[Are we controlling the sedation in ICU? A multicenter study results].

The aim of this study is to evaluate the issues of sedation and analgesia in all-purpose ICUs in Russia. To obtain that, a single-day observational survey was performed in 55 ICUs of Ural and Siberia regions. This work enabled to describe the targets, instruments of control and patterns of sedative and analgetics and sedatives prescription, as well as to make conclusions about issues in this area and possibilities of creation and necessity of analgesia and sedation standards. The study has shown a decent percentage of use of standardized scales evaluating pain in ICU and predominance of effectivae drugs and analgesia patterns, which leads to "formalization" of analgesia and decrease of it's effectiveness. Sedation indications do not satisfy the modern concept, sedation level evaluation scores are used only in 13%, schemes and drugs are traditional. The results of this study may serve as a reason for discussion of necessity of introducing of sedative and analgetic therapy in ICU standarts.

[The factors that affect the results of the serological diagnosis of HIV infection and the screening for anti-HIV]. / Faktory, vliiaiushchie na rezul'taty serologicheskoi diagnostiki VICh-infektsii i skrining na anti-VICh.

The laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection and screening for anti-HIV have determined the factors that influence the results of studies performed by ELISA and Western immunoblot. The factors include sensitivity and specificity of the test systems used, storage conditions of and transportation conditions for serum, errors of procedures for reactions, etc. Correlation is between the inactivation of the sera studied and the initial antibody titers during their storage at elevated temperatures. To obtain more valid results of HIV infection serodiagnosis it is necessary to use some test systems differing in the principles of setting up a reaction.

Biological properties of strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus isolated in the natural foci of the eastern part of the Russian plain.

Strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus isolated in the natural foci of infection in the eastern part of the Russian Plain (the Kirov region) were examined for their biological properties. The strains examined were 69 strains isolated from ticks Ixodes persulcatus, 62 strains obtained from patients with the clinically manifest form of tick-borne encephalitis and 56 strains isolated from the blood of patients with the inapparent form of infection. Comparative studies on laboratory animals (albino mice, golden hamsters, suckling guinea pigs and other mammals) as well as comparative serologic studies provided evidence which suggested that all virus isolates from the Kirov region were antigenically identical with the strain "Sofin" isolated in the Far East and represent thus a single causative agent of the tick-borne encephalitis virus infection. This strain of virus is supposed to exist in two variants, in dependence on ecological conditions: one of these variants is the eastern variant (strain Sofin and strains from the Kirov region) and the other one is the western variant of tick-borne encephalitis virus.

[Detection of antibodies to the causative agents of viral infections in multiple sclerosis patients]. / Obnaruzhenie antitel k vozbuditeliam nekotorykh virusnykh infektsii u bol'nykh rasseiannym sklerozom.

Serological examinations of blood sera from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), their nearest relatives, and subjects of the control groups for antibodies to causative agents of some viral infections demonstrated antihemagglutinins to measles and rubella viruses in 61%-95.5% of the subjects examined in all the groups, to mumps virus in 53% in MS patients, to tick-borne encephalitis virus in 2.2% in the same group, and in 10.5% in the group of patients with other CNS diseases, and none in healthy subjects. Virus-neutralizing antibodies to human acute encephalomyelitis virus (HAEM) in 28% of the cases, frequently in the stage of remission. Specific IgM to measles virus was found in 41% of MS patients, in 15% of their nearest relatives, and in 19.7% of patients with other CNS diseases, but not in healthy subjects. No differences in the rate of antibody findings to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 were observed in the groups examined. The rate of detection of virus-neutralizing antibody to HAEM virus was significantly higher in MS patients with the severity of the course of IV-V degree (20%) than of the II-III degree (8.8%). In the period of MS exacerbation the level of specific IgM to measles virus increased (35.6%), and higher titres of antihemagglutinins were observed in patients with longer duration of the disease and higher degree of its severity.

[Structural changes in Candida lipolytica cells during citric acid biosynthesis]. / O strukturnykh izmeneniiakh kletok Candida lipolytica pri biosinteze limonnoi kisloty.

The techniques of light and electron microscopy were used to study structural changes in Candida lipolytica cells related to limitation of their growth and a nitrogen source in medium with glucose and hexadecane and transition of the culture to the production of citric acids. Changes in the content of protein in the cell and in the activities of enzymes of the citrate and glyoxylate cycles located in mitochondria and peroxysomes of the yeast were investigated at the same time. The results characterizing cytological changes in the cell of C. lipolytica in the conditions of citric acid biosynthesis fit in well with the data on protein content and enzyme activities in the cells obtained by biochemical analysis. The transition of the yeast cells to the overproduction of citric acids has been shown to be related to profound rearrangements of the cell: the inhibition of protein synthesis; changes in the structure of the cytoplasm; the appearance of vacuoles of an irregular shape, often in contact with the mitochondria; changes in the mitochondrial and peroxysomal apparatus; the accumulation of lipids. It has been demonstrated once again that the peroxysomal apparatus of the yeast cell has a relationship with the metabolism of n-alkanes.

[Use of the fluorescence method to detect and quantitatively determine lipids in the cells of microorganisms]. / Ispol'zovanie fluorestsentnogo metoda dlia vyiavleniia i kolichestvennogo opredeleniia lipidov v kletkakh mikroorganizmov.

