Summary and analysis of Russian and international requirements for the safe management of very low level radioactive waste and production waste containing very low active radionuclides.

This article gives an overview of Russian legislation and international recommendations on the safe management regulation of the accumulated very low level radioactive waste (RW), provides the comparison of Russian and international criteria for RW attribution to this or that class and also the existing radiation safety requirements. This article also deals with the difficulties in management of production waste containing radionuclides. Criteria and standards were selected from international (ICRP and IAEA publications) and Russian (Federal Law on Management of Radioactive Waste, Government Decree on Radioactive Waste Classification, The Basic Sanitary Rules of Radiation Safety) documents for comparative analysis. International and Russian criteria for the radioactive materials attribution to RW and production waste containing radionuclides were compared during the analysis. A number of radionuclides for which it is necessary to establish such criteria have been identified. It was found that Russian classification of radioactive materials is generally consistent with IAEA classification. Practices of managing production waste containing radionuclides (protection from contact with the environment, the placement in the long-term storage facilities or disposal) depend on the period of potential hazard of radionuclides. The management of production waste containing radionuclides requires a separate system which should be developed in accordance with the RW management system.

Comparative Analysis of the Formation of γH2AX Foci in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exposed to 3H-Thymidine, Tritium Oxide, and X-Rays Irradiation.

We performed a comparative study of the formation of γН2АХ foci (a marker of DNA doublestrand breaks) in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after 24-h incubation with 3Н-thimidin and tritium oxide with low specific activities (50-800 MBq/liter). The dependence of the number of γH2AX foci on specific activity of 3H-thymidine was described by a linear equation y=2.21+43.45x (R2=0.96), where y is the number of γH2AX foci per nucleus and x is specific activity in 1000 MBq/liter. For tritium oxide, the relationship was described by a linear equation y=2.52+6.70x (R2=0.97). Thus, the yield of DNA double-strand breaks after exposure to 3H-thymidine was 6.5-fold higher than after exposure to tritium oxide. Comparison of the effects of tritium oxide and X-ray radiation on the yield of DNA double-strand breaks showed that the relative biological efficiency of tritium oxide in a dose range of 3.78-60.26 mGy was 1.6-fold higher than that of X-ray radiation. Improvement of the methods of analysis of DNA double-strand breaks repair foci is highly promising in the context of creation of highly sensitive biodosimetry technologies for tritium compounds in humans.

[EFFECT OF MEDIATOR-TYPE DRUGS ON HUMAN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS DURING MODEL OPERATOR ACTIVITY].

In a placebo-controlled study, changes in psychophysiological status of operators (38 healthy male volunteers aged 23-35 years) performing 4-hour model operator activity were evaluated after a single oral administration of typical representatives of the different classes of drugs (haloperidol, proroxan, yohimbine hydrochloride, propranolol, mesocarb, isoprenaline, Belladonna extract, anabasine hydrochloride, valproate sodium, and phenazepam), which are used for the treatment, rehabilitation and prophylaxis of common diseases. It was found that all the drugs modified to a greater or lesser extent some components of the model operator activity. Isoprenaline and phenazepam had the most negative effect on the psychophysiological indicators and quality of the modeled operator activity. The results should be considered before administration of such drugs to working operators.

[Possibilities of the pharmacological correction of adaptive reactions of human organism in short-term moving from middle to high altitude].

It was assessed the efficacy of drugs belonging to the class of actoprotectors and antihypoxants, which are prescribed for short-term adaptation of the human organism moving from middle altitude (1670 m) to high altitude (3750 m). Volunteers stayed at the middle altitude for 15 days before moving to the high altitude. Prior to climbing, upon arrival at high altitude, and on the 3rd day, the state of the CNS, cardiovascular system, red and white blood growth, and some indices of the energy exchange metabolism were assessed. Drugs or placebo were administered in tablets after the first testing (one hour before moving to high altitude), upon arrival at altitude (next day, after breakfast), and on the third day (one hour before last testing). It is established that a combination of metaprote and ladasten (in doses of 0.125 and 0.1 g, respectively) favors acceleration of the short-term adaptation, which is manifested by the improved tolerance of physical activity at high altitude and the acceleration of white and red blood growth. In case of the combined administration of both actoprotectors, the adaptive reactions of tolerance and blood system were more pronounced in comparison to the administration of hypoxen (0.5 g) alone. A distinguishing feature of the reaction of the human organism upon taking the combination of actoprotectors was that adaptation of the energy supply system (judging from metabolites studied) already took place in the first hours of staying at high altitudes, while the adaptation upon taking 0.5 g hypoxen was observed on the 3rd day and the adaptive reactions in placebo group were still developing on the 3rd day.

