Asbestos and cancer: An overview of current trends in Europe.

This review assesses the contribution of occupational asbestos exposure to the occurrence of mesothelioma and lung cancer in Europe. Available information on national asbestos consumption, proportions of the population exposed, and exposure levels is summarized. Population-based studies from various European regions on occupational asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, and lung cancer are reviewed. Asbestos consumption in 1994 ranged, per capita, between 0. 004 kg in northern Europe and 2.4 kg in the former Soviet Union. Population surveys from northern Europe indicate that 15 to 30% of the male (and a few percent of the female) population has ever had occupational exposure to asbestos, mainly in construction (75% in Finland) or in shipyards. Studies on mesothelioma combining occupational history with biologic exposure indices indicate occupational asbestos exposure in 62 to 85% of the cases. Population attributable risks for lung cancer among males range between 2 and 50% for definite asbestos exposure. After exclusion of the most extreme values because of methodologic aspects, most of the remaining estimates are within the range of 10 to 20%. Estimates of women are lower. Extrapolation of the results to national figures would decrease the estimates. Norwegian estimates indicate that one-third of expected asbestos-related lung cancers might be avoided if former asbestos workers quit smoking. The combination of a current high asbestos consumption per capita, high exposure levels, and high underlying lung cancer rates in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union suggests that the lung cancers will arise from the smoking-asbestos interaction should be a major concern

NEW TECHNOLOGIES iN RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY OF INJURIES AND CICATRICIAL STENOSES OF TRACHEA

The results of treatment of 9 patients with mechanical injury of trachea and of 22 patients with cicatricial stenoses of trachea are presented, in this article. 18 patients had. staged, reconstructive and plastic operations at the cicatricial stenosis, 2 patients had. endoscopic recanalization of tracheal lumen and. 2 patients had. sleeve resection of trachea with, anastomosis. An. original medical complex including argon-plasmatic, cryosurgical and. lymphotropic technologies. In all cases we managed, to recover respiratory tract integrity and. to provide adequate breath through, natural respiratory tract

Reconstructive interventions in thoracic surgery using titanium nickelide implants

The original techniques of bronchus stump closure, modeling and disjunction of non-neoplastic tracheoesophageal fistula, replacement of postresectional defects of the trachea, pericardium, diaphragm and the thoracic wall using titanium nickelide implants have been developed and tested. It was ascertained that these methods were highly effective and simplified and standardized surgical procedures, provided anatomic and physiologic reconstruction of the injured area

Determination of the Total Alkaloid Content of Thermopsis Dry Extract by HPTLC-Densitometry

When used to quantify alkaloids in thermopsis dry extract, acidimetric titration has several limitations, including insufficient specificity of the method and arbitrary selection of a titration endpoint. Different parts of the Thermopsis lanceolata plant produce alkaloids in different proportions: the herb is rich in thermopsine, whereas the seeds are rich in cytisine. Since thermopsine and cytisine have different pharmacological effects, it is important to identify and quantify individual alkaloids in thermopsis dry extract.The aim of the study was to develop and validate an analytical procedure for identifying and quantifying total alkaloids in thermopsis dry extract by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with densitometric detection.Materials and methods. The study included samples from two pilot-scale batches of thermopsis dry extract and reference standards for cytisine and thermopsine. The authors used Merck HPTLС Silica Gel 60 F254 20×10 cm plates for chromato-graphic separation and analysed the results with a CAMAG® TLC Scanner 4 densitometer and the winCATS software.Results. The authors identified thermopsis dry extract using HPTLC separation followed by spectrodensitometry. The alkaloid-specific solution applied to chromatography plates helped to identify the three most abundant and four minor alkaloids of thermopsis. The most abundant alkaloids were thermopsine, cytisine, and an unidentified alkaloid with a retention factor of approximately 0.2. These three alkaloids accounted for almost 80% of the total alkaloid content of the dry extract. The authors quantified cytisine, thermopsine, and total alkaloids expressed as thermopsine.Conclusions. The authors developed and validated an analytical procedure for identifying and quantifying total alkaloids in thermopsis dry extract. This procedure offers the possibility of reducing the analysis time from 4–5 hours to 2–2.5 hours

A Thin-Layer Chromatography Method for the Determination of Essential Oil Components in Anise and Fennel Fruits

