Validation of a free release measurement facility on a decommissioning site.

The paper summarizes measurements and the Monte Carlo simulations performed to adapt the high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors of the system to the particular tasks of the decommissioning site. The work carried out for the installation and adaptation in CIEMAT of the prototype 'SuperMum', developed in the framework of the European MetroDecom II project for segregation and declassification of materials is described. The activities related to the validation of the prototype for the specific needs of a real Waste Management Unit are presented. Monte Carlo models of the SuperMum have been developed at CIEMAT and CMI using different codes and adapted to the geometries used (big-bag containers with the material volume of up to 0.5 m3). Uncertainty budget reporting tailored for the possible deviations between Monte Carlo assumptions and real waste have been analyzed. Data for several filling levels and activity distributions have been measured with reference sources and a good agreement has been obtained with calculated values.

New high-throughput measurement systems for radioactive wastes segregation and free release.

This paper addresses the measurement facilities for pre-selection of waste materials prior to measurement for repository acceptance or possible free release (segregation measurement system); and free release (free release measurement system), based on a single standardized concept characterized by unique, patented lead-free shielding. The key objective is to improve the throughput, accuracy, reliability, modularity and mobility of segregation and free-release measurement. This will result in a more reliable decision-making with regard to the safe release and disposal of radioactive wastes into the environment and, resulting in positive economic outcomes. The research was carried out within "Metrology for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities" (MetroDecom) project.

[The DS-DIF-KORINE kit to identify microorganisms corynebacterium, including C. diphtheriae].

The DS-DIF-KORINE kit make it possible to identify 20 types of corynebacteriae entered the Bergi identification guide (1997) including biovars gravis and mitis and belfanti version of diphtheria agent. The possibility to determine its toxigenic characteristics is also provided The test system is ready to be applied since it has all needed components to implement bacteriologic analysis in search of diphtheroids and diagnostics of diphtheria. The presented data demonstrate high diagnostic effectiveness of the new DS-DIF-KORINE kit which has the state registration in Roszdravnadzor and is adapted for spectrophotometer automatic pickup and included into Microbe-Automate and Microbe-2 programs.

[Rational use of antibiotics in mucoviscidosis pediatric cases with an account of local microbiological monitoring].

The results of local microbiological monitoring of bronchial secretion in 482 children with mucoviscidosis observed within 2000-2004 in the Republican Centre of Mucoviscidosis are presented. The results provided development of recommendations for rational use of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious processes in pediatric patients with mucoviscidosis. Since the emergence of MRSA in such patients is low, it is recommended to use antistaphylococcal betalactams (oxacillin, cefazolin, amoxycillin/clavulanate) for the treatment of infections due to S. aureus. For the treatment of infections due to some other pathogens, except S. maltophilia, the most active betalactams were carbapenems (imipenem and meropenem). Ciprofloxacin was active against numerous etiological agents causing low respiratory tract infections in children with mucoviscidosis except S. maltophila and A. xylosoxidans subsp. xylosoxidans. For the treatment of infections due to P. aeruginosa, P. aeruginosa muc. and K. pneumoniae the most active aminoglycosides were amikacin and tobramycin (for P. aeruginosa and P. aeruginosa muc.), while gentamicin was not active in such cases. As for antibiotics of other groups, high activity against S. aureus in the treatment of children with mucoviscidosis was recarded with the use of vancomycin, fusidic acid and rifampicin. Azithromycin and co-trimoxazole were active against H. influenzae. Chloramphenicol was active against S. maltophilia, B. cepacia and H. influenzae in the treatment of such patients.

[Evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of immune sera].

The inhibiting activity of blood sera obtained from 20 volunteers immunized with the multi-component vaccine "PYOPOL", 25 nonimmune donors and 7 lots of human antistaphylococcal immunoglobulin with respect to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been studied in the liquid nutrient medium with the use an automated microbiological analyzer. The sera of donors immunized with the vaccine "PYOPOL" have been found to possess high antimicrobial activity, comparable with the definite concentration of the antiseptic agent "Myramistin". The proposed method may be recommended for the evaluation of the bacteriostatic activity of different immuno- biological preparations.

WKB approach to calculating the lifetime of quasistationary states.

A novel WKB approach to calculating the lifetime of quasistationary states in the potential wells of the form V(x)=P(x)-muQ(x), where P(x) is the radial part of the potential for the spherically symmetric harmonic oscillator or the hydrogen atom and Q(x) is a polynomial, is suggested. In this approach, the usual explicit procedure of the asymptotic matching of the perturbative and WKB wave functions is avoided and a simple formula for the imaginary part of the energy is found. The leading and the first correction terms for the imaginary part of the energy and the related lifetime are analytically calculated.

[A new rapid automated photometric method in analysis of quantitative indicators of food product contamination]. / Novaia avtomatizirovannaia fotometricheskaia ékspress-metodika dlia analiza kolichestvennykh pokazatelei obsemenennosti produktov pitaniia.

