[Comparative research into sensitivity and specificity of immune-enzyme analysis with chemiluminescence and colorimetric detection for detecting antigens and antibodies to avian influenza viruses and newcastle disease].

The goal of this work was to demonstrate the results of the development of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent tests with chemiluminescence detection and colorimetric detection of specific viral antigens and antibodies for identifying the avian influenza and the Newcastle disease viruses: high sensitivity and specificity of the immuno- chemiluminescence assay, which are 10-50 times higher than those of the ELISA colorimetric method. The high effectiveness of the results and the automation of the process of laboratory testing (using a luminometer) allow these methods to be recommended for including in primary screening tests for these infectious diseases.

[Molecular genetic characteristics of the strain A/chicken/Moscow/2/2007 (H5N1) strain from a epizootic focus of highly pathogenic influenza A among agricultural birds in the neear-Moscow region (February 2007)].

Among agricultural birds in the near-Moscow Region (February 2007), local epizootics caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza A/H5N1 virus seem to be of unintended manual origin. Such a situation may be considered to be model when the source of inoculation is elucidated in cases of potentially possible acts of bioterrorism. Molecular genetic analysis of isolated A/chicken/Moscow/2/2007 strain established its genetic similarity with the highly pathogenic strains detected in the Black-and-Caspian Sea region in 2006. At the same time, comparison of nucleotide sequences of the strain A/chicken/Moscow/2/2007 with the strains of Qinghai-Siberian genotype (CSG) for which the sequences of full-sized genomes are known in the international databases revealed a significant distinction of the near-Moscow strain from the earlier known analogues. The uniqueness of the primary structure of the PB1 gene is shown. The paper discusses the functional value of amino acid substitutions in the proteins of the strain A/chicken/Moscow/2/2007 and in other variants of CSG of the subtype H5N1.

Dissociative mechanism of F-actin thermal denaturation.

We have applied differential scanning calorimetry to investigate thermal unfolding of F-actin. It has been shown that the thermal stability of F-actin strongly depends on ADP concentration. The transition temperature, T(m), increases with increasing ADP concentration up to 1 mM. The T(m) value also depends on the concentration of F-actin: it increases by almost 3 degrees C as the F-actin concentration is increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/ml. Similar dependence of the T(m) value on protein concentration was demonstrated for F-actin stabilized by phalloidin, whereas it was much less pronounced in the presence of AlF4(-). However, T(m) was independent of protein concentration in the case of monomeric G-actin. The results suggest that at least two reversible stages precede irreversible thermal denaturation of F-actin; one of them is dissociation of ADP from actin subunits, and another is dissociation of subunits from the ends of actin filaments. The model explains why unfolding of F-actin depends on both ADP and protein concentration.

[The psychological assessment of patients with congenital and acquired maxillofacial deformities in the pre- and postoperative periods]. / Psikhologicheskaia otsenka bol'nykh s vrozhdennymi i priobretennymi cheliustno-litsevymi deformatsiiami v do- i posleoperatsionnom periodakh.

Complex rehabilitation of 20 patients with congenital and acquired maxillofacial deformations included psychological examinations using the finish-the-sentence test, Taylor's, Eysenck's [correction of Isenk's], Leonhard-Smisek, and Dembo-Rubinstein tests. Depressive states were detected in 4, neurotic reactions with depressive incorporations in 16 examinees. After surgery the manifestations of depression decreased in 60% of patients. Psychological studies helped improve the efficacy of surgery due to a favorable impact on the personality.