Control of the Physical and Technical Properties of Water in Technological Processes

The physical and technical properties of water activated by the electrochemical treatment in a two-chamber electrolizer are investigated. The regularities of changes inthe values of acidity, redox potential, ionic composition, concentration of oxygen, structural organization of catholyte and anolyte are revealed. The possibility of controlling the properties of the liquid for more efficient extraction of polymetallic minerals by flotation is described

FALLOSTSINTIGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF VASCULOGENIC ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Erectile dysfunction (ED) requires a comprehensive, advanced diagnostics, as the judge the state of the microvasculature of the corpora cavernosa by ultrasound may indirectly.Purpose. To improve the diagnostic results of erectile dysfunction using falloscintigraphy.Materials and methods. We examined 56 men. All patients fulfilled the ultrasound study of penis itself and stimulated erections with pharmacological agents (prostaglandin E, 20 mg). We spent falloscintigraphy to identify the microcirculatory disturbances in the tissues of the penis.Results. Analysis of the questionnaire of erectile function demonstrated that in the group there were 4 (7.1%) patients with severe ED, 29 (51.7%) — with moderate ED, 23 (41.2%) — with mild erectile dysfunction. According to the ultrasound of the penis we registered signs of ED in 38 (67.9%): arterial — 24 (63.1%) patients, venous ED — 11 (28.9%) patients, mixed ED — 3 (8%). In 18 (32.1%) patients by ultrasound, we detected no structural pathology tissue of the penis, so we conducted additional tests — falloscintigraphy. Falloscintigraphy results showed that the two men (11.2%), we have not identified any pathology. Therefore we have regarded their erectile dysfunction as psychogenic. In 16 (88.8%) patients were detected during falloscintigraphy impaired microcirculation of the corpora cavernosa. The results of our study show that falloscintigraphy has a high sensitivity (91%) and specificity (94%) compared to the US (78% and 60%, respectively) in the diagnosis of disorders of the microcirculation of the corpora cavernosa of the penis.Conclusions. Falloscintigraphy may be used for the diagnosis of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction, if the ultrasound is not effective to detect microcirculatory disturbances of the corpora cavernosa

Single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping by two colour melting curve analysis using the MGB Eclipse™ Probe System in challenging sequence environment

Abstract Probe and primer design for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection can be very challenging for A-T DNA-rich targets, requiring long sequences with lower specificity and stability, while G-C-rich DNA targets present limited design options to lower GC-content sequences only. We have developed the MGB Eclipsee™ Probe System, which is composed of the following elements: MGB Eclipse probes and primers, specially developed software for the design of probes and primers, a unique set of modified bases and a Microsoft Excel macro for automated genotyping, which ably solves, in large part, this challenge. Fluorogenic MGB Eclipse probes are modified oligo-nucleotides containing covalently attached duplex-stabilising dihydrocyclopyrroloindole tripeptide (DPI3), the MGB ligand (MGB™ is a trademark of Epoch Biosciences, Bothell, WA), which has the combined properties of allowing the use of short sequences and providing great mismatch discrimination. The MGB moiety prevents probe degradation during polymerase chain reaction (PCR), allowing the researcher to use real time data; alternatively, hybridisation can be accurately measured by a post-PCR two-colour melt curve analysis. Using MGB Eclipse probes and primers containing modified bases further enhances the analysis of difficult SNP targets. G- or C-rich sequences can be refractory to analysis due to Hoogsteen base pairing. Substitution of normal G with Epoch's modified G prevents Hoogsteen base pairing, allowing both superior PCR and probe-based analysis of GC-rich targets. The use of modified A and T bases allows better stabilisation by significantly increasing the Tm of the oligonucleotides. Modified A creates A-T base pairs that have a stability slightly lower than a G-C base pair, and modified T creates T-A base pairs that have a stability about 30 per cent higher than the unmodified base pair. Together, the modified bases permit the use of short probes, providing good mismatch discrimination and primers that allow PCR of refractory targets. The combination of MGB Eclipse probes and primers enriched with the MGB ligand and modified bases has allowed the analysis of refractory SNPs, where other methods have failed.</p