Scientific relevance. The State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, edition XIV, requires the identification of aniseed and fennel fruits by the same thin-layer chromatography (TLC) procedure using Sudan III and menthol. These markers are neither specific nor related to the therapeutic effects of these herbal drug products. The visual interpretation of chromatograms is complicated because of the low intensity of adsorption zones. Moreover, the corresponding compendial monographs do not characterise the adsorption zones specific to each of the plants. The most abundant component in aniseed and fennel essential oils, trans-anethole, would make a better reference standard from a methodological point of view.Aim. This study aimed to optimise the TLC procedure for essential oil determination in herbal drugs and herbal medicinal products of aniseed and fennel fruits and subsequently recommend it for inclusion in the relevant compendial monographs.Materials and methods. The study examined samples from several batches of herbal drugs, including aniseed and common fennel fruits, sourced from Russian manufacturers. The reference standards comprised commercial reagents, including trans-anethole, anise oil, and linalool, as well as fresh essential oils that had been steam distilled from the test samples in a Clevenger apparatus. The study was conducted by TLC. Sample preparation involved using Merck aluminium TLC plates, an IKA KS-501 digital orbital shaker, and a CAMAG Linomat 5 semi-automatic sample application system. The authors heated the plates in either a Binder ED53 drying oven or a CAMAG TLC plate heater. For visualisation, the authors selected a CAMAG TLC VISUALIZER 2 UV imaging and documentation system.Results. The informational and experimental research showed the feasibility of using trans-anethole as an identification reference standard for common anise and fennel fruits. The authors selected the optimal solvent for extracting active substances from the test products (hexane) and a detection reagent for improving visual evaluation of the chromatograms (1% sulfovanillin). The authors established characteristic adsorption zones for differentiating between aniseed and fennel fruits.Conclusions. The optimised procedure identifies the main components in the essential oils of aniseed and fennel fruits with a specific reference standard. This procedure may be recommended for inclusion in draft monographs for the corresponding herbal medicinal products

Features of the integration of two-layer metal knitwear made of titanium nickelide during the replacement of a thoracoabdominal defect in the experiment

The aim of investigation was to study experimentally the morphological features of tissue integration of two-layer titanium nickelide (TiNi) knitwear when replacing thoracoabdominal defects.Materials and methods. The experiments were carried out on 40 Wistar rats. The experimental animals were divided into two comparison groups: in Group A (n = 20) the defect was replaced using a two-layer knitted tape made of TiNi, in Group B (n = 20) a polypropylene mesh implant was used. The technique of the operation and the peculiarities of keeping the animals did not differ. Animals were taken out after 14, 30, 60 and 90 days of experiment. The macroscopic structural features at the site of implant fixation to tissues and at the sites of contact with underlying organs were studied, and the inflammatory process was assessed. The histological and electron microscopic study was carried out with an assessment of the features of tissue integration through the mesh structure of knitwear.Results. Thirty days after the surgery in four cases of Group B the appearance of the chest wall deformation at the site of implant fixation was noted, in one case the deformation site was located along the lateral edge of the abdominal wall. Among the animals of Group A no such changes were recorded. The histological and electron microscopy examination revealed that the porous structure of the TiNi wire, as well as the biomechanical and biochemical properties of the two-layer metal knitwear, ensure optimal integration of the endoprosthesis in the body tissues, forming an elastic frame close to natural. In Group B, on the contrary, the reaction of the body caused by the implanted polypropylene prosthesis was characterized by more pronounced fibrosis, and tissue integration through the mesh structure of the implant was not observed.Conclusion. Two-layer TiNi knitwear in the replacement of complex structures of the thoracoabdominal zone showed promising results, which opens up prospects for further clinical research

Reduced Satellite Cell Numbers and Myogenic Capacity in Aging Can Be Alleviated by Endurance Exercise

Background: Muscle regeneration depends on satellite cells, myogenic stem cells that reside on the myofiber surface. Reduced numbers and/or decreased myogenic aptitude of these cells may impede proper maintenance and contribute to the age-associated decline in muscle mass and repair capacity. Endurance exercise was shown to improve muscle performance; however, the direct impact on satellite cells in aging was not yet thoroughly determined. Here, we focused on characterizing the effect of moderate-intensity endurance exercise on satellite cell, as possible means to attenuate adverse effects of aging. Young and old rats of both genders underwent 13 weeks of treadmill-running or remained sedentary. Methodology: Gastrocnemius muscles were assessed for the effect of age, gender and exercise on satellite-cell numbers and myogenic capacity. Satellite cells were identified in freshly isolated myofibers based on Pax7 immunostaining (i.e., exvivo). The capacity of individual myofiber-associated cells to produce myogenic progeny was determined in clonal assays (in-vitro). We show an age-associated decrease in satellite-cell numbers and in the percent of myogenic clones in old sedentary rats. Upon exercise, there was an increase in myofibers that contain higher numbers of satellite cells in both young and old rats, and an increase in the percent of myogenic clones derived from old rats. Changes at the satellite cell level in old rats were accompanied with positive effects on the lean-to-fat Gast muscle composition and on spontaneous locomotion levels. The significance of these data is that they suggest that the endurance exercise-mediated boost in bot

