Update of clinical trials from the American College of Cardiology 2003. EPHESUS,SPORTIF-III,ASCOT, COMPANION,UK-PACE and T-wave alternans

The American College of Cardiology provided much useful new information to inform those who care for patients with heart failure about what they should and should not adopt into current clinical practice. The EPHESUS trial suggests a much wider role for aldosterone antagonists for the management of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. SPORTIF-III indicates we may have a safer, simpler warfarin substitute soon. ASCOT reinforces the potential futility of statin therapy unless it is well targeted. The results of the COMPANION study investigating cardiac resynchronisation devices and implantable defibrillators were encouraging but inconclusive and/or hard to interpret. UK-PACE again questions the use of dual chamber pacing. T-wave alternans is an interesting experimental technique that may be useful in selecting which patients need an implantable defibrillator, although the technology needs testing in an appropriate patient population.     

Medical, ecological, social and labor adaptation of the indigenous population of the North-Eastern regions of Russia

Social and economic status of the indigenous population of the Extreme North-East is critical; fundamentals of vital activity and health status of aborigines drastically deteriorated in recent years. The proposed measures will decrease the social strain, provide rational nutrition, and introduce into practical public health new approaches to medical ecological prophylaxis of many diseases.     

Racemose arteriovenous angioma (malformation) of the brain

242 cases of brain arterio-venous malformations (AVM) are analysed clinically and anatomically. Their pathology, histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical characteristics, therapeutic pathomorphosis are described. The concept is suggested according to which AVM is a collective term including true developmental defects, dysembryogenetic tumors and outcomes of various pathologic processes (trauma, brain circulation and compensatory-adaptive disturbances, etc.). The necessity of therapeutic methods corrections in agreement with the disease pathogenesis is outlined.     

Neurophysiologic changes and bound calcium dynamics during the elaboration of associative learning in Helix lucorum]

Neurophysiological effects and dynamics of bound calcium (Ca-b) in command neurons of defense behavior (LP11 and RP11) during food aversion conditioning were studied in snail Helix lucorum. It was found that during associative learning both conditioned reaction and nonspecific facilitation of sensory responses were determined in neurons. The nonspecific facilitation of sensory responses was similar to that found during sensitization development in neurons. However, conditioned response appeared 30 min later than long-term sensitization development. Specific dynamics of the Ca-b level in neurons was obtained after three and more conditioning. The dynamics of the Ca-b level correlated with neurophysiological effects and differed from those measured during sensitization development. It is suggested that molecular mechanisms underlying associative learning and sensitization are different in a command neuron of defense behavior in the snail.