Techniques have been developed for the detection and quantitative determination of lipids in the living cells of microorganisms (after their fixation by heating) using benzimidazole luminophores synthesized by Monocrystalreactive (USSR). When the yeast cells are stained by a luminophore, the latter is selectively bound to cellular lipids producing a brightly fluorescent complex. The intensity of fluorescence increases proportionally to an increase in the concentration of lipids in the microbial mass. The intensity of fluorescence of a microbial suspension is recorded using a spectrofluorimeter at the excitation and fluorescence maxima of 405 and 475 nm respectively. In order to assay the content of lipids in microorganisms which do not produce a homogeneous suspension, the luminophore bound to lipids is extracted from the cells with hot octane. The absolute content of lipids in the biomass is determined using a standard curve which shows the intensity of fluorescence of microorganisms and their octane extracts as a function of the lipid content in the cell.

[Formation and degradation of peroxisomes in yeasts]. / O vozniknovenii i degradatsii peroksisom u drozhzhevykh organizmov.

The formation, development and degradation of peroxisomes were studied directly in growing yeast-methylotrophs under the microscope using anoptral and phase contrast. The degradation of peroxisomes was caused by their degeneration and dislocation to the central vacuole of the yeast cell. A fluorescent-microscopic technique was elaborated for detecting selectively the crystals of catalase in the cells. As was shown by intravitam studies, electron microscopy and cytochemistry, peroxisomes are directly connected with the central vacuole of the cell, enzymes being transferred from the former into the latter. Experiments conducted with different cultures have demonstrated that the high activity of exocatalase is typical of methylotrophic yeast organisms. The highest activity that was exhibited for a long period of time was found in Torulopsis molischiana.

Interspecies interactions of arboviruses. III. Competition for virus envelope antigens in mixed Getah and Sindbis virus populations.

Interactions of Getah and Sindbis virus populations in mixed infections of 5 tissue systems were competitive or neutral. The type of interaction is regulated by the host cell and virus population density. On reproduction in mouse brains and SPEV cell cultures the mixed population exhibited antigenic markers of Getah virus; in Syrian hamster kidney and chick embryo cell cultures those of Sindbis virus; and in Chinese hamster kidney cell cultures the antigenic markers of both viruses. Mixed populations with monospecific antigenic characteristics contained genomes of both viruses detectable by the TC marker (dual spetrum of cytopathogenicity). Clonal analysis of such populations confirmed the occurrence of genome masking and demonstrated the formation of genotypically mixed particles. Possible mechanisms of the antigenic dominance of one virus and selective blocking of functions of the other virus are discussed.

[Effect of raised temperature on the developmental cycle of Candida utilis yeasts]. / Vliianie povyshennoi temperatury na tsikl razvitiia drozhzhei Candida utilis.

The effect of the submaximal temperature (41.5 degrees C) on growth was studied with a synchronous periodic yeast culture. If the cells were subjected to the action of elevated temperature at the beginning of the growth cycle, the formation of buds was not inhibited in contrast to the separation of nuclei between the daughter and parent cells. If the cells started their growth cycle at the optimal temperature of 32 degrees C and, after spending 0.6 of the cycle at this temperature, were subjected to a temperature of 41.5 degrees C, the separation of nuclei between the daughter and parent cells took place, but the cells were not entirely separated one from another.

[Effect of elevated temperature on the morphology of a chemostat culture of Candida utilis yeasts and on their content of nucleic acids]. / Vliianie povyshennoi temperatury na morfologiiu khemostatnoi kul'tury drozhzhei Candida utilis i na soderzhanie v nikh nukleinovykh kislot.

The effect of elevated temperature (40 degrees C) on a chemostat culture of Candida utilis was studied at different rates of dilution, D = 0.1 and 0.3 hr-1. The cells in the fermenter being in the stationary state at the optimum temperature of 30 degrees C were gradually washed-out 5 hours after the action of this temperature, and the population consisted of non-divided cells. In the majority of such "double" cells, the nucleus was contained in both the parent and the daughter parts. The content of RNA decreased by 31%, that of DNA, by 20%, and that of protein, by 13% (per 1 mg of biomass).

[Yeast peroxisomes, their development and operation]. / Peroksisomy drozhzhevykh organizomv, ikh razvitie i funktsionirovanie.

Yeast peroxisomes (microbodies) were studied, particularly with yeast methylotrophs, using light-optical microscopy, viz. intravitam phase- and anoptral-contrast microscopy, with cytochemical as well as fixed and stained objects. The data obtained were compared with cytochemical as well as fixed and stained objects. The data obtained were compared with other evidence that we had gained on methylotrophs studied by electron microscopy and with the results obtained by investigating the peroxisomes of yeast cultures grown on nutrient containing other carbon sources. The activity of exocatalase and endocatalase, the enzymes characteristic of peroxisomes, was assayed at different growth phases of yeast methylotrophs and was found to be correlated with the cycle of development of peroxisomes. The content of biotin and inositol and its dynamics were studied in the methylotroph cells. Possible origin of peroxisomes is discussed as well as their development and the mechanism of degradation. A close contact and functional relationship have been established between peroxisomes and mitochondria.