bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the Influence of Human Resource Development Practices on Organizational Commitment of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
Authors: Otoo Frank Nana Kweku
Published: November 2022

Purpose: Human resource development (HRD) practices are linked to greater corporate commitment. This paper aims to investigate how human resource development practices influence organizational commitment.
Design/Method/Approach: Data were collected from 65 SMEs of which 30 were small-sized enterprises while 35 were medium-sized enterprises. A standardized questionnaire was used. SEM was employed in testing the model and hypothesis.
Findings: The findings show that the levels of affective commitment were significantly influenced by HRD practices. A significant influence of HRD practices on the levels of continuance commitment was observed. A non-significant influence of HRD practices on the levels of normative commitment was reported.
Theoretical Implications: The study lends credence to the contention of enhancing organizational commitment and makes a case for additional research on the relationship between HRD practices and organizational commitment.
Practical Implications: The study will aid SMEs in developing workplace strategies, policies and practices that can immensely improve employee loyalty, fulfillment and satisfaction and inordinately enhance organizational sustainability, retention and productivity.
Originality/Value: This study extends the literature by demonstrating empirically that HRD practices influence organizational commitment.
Research Limitations/Future Research: The study was conducted in small and medium-scale enterprises, and the analysis was based on cross-sectional data that could not be applied to a wider variety of industries.
Paper Type: Empirical
JEL Classification: O14, O15, P13
Availability and affordability of alcohol and tobacco products for the population: results of a pilot study in the Sverdlovsk Oblast
Authors: Antsiferova A. A. , Kontsevaya A. V. , Mukaneeva D. K. , Popovich M. V. , Gambaryan M. G. , Pustelenin А. V. , Glukhovskaya S. V. , Levina I. A. , Drapkina O. M.
Published: November 2022

Aim. To analyze the availability and affordability of alcohol and tobacco outlets using the specialized software developed by the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine in the pilot subject of the Russian Federation — the Sverdlovsk Oblast.

Material and methods. For the first time, experts from the National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine conducted a pilot study to assess the actual state of the infrastructure of a separate subject of the Russian Federation (Sverdlovsk Oblast). The study objects were the urban infrastructure elements in which alcohol and tobacco products are sold. In order to assess the infrastructure, special software was developed using Open Street Maps to perform data collection tasks. The infrastructure data collection for the pilot study took place from January to March 2022.

Results. The total number of tobacco outlets is 299, most of which are located in supermarkets (82,6%, n=247). The share of individual tobacco outlets accounts for 13,7% (n=41). Out of 357 supermarkets, 247 (69%) have tobacco sales section. The average lowest price of a cigarette pack is 121,6±15,7 RUB (minimum — 30 RUB, maximum — 207 RUB). Twentyseven (10,9%) of 247 supermarkets located <100 m from educational institutions carry tobacco products. The minimum distance is 64 m. There are 449 alcohol outlets in total, most of them are located in supermarkets — 57,0% (n=256). Individual alcohol outlets account for 40,8% (n=183). Out of 357 supermarkets, 256 (71,7%) have alcohol sales section. Out of 158 individual alcohol outlets, vodka is available in 101 (63%) outlets, wine — in 112 (68,3%) out of 162 outlets, beer — in 112 (68,3%) out of 164 outlets, alcoholic cocktails — in 71 (45,2%) out of 57 outlets. The average lowest selling price of vodka is 255,9±62,2 RUB (minimum — 230 RUB), wine — 180,2±89,3 RUB (minimum — 110 rubles), beer — 51,2±15,5 RUB (minimum — 33 rubles), alcoholic cocktails — 58,9±15,4 RUB (minimum — 37 rubles). In addition, 27 (10,5%) of 256 supermarkets with a liquor section (minimum distance of 64m) are located <100 m from educational institutions, as well as 10 (5,4%) out of 183 individual stores specializing in the alcohol sale (minimum distance of 50 m).

Conclusion. The results obtained with the help of the developed tool can be used as arguments for strengthening monitoring of compliance and making changes to the current legislation that restricts the availability of tobacco and alcohol products. The use of the developed tool will make it possible using evidence to make informed decisions in the development and implementation of public health programs at the municipal level.
Content of matrix metalloproteinases in the blood of hypertensive patients with a high cardiovascular risk receiving statin therapy
Authors: Mikhin V. P. , Osipova O. A. , Vorotyntseva V. V. , Perutsky D. N. , Golovina N. I.
Published: November 2022

Aim. To compare the effect of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin as part of complex therapy in patients with hypertension (HTN) with a high cardiovascular risk on the level of matrix metalloproteinases -1, -9 (MMP-1, MMP-9) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases -1, -4 (TIMP-1, TIMP-4).

