Effective Contract in Higher Education: Intentions and Outcomes

The issue of the academic contract in the Russian higher education is associated with the salary systems reform in social sector and scientific field according to the adoption of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation from May 7, 2012 No. 597 “On Measures for the Implementation of the State Social Policy”. Institutional project of the effective contract was aimed to solve two problems. Firstly, to raise the level of wages. Secondly, to its orientation to increase performance (i.e. outcomes-based payment). Over the past ten years in practice an effective contract evolved from innovation to university routine. On the other hand, researchers moved from substantiating approaches and elaborating methodologies to analyzing the experience of implementing an academic contract and then to evaluating its outcomes. The purpose of this study is to show the outcomes of the implementation of the effective contract project in the higher education system in two directions. Firstly, the achievement of target indicators for increasing the level of salaries of university teachers. Secondly, stimulating more efficient activities.Data from the Monitoring of higher education institutions effectiveness in 2021 is used in the study, and it includes data on 1222 universities. There is information on the average salary of university teachers (excluding part-time workers and civil contract staff) for 2020 for each educational institution, as well as on the ratio of teaching staff salary to the average salary in the region’s economy for 2016-2020. It was revealed that the task of introducing an effective contract for the increasing of salaries is generally being fulfilled but with significant difficulties due to the economic factors. The stimulating impact of an effective contract on the activities of university teachers is realized in conjunction with the solution of the tasks of increasing the effectiveness of the functioning of the universities themselves

Baseline characteristics of patients in the reduction of events with darbepoetin alfa in heart failure trial (RED-HF)

<p>Aims: This report describes the baseline characteristics of patients in the Reduction of Events with Darbepoetin alfa in Heart Failure trial (RED-HF) which is testing the hypothesis that anaemia correction with darbepoetin alfa will reduce the composite endpoint of death from any cause or hospital admission for worsening heart failure, and improve other outcomes.</p> <p>Methods and results: Key demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings, along with baseline treatment, are reported and compared with those of patients in other recent clinical trials in heart failure. Compared with other recent trials, RED-HF enrolled more elderly [mean age 70 (SD 11.4) years], female (41%), and black (9%) patients. RED-HF patients more often had diabetes (46%) and renal impairment (72% had an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Patients in RED-HF had heart failure of longer duration [5.3 (5.4) years], worse NYHA class (35% II, 63% III, and 2% IV), and more signs of congestion. Mean EF was 30% (6.8%). RED-HF patients were well treated at randomization, and pharmacological therapy at baseline was broadly similar to that of other recent trials, taking account of study-specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. Median (interquartile range) haemoglobin at baseline was 112 (106–117) g/L.</p> <p>Conclusion: The anaemic patients enrolled in RED-HF were older, moderately to markedly symptomatic, and had extensive co-morbidity.</p&gt

Prophylaxis end treatment of vascular complications after liver transplantation

The study analyzes the reasons for the development of vascular complications, prevention and treatment after liver transplantation. In a retrospective study enrolled 206 patients who had undergone 214 orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Vascular complications has diagnosed in 18 (8.4 %) patients in postoperative period. A relatively low incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) had seen in our study. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) plays an important role in the prevention of thrombosis. Doppler ultrasonography is a convenient and efficient method for detecting posttransplant complications and plays an important role in guiding treatment. Early diagnosis of these complications allows to decide on the tactics of the patients and to determine indications for emergency surgical revascularization and save the graft

Therapy for sepsis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain in a patient after orthotopic liver transplantation: a clinical observation

The paper gives a clinical example of successful therapy for severe sepsis, the cause of which was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a patient undergoing liver transplantation and splenectomy

Liver Transplantation in the Treatment of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Absence of Liver Cirrhosis

Aim.  The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of liver transplantation (LT) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurred in normal liver.Material and methods.  6 patients with unresectable HCC underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The long-term OLT results were compared with survival results of liver resection in patients with late stage HCC.Results.  Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common types of cancer, which occurs mainly in patients with liver cirrhosis and chronic viral hepatitis. Only about 10 % of HCC develops in non-cirrhotic liver among young and somatically healthy patients. 1-, 3-, 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival in LT group was significantly better than in the control group.Conclusion.  LT is indicated for patients with unresectable HCC in non-cirrhotic liver and its extrahepatic localization. A large tumor size and macrovascular invasion should not be a contraindication for LT in such patients

Liver Transplantation in the Treatment of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Absence of Liver Cirrhosis

Aim.  The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of liver transplantation (LT) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurred in normal liver.Material and methods.  6 patients with unresectable HCC underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The long-term OLT results were compared with survival results of liver resection in patients with late stage HCC.Results.  Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common types of cancer, which occurs mainly in patients with liver cirrhosis and chronic viral hepatitis. Only about 10 % of HCC develops in non-cirrhotic liver among young and somatically healthy patients. 1-, 3-, 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival in LT group was significantly better than in the control group.Conclusion.  LT is indicated for patients with unresectable HCC in non-cirrhotic liver and its extrahepatic localization. A large tumor size and macrovascular invasion should not be a contraindication for LT in such patients

Genome-Wide Transcriptome Profiling Provides Insight on Cholesterol and Lithocholate Degradation Mechanisms in Nocardioides simplex VKM Ac-2033D

Steroid microbial degradation plays a significant ecological role for biomass decomposition and removal/detoxification of steroid pollutants. In this study, the initial steps of cholesterol degradation and lithocholate bioconversion by a strain with enhanced 3-ketosteroid dehydrogenase (3-KSD) activity, Nocardioides simplex VKM Ac-2033D, were studied. Biochemical, transcriptomic, and bioinformatic approaches were used. Among the intermediates of sterol sidechain oxidation cholest-5-en-26-oic acid and 3-oxo-cholesta-1,4-dien-26-oic acid were identified as those that have not been earlier reported for N. simplex and related species. The transcriptomic approach revealed candidate genes of cholesterol and lithocholic acid (LCA) catabolism by the strain. A separate set of genes combined in cluster and additional 3-ketosteroid Δ1-dehydrogenase and 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylases that might be involved in LCA catabolism were predicted. Bioinformatic calculations based on transcriptomic data showed the existence of a previously unknown transcription factor, which regulates cholate catabolism gene orthologs. The results contribute to the knowledge on diversity of steroid catabolism regulation in actinobacteria and might be used at the engineering of microbial catalysts for ecological and industrial biotechnology

Long-term results of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

In this article we presented the new approach to the liver transplantation based on the prognosis paradigm of the tumor recurrence before the operation using largest experience of the liver transplantation in Russia. The effect independent clinicopathologic factors on outcome were tested using univariate and multivariate analyses by the Cox regression. The value molecular biomarker for choice of the patients to the transplantation liver was presented