bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STAGES OF BIOFILMS FORMATION BY THE LEADING PATHOGENS IN CHILDREN WITH PYELONEPHRITIS ON CONGENITAL HYDRONEPHROSIS BACKGROUND DEPENDING ON CHILD’S AGE
Authors: Mishyna Maryna , Marchenko Iryna , Davydenko Vyacheslav , Mozgova Yuliya , Malanchuk Svitlana , Dukarov Serhei , Mishyn Yuriy
Published: February 2021

The aim: to study the stages of primary and secondary biofilms formation by the leading pathogens in children with pyelonephritis on congenital hydronephrosis background depending on child’s age.
Materials and methods. Venflons, catheters, urine were used as material for microbiological study. Identification of microorganisms was provided with MICRO-LA-TESTÒID kits. Isolates were tested for ability to form biofilms in Petri dishes with d=40 mm. The morphological structure of the biofilms was studied by scanning electron microscopy.
Results: The study of structural and functional features of biofilms formation by leading pathogens of in children with pyelonephritis on congenital hydronephrosis background depending on child’s age revealed a number of features and patterns. In addition to the classical stages of biofilms formation as 3D structure there was found a dissemination of planktonic cells with the release of bacteria or loss of single fragments that spread throughout the body and attach to the substrate with the formation of a new or secondary biofilm. In children under 3 years it was shown that the cocci attachment to the substrate appeared faster than in gram-negative rods and had appearance of separate structures. The longest stage of primary biofilms formation in young children was the co-aggregation. Detecting an ability to colonize with the formation of a secondary biofilm in isolates established that the longest stage was re-adsorption and the shortest was re-aggregation, which lasted 2 hours in all detected pathogens. In middle-aged children, the duration of adhesion stage was reduced by 1-2 hours compared with it in young children.
Conclusions. Scientific data about the stages of biofilms formation by microorganisms, causative agents of pyelonephritis in children was updated. Adhesion stage of isolates from elder children with pyelonephritis on background of congenital hydronephrosis underwent faster in the formation of secondary biofilms than in primary, and it formed the possibility for chronic process and the development of recurrences. The duration of each stage in biofilms formation by causative agents of pyelonephritis in children with congenital hydronephrosis depended on the age of the child and the properties of microorganisms
INVESTIGATION OF CARROT FOOD VALUE DEPENDING ON SORT PECULIARITIES AND ITS CHANGE AT STORAGE
Authors: Pusik Ludmila , Pusik Vlаdimir , Bondarenko Veronika , Gaevaya Ludmila , Kyruchina Natalja , Slobodyanyk Нalyna , Shchetyna Serhii , Shchetyna Maryna , Kononenko Lidiіa
Published: February 2021

A food value of carrot roots is determined by a content of such chemical composition components as dry substance, ascorbic acid, carotene and other. The carrot value is also determined by its ability to be stored for a long time. The research aim was to study a food value change of different carrot sorts at storage open in boxes. The research gives an ability to search a carrot sort, suitable for long storage, and also to search arrangements for better preservation of carrot nutritiousness at storage.
It has been established, that the dynamics and intensity of losses of the roots’ food value depends on sort peculiarities. Thus, during 7.5 months of storage sorts Daryna, Shantane KL and Nant Kharkiv lost from 0.92 to 4.12 % of dry substance. The content of total sugar decreased by 0.16 and 0.77 % of its initial content in sorts Daryna and Nant Kharkiv, whereas Shantane demonstrated the content increase at the end of storage by 0.29 %. The same tendency was observed also by changes of the content of monosaccharides and saccharose.
The content of ascorbic acid and carotene during storage varied from increase to decrease. At the end of storage losses of ascorbic acid and carotene were 1.43–1.93 and 3.42–4.26 mg/100 g respectively. The content of nitrates at the end of storage in Daryna roots remained at the initial level – 202 mg/kg of the humid mass, in Shantane and Nant Kharkiv it decreased by 18 and 26 % respectively.
At that it must be noted, that the processes of nutritiousness changes were more intensive in Daryna and Nant Kharkiv roots. In Shantane the carrot roots content changes of chemical composition components were slower.
STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE DEVELOPED FRUIT AND BERRY SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCT
Authors: Cherevko Oleksander , Mykhaylov Valerii , Zahorulko Andrii , Zagorulko Aleksey , Gordienko Iryna
Published: February 2021