[Problems of safety regulation under radioactive waste management in Russia].

Analysis of the requirements of Federal Law N 190 "About radioactive waste management and incorporation of changes into some legislative acts of the Russian Federation", as well as normative-legislative documents actual and planned to be published related to provision of radiation protection of the workers and the public have been done. Problems of safety regulation raised due to different approaches of Rospotrebnadzor, FMBA of Russia, Rostekhnadzor and Minprirody with respect to classification and categorization of the radioactive wastes, disposal, exemption from regulatory control, etc. have been discussed in the paper. Proposals regarding improvement of the system of safety regulation under radioactive waste management and of cooperation of various regulatory bodies have been formulated.

[Pharmacoprophylaxis of sea-sickness syndrome with the help of homeopathic drug "Avia-more"].

Anti-sea-sickness effect of a new homeopathic drug [see text] and its influence on operator's working capacity during Coriolis acceleration was evaluated in blind placebo-controlled investigation conducted in practically healthy volunteers with low vestibular resistance. For comparison "Dimenhydrinate" was used. The investigation has demonstrated that [see text] has rather strong anti-sea-sickness effect, is comparable with dimenhydrinate effectiveness and prevents the development of disorders in sensory-and-motor and cognitive functions during the influence of static-and- kinetic loads. According to the data obtained the protective action of [see text] is most likely connected with adaptive effect on organs and systems that form the functional protective system against sea-sickness. The negative influence of the drug on CNS complex functions was not observed that allows recommending its prophylactic use in subjects with low sea-sickness resistance including the operators.

[Age-related changes in operators' activities and brain bioelectrical activity in the Navy specialists]. / Vozrastnye izmeneniia operatorskoi deiatel'nosti i bioélektricheskoi aktivnosti golovnogo mozga u spetsialistov voenno-morskogo flota.

Psycho- and neurophysiologic investigation of 66 Navy specialists aged 18-71 has revealed the consecutive age-related worsening of different components of operators' activities with predominant and more early disorders in the processes of sensomotor coordination and attention. Apparently the age-related changes in functional state of certain cerebral areas underlie the observed disorders in operators' activities. It is supported by the results of correlation analysis between neurophysiologic and psychophysiologic indices.

[Neurophysiological and psychopharmacological effects of eiconol--a complex of unsaturated fatty acids]. / Neirofiziologicheskie i psikhofiziologicheskie éffekty éikonola--kompleksa nepredel'nykh zhirnykh kislot.

The effect of omega-3 polyunsturated fatty acids on the psychophysiological state of an operator was studied and mechanisms of the drug action were analyzed based on the EEG data. Changes in the psychophysiological and hemodynamic characteristics, EEG, and catecholamine excretion after a 30-day administration of eiconol--a complex of unsaturated fatty acids--in a daily dose of 8 g were studied in a group of 16 middle-aged healthy male operators. It was established that eiconol decreases systolic arterial pressure, reduces adrenalin excretion with urine, imparts the sense of well-being, improves the parameters of activity and the attention stability and concentration, and decreases the level of static tremor. The drug reduces basic anxiety level and motivation to the operator performance, but at the expense of some decrease in the sensomotor coordination. By the pattern of EEG profile changes, including an increase in the theta (5-7 Hz) and beta (15-28 Hz) bands and a decrease in the delta (0.8-2.0 Hz) band, eiconol resembles psychotropic agents of the adrenoblocking and GABA-ergic types, especially benzodiazepine activators.

[Use of column and thin layer chromatography for detection of vanillyl mandelic acid in urine]. / Primenenie kolonochnoi i tonkosloinoi khromatografii dlia opredeleniia soderzhaniia vanililmindal'noi kisloty v moche.

The excretion of vanillylmandelic acid was measured by column chromatography of urinary samples on aluminum oxide with subsequent thin-layer chromatography on silica gel. Use of aluminum oxide allowed application of greater urine samples (up to 0.1% of 24-h diuresis) onto chromatographic plates and essentially improved the quality of separation of vanillylmandelic acid from other phenylcarbonic acids by thin-layer chromatography, as well as the specificity and reproducibility of measurements.

