Optical response of magnetically actuated biocompatible membranes.

Biocompatible suspended magneto-elastic membranes were prepared. They consist of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) films, with embedded arrays of micrometric magnetic pillars made with lithography techniques. For visible light wavelengths, our membranes constitute magnetically tunable optical diffraction gratings, in transmission and reflection. The optical response has been quantitatively correlated with membrane structure and deformation, through optical and magneto-mechanical models. In contrast to the case of planar membranes, the diffraction patterns measured in reflection and transmission vary very differently upon magnetic field application. Indeed, the reflected beam is largely affected by the membrane bending, whereas the transmitted beam remains almost unchanged. In reflection, even weak membrane deformation can produce significant changes of the diffraction patterns. This field-controlled optical response may be used in adaptive optical applications, photonic devices, and for biological applications.

[Comparative Analysis of Spectrophotometric Methods of the Protein Measurement in the Pectic Polysaccharide Samples].

For the assay to reliability of determination of the protein content in the pectic polysaccharide samples by absorbance in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum a comparison of the eleven techniques called Flores, Lovry, Bradford, Sedmak, Rueman (ninhydrin reaction) methods, the method of ultraviolet spectrophotometry, the method Benedict's reagent, the method Nessler's reagent, the method with amide black, the bicinchoninic reagent and the biuret method was carried out. The data obtained show that insufficient sensitivity of the seven methods from the listed techniques doesn't allow their usage for determination of protein content in pectic polysaccharide samples. But the Lowry, Bradford, Sedmak methods, and the method Nessler's reagent may be used for determination of protein content in pectic polysaccharide samples, and the Bradford method is advisable for protein contaminants content determination in pectic polysaccharide samples in case protein content is less than 15%, and the Lowry method--for samples is more than 15%.

[Physiological and hygienic characteristics of working conditions of workers in petrochemical enterprise].

The paper presents results of a study of the functional state of major workers of the refinery "Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat" when exposed to hazardous working conditions. The results have shown adverse effects of chemical factors of working environment and the intensity of the labor process on the functional state of the body of workers that shows a violation of efficiency and adaptability of the their organism to the working conditions.

[Role of the nutrients supply in the functioning of major organs and systems of the body of students].

The article presents the results of a study of factual nutrition of first-year students of Orenburg Medical Academy and the assessment of its impact on nutritional status. These data suggest that nutrition students is irrational and inadequate due to low nutritional value of diets, inadequate intake of macro-and micronutrients, which lead to a breach of nutritional status of students, as evidenced by the increase in the percentage of students with significant and sharply reduced functional capabilities of the body and deviations in physical development.

[Peloid therapy in the complex sanatorium treatment of children of early age with complications of perinatal brain damage]. / Peloidoterapiia v kompleksnom kurortnom lechenii detei rannego vozrasta s posledstviiami perinatal'nogo porazheniia golovnogo mozga.

The search for novel approaches to multimodality prophylaxis and treatment of sequelae of perinatal nervous system affection as well as introduction of the early diagnostic criteria are topical problems in present-day pediatric neurology. Peloid therapy efficacy in combined sanatorium treatment was studied (Peloterm unit) in 44 infants aged 1 to 3 years. They suffered from sequelae of perinatal affections of the central nervous system including infantile cerebral paralysis. A positive effect (improvement of motor and psychic-speech development) was achieved in 98% cases. This indicates validity of this method in the treatment of CNS affections following perinatal affection of the brain in infants over 1 year of age.

[Features of the elemental composition of medicinal plants, synthesizing phenolic compounds]. / Osobennosti élementnogo sostava lekarstvennykh rastenii, sinteziruiushchikh fenol'nye soedineniia.

A total of 52 species of medicinal plants capable of synthesizing phenolic compounds were subjected to mass-scale screening for 24 chemical elements. The screening was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry in combination with spectrophotometric detection. The plant species tested were found to accumulate groups of two to ten chemical elements (Fe, Cr, Cu, Co, Mn, etc.), which are known cofactors and activators of many enzymes of phenol metabolism. Some of the plant species tested are overconcentrators of Cr, Co, Mn, I, and other chemical elements. The possibility of the use of these plants in the treatment and prophylaxis of disorders of the microelement metabolism is discussed.

[Medicinal plants--concentrators of chromium. The role of chromium in alkaloid metabolism]. / Lekarstvennue rasteniia--kontsentratory khroma. Rol' khroma v metabolizme alkaloidov.