Talking South African fathers: a critical examination of men’s constructions and experiences of fatherhood and fatherlessness

The absence of biological fathers in South Africa has been constructed as a problem for children of both sexes but more so for boy-children. Arguably the dominant discourse in this respect has demonized non-nuclear, female-headed households. Fathers are constructed as either absent or ‘bad’. Thus it has become important to explore more closely how male care-givers have been experienced by groups of men in South Africa. This article examines discourses of fatherhood and fatherlessness by drawing on qualitative interviews with a group of 29 men who speak about their reported experiences and understandings of being fathered or growing up without biological fathers. Two major and intertwined subjugated discourses about adult men’s experiences of being fathered that counter- balance the prevailing discourses about meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness became evident, namely, ‘being always there’ and ‘talking fatherhood’. The importance of the experience of fatherhood as ‘being there’, which relates to a quality of time and relationship between child and father rather than physical time together, is illustrated. It is not only biological fathers who can ‘be there’ for their sons but also social fathers, other significant male role models and father figures who step in at different times in participants’ lives when biological fathers are unavailable for whatever reason. Second, many positive experiences of fathers or father figures that resist a traditional role of authority and control and subscribe to more nurturant and non-violent forms of care, represented as ‘talking’ fathers, are underlined. If we are to better understand the impact of colonial and apartheid history and its legacy on family life in contemporary society, there is a need for more historically and contextually informed studies on the meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness.Web of Scienc

Современные подходы к стандартизации настойки валерианы по показателю «Количественное определение»

The quality control of the «Valerian rhizome and roots» herbal substance is carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) according to the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XIV edition. The quantitative analysis of the active ingredients in valerian tincture is performed using a non-specific and non-selective spectrophotometric method. Therefore, it is important to introduce in Russia a more modern test procedure for quantitative determination of active ingredients in valerian tincture.The aim of the study was to develop a selective and sensitive HPLC procedure for quantitative determination of the total content of sesquiterpenic acids, expressed as valerenic acid, for the purpose of valerian tincture standardisation.Materials and methods: valerian tincture samples produced by seven Russian manufacturers were used as test samples, and valerenic acid was used as the reference standard. The quantitative analysis of the active ingredients was performed by two methods: spectrophotometry at 512 nm following the reaction of valerenic acid ethylester with hydroxyalamine and ferric chloride, and by HPLC using a Nucleosil C18 column, 125×4.6 mm, 5 µm particle size, in gradient elution mode, with detection at 220 nm.Results: the spectrophotometric technique was shown to be insufficiently specific. The authors of the study validated the chromatographic test procedure, established system suitability criteria, and compared the results obtained by the two test procedures. They also determined a tentative standard of the total content of sesquiterpenic acids, expressed as valerenic acid, obtained by HPLC.Conclusions: the HPLC assay developed for quantitative determination of active ingredients in valerian tincture is more specific as compared to the spectrophotometric technique, as the sum of the peaks of valerenic and acetoxyvalerenic acids and the results for the reference standard are taken into account during calculations. The new test procedure is in line with the cross-cutting standardisation principle and can be recommended for inclusion into the draft monograph «Valerian tincture».Оценка качества лекарственного растительного сырья «Валерианы лекарственной корневища с корнями», согласно Государственной фармакопее Российской Федерации ХIV издания, проводится с использованием метода высокоэффективной жидкостной хроматографии (ВЭЖХ). Для количественного анализа действующих веществ в настойке валерианы используется неспецифическая и неселективная методика спектрофотометрического определения. Поэтому внедрение в отечественную практику более современной методики количественного определения действующих веществ в настойке валерианы является актуальным.Цель работы: разработка селективной и чувствительной методики количественного определения суммы сесквитерпеновых кислот в пересчете на валереновую кислоту методом ВЭЖХ для стандартизации настойки валерианы.Материалы и методы: объектами исследования являлись образцы настойки валерианы семи отечественных производителей, в качестве стандартного образца использовалась валереновая кислота. Количественное определение действующих веществ проводилось двумя методами: спектрофотометрическим при длине 512 нм после реакции этилового эфира валереновой кислоты с гидроксиламином и железа окисного хлоридом, а также методом ВЭЖХ на колонке Nucleosil C18 размером 125×4,6 мм с размером частиц 5 мкм в условиях градиентного элюирования с детектированием при 220 нм.Результаты: показано, что спектрофотометрическая методика анализа недостаточно специфична. Проведены валидация хроматографической методики, выбраны критерии пригодности системы и сравнение результатов анализа, полученных двумя методами. Установлено предварительное значение нормы содержания суммы сесквитерпеновых кислот в пересчете на валереновую кислоту, определяемого методом ВЭЖХ.Выводы: разработанная методика определения действующих веществ в настойке валерианы методом ВЭЖХ более специфична по сравнению со спектрофотометрической методикой, так как для расчетов предусматриваются учет суммы пиков валереновой и ацетоксивалереновой кислот и использование стандартного образца валереновой кислоты. Методика соответствует принципу сквозной стандартизации и может быть рекомендована для включения в проект фармакопейной статьи на препарат «Валерианы настойка»