One of progress directions of the modern food industry is the development and introduction of innovative technologies and assortment of functional food products, allowing to decrease risks of disease progression and favoring the population health.
Such products include multicomponent fruit and berry pastes and dried powder fractions. They are natural vitamin carriers, may be used as a supplement or a base for creating a wide spectrum of food products with healthy properties.
A production way for fruit and berry semi-finished product using non-traditional raw materials has been created. For creating paste or dried faction, raw materials with a high content of pectins for better structuring and with correspondent healing-prophylactic properties were selected. Apple was taken as a base of the paste with adding non-traditional raw materials – ziziphus and black aronia. The way differs by the process of dehydration by concentrating up to 44…46 % of dry substances in a rotor evaporator, then, if necessary, additional drying in a thermoradiative one-drum rolling dryer up to 5..8 % of dry substances.
Structural-mechanical parameters of experimental samples of the paste after concentrating up to 45 % content of dry substances have been determined. An effective viscosity increase for all three experimental samples as 33…59 % comparing with apple paste has been established. It is explained by higher content of pectin substances in ziziphus. The most effective viscosity index is 584 Pa∙s belongs to a sample with the components content: apple – 50 %, ziziphus – 45 %, black aronia – 5 %.
The developed semi-product may be used as a vitamin supplement, filler or thickener at producing functional food products in confectionary, milk, bakery industry and also for preparing dishes and drinks at restaurant economies and under home conditions
Observing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Readiness to Support Cashless Society
Authors: Chairunnisa Shinta Maurizka , Alfina Alfina , Yasmin Annisa
Published: February 2021

Digital transformation in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0, has led to various new phenomena in today's people's lifestyle, including the payment transaction system. Realizing that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) had been one of the economy’s pillars in Indonesia, the government was trying to maximize the role of MSMEs to support the realization of a digital transaction ecosystem in Indonesia. With a phenomenological approach, the descriptive qualitative research aimed to provide in-depth observation and analysis on the readiness process of MSMEs in Tuban, East Java in adopting digital payment technology to support the realization of the trend of a cashless society. The results show that culture, social influence, and acceptance of technology are the dominant factors affecting the readiness process of MSMEs in Tuban in adopting digital payment technology.
Leadership Agility and Digital Quotient Influence on Employee Engagement: between PT.X and PINRUMAH.COM
Authors: Fitaloka Ririn , Sugarai Bima , Arung Perkasa Andi Randirga , Saputra Nopriadi
Published: February 2021

The research aimed to determine whether leadership (leadership agility) and digital intelligence (digital quotient) have an influence on employee engagement. The data collection method was conducted by distributing questionnaires to employees, which obtained a sample of 150 people in pharmaceutical companies and Pinrumah.com. The analysis method was multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software as data processing. The results show that both leadership agility and digital quotient have significant effects on employee engagement.
Social Unrest of Betawi‘s Traditional Arts and Culture Performers during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Wardhana Iwan Henry , Nurhasana Renny
Published: February 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has led many people to reduce gathering outside their homes. The imposition of social restrictions and territorial quarantine has caused social unrest in many sectors of society. This social unrest occurs because economic activities have stopped or decreased suddenly and income has decreased drastically. Social unrest is an escalation process that must be handled immediately so that it does not escalate to a higher level. The level of social unrest begins with disappointment with a policy experienced by a community. This social unrest is experienced by Betawi’s traditional arts and culture performers in Jakarta due to a sudden decrease in the number of artistic and cultural activities that have an impact on their economic activities. Their social unrest data is then collected by Jakarta Capital City Government, through the Jakarta Culture Office via an intensive interview with Betawi’s traditional arts and culture figures. The results of the interviews were identified and then used as the basis for formulating policies that could reduce social unrest in the Betawi arts and cultural performers. Preventing social unrest from moving to a greater level means preventing greater handling costs that have to be carried out at a larger level.
The Determinant Factors of KAI Access Awareness in PT. Kereta Api Indonesia from Millennial Generation Perspective
Authors: Kartono Rano , Wildan Tamami Afif
Published: February 2021