Material and methods. The study included 140 hypertensive patients who received atorvastatin (Liprimar) 20 mg/day in addition to antihypertensive therapy for a year, which was later replaced by rosuvastatin (Rosucard) in the following doses: 10 mg/day (n=96), 20 mg/day (n=24), 40 mg/day (n=26). Patients underwent standard clinical and paraclinical investigations. In the blood serum of patients, the levels of MMP-1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1, TIMP-4 were determined.

Results. Patients who used rosuvastatin at a dose of 40 mg/day had a more pronounced decrease in MMP-1 than those treated with rosuvastatin at a dose of 10 and 20 mg/day (p<0,05), while there were no differences in MMP-1 when using low and medium doses. Rosuvastatin had a less pronounced effect on MMP-9 than on MMP-1, while increasing the dose of rosuvastatin did not affect the intensity of MMP-9 reduction (p>0,05). The content of TIMP-1 and TIMP-4 increased when taking rosuvastatin, while a more pronounced dose-dependent increase in TIMP-1 was observed with rosuvastatin 20 mg/day and 40 mg/day. In addition, the largest increase in TIMP-4 was observed when using rosuvastatin at a dose of 40 mg/day. Atorvastatin had no significant effect on MMP-1 and MMP-9, as well as TIMP-1 and TIMP-4.

Conclusion. Long-term rosuvastatin therapy (10 mg/day, 20 mg/day, 40 mg/day) as part of the complex therapy of cardiovascular patients affects the metabolism of vascular wall elastin and collagen, reducing the level of MMP-1, MMP-9 and increasing the content of TIMP-1, TIMP-4 in the blood.
Effect of spironolactone therapy on the activity of the matrix metalloproteinase system in patients with heart failure after COVID-19
Authors: Podzolkov V. I. , Tarzimanova A. I. , Bragina A. E. , Shvedov I. I. , Bykova E. E. , Ivannikov А. A. , Khanakyan S. S. , Almyasheva A. M.
Published: November 2022

Aim. To assess the change in the activity of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system after 6-month spironolactone therapy in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved (HFpEF) and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Material and methods. The study included 90 patients treated at the University Clinical Hospital № 4 of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. There were following inclusion criteria: age of 18-85 years; the presence of HFpEF and HFmrEF. The patients were randomized into two groups: group I (n=60) — patients with 6-month spironolactone therapy (25 mg/day) in addition to the standard therapy for HF, spironolactone was taken at a dose of 25 mg/day; Group II (comparison group, n=30) — patients who received standard therapy without spironolactone. All patients were determined plasma MMP concentrations.

Results. There were no significant differences in the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) between the groups when included in the study. A repeated investigation revealed a significant decrease in the concentrations of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 only in group I. In patients of group II, there were no significant changes in the plasma concentrations of MMP-9 and TIMP-1. The MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio during the initial examination of patients did not have significant differences. After 6-months therapy, a significant decrease in the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 was observed only in patients taking spironolactone.

Conclusion. The results obtained confirm a significant decrease in MMP system activity after 6-month spironolactone therapy in patients with HFpEF and HFmrEF after COVID-19. The described antifibrotic effects of spironolactone make it possible to recommend the use of this drug in this category of patients to reduce the negative effect of MMPs on cardiovascular system.
Neurovisceral interactions within the brain-heart axis as the basis of neurocardiology
Authors: Limonova A. S. , Germanova K. N. , Gantman M. V. , Nazarova M. A. , Davtyan K. V. , Novikov P. A. , Sukmanova A. A. , Tarasov A. V. , Kharlap M. S. , Ershova A. I. , Drapkina O. M.
Published: November 2022

The use of a systematic approach to the study of the etiology of a certain pathology makes it possible to improve the understanding of its pathogenesis, as well as to develop more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, including improving the prediction of its risk. Within this review, we will consider such an area of interdisciplinary research as neurocardiology, which studies the brain-heart axis. Examples of cardiovascular diseases associated with organic and functional disorders of this axis will be considered, as well as the prospects for research in this area and their translational significance for clinical medicine.
Psychoemotional risk factors for non-communicable diseases in outpatient practice. Guidelines for internists
Authors: Drapkina O. M. , Shishkova V. M. , Kotova M. B.
Published: November 2022

Methodological guidelines "Psychoemotional risk factors in outpatient practice" were developed as a practical document for primary care physicians in order to expand and improve knowledge, as well as provide care to the adult population within the studied theme. The methodological guidelines include an information and content part for medical specialists and a practical part for patients, presented in the format of memos. The guidelines include the main sections: definition, structure and epidemiology of psychoemotional risk factors, psychoemotional risk factors in the clinics of internal diseases, screening of psychoemotional risk factors, prevention and correction of psychoemotional risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, non-drug care for patients, pharmacotherapy of psychoemotional disorders. The guidelines are intended for primary care physicians, for specialists who develop and implement educational programs for patients, as well as for therapeutic residents.
Béla tarr y el cine que no cesa : una estética visual desde lo temporal.
Authors: Romero Tenorio José Manuel , Díaz Téllez Ángel Saúl , Buitrago Echeverry Carolina
Published: November 2022

