Pulse therapy with prospidin and methotrexate: comparative efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (12-month controlled study)

Efficiency of pulse-therapy with prospidin (500 mg for 5 days in hospital, 500-1000 mg for a month as maintenance) and methotrexate (30 mg a week i.v. in hospital, 7-10 mg a week as maintenance) was investigated in 93 patients with severe RA. The response to prospidin and methotrexate arose quickly (within 10-14 and 4-5 weeks, respectively) and occurred in 73 and 70% of patients, respectively. Withdrawal of the drug was caused by side effects of methotrexate (19.3%) and resistance to prospidin (23.2%).     

The first original Russian class-III antiarrhythmic nibentan

The paper presents experimental and clinical findings of the new antiarrhythmic drug nibentan. The agent was found to be a class-III antiarrhythmic agent in terms of its electrophysiological effects and an inhibitor of the delayed rectifier potassium current in terms of its effects on the ionic channels of cardiomyocytes. The clinical trial of nibentan shows that the drug is highly effective (in 70-100% of cases) in patients with atrial flutter and fibrillation and in those with supraventricular tachycardia and it is less effective in suppressing ventricular premature contractions and tachycardia. The rate of arrhythmogenic effects produced by the drug was inversely related to its antiarrhythmic action. Nibentan has been approved for clinical use.     

The intubating laryngeal mask airway: an initial assessment of performance

A new prototype of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA), the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA), was used to facilitate tracheal intubation in 100 fasted patients presenting for elective surgery. Alignment of the ILMA with the larynx was assessed fibreoptically before intubation without the investigator performing the intubation being aware of the view score. Ease of intubation correlated with the view obtained and with the degree of manipulation of the ILMA needed to achieve tracheal intubation. Intubation was successful in 93 patients. Of the seven intubation failures, five occurred in the first 20 patients. Conventional connection to the breathing system and ventilation of the lungs of the patients were possible throughout the intubation procedure.     

Externally and internally controlled attention in infants: an EEG study

This work was designed to investigate EEG indices of Internally and Externally Controlled Attention in infancy. EEG was recorded in 15 infants aged 7-8 months under three experimental conditions: (1) visual attention to a new stimulation (Externally Controlled Attention or baseline condition); (2) attention guided by internal cognitive schemata during 'anticipatory' phase of the peek-a-boo game (Internally Controlled Attention); and (3) 'reappearance' phase of the peek-a-boo game when the experimenter talked and smiled to an infant (reappearance). The relative power (RP) in 4-5 single-Hz theta sub-band increased under both phases of the peek-a-boo game. The reactive changes of 4-5 single-Hz RP at prefrontal and frontal leads under the Internally Controlled Attention condition positively correlated with the total time during which an infant was able to maintain ICA. The RP in 5-6 single-Hz theta sub-band significantly increased only under the Internally Controlled Attention condition and did not correlate with the total time of this type of attention. The results support the concept of 'Diffuse Theta-Response System' that is active during expectancy and effortfully focused attention. In contrast to theta, the RP in 6-7, 7-8, and 8-9 single-Hz bands decreased during both phases of the game. The decrease was maximal at precentral leads and most probably reflected blockage of the sensorimotor (mu) rhythm due to higher motility and muscular tension in the game situation. It is concluded that EEG is an adequate vehicle for investigation of brain mechanisms of attention and voluntary control in infants.     

Recombinant vaccinia virus expressing Japanese encephalitis virus protein E

Contrasts are drawn between dental care based on fee-for-service and managed care financial arrangements. The advantages of fee-for-service include (for the profession) slow acceptance of managed care in dentistry compared to medicine; (for society and the patient) more community service, higher technical quality of work, and stimulation of innovations; and (for the individual dentist) the strong dentist-patient bond as well as professionalism.     

Main principles and diagnostic criteria for revision of the european-american classification of lymphoid neoplasms (T-cell lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease]

Diagnostic criteria of T-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease are presented which are the basis of the European-American classification schema (REAL). Brief morphological, immunophenotypical, genetic and clinic characteristics of every tumor type (subtypes variants) are given. The comparison of this REAL section with the Kiel's classification is made with some critical notes concerning, in particular, the Hodgkin's disease classification.