium, which is indirectly indicative of its lesion. Thus, detection of L-forms of MBT in the endometrial scrapes leads to the conclusion that this is an active sluggish hematogenic tuberculous process, which is evidenced by a complex clinical and laboratory study.

[Polymerase chain reaction and ligase chain reaction in the diagnosis of gynecological tuberculosis]. / Polimeraznaia i ligaznaia tsepnaia reaktsiia v diagnostike ginekologicheskogo tuberkuleza.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the ligase chain reaction (LCR) were evaluated and compared on 55 gynecological samples collected from women with active gynecological tuberculosis (Group 1), gynecological diseases other than tuberculosis (Group 2), and active tuberculosis elsewhere in the body without evidence for gynecological tuberculosis (Group 3). Acid fast staining and culture of Mycobacteria appeared to be ineffective in all specimens. The sensitivity of both amplification methods was 94.7% (one of the 19 patients with non-tuberculosis). The LCx method showed a very high inhibition by specimens (64.1% of negative samples versus 16.7% for PCR and LCx could be useful tools in the diagnosis of gynecological tuberculosis.

[Features of surgery on female genital tuberculosis]. / Osobennosti khirurgii tuberkuleza zhenskikh genitalii.

The paper gives the outcomes of treatment in 4983 patients treated at the Gynecology Clinic of the Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology in 1977 to 1999. Surgical interventions different in their scope were made in 949 (19%) females. Analyzing 526 females of them indicated that organ-saving operations were performed in most cases (80.2%). Indications for surgery and the time of preoperative etiotropic therapy were defined. Emphasis is laid on that the introduction of laparoscopy into practical phthiosiologic gynecology will solve many problems associated not only with a surgical appliance, but also with the diagnosis of genital tuberculosis.

[Diagnostic values of polymerase chain reaction test in females with genital tuberculosis]. / Diagnosticheskie vozmozhnosti metoda tsepnoi reaktsii pri genital'nom tuberkuleze u zhenshchin.

The previously offered procedure for detecting. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has been tested for diagnosing genital tuberculosis in females. PCR was used to examine endometrial curettage specimens in 44 patients with different nosological entities, which showed a high sensitivity (80%) and a high specificity in the diagnosis of genital tuberculosis.

[Clinical aspects of genital tuberculosis in young women]. / Klinicheskie osobennosti genital'nogo tuberkuleza u zhenshchin molodovogo vozrasta.

The review of 108 case histories of active genital tuberculosis (GT) in young women provided the following information: the symptoms emerged acutely in 30%, GT ran under the mask of nonspecific salpingo-oophoritis in 44%, GT was associated with pain, general toxicity, blood picture changes in 50, 30 and 66% of patients, respectively. In 70.7% of young women tuberculosis affected uterine tubes only, whereas in women over 30 years old the infection more frequently occurred in the uterus. 63% of GT females were treated surgically.

[Peritoneosorption in the treatment of diffuse peritonitis in children]. / Peritoneosorbtsiia v lechenii razlitogo peritonita u detei.

The article deals with the results of experimental study on 225 inbred albino rats and experience in the treatment of 143 children with terminal and toxic phases of diffuse peritonitis by correction of the pH of the abdominal cavity medium with standard trisamine solution with one-stage and prolonged peritoneosorption by hemodes under conditions of closed and open management of the abdominal cavity.

[Effect of ethyl alcohol on bile production and lipid peroxidation in tetracycline-induced liver lesions]. / Vliianie étilovogo spirta na zhelcheobrazovanie i perekisnoe okislenie lipidov pri porazhenii pecheni tetratsiklinom.

The experiments with male albino rats showed that in toxic doses tetracycline induced affections of the liver evident from activation of transferases and alkaline phosphatases in the blood serum, inhibition of bile secretion, synthesis and secretion of bile acids and excretion of bilirubin and cholesterol with the bile. Moreover, the content of the products of lipid peroxidation in liver homogenates increased. Acute intoxication with ethyl alcohol also induced hepatic disorders. However, they were less pronounced. The intoxication was accompanied by inhibition of cholopoiesis associated with increasing free radical oxidation of lipids. On combined use of tetracycline and ethyl alcohol no potentiation or summation of their hepatotoxicity was observed.

[Mechanism of the pro-oxidant activity of tetracycline]. / O mekhanizme prooksidantnogo deistviia tetratsiklina.

It was shown on male rats that like ethanol tetracycline increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the hepatocyte membranes, evident from increased levels of diene conjugates and malone dialdehyde in the liver homogenates, especially on their combination. The signal amplitude of the EPR-forms of cytochrome P-450 and Cu-, Mo- and Fe-containing proteins did not change, while the content of the EPR-forms of the free radicals increased. High efficiency of antioxidants, such as tocopherol acetate, sodium selenite and tincture of Astragalus L. is indirect evidence of the role of the free radicals in initiation of LPO in tetracycline affections of the liver.

[Effect of antioxidants on lipid peroxidation in combined lesions of the liver]. / Vliianie antioksidantov na perekisnoe okislenie lipidov pri kombinirovannom porazhenii pecheni.

Experiments on white rats were made to examine the action of sodium selenite alone and combined with tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) as well as that of a tincture prepared from the grass of the selenium-containing plant astragal on lipid peroxidation during liver poisoning with carbon tetrachloride and tetracycline combined with ethyl alcohol. It was shown that carbon tetrachloride, ethanol and tetracycline are inducers of lipid peroxidation. Combination of carbon tetrachloride and tetracycline with ethanol leads to the potentiation of their prooxidant effect. Sodium selenite and the tincture from astragal grass inhibit free radical oxidation, which is evidenced by the reduction of the content of malonic dialdehyde and dienic conjugates in the whole blood and liver homogenates.