Mass screening of medicinal plants of the flora of Russia (196 species) was performed for chromium content. A total of 124 species-chromium concentrators were found, in which the chromium content markedly exceeded the mean values, this excess being 4- to 6-fold in 54 species, 7- to 3-fold in 62 species, and 37- to 114-fold in seven species. The greatest capacity of chromium accumulation was shown for the sand immortelle, foxglove, Alexandrian laurel, Greek valerian, marsh cudweed, adenostilis, and lobelia. These species are considered as potential sources of chromium for correction of its deficiency in humans. Some mechanisms underlying the effect of chromium on metabolism of alkaloids derivative of quinolizidine, tropane, isoquinoline, and indole, were deciphered.

Specificity of elementary composition of plants in synthesizing saponins.

The pharmaceutical action of medicinal plants depends on the presence of natural compounds and biologically important microelements. The accumulation of some microelements in saponin-synthesizing plants, the small dispersion of their contents, and finally, the high coefficient of correlation between accumulated elements provides the basis to draw conclusions about specificity of the mineral metabolism in these species. The synthesis of sapoins, and the specificity of the elementary composition suggest that some elements fulfill a definite regulative role as co-factors or activators of enzymes participating in the synthesis and accumulation of these natural compounds. Correlating the effects of saponins and other natural compounds with microelements on the human organism is exciting this will open new prospects of application of medicinal plants in health protection.

[The use of commercial immunoenzyme kits for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis]. / Primenenie kommercheskikh immunofermentnykh naborov dlia diagnostiki toksoplazmoza.

The results of comparative study of sera obtained from donors and from several groups of patients with suspected toxoplasmosis are presented. The study has been carried out with the use of commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits: Toxoplasma gondii IgG EIA and Toxoplasma gondii IgM EIA manufactured by Labsystems (Finland), Sevatest ELISA IgG Toxo Micro I manufactured by Sevac (Czechoslovakia). Statistical processing of the results has confirmed the identity of these kits. The necessity of using evaluation criteria (the separation point, the scale for the interpretation of results) when working with the Sevac kits is emphasized. Comparative evaluation of antibody profiles in the sera under test suggests that the titer less than 1:1600 should be regarded as the separation point for these kits. IgM antibodies to T. gondii have been found only in 22% of patients with high titers of IgG antibodies.

[Recording and interpretation of the results obtained by using the ELISA Sevatest commercial immunoenzyme kit for detecting Toxoplasma gondii antibodies]. / Uchet i interpretatsiia rezul'tatov, poluchaemykh pri ispol'zovanii kommercheskogo immunofermentnogo nabora Sevatest ELISA dlia obnaruzheniia antitel k Toxoplasma gondii.

The results of the repeated tests of 295 serum samples from patients, previously examined by means of enzyme immunoassay screening and traditional serological tests (complement fixation, indirect immunofluorescence, and indirect hemagglutination) and 115 serum samples from healthy donors, studied by enzyme immunoassay techniques with the use of the commercial kits Sevatest ELISA, have been analyzed. The methodological approach permitting the determination of the final titer of the serum under study, taken in a dilution of 1:800, by its optical density has been used. The mean geometric titer for the control group of donors, determined in the enzyme immunoassay, has been 1:800. This fact suggests that titers exceeding 1:1,600 should be considered diagnostically significant.

[Comparative evaluation of the commercial Sevatest ELISA immunoenzyme set and other serological tests for detecting Toxoplasma gondii antibodies]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka kommercheskogo immunofermentnogo nabora Sevatest ELISA i drugikh serologicheskikh testov dlia obnaruzheniia antitel k Toxoplasma gondii.

This work analyzes the results of 4 serologic tests used for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis: the complement fixation (CFT), indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), passive hemagglutination (PHAT) tests, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The last-mentioned one was made with the use of the commercial kits Sevatest ELISA IgG/Toxo Micro I. The results of ELISA were in good correlation with those yielded by the traditional tests: 70% coincidence with CFT, 80% with IIF, 84% with PHAT; besides, ELISA has shown a higher sensitivity in the screening of sera.

[Bioneutralizing properties of antibodies to serotonin]. / O bioneitralizuiushchikh svoistvakh antitel k serotoninu

Experiments conducted on rabbits demonstrated formation of antiserotonin antibodies in response to introduction to the animals of a serotonin-proteinic conjugate. The effect of antibodies on the development of a serotonin- and dextran-induced inflammation in rats and on the serotonin level in cells of slices of their organs, as well as in the blood thrombocytes was studied. The antibodies were found to produce an antiphlogistic effect in regard to exogenous (serotonin-induced) and endogenous (dextran-induced inflammation) serotonin. Histochemical investigations showed the antibodies to exert a neutralizing action on intracellular serotonin.