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A spaceborne Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer was designed for measuring the spectra of the outgoing Earth's atmosphere radiation and serves for providing for the needs of online meteorology and climatology with regard to obtaining the following kinds of data: vertical profiles of temperature and humidity profiles in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere, the general and altitudinal ozone distribution, concentrations of small gaseous constituents, temperature of the underlying surface, etc. At present, works are underway at the Keldysh Research Centre for creating IKFS-series FTIR spectrometers for satellites in Sun-synchronous orbits: the IKFS-2 instrument for the Meteor-M spacecraft no. 2 of the Meteor-3M space complex (developed and supplied for testing together with the spacecraft) and an advanced IKFS-3 instrument for the Meteor-MP fourth-generation hydrometeorological and oceanographic space complex for Earth monitoring (at the developmental stage). The composition, functional diagram, and technical specifications of the FTIR spectrometers are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyze various methods for treatment of TIPS dysfunction., Material and Methods: There were 45 patients (29 men, 16 women, aged 52.2±2.03 years) with TIPS dysfunction. Dysfunction of bare-metal stent was noted in 29 cases, stent-graft - in 16 cases. TIPS thrombosis occurred in 24 patients, hyperplasia of hepatic vein intima - in 7, pseudointimal hyperplasia of the shunt - in 7, liver tissue prolapse - in 5, migration of stent - in 2 patients. Redo surgery included rheolytic thrombectomy, balloon angioplasty, stent-in-stent technique, u-shaped and parallel stenting., Results: Patients were hospitalized in 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery for evaluation of the results of redo interventions. Balloon angioplasty and rheolytic thrombectomy (5 patients) were followed by TIPS dysfunction after 1 week in 2 patients, after 12 months - in 2. Normal function of stent over 1 year was noted in 1 patient. Isolated balloon angioplasty (n=23) was followed by TIPS dysfunction within 1 week in 13 patients, within 3 months in 3 patients, up to 6 months in 1 patient, within 6-12 months in 1 patient. Normal function of TIPS over 1 year was observed in 4 patients. Stent-in-stent stenting (n=18) was followed by early thrombosis in 5 patients, normal function of TIPS up to 3 months was noted in 3 patients, within 3-6 months - in 2 patients, up to 1 year - in 1 patient. Normal function of TIPS over 1 year was observed in 7 patients. TIPS thrombosis occurred in 1 patient on the 2 nd day after U-shaped stenting. Normal function of TIPS over 1 year was observed in another patient after the same procedure. Early TIPS dysfunction occurred in 2 patients after parallel stenting, dysfunction within 3 months was revealed in 2 patients. Normal function of TIPS over 1 year was observed in 2 patients., Conclusion: Rheolytic thrombectomy combined with balloon angioplasty is preferred for early TIPS dysfunction. Parallel stenting is advisable in long-term period. The use of stent grafts as a shunt can reduce the incidence of TIPS dysfunction.

The authors share their experience with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedures preformed in a total of fifty-nine patients diagnosed with and hence operated on for class B and C hepatocirrhosis (according to the Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification), portal hypertension, grade 3 varicosely dilated oesophageal veins, or ascites. Of these, there were 12 women and 47 men (average age 56.3 years). Three types of stents were used: matrix stents (PERICO), self-expanding (ZA-stents, OptiMedsinus-SuperFlex- Visualstents, Zilverstents, SMART), and coated self-expanding stents (Gore Viatorr TIPS Endoprosthesis). Six (11 %) TIPS procedures ended in failure. Of the remaining 53 successful TIPS attempts, thirteen patients developed an in-stent thrombosis at various terms postoperatively, with one patient having experienced it twice Within four postoperative days, thrombosis occurred in three patients, at terms varying from one month to three months in five patients, and from 6 to 12 months in a further five patients. More often thromboses were encountered with the matrix stents (n = 3) 23.0% (PERICO) and self-expanding stents (n = 8) in 61.0% (OptiMed sinus-SuperFlex-Visual). Thromboses were clinically manifested by oesophageal variceal haemorrhage. An in-stent thrombosis was confirmed by means of ultrasonographic duplex scanning (lack of arterial blood flow). The primary stent patency rate following TIPS procedures amounted to 67%. with the secondary assisted graft patency rate equalling 89%. Restoration of the stent's lumen after TIPS procedures by means of endovascular recanalization, rheolytic thrombectomy, balloon angioplasty, and a stent-in-stent technique appears to be a minimally invasive, rather efficient method and virtually the only way to preserve the stent's patency. This technique makes it possible to decrease the rate of recurrent oesophageal variceal haemorrhage.

The Bazhenovskoye chrysotile asbestos deposit has been exploited for 115 years. All the technological operations in the quarry are accompanied by the formation of high-dispersion asbestos-containing aerosols. The dust concentrations at the miner's working places for the last 30 years (1970-2000) were at or below the Russian MACs(m.s.) level (4.0 mg/m3). The seasonal precipitation amount in the deposit area causes a rise in dust content in certain periods. The maximum density of asbestos respirable fibres exceeded 2.7 f/cm3. All the identified fibres belonged to chrysotile asbestos, and no amphibole asbestos, such as tremolite asbestos, has been identified. An excessive dust level remains, despite the dust content level decrease, at the work sites of oversized lump drillers and unloaders, and oncopathology heightened risk remains in these occupational groups, as a result.