Examinamos los aportes de Béla Tarr a la estética visual contemporánea mediante un artículo de reflexión. Para ello, desbrozamos su filmografía, de la que se desprende una primacía del dispositivo visual en la construcción de su discurso creativo. Postulamos que, con el único recurso de su cámara, el cineasta húngaro es capaz de generar una pluralidad de temporalidades de cuyo conflicto surge el drama. Así, con sus largos planos secuencia destruye los límites escénicos, exponiéndonos a la duración de la que están fabricados los personajes y las acciones. Hallamos una organización rítmica de la imagen, jalonada por una peculiar impostación lumínica, de la que emerge su condición táctil, la cual predispone al espectador a operar sobre las imágenes de forma distraída y, a la vez, analítica. Si lo fundamental de su cine es restituir a la temporalidad su carácter transitorio, concluimos con una reflexión sobre la ética de la nimiedad, desde la que podemos sentir nuestra humanidad en el contorno efímero del instante. A partir de ahí, nace un nuevo modo de conocimiento basado en la confrontación con nuestros mitos que nos impiden atisbar la pequeñez de nuestra condición.
Levantamento de espécies endêmicas do Cerrado e do Pantanal Mato-Grossense com potencial para uso na arborização urbana
Authors: Franco Fernanda M , Nascimento da Silva Creunice
Published: November 2022

A utilização de espécies nativas na arborização urbana contribui com a conservação da biodiversidade ao priorizar as espécies locais. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento das espécies arbóreas endêmicas do Pantanal e do Cerrado mato-grossense que apresentam viabilidade para compor a arborização das cidades. O levantamento foi realizado a partir de pesquisas bibliográficas em diversas fontes, como livros, artigos científicos, guias de arborização e sites de identificação de plantas. Uma ficha dendrológica com as principais características das espécies foi elaborada e, posteriormente avaliou o seu potencial para arborização de vias públicas. Foram levantadas seis espécies endêmicas do Pantanal distribuídas em quatro famílias botânicas, sendo: Tabebuia nodosa (Griseb.) Griseb., Cordia brasiliensis (I.M.Johnst.) Gottschling & J.S.Mill., Bauhinia leptantha Malme, Dahlstedtia dehiscens M.J Silva & A.M.G. Azevedo, Muellera variabilis (RR.Silva & AMG.Azevedo) MJ.Silva & AMG.Azevedo e Ficus carautana L.J.Neves & Emygdio. Para o Cerrado foram identificadas 11 espécies endêmicas no Estado de Mato Grosso, distribuídas em sete famílias botânicas, sendo: Annona sanctae-crucis S.Moore, Rourea laurifolia G.Schellenb., Senegalia latifoliola (Kuntze) Seigler & Ebinger, Guarea zepivae T.D.Penn., Eugenia glabrescens Mazine, Eugenia hatschbachii Mazine, Myrcia matogrossensis Faria & Sobral, Ladenbergia chapadensis S.Moore, Palicourea tricephala (Müll. Arg.) C.M. Taylor, Rudgea obtusa Standl. e Talisia subalbens (Mart.) Radlk. Conclui-se que essas espécies apresentam viabilidade para compor a arborização das cidades, porém, necessita de mais informações técnicas e científicas da ecologia e silvicultura dessas espécies, visando a utilização na arborização urbana.
Actions aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling waste in the construction of buildings
Authors: Mata de Oliveira Jaqueline , Lordsleem Júnior Alberto Casado , De Gois Santos Débora
Published: November 2022

Being responsible for the generation of more than 50% of urban solid waste poses incessant challenges to the construction industry. Commonly called rubble, civil construction waste (RCC) causes major environmental impacts when an order of priority of actions in forwarding the management of discarded materials is not observed. It is a situation that requires the application of practices that aim to reduce, reuse and recycle (3R's) the waste generated by civil construction at construction sites. This work aims to present good practice guidelines, through an action plan, for the reduction, reuse and recycling of RCC in construction sites. The methodology included a systematic review of scientific articles considering the indications of the PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses). It also included a field research, with seven case studies, with five works located in the city of Recife and two works located in the city of Caruaru, both in the State of Pernambuco, in which we sought to investigate waste management in the works and the actions reduction, reuse and recycling carried out at construction sites. The results showed the identification of reduction actions applied to the management of services, materials and equipment used in the execution of works and good practices of reuse and recycling for the main construction materials, such as: concrete, wood, plastic, plaster and metal. The main contribution of this work was to identify and describe good practice guidelines for better management of civil construction waste in terms of the 3R's.

