Ethylene oxide review: characterization of total exposure via endogenous and exogenous pathways and their implications to risk assessment and risk management.

This review is intended to provide risk assessors and risk managers with a better understanding of issues associated with total exposures of human populations to ethylene oxide from endogenous and exogenous pathways. Biomonitoring of human populations and lab animals exposed to ethylene oxide has relied upon the detection of hemoglobin adducts such as 2-hydroxyethylvaline (HEV), which provides a useful measure of total exposure to ethylene oxide from all pathways. Recent biomonitoring data from CDC provide an excellent characterization of total exposure to ethylene oxide to the general U.S. population by demographic factors such as age, gender, and race as well as smoking habit, which might be comparable to previous measurements reported for humans and lab animals. The biochemical pathways including gastrointestinal (production by bacteria) and systemic (enzymatic production) pathways by which endogenous ethylene is generated and converted to ethylene oxide are described. The relative importance of endogenous pathways and exogenous pathways via ambient air or tobacco smoke was quantified based upon available data to characterize their relative importance to total exposure. Considerable variation was noted for HEV measurements in human populations, and important sources of variation for all pathways are discussed. Issues related to risk assessment and risk management of human populations exposed to ethylene oxide are provided within the context of characterizing total exposure, and data needs for supporting future risk assessment identified.

[Physical factors for the treatment of patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis].

This lecture is based on the review of the literature data concerning the application of physical factors (including sinusoidal modulated currents, laser radiation, ultrasound, medicamental ultrafonophoresis, ozonotherapy, etc) for the rehabilitative treatment of patients presenting with chronic bacterial prostatitis.

[Application of the pulsed low-frequency electrostatic field in the early rehabilitative treatment of patients following surgery for the correction of valgus deformation of the first toe].

This paper describes the method and results of application of the pulsed low-frequency electrostatic field (PLFESF) to the lower extremities of the patients who underwent surgical treatment for the correction of valgus deformation of the first toe. The efficiency of the method used in the early period of rehabilitative treatment was estimated at 93.3% compared with 96.7% in the patients who were managed by the same therapy in combination with polyoxdonium.

[Application of physiobalneotherapeutic factors in the combined rehabilitative treatment of patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis complicated by erectile dysfunction].

Patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis complicated by erectile dysfunction received combined rehabilitative treatment based on the use of various combinations of physiobalneotherapeutic factors, such as ultrasound, local negative pressure, white and yellow turpentine or sodium chloride baths, supplemented by basal medicamentous therapy in the form of rectal suppositories. Efficiency of therapy involving sodium chloride, white and yellow turpentine baths was estimated at 85, 60, and 75% respectively.

[Therapeutic effect of impulse low-frequency electrostatic field on the local hemodynamics in the lower extremity after surgery for the correction of valgus deformity of the first toe].

This paper reports the results of the measurement of the linear blood flow velocity in the dorsal artery of the foot following surgical treatment. Rheovasographic characteristics of the lower extremity were obtained after the application of a pulsed low frequency electrostatic field (PLFESF) to correct valgus deformity of the first toe. It was shown that treatment with PLFESF significantly improved arterial and venous circulation in the operated leg.

[Rehabilitative treatment of patients with ureterolithiasis using pulsed vacuum depression, pulsed low-frequency electric current, and radon therapy].

The authors report results of the treatment of 60 patients with ureterolithiasis using a combination of pulsed vacuum depression (local vibrotherapy), low-frequency pulsed (alternating sinusoidal) current, radon water and radon baths. Clinical efficiency of combined therapy is estimated at 93.3%.

[Use of white turpentine bath emulsion and yellow turpentine solution for the treatment of chronic prostatitis complicated by excretory pathospermia].

The paper reports a review of up-to-date methods for the use of white turpentine bath emulsion and yellow turpentine solution in the treatment of chronic prostatitis complicated by excretory pathospermia. The results of bath therapy are presented. It is shown that the efficiency of white turpentine bath emulsion amounted to 69.7% compared with 88.3% in patients treated with the use of yellow turpentine solution.

[Ultrasound in the treatment of patients with varicocele complicated by secretory form of pathospermia].

This paper presents a method for the ultrasound treatment of the skin of the male genital sphere and reports the results of therapy. The efficiency of this method for the management of varicocele was verified by its application in 64 patients with this pathology. Clinical efficacy of therapy was estimated at 56.4%.

[Classification of male infertility].

The article presents a new classification of male infertility which takes into consideration new data on aspermia, aspermatism and pathospermia. This brief classification is convenient for every day practice of physicians engaged in rehabilitation of patients with urological and andrological diseases.

[Use of radon-containing rectal suppositories in chronic prostatitis complicated by sexual dysfunctions]. / Primenenie radonosoderzhashchikh rektal'nykh svechei pri khronicheskom prostatite, oslozhnennom polovymi disfunktsiiami.

The article describes how to apply radon-containing rectal suppositories in patients with chronic prostatitis (CP). Intrarectal insertion of the suppositories is performed in the patients lying in the left lateral or knee-elbow position daily for the first 8 days in a dose 18.5 kBk, for the following 2-4 days in a daily dose 37 kBk 2-3 times a day. So, the course of the treatment takes 10-12 days. Such treatment of CP patients eradicated or alleviated prostatic inflammation and improved sexual function, was effective in 80% patients, prolonged remission to 12-16 months.

[Penetration of ultrasound and electromagnetic energy: a mathematical model]. / Matematicheskaia otsenka glubiny proniknoveniia énergii izlucheniia ul'trazvukovykh i élektromagnitnykh polei.

The authors present calculations on penetration of ultrasonic and electromagnetic fields in model space of the patient's body depending on the wave length and frequency of compressional waves emission.

[Application of sinusoidal modulated currents and radon therapy in patients with uroliths in upper urinary tracts]. / Primenenie sinusoidal'nykh modulirovannykh tokov i radonoterapii bol'nym s kamniami verkhnikh mochevyvodiashchikh putei.

The paper describes the method of elimination of the upper urinary tract uroliths using a combination of the following modalities: sinusoidal modulated currents, drinking of artificial radon water, radon water baths and no-spa medication. Evacuation of the concrements or their fragments from the upper urinary tracts reached 80%.

[Mechanisms of action of some physical factors in therapy of patients with urolithiasis]. / Mekhanizmy deistviia nekotorykh fizicheskikh faktorov, primeniaemykh v terapii bol'nykh urolitiazom.

The authors consider four principal physiotherapeutic complexes applied in stone-eliminating therapy of patients with urolithiasis and mechanisms of action of these physical factors. In all cases of stones detection in the upper urinary tracts lithokinetic therapy begins with therapeutic impacts on the area of the affected kidney and upper ureter followed by the action on the affected part of the ureter.