[Operator activity and changes in the functional state of central adrenergic systems (a neurophysiological study)]. / Operatorskaia deiatel'nost' pri izmeneniiakh funktsional'nogo sostoianiia tsentral'nykh adrenergicheskikh sistem (neirofiziologicheskoe issledovanie).

With a view to increasing the quality of prognosis of the effect of central adrenergic drugs upon the operator psychophysiological state and performance, we studied correlations between changes in the psychophysiological performance parameters and the spectral-coherent EEG characteristics in a group of 20 healthy volunteers after moderate enhancement or reduction of the central adrenergic system activity by yohimbine and pyrroxan. The two drugs produced a marked opposite influence (positive for yohimbine and negative for pyrroxan) upon the visual memory, attention, and visual signal analysis, which was correlated with opposing changes in the EEG characteristics, predominantly in the right hemisphere. This result must be taken into account in determining indications and co-unterindications for the particular drug administration to working operators.

[The neuro- and psychophysiological effects of bromantane]. / Neiro- i psikhofiziologicheskie éffekty bromantana.

The study of EEG and psychophysiological parameters and their correlations in 10 healthy volunteers after single oral administration of bromantan in comparison with placebo revealed favourable influence of the drug on operators' functional state. By EEG-profile (increase in middle-frequency alpha-rhythm power with lowering of powers in delta- and beta1-bands) bromantan is similar to many drugs with moderate psychostimulating, antiamnestic and antihypoxic properties. Bromantan does not alter the subjective state and principal components of operators' performance in untired men but promotes the appearance of EEG-signs of moderate vigilance rise and forming of productive action state coupled with favourable for precise motor performance tremor reduction. Operator's functional state optimization leads to extension of reserve abilities and probably causes efficiency of bromantan as a well known remedy for maintenance of high working capacity in tired operators and under extreme conditions.

[The use of enterosorbents for preventing and stopping chronic toxic stress in submariners]. / Ispol'zovanie énterosorbentov dlia profilaktiki i kupirovaniia khronicheskogo toksicheskogo stressa u podvodnikov.

The efficiency of prophylactic intestinal sorbents use (algisorb and activated carbon) to prevent chronic toxic stress was investigated in 20 healthy volunteers (atomic submarine personnel) basing on evaluation of central nervous system functional state, hemodynamics, hepatic detoxicative ability and dynamics of trace elements in urine. It was revealed that intestinal sorbents administration in daily dose of 5 g during 20 days promotes gastrointestinal elimination of toxic compounds (cadmium, bismuth, chrome, molybdenum, lithium). It is accompanied with decrease in organism intoxication evidences: reduction in central nervous system excessive excitation, decrease in functional tension of cardiovascular system, recovery of hepatic detoxicative ability. Algisorb has an advantage over activated carbon that allows to recommend this drug in prophylaxis and arresting of chronic toxic stress in submariners both during interfield period and autonomic sailing.

[Adamantane derivatives enhancing body's resistance to emergencies]. / Proizvodnye adamantana, povyshaiushchie ustoichivost' organizma k ékstremal'nym vozdeistviiam.

A total of 329 novel adamantane derivatives have been synthesized and pharmacologically studied. Among them, the compounds containing halogen-containing aromatic radicals in the second position show the most pronounced effect on animal resistance to the emergencies induced by its habitat and performance. N-(2-adamantyl)-N-(para-bromphenyl)amine (bromantane) possesses a low toxicity, a high ability to enhance the physical and operant working maintenance of animals, to accelerate its recovery in developed fatigue, in hyperthermia and hypoxia in particular. 2-(para-chlorobenzoylamine)adamantane (chlodantane) has the processes of a rapid-action adaptogenic agent by enhancing the resistance of animals to various physical and toxically chemical noxious agents. The two compounds have immunostimulating effects in secondary stress-induced immunodeficiencies whose mechanism of action is a membranous protective activity.

[The effect of gidazepam on the activity of the sympatho-adrenal system in operators working under the usual and complicated conditions]. / Vliianie gidazepama na aktivnost' simpato-adrenalovoi sistemy u operatorov pri rabote v obychnykh i oslozhnennykh usloviiakh.

In healthy volunteers a single dose (0.05 g) of hydazepam does not change, but in subjects with psychogenic stress-reactions one-week course of the drug (0.05 g/24 h) intensifies to optimum activation of the sympathoadrenal system in response to standard operator load, inducing prevalent excretion of norepinephrine but not of epinephrine in the urine and maintains a high level of dopamine and DOPA excretion. In operators working in a state of hypercapnia and hyperthermia a single dose of hydazepam (0.05 g) blocks stress activation of the sympathoadrenal system. In a state of hyperthermia hydazepam normalizes the blood histamine and serotonin content. In all cases hydazepam improves the condition of the operators and the quality of their work, which allows it to be considered an effective and safe agent for the correction of stress-induced disorders in operators.