 

KEYWORDS: Reduction. reuse. Recycling.
Self-realization and Children: Logics of Space Usage in the Narratives of Russian Women
Authors: Zabaev Ivan , Kostrova Elizaveta , Goleva Mariia
Published: November 2022

Demographic issues inspire the steady interest of researchers. Therefore, a thesis about the interconnection of fertility decline with the spread of values of self-realization and individualization is still important. In this article, the mentioned interrelation is considered in the context of pragmatic and spatial turn in the social sciences. Analyzing interviews on family topics with Russian women (53 in-depth interviews conducted in 2008-2021), we found that categories of childbirth and self-realization are also interconnected with a spatial narrative. Three logics of space usage have been identified; these are “journey”, where a person sees an almost unlimited horizon of life strategies and abilities; then, “logistics” represents practices of organization of all family members due to the spatial distances between schools and other spaces for extracurricular activities, that is, places that ensure the self-realization of children. Finally, the metaphor “home” symbolizes the logic of the constant efforts of maintaining the integrity and unity of the domestic (or family) world as well as the balance between departures and arrivals. The values of self-realization are significant for all three types, but individualistic attitudes and behavior are clearly expressed only in “journey”. The metaphor “home” means that an individual corresponds his self-realization with the well-being of other family members. In case of “logistics”, a large construct of people, places, and relationships is created to provide the conditions for self-realization. All in all, this study suggests that the relationship between values and behavior of individuals (in particular, behavior related with childbirth) is more complicated than it often seems. The article suggests that various logics of using space allow us to see discrepancies between such seemingly tightly-connected things as building a family and having children (maximizing the number of children).
Urban History: between History and Social Sciences
Authors: Stas Igor
Published: November 2022

The article analyzes the formation and development of Urban History as a branch of historical science before and immediately after the era of the Urban Crisis of the 1950s and 1960s. The concept of the article suggests that urban history was formed in a constant dialogue with the social sciences. At the beginning, academic urban historians appeared in the 1930s as opponents of American “agrarian” and frontier histories. Drawing their ideas from the Chicago School of sociology, they reproduced the national history of civic local communities that expressed the achievements of Western civilization. However, in the context of the impending Urban Crisis, social sciences, together with urban historians, have declared the importance of generalizing social phenomena. A group of rebels soon formed among historians. They called their movement ‘New Urban History’ and advocated the return of historical context to urban studies, and were against social theory. However, in an effort to reconstruct history “from the bottom up” through a quantitative study of social mobility, new urban historians have lost the city as an important variable of their analysis. They had to abandon the popular name and recognize themselves as representatives of social history and interested in the problems of class, culture, consciousness, and conflicts. In this situation, some social scientists have tried to try on the elusive brand ‘New Urban History’, but their attempt also failed. As a result, only those who remained faithful to the national narrative or interdisciplinary approach remained urban historians, but continued to remain in the bosom of historical science, rushing around conventional urban sociology and its denial.
Back to Representations: in Search of Grounds for Collective Memory
Authors: Golovashina Oksana
Published: November 2022

The article substantiates the need to return to collective representations as optics for understanding collective memory, which will allow the bringing of the foundations under the concept of collective memory, and expand the theoretical and methodological base of research. As the first step, the author distinguishes between E. Durkheim’s “collective representations” and M. Halbwax’s interpretation of “collective memory”. Justifying the heuristic potential of the category “collective representations” for understanding collective memory, the author shows that the origins of this idea were connected with Durkheim’s acquaintance with the school of V. Wundt: 1) the idea of collective representations is connected with the views of the German psychologist; and 2) the development of the method of sociology bears traces of Wundt’s positivism. Furthermore, the author’s concerns are the ways of preserving and translating collective representations, showing the possibilities of substantiating commemorative practices as performative acts and the need to abandon reflection as a source of collective memory research. In conclusion, the author proves that the return to the idea of collective representations as a basis for understanding collective memory allows us to move away from the metaphorical concept, as well as to reconsider the ways of researching and interpreting the politics of memory, the relationship between individual and collective memory, the study of the place of the image of specific events in collective memory, and the place of psychological explanations.
References to the Russan Society’s Values in the Presidential Addresses to the Federal Assembly
Authors: Borshchevskiy Georgy
Published: November 2022

