Development and validation of a reliable LC-MS/MS method for quantitative analysis of usnic acid in Cladonia uncialis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a specific and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry method for quantification of usnic acid concentration in the lichen, Cladonia uncialis, suitable for detection of relatively small fluctuations of usnic acid concentration in response to environmental changes.

Results: The resulting method was fully validated according to international guidelines and demonstrated good selectivity and sensitivity with minor levels of a matrix effect and high accuracy.

[Evaluation of Direct and Indirect Expenditures for Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease After Stenting of Coronary Arteries].

Assessment of cost of management of patients during 1 year after stenting of coronary arteries has shown that priority should be given to active introduction into practical health care of technologies increasing duration of life and lowering probability of invalidization. We stress the need for evaluation of indirect expenditures on patients care because of their substantial share in the total cost. We also consider essential to elaborate measures of state regulation of medication supply irrespective of type of treatment for shifting expenditures from hospital to ambulatory sector and improvement of effectiveness of pharmacotherapy.

[Factors Affecting Duration of Stay in IntensiveCare Unit After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery].

We studied predictors of prolonged stay in intensive care unit (ICU) after coronary surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass. Factors significantly associated with duration of ICU stay were elevated levels of glucose and lactate in venous blood, types of conduits used, and type of bypass surgery. Results of this study can be used for elaboration of a quantitative scale for prediction of duration of postoperative treatment in ICU.

Calmodulin inhibition of E2A stops expression of surrogate light chains of the pre-B-cell receptor and CD19.

To create antibody diversity, B lymphocyte development is characterized by the ordered rearrangement of first immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain gene segments and then Ig light-chain gene segments. Early in B-cell development, expression of a pre-B-cell receptor (pre-BCR) composed of membrane-bound Ig heavy chain protein associated with surrogate light-chain (SLC) proteins serves as a critical checkpoint that monitors for functional heavy chain rearrangement. Signaling from the pre-BCR induces clonal expansion, but it also turns off transcription of the genes for the SLC proteins lambda5 and VpreB, which limits this proliferation.

[New trends in the epidemic situation of extrathoracic tuberculosis in Siberia and the Far East].

The statistical reports by 21 subjects of the Russian Federation (the Siberian and Far-Eastern Federal Districts) have been analyzed to define the rates of extrathoracic tuberculosis morbidity in these regions and its structure. It has been established that new trends have been recently evident in the pattern of extrathoraric tuberculosis. Firstly, there has been an increase in the incidence of bone and joint tuberculosis, young men and old women being predominant in its structure.