[The effect of gidazepam on the cardiovascular system function in patients with neurotic reactions and in healthy subjects under aggravated conditions]. / Vliianie gidazepama na funktsional'noe sostoianie serdechno-sosudistoi sistemy bol'nykh s nevroticheskimi reaktsiiami i u zdorovykh lits v oslozhnennykh usloviiakh.

Administration of 0.05 g gidazepam once or twice daily for 7 days increased the stroke volume (SV) and circulation volume (CV) and reduced total peripheral resistance in neurotic patients. In healthy individuals 0.05 g gidazepam administered 60 min before an important examination stabilized CV. In subjects kept for 60 min in a microclimate with increasing temperature (55 +/- 2 degrees C, relative humidity 75-80%, rate of movement 1.5 m/min, rectal temperature at the end of exposure 39 degrees C) 0.05 g gidazepam administered 60 min before overheating optimally reorganized the reaction of the cardiovascular system, stabilized the SV at the initial level, which together with the growing heart rate increased the CV and provided sufficient perfusion of the vital organs. In healthy subjects working as operators for 4 h under conditions of hypercapnia (1.5% CO2), a single administration of 0.05 g gidazepam one hour before the beginning of work reduced the pulse pressure and increased the SV. The results obtained are evidence of the safety of using gidazepam as a corrector of emotion-induced disorders in operator performance under extreme conditions.

[The therapeutic efficacy and the effect of gidazepam and fenazepam on the psychophysiological status and on the performance of operators with mental disorders at a neurotic level]. / Terapevticheskaia éffektivnost' i vliianie gidazepama i fenazepama na psikhofiziologicheskoe sostoianie i rezul'tativnost' deiatel'nosti operatorov s psikhicheskimi narusheniiami nevroticheskogo urovnia.

The effect of placebo and gidazepam on the state, psychophysiological predictors of the quality of the operator's performance and its results in individuals with neurotic reactions was studied (test dose 20 mg 7-day course, 40 mg daily, 24 individuals), as well as the effect of gidazepam and phenazepam (42 individuals with neurotic and neurosis-like states; gidazepam test doses 20 and 50 mg, 14-day course, 40 and 100 mg daily; phenazepam test doses 0.5 and 1 mg, 14-day course, daily dose 2 mg). The generally accepted methods of clinical and psychophysiological examination were applied. Gidazepam in the doses under study did not yield to phenazepam in therapeutic activity. A single and a course administration of gidazepam improved the parameters of the psychophysiological state and the efficacy of the operator performance in patients with neurotic reactions and in those with neurotic and neurosis-like states. This makes it possible, whenever necessary, to recommend this drug for the treatment of the indicated disorders in the working operators.

[The prognosis of the results of extracorporeal lithotripsy in treating urolithiasis]. / Prognozirovanie rezul'tatov distantsionnoi litotripsii pri lechenii mochekamennoi bolezni.

We have analyzed retrospectively 200 case histories of either responders or nonresponders to extracorporeal lithotripsy (ECL). Using stochastic methods, we have identified 15 urolithiasis signs and symptoms essential for prediction of ECL outcomes. The data have been summarized with Bayes' methods and special software for personal computer have been developed facilitating the prognosis of ECT effectiveness. As shown by the results achieved in 330 urolithiasis patients treated in 1992-1996, the application of the computer raised the effectiveness of ECL from 82 to 94%.

[Study of heat-protective effects of bromantane at various levels of overheating]. / Izuchenie teploprotektornykh éffektov bromantana v razlichnky rezhimakh peregrevaniia.

The thermoprotective properties of bromantane were studied during overheating. Simultaneously with the known effects on heat exchange and sensitivity to high temperatures bromantane caused a decrease in ranges of heat tolerance, increased the rate of SVTK growth as well as altered protein metabolism and antioxidant protection and also affected the autonomic regulation of heat exchange which were essential in adaptation. At the same time, during ergothermal loading accompanied by any troubles in evaporation and heat exchange, marked thermoprotective efficiency of bromantane was compared for its ability to improve muscle dynamometry and hemodynamics as compared with control values.