The digital transformation intensifies a devaluation of traditional institutions and the need to search for new integrating factors which are called upon to be the values shared by the society. We purpose to identify the value connotations in the discursive practices of the Presidential Addresses to the Federal Assembly from 1994-2021. We use such methods as the identification and classification of values by cross-cultural research; content analysis; clustering and mapping; analysis of secondary sociological data from representative public opinion polls conducted in the analyzed years; analysis of macroeconomic statistics; correlation analysis, etc. We revealed the strengthening of the materialistic component of public discourse (Ronald Inglehart) during periods of economic crisis. We also confirmed the Geert Hofstede thesis of the dominance of collectivist values in Russian society, but not the high power distance. Russian political discourse gravitates towards both egalitarian values (Shalom Schwartz) and liberal values (Milton Rokeach). Persistent negative connotations between the public voicing of values and their perception by respondents indicate the existence of a latent value conflict between the elite and society, manifesting itself in an increase in the demand for change. We interpret the increase in the frequency of mentioning political values during periods of economic recession as attempts by the elite to rally around the flag, and also as a consequence of the gradual filling of values with new meanings in the mass consciousness. Persistent negative connotations between the the public voicing of political values and their perception by respondents indicate the existence of a latent value conflict between the elite and society, manifesting itself in an increase in the demand for change. The article both complements existing empirical studies of public policy and adapts well-known theories of political axiology to Russian practice.
Too Drained from Being Agile? The Self-Regulatory Effects of the Use of Agile ISD Practices and their Consequences on Turnover Intention
Authors: Mueller Lea ,   Technical University of Darmstadt, Benlian Alexander ,   Technical University of Darmstadt
Published: November 2022

While much is known about the beneficial effects of agile information systems development (ISD), scholars have largely neglected to address its potential downsides. Specifically, research on this topic has thus far overlooked the ambivalent implications of the specific demands placed on developers working in agile ISD teams, including potentially depleting effects. Drawing on ego depletion theory and the associated literature, we provide a more balanced view and introduce self-regulatory resource depletion triggered by using agile ISD practices—encompassing software development (SD) and project management (PM) practices—as a theoretical perspective on why agile developers experience different levels of work-related fatigue that lead to stronger or weaker turnover intentions. Furthermore, we propose that due to the specific way in which agile ISD methods organize ISD project work, developers’ perceived workload influences the intensity by which agile ISD practices affect self-regulatory resources and developers’ feelings of fatigue. We examined our research model using a multimethod approach including quantitative and qualitative data. We found that the use of agile SD practices enhances developers’ self-regulatory resources and reduces fatigue and turnover intention. Our results also show that perceived workload strengthens the energizing effects of the use of agile SD practices and reveals a depleting effect of the use of agile PM practices, with countervailing implications for turnover intention. This study contributes to agile ISD literature by drawing a more nuanced and balanced picture with both resource-enhancing and resource-draining effects of the use of agile ISD practices. Finally, we give managerial advice regarding factors to consider when designing and managing agile ISD projects.
Designing a Thrifty Approach for SME Business Continuity: Practices for Transparency of the Design Process
Authors: Järveläinen Jonna ,   University of Turku, Niemimaa Marko ,   University of Agder, Zimmer Markus P. ,   Leuphana University Lüneburg
Published: November 2022

Business continuity (BC) management is an organizational approach to preparing information systems (IS) for incidents, but such approaches are uncommon among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Past research has indicated a gap in approaches that are designed for SMEs since BC management approaches tend to originate from larger organizations and SMEs lack the resources to implement them. To fill this gap, and to respond to a practical need by an IT consultancy company, we employed design science research (DSR) to develop a BC approach for SMEs coined as the thrifty BC management approach. Jointly with the company’s practitioners, we developed a set of meta-requirements for BC approaches for SMEs anchored in prior BC literature, practitioners’ practical expertise, and the theories of collective mindfulness and sociotechnical systems. We evaluated our thrifty BC management approach with multiple SMEs. These evaluations suggest that the designed approach mostly meets the defined meta-requirements. Moreover, the evaluations offered ample opportunities for learning. The design process, unfolding in a real-world setting, was precarious, rife with contingencies and ad hoc decisions. To render the design process transparent, we adapted four writing conventions from the confessional research genre familiar to ethnographic research but novel to DSR. We offer a threefold contribution. First, we contribute to SMEs’ BC with meta-requirements and their instantiation in a new BC approach (artifact); second, we contribute with four practices of confessional writing for transparency of DSR research; and third, we contribute with reflections on our theoretical learning from throughout the design process.
«Their Intent was Different from what they Professed»: the Participation of Ambassadorial Missions in Avar-Roman War 568–570
Authors:   Lviv Historical Museum, Lahodych Volodymyr
Published: November 2022

