Antitubercular activity of lomefloxacin in an experiment

The effect of lomefloxacin was studied on mice with experimental infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The antibiotic was administered in doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. It was shown that the use of lomefloxacin for a month provided a lower death rate of the animals with progressing acute generalized tuberculosis, a lower level of the lesions in the internal organs and a lower number of the Mycobacterium isolates from them. The efficacy of the treatment depended on the drug dose. When lomefloxacin was used in a dose of 200 mg/kg, the survival rate was much higher and the number of the epithelial unicellular granulomas in the tissue of the lung and spleen was markedly decreased while with the lower dose the indices did not differ from those in the control.     

Tc(VII) Sorption by Fibrous Sorbents

It is shown that technetium can be extracted from acidic media by the fibrous complexing sorbent POLIORGS 35, containing hydrazidine groups, and from neutral and nitric-acid solutions with a complex salt composition (with nitrate-ion concentration not exceeding 10 g/liter) by strongly basic anionite POLIORGS AV-17 with quaternary ammonium bases. The effect of the pH of the solutions on the sorption of technetium is studied. It is shown that the sorption depends on the nature and concentration of the salt background of the solutions. The kinetics and mechanism of sorption of technetium by fibrous sorbents and the possibility of their desorption and reuse in sorption–desorption cycles are investigated. It is shown that the fibrous sorbents POLIORGS 35 and POLIORGDS AV-17 are promising for extracting technetium from waters with a high mineral content (up to 20 g/liter).     

Human gamma-interferon expression in the mammary gland of transgenic mice

Transgenic mice carrying a hybrid gene consisting of ovine beta-lactoglobulin gene sequences and human gamma-interferon (hIFN-g) cDNA were produced. hIFN-g expression in the mammary gland of two lactating transgenic founder females was found. The concentration of active hIFN-g in the milk was estimated as being ca. 1800 IU/ml. The hIFN-g ability to express in the mammary gland was found in the progeny of transgenic founder male.     

The course and outcome of viral hepatitis B in drug-addicted patients

In this paper, characterization is given of clinical and biochemical features of VH B course against the background of narcomania. Recordable in such patient populations are high percentage of delta hepatitis (14.2%), unusual severity of the intoxication syndrome, protracted course with exacerbations (12.2%) and recurrences (8%), outcome being a chronic hepatitis (14.2%), slower normalization of biochemical indicators, persistently low ratio of AIAT activity in diluted and whole blood sera. The persistence of viral markers in drug addicts discharged from the hospital (68%) is fraught with danger of spreading viral hepatitis of prophylactic measures are not strictly observed.     

Effects of atomic relaxation and the electronic structure of niobium (100) and (110) surfaces

A comparative analysis of the atomic relaxation and electronic structure of niobium (100) and (110) surfaces has been carried out using the VASP-PAW method. The relaxation-induced changes in interlayer spacings of surface layers demonstrate an oscillating behavior but they substantially differ for the two analyzed surfaces; namely for the (110) surface with the closest atomic packing two outermost surface layers are contracted by 4.3% and the relaxation becomes noticeable for three outer layers, while for the more “open” (100) surface these quantities equal 13.1 and six layers, respectively. An analysis of the layer-by-layer distribution of the densities of states, spatial distribution of the charge density, and densities of states at the Fermi level indicates that the most considerable changes near Fermi level take place for (100) surface.     

On Unacceptable Use of Austenitic Sleeves and Surfacing Alloys for Repair of Carbon-Steel Equipment

Substantial part of equipment in gas-treating plants for removal of acidic impurities in oil and gas refineries needs repair, for which purpose austenitic sleeves are often used. Austenitic surfacing nickel alloys recommended for restoring the damaged surface by overlaying welding was found to be unsuitable because both the deposited material and the fusion line with the base metal are electrochemically heterogeneous, which makes repaired apparatuses insufficiently reliable. Use of sleeves is also inexpedient.__________Translated from Zashchita Metallov, Vol. 41, No. 4, 2005, pp. 441–444.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Medvedeva, Efimenko, Sidorenko.