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The work describes the synthesis of superhydrophobic coating based on zinc oxide with a UV-driven reversible switching between hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. A coating of vertically oriented acicular crystals of zinc oxide with dimensions of 1-2 μm in length and 50-200 nm in width on a metal substrate was obtained. According to the phase composition and morphology, the crystals correspond to zinc oxide-zincite. The contact angle for the coating after its exposure in a box isolated from daylight for 14 days is 150 °, while for the control metal substrate, the contact angle is 40 °. It is shown that the use of low temperature Ar plasma of low pressure allows changing the surface topography of acicular nanocrystals due to etching of their vertices and edges.

In recent years, it has become apparent that autoimmune mechanisms play a leading role in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). According to modern concepts, IDDM is a classic organ-specific autoimmune disease in which -cells are destroyed by mechanisms mediated by T-lymphocytes and circulating autoantibodies. However, there is experimental evidence that the primary mechanism of damage to the p-cell is the action of cytokines. Thus, the destruction of -cells occurs in two phases: the first - independent of lymphocytes, the initial, the second - mediated by the action of T-lymphocytes. According to the Copenhagen model of the pathogenesis of IDDM, environmental and internal factors (viruses, chemicals, food factors, interleukin-1) trigger the activation of free radical oxidation in -cells. Under the influence of free radicals (O2-, NO), p-cell proteins change their natural properties (denature) and become antigens for their own immune system. The increased sensitivity of the -cell to the action of free radicals is due to the fact that it reduces the activity of antioxidant defense systems (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase). "In other words, -cells in IDDM die because they are b-cells." Toxic free radicals of oxygen (O2-) and nitric oxide (NO) cause disturbances in the DNA structure of insulin-producing cells, stimulate the pathological activation of poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase, responsible for DNA replication, which leads to increased utilization of NAD + with subsequent depletion of its reserves in the cell: this causes a decrease in the synthesis of proteins, including proinsulin, and the subsequent death of the -cell.

The unique properties of pillared materials determine their use in catalysis, purification and separation. The paper studies the reduction of composite catalysts, Fe-pillared materials. The authors compare their reduction in low temperature capacitively coupled RF hydrogen discharge of low pressure to their conventional direct hydrogen reduction in a tubular muffle furnace. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to characterize the iron-bearing phases. The results show that the reduction of iron hydro/oxide clusters associated with an aluminosilicate matrix to metallic iron is very challenging due to the degree of the pore space availability for hydrogen.

To examine the expression of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, CD54) on the surface of leukocytes and a soluble E-selectin (CD62) level in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) at various stages of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy.42 patients with newly diagnosed and long-standing DM1 with presence or absence of microangiopathy (diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy) were examined. Routine laboratory, ophthalmologic tests, a special immunological test with ICAM-1 expression and soluble E-selectin (sES) examination were performed.The tests show increased ICAM-1 expression and sES level in all the patients vs controls. In newly diagnosed DM1 a high sES level was observed. In long-standing DM1 and absence of microangiopathy a sES level was also high. In patients with neovascularisation and proteinuria the sES level was two times higher than that in other subgroups. We also found an increased percentage of ICAM-1, CD54-positive lymphocytes and granulocytes in patients with microalbuminuria and especially with proteinuria and neovascularization. There were no correlations of ICAM-1 and sES levels with sex, DM duration, cholesterol and triglycerides.The findings show endothelium and leukocytes activation at early disease stages. Enhanced endothelium and leukocytes activation is associated with late complications.

The authors present the results of clinicoroentgenological and immunological investigations of the state of lower limb soft tissues in 117 patients with diabetes mellitus. Vascular wall calcification and soft tissue edema were noted practically in all the patients with a period of disease over 1 year. X-ray investigation permitted the detection of vascular lesion at early stages of complication development, in most of the patients even at the preclinical stage. A degree of lower limb vascular lesion is not related to a type of diabetes mellitus and the patients' age. There is direct correlation between the affection of the walls of medium size vessels and vessels of the fundus of the eye. The frequency and severity of lower limb vascular lesion, polyneuropathy and nephropathy grow significantly with an increase in a period of disease. A parallel decrease of immunoglobulins is noted. The affection of osseous tissue does not depend on a period of disease and shows insignificant correlation with a degree of vascular lesion.

The authors presented the results of a study of human insulin drugs Monotard HM and Actrapid HM (Novo, Denmark) for type I diabetes mellitus. They stressed their efficacy in therapy of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: a course of disease became less labile, the time of achieving compensation was reduced; the drugs proved to be effective in the treatment of post-injection insulinlipodystrophies, in body mass deficiency; a tendency to a decrease in daily insulin requirement, serum insulin binding capacity, and in increase in the content of free insulin were noted.