The involvement of the Avar nomad horde in 557/558 in the political system under the leadership of Constantinople coincided with the appearance of the formers in the Eastern part of Europe. Upon signing the agreement in 557/558 A.D., under which nomads became federates of the Empire, the parties upheld the power balance in Balkan and Black Sea coast regions until the death of Justinian I in 565. According to this agreement, Avar Khagan Bayan I undertook to defend the Danube Limes of the Empire provided that basileus would pay and provide supplies and, in perspective, – would give territories of Moesia and Pannonia provinces to nomads for settlement. Also, during this short period, the Avar nobility tried to form their own political course, as opposed to the actions of Roman emperors. Romans, though, aimed at decentralizing the threat from barbarians. In practice, it led to a spontaneous, expansionist politic of Avars inside the Roman Empire’s sphere of interests in Central-Eastern Europe. This included: Avar raids on Antes tribals, Romei federates since the 60s of VI cent. A.D; territorial claims to Constantinople; provision and payment demands, and also misinforming Justinian the Great by Avar ambassadors. After Justin II (565–578) sat on the throne in Constantinople, Bayan I continued his attempts to quit diplomatic dependence of the Empire. As a result, the successor of Justinian the Great, Justin II, tried to cut down the Gordian knot in relations with nomads, which provoked the short-term armed confrontation. Just like nowadays, at the time of the conflict, opponents repeatedly made use of diplomatic parleys as a way to exert pressure on their enemy. Apart from that, both parties, during the war, enlisted support from the third sides, negatively disposed against the Empire (Francs, Langobards) on the one hand and the newly formed Khaganate (Turks) on the other.
Educational Value of Toys for Boys in Ukrainian Society of 11th – 18th Centuries (on the Example of Ceramic Grasshoppers)
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Anykiienko Vadym
Published: November 2022

The article is devoted to the study of children’s toys (ceramic grasshoppers) for boys as a means of education in Ukrainian society of the 11th – 18th centuries. The author explores their educational value in terms of preparing the child for adult life, in the context of family relationships between parents and children. Because parents try to instill in their children the skills that she will need in adulthood. In addition, they are not always close to the child, and therefore can provide the child with a toy as a substitute for their presence, which continues the upbringing. It is established that the key role in learning with the help of toys belongs to the game process, the plots of which are influenced by the environment. After all, a child takes as an example to follow the behavior of their parents and their activities in everyday life. It is noted that fairy tales are designed to help parents to bring up, and the child – to better absorb the image provided. They trace the image of a child engaged in adult activities. The article also pays attention to tracing the change in the main areas of education of boys with the help of ceramic grasshoppers in Ukrainian society during this period. The focus is on the relationship between changing the appearance of the toy and changing the direction of education (fixing a certain image). On some toys there are additional elements that serve as a detail of the gameplay, and thus bring it as close as possible to the real animal. It is determined that during the XI–XVIII centuries. The main semantic load contained in the ceramic conic remains, but which undergoes certain modifications over time. Ceramic toys from the exposition of the Museum of Antiquities of Podillya (Kamianets-Podilskyi), the Volyn Museum of Local Lore and the funds of the Museum of the History of the City of Kyiv are involved in the research.
M proteins are the major pathogenicity factors of Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Burova Larisa A. , Suvorov Alexander N. , Totolian Artem A.
Published: November 2022

M proteins are the major pathogenicity factors of the widespread and potentially deadly bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. These proteins confer to bacteria resistance against innate and adaptive immune responses. The study of the M proteins of hemolytic streptococci group A and their involvement in pathology clearly indicates that strains of streptococci, for one reason or another devoid of M proteins are unable to multiply in the macroorganism and form a focus of infection. This circumstance in itself once again underlines the leading role of M proteins in the realization of its many properties and in the development of the infectious process. The ability of M proteins to recruit plasma proteins of the macroorganism is their significant pathogenetic properties. The most important is the nonimmune binding by M proteins of human immunoglobulins, because it participates in the suppression of phagocytosis, violations of bacterial opsonization and complement activation along the classical pathway, not to mention the possible involvement of this phenomenon in the genesis of post-infectious complications of autoimmune nature. This review summarizes the current data on the structure M proteins, their functional activity, manifestations of pathogenicity, genetic regulation and methods of emm-typing.
Application of herbal medicinal raw material in complex treatment COVID-19
Authors: Khaliullina Alyona S. , Shakirova Dilyara Kh. , Aliullina Leysan A. , Morgatskaya Olga V.
Published: November 2022