Thirty-five specimens of pasteurized milk were tested for bacterial contamination by rapid autocalibration photometry for liquid, semiliquid, and homogenized hard foodstuffs, developed by the Ecotest Firm, Russia. Photometric (turbidimetric) analysis was carried out using the Labsystems (Finland) iEMS Reader plate photometer and Russian Analitika BACT software. The results of traditional analysis and the new rapid method developed by Ecotest were in good correlation, the differences did not surpass the magnitude of errors of measurements. The new method takes just 10-15 h instead of the routine 72 h and requires 300 times less nutrient media.

[A comparative study of the effectiveness of commercial microtest systems for identification of microorganisms of different groups in clinical microbiology]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie éffektivnosti kommercheskikh mikrotest-sistem dlia identifikatsii mikroorganizmov razlichnykh grupp v klinicheskoi mikrobiologii.

Studies of 806 strains of cultures isolated from pathological material demonstrated the possibility of using microtest systems MMTE1 and 2 (ALLERGEN Research and Production Plant in the town of Stavropol) and ENTEROtest 1 and 2 and ENTEROtest 16 for identification of enterobacteria and NEFERMtest, STAPHYtest, STREPTOtest, and ANAEROtest for the identification of respective groups of microorganisms at practical microbiological laboratories (Lachema, Czechia). The microtest kits are easy to use and fit for mass screenings; they permit simultaneous testing in 9 to 23 biochemical tests. Use of these test kits allows species identification of 63.3 to 80.7% cultures making use of biochemical activity tables and indexes recommended in instructions for the use of microtest kits and 85.6 to 96.1% cultures making use of IDENT computer software. Introduction of microtest kits in the practical activity of microbiological laboratories will appreciably improve the quality of microbiological investigations and allow the use of automated microbiological systems.

[A clinico-laboratory assessment of the efficacy of an Augmentin suspension in treating children with suppurative-inflammatory diseases caused by opportunistic bacteria]. / Kliniko-laboratornaia otsenka éffektivnosti Augmentin-suspenzii pri lechenii detei s gnoino-vospalitel'nymi zabolevaniiami, vyzvannymi uslovno-patogennymi bakteriiami.

Augmentin suspension (amoxycillin+clavulanic acid) was estimated in clinico-laboratory studies with respect to children suffering from pyoinflammatory diseases of various localization and its high efficacy was shown. Good and satisfactory results were recorded in 96.3 per cent of the cases in the treatment (monotherapy) and afterwards in the patients, adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting being recorded only in 1 patient. The therapy with augmentin led to normalization of the microflora of the upper respiratory tract mucosa and a 1.5-fold increase in the neutrophil engulfment index.

[Comparative study on growth kinetics of organisms causing purulent infections in the presence of ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie kinetiki rosta mikrobov--vozbuditelei gnoinoi infektsii v prisutstvii ofloksatsina i tsiprofloksatsina.

The comparative study of the antimicrobial effect of ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin on the in vitro kinetic models of the pathogen growth showed that ciprofloxacin was more active against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The post-antibiotic effect depended of the drug concentration and period of the pathogen content with ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. With respect to the both pathogens, the post-antibiotic effect of ciprofloxacin was more pronounced.

[Antimicrobial activity of piperacillin in vitro]. / Antimikrobnaia aktivnost' piperatsillina in vitro.

There was an increase in the resistance of clinical isolates to piperacillin as compared to that in 1987-1988. It was shown on the kinetic models that there was difference in the effect of the inhibitory and subinhibitory concentrations of the drug on microorganisms in various growth phases. No post-antibiotic action against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a slightly pronounced dose-dependent effect with respect to Escherichia coli were noted.

[Antimicrobial activity of ceftazidime and its pharmacokinetics in patients with renal failure]. / Antimikrobnaia aktivnost' tseftazidima i ego farmakokinetika u bol'nykh s pochechnoi nedostatochnost'iu.

High antimicrobial activity of ceftazidime against clinical gram-positive (except Streptococcus viridans and S. faecalis) and gram-negative strains of microorganisms was shown. It was found that the drug dosing regimens required correction in cases with impaired excretion function of the kidneys. Hemodialysis lowered 2-4 times the drug blood levels.

[Ampicillin pharmacokinetics in prostatic adenoma patients]. / Farmakokinetika ampitsillina u bol'nykh s adenomoi predstatel'noi zhelezy.

Studies on ampicillin pharmacokinetics in patients with prostate adenoma showed that adenoma did not influence the antibiotic kinetics. The ampicillin maximum concentration in tissues and organs of the urinary corresponded to the peak concentrations in blood. Therefore, development of dosage regimens providing the drug efficient concentrations in tissues and organs of the urinary tract should be based on ampicillin kinetics in the blood.