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Brief intensive behavioral interventions which promise a one session miracle cure from drug or alcohol dependence are very common in the Russian addiction psychiatry, particularly in its commercial domain. Unlike traditional shamanism these behavioral interventions are presented to the patients as the most recent advances in the main stream addiction medicine and therefore they can be called "scientifically decorated shamanism". The paper includes classification of these methods, reasons for this phenomenon to be so common in the Russian addiction psychiatry (narcology), and also possible approaches to the modernization of the Russian narcology system with evidence based approach to research and clinical practice to be the major one.

The paper provides critical analysis of the article "Correlated analysis of radiologic criteria's referred to central degenerative spinal canal stenosis and intensity of clinical implications". Critical analysis was carried out by the 5-step evidence cycle. First step is supposed to formulate primary goal of the research and identify its type. This investigation belongs to prognostic studying of certain patient's characteristics and their impact on the state of disease and the treatment outcome. According to Oxford evidence based center of medicine gradation, this study is attributed to level IV (clinical series). Analysis performed allowed to state that investigation sampling might be considered as representative, but nonhomogeneous. Absence of blind evaluation of the treatment results could alter treatment outcomes when compared by two different scales. Multifactor analysis was not held in the present study. Analyzed investigation has low methodological level, however, it has no major disadvantages. Statistical significance between various factors and clinical effect can be achieved when study is based upon database analysis of many patients, which however cannot be managed by efforts of a single medical institution. Organizing investigations by registration treatment outcomes with follow up evaluation nationwide could be a problem solution. In particular, vertebrological register might be a very useful tool for development prognostic risk scales and predictive models in degenerative spine disease surgery.

The authors present the results of experimental studies of the blood serum proteins metabolism in prolonged administration of intermedin--a hormone of the intermediate lobe of the hypophysis. Daily administration of this hormone caused a reduction of albumins and an increase of the beta-globulin fraction. The most pronounced changes in the protein spectrum were noted on the 15th-20th day of the experiment.