COVID-19 is an acute respiratory viral infection caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV). Currently, approaches to coronavirus infusion are mostly confined to pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy. New treatment strategies include research to find new molecul candidates for COVID-19 treatment, as well as the repositioning of existing medicinal products. Recently, medicinal plants have been actively studied as potential candidates for COVID-19 treatment, showing high levels of antiviral activity and anti-inflammatory activity. This review focuses on medicinal plants whose biologically active substances are used or can be used for the treatment and the supportive therapy for a new coronavirus infection.
Optimization of purification conditions and study of antigenic properties of recombinant nucleocapsid protein of different SARS-CoV-2 strains
Authors: Rak Alexandra Ya. , Donina Svetlana A. , Isakova-Sivak Irina N. , Rudenko Larisa G.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: In the context of the constant manifestation of new SARS-CoV-2 strains and the need to determine the immunogenicity of new variants of antiviral vaccines, it is necessary to create diagnostic test systems based on conservative viral proteins. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein can be considered as a candidate antigen. However, the relevance of existing test systems based on it for determining the titer of antibodies produced in response to infection by recently emerging strains is unknown.
AIM: The goal is to optimize the conditions for obtaining recombinant N proteins of various SARS-CoV-2 strains and to analyze the possibility of creating ELISA test systems based on them.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bacterial strains producing N proteins were obtained by amplifying the corresponding genes and ligating them into the pETDuet-1 expression vector. Expression was induced at 20 or 37C for 1, 2, 4, or 20 h using inducer (IPTG) concentrations of 0.1 mM or 0.5 mM with or without the addition of 3% ethanol. Proteins were purified from biomass by metal affinity chromatography and used as antigens for the detection of antiviral antibodies by ELISA.
RESULTS: It was found that the concentration of the inductor sufficient for the expression of recombinant proteins is 0.1 mM, the induction time is 1 h, and the required temperature is 37 C. The influence of the presence of ethanol as an expression-stimulating reagent was not revealed. When determining the titers of antiviral antibodies using the obtained proteins, cross-reactivity of serums of COVID-19 convalescents was established regarding to antigens of various SARS-CoV-2 strains.
CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of effective induction of protein synthesis at a minimum concentration of the inducer and cultivation time indicates the economy of its production, and antigen recognition by antiviral antibodies indicates a native structure. Cross-reactivity of the blood sera of convalescents indicates the slow character of the evolution of the antigenic properties of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. Thus, the purified proteins can be used as a basis for development of diagnostic test systems.
Generation and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses
Authors: Rudometova Nadezhda B. , Shcherbakov Dmitry N. , Karpenko Larisa I.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: Pseudovirus technology is a versatile and valuable tool for both fundamental and applied virological research. Pseudotyped viruses provide the same cell entry mechanism as SARS-CoV-2 and are widely used to investigate the virus entry mechanism, cell tropism, and virus neutralization assays.
AIM: The aim of the work is to obtain pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 viruses and evaluate their transducing activity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using genetic engineering methods, a genetic construct carrying the SARS-CoV-2 glycoprotein S gene was obtained, as well as the pLenti-Luc-GFP reporter plasmid encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and firefly luciferase genes. Pseudovirus particles were generated by transfection of eukaryotic cells. The transducing activity of pseudoviral particles displaying SARS-CoV-2 glycoprotein S on their surface was studied using HEK293, HEK293-hACE2, and HEK293-hACE2-TMPRSS2 (t) cell cultures.
RESULTS: Based on the second-generation lentiviral platform, pseudoviruses were obtained that exhibit SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein on their surface. It was found that the pseudoviruses penetrate more efficiently into HEK293-hACE2-TMPRSS2 cells than into HEK293-hACE2. Pseudoviruses have been shown to be sensitive to neutralization by recombinant monoclonal antibodies that interact with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein.
CONCLUSIONS: The pseudoviruses can be used both to search for antiviral drugs that would be able to block the penetration of SARS-CoV-2 into the target cell, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed monoclonal antibodies and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.
Immunogenicity of mRNA encoding RBD SARS-CoV-2 in complex with a polycationic carrier
Authors: Rudometov Andrey P. , Sharabrin Sergey V. , Borgoyakova Maria B. , Volosnikova Ekaterina A. , Rudometova Nadezhda B. , Orlova Lyubov A. , Ilyichev Alexander A. , Karpenko Larisa I.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: RBD, receptor-binding domain, a key region of the SARS-CoV-2 surface glycoprotein for virus binding to host cell receptors and one of the targets of virus-neutralizing antibodies. That is why RBD is a promising immunogen for the development of vaccines that can provide protection against COVID-19. Vaccine mRNA is one of the new and rapidly developing vaccine platforms, and the delivery system is a very important component of it.
AIM: The aim of this work was to present the results of a study of the antigenic properties of mRNA encoding the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 when administered in combination with a polycationic carrier.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering were used to characterize mRNA complexes with a polyglucin-spermidine conjugate. To assess the immunogenicity of mRNA were immunized BALB/c mice. The specific activity of the sera was assessed using enzyme immunoassay.
