Influence of microstructural modifications induced by ultrasonic impact treatment on hardening and corrosion behavior of wrought Co-Cr-Mo biomedical alloy.

In this work, biomedical Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy is subjected to ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT). XRD, TEM and SAED analyses show that the plastic deformation induced by the UIT process results in a complex microstructural formation in surface layer of Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy. The peculiar feature observed in the alloy structure by TEM is the formation of Lomer-Cottrell locks originated by simultaneous sliding of Shockley partial dislocations in intersecting planes. At the beginning of the UIT process (till the strain extent e ≈ 0.2), dislocation pile-ups are gathered in front of the Lomer-Cottrell locks stimulating the formation of a great number of chaotic stacking faults (SFs) packets (incompletely transformed martensite), which are predominant with regard to the occurrence of ε-martensite and micro-twins. The incompletely transformed martensite hinders the shear translation through the twin boundaries and suppresses grain subdivision in surface layer of Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy at the UIT process used. On-going deformation to e ≈ 0.4 leads to further modification of microstructure in the micron-scale γ-grains, which consists of numerous Lomer-Cottrell locks, chaotic subtraction SFs, intersected nano-twins and fine lathes of ε-martensite with average size of approx. 50-100 nm. The observed structural features (at e ≈ 0.4) allow adequately explaining noticeable increase in microhardness without any cracks/cleavages in surface layer. Enhanced corrosion resistance of Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy, which manifests itself with less negative corrosion potential and lower corrosion and passivity currents in potentiodynamic curve, is promoted by the UIT induced oxide films and the following structural features: the CSL type of γ/ε interfacial boundaries, uniformly distributed fine carbides, and high fraction of the grains oriented with close packed (111)γ and (0002)ε planes parallel to the surface of the UIT-processed specimen.

[The impact of electrical stimulation on the functional status of cochlear nervous structures in cats with experimentally induced hearing disorders]. / Vliianie élektricheskoi stimuliatsii na funktsional'noe sostoianie nervnykh struktur ulitki koshki pri iskusstvennoi patologii slukha.

Effects of non-invasive electric stimulation on hearing were studied in cats with depressed periphery of the acoustic analyser. Experimental neurosensory hypoacusis was induced by large doses of canamycin (25-30 mg/kg). The hearing was assessed by short-latent stem and cortical long-latent evoked potentials (EP). Consideration was also given to changes in the amplitude of the wave V of short-latent EP in varying intensity of the sound stimulus. When deep suppression was reached, 8-day course of electric stimulation was started with registration of EP. It was found that canamycin elevates thresholds of identification of wave V of short-latent stem EP and thresholds of emergence of long-latent stem EP. The curve amplitude/intensity was also affected. The course of electrical stimulation returned the above parameters of the thresholds and the curve to the baseline levels. This is the evidence of therapeutic action of non-invasive electrical stimulation.

[The use of short-latency auditory evoked potentials in the diagnosis of acoustic neurinomas]. / Ispol'zovanie korotkolatentnykh slukhovykh vyzvannykh potentsialov v diagnostike nevrinom slukhovogo nerva.

The short-latent acoustic evoked potentials in patients with unilateral neurosensory hypoacusis due to the tumor of the acoustic nerve or other etiology were recorded. It was found that the patients had no potential in the diseased area in monaural sound stimulation, but binaural sound stimulation enabled these potentials to be recorded. With this, the short-latent acoustic evoked potentials in patients with verified neurinoma showed a reduction in the third wave to the point of its disappearance. Those in patients whose neurosensory hypoacusis were unassociated with the development of neoplasms in the area of the acoustic nerve involve the third wave whose magnitude did not differ from that recorded in the examinees with otologically normal hearing. The authors propose to measure the third wave of the short-latent acoustic evoked potential recorded in binaural sound stimulation as a possible screening of persons at a high risk for neurinoma among patients with unilateral neurosensory hypoacusis.

Increasing evidence of the rise of cancer in workers exposed to vinylchloride.

The results of a cancer mortality study among workers employed in the production of vinylchloride and polyvinylchloride between 1939 and 1977 suggest a significant increase in deaths from malignancies of the lymphatic and haemopoietic tissues. Mortality for tumours of the digestive organs, respiratory system, bone and connective tissues, brain, and skin are also greater than in the general population. There were no registered cases of liver angiosarcoma in the study cohort during the follow up period. The risk of cancer was highest among the workers exposed to concentrations of VC of 300 mg/m3 and more who had worked at the plant for 15 to 19 years. The relatively high number of leukaemias and lymphomas in the study group and the absence of liver angiosarcomas probably reflects specific carcinogenic action of different doses of vinylchloride.