Применение метода ВЭЖХ для экспертизы и стандартизации лекарственного растительного сырья «Боярышника цветки»

The process of harmonisation of Russian and foreign approaches and requirements in the field of medicines quality assurance calls for revision of quality control procedures included in various regulations and guidelines. The monograph FS.2.5.0062.18 “Hawthorn flowers” of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation XIV edition includes a test procedure for determination of flavonoids by a chromatospectrophotometric method. This procedure does not take into account current scientific capabilities and has a number of shortcomings, therefore it was necessary to revise the existing test procedure and develop a new approach to the standardisation of the hawthorn flower herbal substance.The objective of the study was to develop an assay method for standardisation and evaluation of hawthorn flower using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Materials and methods: the study was performed using samples of hawthorn flowers by Russian manufacturers. Quercetin (USP RS) and Hyperoside (HWI, primary standard) were used as the reference standards. The HPLC analysis was performed using an Infinity II 1260 DAD LC system (Agilent), and the UV spectra were recorded on a Cary 100 Varian spectrophotometer. A TLC Visualizer (CAMAG) was used to obtain digital images of thin layer chromatography plates.Results: the authors developed an HPLC test procedure for quantitative determination of total flavonoids, expressed as hyperoside, in hawthorn flowers. The developed procedure gives reliable and reproducible results and is characterised by high sensitivity and selectivity. The results of quantitative determination of the total flavonoid content in hawthorn flowers were used to propose the standard for the total content of flavonoids, expressed as hyperoside, of “not less than 0.5%”.Conclusions: the developed assay method for determination of active pharmaceutical ingredients in hawthorn flower products by HPLC can be recommended for inclusion into the Assay part of the “Hawthorn Flowers” monograph of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation.В рамках гармонизации отечественных и зарубежных подходов и требований к обеспечению качества лекарственных препаратов является актуальным пересмотр внесенных в нормативные и руководящие документы методик контроля качества лекарственных средств. В фармакопейную статью ФС.2.5.0062.18 «Боярышника цветки» Государственной фармакопеи Российской Федерации XIV издания включена методика количественного определения флавоноидов хроматоспектрофотометрическим методом. Данная методика не отвечает современным возможностям науки, имеет ряд недостатков, поэтому возникла необходимость пересмотра существующей методики и разработки нового подхода к стандартизации лекарственного растительного сырья «Боярышника цветки».Цель работы: разработка методики для стандартизации и экспертизы лекарственного растительного сырья «Боярышника цветки» с использованием метода высокоэффективной жидкостной хроматографии (ВЭЖХ).Материалы и методы: объектами исследования служили образцы цветков боярышника отечественных производителей. В качестве стандартных образцов использовали кверцетин (USP RS) и гиперозид (HWI, первичный стандарт). Исследование проводили методом ВЭЖХ на жидкостном хроматографе Infinity II 1260 DAD (Agilent), регистрацию УФ-спектров – на спектрофотометре Cary 100 Varian. Для получения цифровых снимков пластин тонкослойной хроматографии использовали TLC Visualizer (CAMAG).Результаты: разработана методика количественной оценки суммы флавоноидов в пересчете на гиперозид методом ВЭЖХ в цветках боярышника. Разработанная методика позволяет получать достоверные и воспроизводимые результаты, является высокочувствительной и селективной. На основе полученных результатов количественной оценки суммы флавоноидов боярышника цветков предложены нормы содержания суммы флавоноидов в пересчете на гиперозид – «не менее 0,5 %».Выводы: разработанная методика количественного определения действующих веществ препарата «Боярышника цветки» методом ВЭЖХ может быть рекомендована для включения в раздел «Количественное определение» фармакопейной статьи «Боярышника цветки» Государственной фармакопеи Российской Федерации