RESULTS: As a result, the sizes and surface charge of the RBD-encoding mRNA complexes with the polyglucin-spermidine conjugate were determined. It has been shown that wrapping mRNA in a polyglucin-spermidine conjugate shell leads to an increase in the induction of RBD-specific antibodies in BALB/c mice compared to naked mRNA.
CONCLUSIONS: An mRNA encoding the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 has been obtained. It has been shown that the packaging of mRNA into the polyglucin-spermidine conjugate shell leads to an increase in immunogenic properties.
Delivery of a DNA vaccine encoding SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) by electroporation
Authors: Kisakov Denis  N. , Orlova Lyubov  A. , Sharabrin Сергей  V. , Rudometov Andrey  P. , Borgoyakova Maria  B. , Starostina Ekaterina  V. , Karpenko Larisa  I. , Ilyichev Alexander  A.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid-based prevention tools provide a promising platform for developing vaccines, including those against COVID-19. Previously, we developed the pVAXrbd DNA vaccine encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, which, when administered intramuscularly to animals, induced a relatively weak immune response. The next stage of the study is to increase the immune response, in particular, using electroporation as one of the methods for increasing the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines.
AIM: The aim of this article is to evaluate the immune response using electroporation in mice after immunization with pVAXrbd.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALB/c mice were immunized with pVAXrbd using direct and reverse polarity square wave direct current electroporation with three pulses of 12 V for 30 ms and an interval of 950 ml with a current limit of 45 mA.
RESULTS: BALB/c mice were immunized twice with an interval of three weeks with a dose of 100 g of DNA. Using ELISA, the titers of RBD-specific antibodies in the group of animals immunized with pVAXrbd using electroporation were 1:109350, which is 16 times higher than in the group of animals that received the DNA vaccine only intramuscularly (titers 1:6750). IFN ELISpot analysis showed that the largest number of cells (2434 spots/splenocytes, million) producing IFN in response to stimulation with peptides from the RBD protein was registered in the group of animals immunized with pVAXrbd using electroporation. For comparison, in the control group, the number of cells is 6.5 times lower: 380 spots / splenocytes, mln.
CONCLUSIONS: Administration of the pVAXrbd DNA vaccine to laboratory animals by electroporation significantly enhances both the humoral and cellular specific immune response compared to intramuscular administration of the naked DNA vaccine.
Analysis of the course of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 in pregnant women under treatment in the Infection Department of Clinical Hospital no. 1 in Smolensk
Authors: Skvortsova Anastasia A. , Zakharova Anna I. , Kostina Sofia A. , Rozinkova Olga S. , Melnikova Anna B. , Simakina Elena N.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: The physiological features of the pregnant womans body include her in the risk group for a more severe course of the disease, therefore, the management and treatment of such patients requires the most careful monitoring, as well as the coordinated work of a gynecologist and an infectious disease specialist.
AIM: To evaluate the variants of the course of the disease in pregnant women with confirmed coronavirus infection.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients who were treated in the infectious diseases department of the Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Smolensk from May 2020 to September 2021 were analyzed, the necessary data were included in the protocols of our study. Such indicators as the main diagnosis and severity of the course of the disease, complaints at admission, the presence and stage of fever, age, gestational age, the presence of concomitant pathology and a complicated obstetric and gynecological history were evaluated.
RESULTS: Analysis of the course of the disease according to the medical history showed that a moderate form of a new coronavirus infection dominates pregnant women.
CONCLUSIONS: A trend towards a moderate course of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19 has been established. The probability that this is due to the presence in most patients with a history of diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, as well as diabetes, obesity, anemia.
Assessment of cell-mediated immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Syrian hamsters
Authors: Mezhenskaya Daria А. , Isakova-Sivak Irina N. , Rudenko Larisa G.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the end of 2019 remains to be a serious healthcare problem. Constant antigenic drift of the pathogen led to a decrease of licensed COVID-19 vaccines effectiveness. And the development of broad-spectrum vaccines with high effectiveness rate against evolutionarily divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants remains an urgent issue. Unlike virus-specific antibodies with limited spectrum of action, T-cell immunity has a wider cross-protective potential. Syrian hamsters are the most appropriate model for preclinical evaluation of new vaccine candidates, since these animals are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and show clinical symptoms of the disease. However, study of T-cell vaccine response in hamsters is complicated by the lack of available reagents and test systems for adequate assessment of the virus-specific cellular immunity levels after vaccination.
AIM: In this work, we report an optimized protocol of stimulation of Syrian hamsters immune cells with a live SARS-CoV-2 virus to assess virus-specific T-cell responses.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intranasal infection of animals with SARS-CoV-2 virus followed by stimulation of immune cells with different doses of whole live coronavirus and counting of IFN-producing cells by ELISpot method.
RESULTS: Stimulation of spleen and lung cells with SARS-CoV-2 at a dose 0.1 TCID50/cell is the most optimal viral concentration for detecting maximum of cytokine-producing cells in SARS-CoV-2-infected animals. Stimulation of cells with whole virus revealed greater number of virus-specific cells compared to a stimulation with pools of SARS-CoV-2 lyophilized peptides (S and N proteins).
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the new methodology allows assessment of the immunogenicity of COVID-19 T-cell vaccines more accurately in preclinical studies using the Syrian hamsters model.