PT. Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), as a monopoly train company in Indonesia, launches KAI Access which has been downloaded by more than 5 million users, but only about 1,1 million users are active. The research intended to determine the relationship between brand experience, brand trust, perceived quality of customer satisfaction, and brand awareness in the minds of KAI Access consumers. The research used primary data with millennial populations by 986.775 and purposive sampling method with 400 KAI Access users spread over 9 Daops (operational areas) of PT. Kereta Api Indonesia in Java with a Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis approach. The results show that brand experience and perceived quality have a positive effect on customer satisfaction while brand trust has a negative effect. Whereas customer satisfaction and brand experience are directly proportional to brand awareness.
The Effect of Work Autonomy and Workload on Job Satisfaction of Female Workers in the Banking Sector: Mediating the Role of Work Life Balance
Authors: Fuadiputra Iqbal Ramadhani , Rofida Novianti Khusnul
Published: February 2021

The research focused on the role of work-life balance to mediate the effect of work autonomy and workload on female workers’ job satisfaction, particularly in the banking sector. By applying quantitative approach and data collection, the research used questionnaire to 100 female workers in the banking sector in Malang city, East Java, and analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS) software. The results show that workload has a significant effect on work-life balance. Work autonomy, workload, and work-life balance have a direct and insignificant effect on job satisfaction. Nevertheless, the research highlights the importance of managing work-life balance especially for female workers related to high workload and less autonomy for their job satisfaction in the banking sector especially in Malang.
FIRST REPORT ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF VOLATILE OIL FROM Psidium firmum O. BERG LEAVES
Authors: Fernandes Cassia , Chrystal Pietro , Pereira Alexandra , Colli Ana , Stenico Livia , Ribeiro Arthur , Squarisi Iara , Candido Ana , Tavares Denise , Magalhães Lizandra , Crotti Antônio , Martins Carlos , Miranda Mayker
Published: February 2021

Brazil has the greatest plant diversity in the world. Many species exhibit a wide range of phytochemical compounds which can be exploited in food, agronomic, pharmacological and medicinal plant industries. Therefore, the chemical composition and in vitro bioactivities of volatile oil from Psidium firmum fresh leaves (PfVO) were investigated for the first time. GC-FID and GC-MS analyses revealed 28 compounds in PfVO. The major ones were α-selinene (20.8%), β-caryophyllene (16.5%) and nerolidol (10.4%). Results showed that PfVO affected the growth of Leishmania amazonensis promastigote forms in a dose-dependent manner; its IC50 value was 14.05 µg/mL. PfVO also exhibited antibacterial activity against Salmonella enteritidis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Listeria monocytogenes; MIC values ranged from 25 µg/mL to 250 µg/mL. Moreover, PfVO promoted normal cell growth inhibition at 61.02 ± 1.97 µg/mL. Antiproliferative activity was observed against human tumor cell lines; IC50 values of MCF-7 cells, HeLa cells and M059J cells were 47.91 µg/mL, 73.78 µg/mL and 41.94 µg/mL, respectively. Results provided strong evidence of the promising potential of PfVO as a nature-based antileishmanial, antibacterial and antiproliferative agent.
ANALYTICAL METHOD VALIDATION FOR THE IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF DISSOLVED GOLD AND GOLD NANOPARTICLES IN COSMETICS PRODUCTS BY SINGLE PARTICLE INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY
Authors: Santos Lisia , Barata-Silva Cristiane , Vicentini Neto Santos , Fonseca Mayssa , Magalhães Carolina , Moreira Josino , Jacob Silvana
Published: February 2021

Nanoparticle (NP) applications have recently gained more space in the development of many products, especially in cosmetology. The aim of the present study was to validate a single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique for the detection and quantification of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and gold ions (Au (i)) in different cosmetics currently marketed in Brazil. The size limit of detection for pure AuNPs was 22 nm, and a concentration limit of detection of 2.3×106 particles g−1 was achieved. The limit of detection for total gold was 0.02 µg L−1 obtained in standard mode conditions. The recovery achieved was 98% for dissolved Au and 109% for AuNPs; the relative standard deviation was <5%. This validated method was applied to cosmetic products (n = 10) from different national and international industrial producers. Most cosmetics analysed contained quantifiable amounts of dissolved gold (< 0.005-2.1 µg g−1) and only four contained quantifiable amounts AuNPs the variability of the results detected (< LOD – 9.3 × 108 particles g−1). The products that contained the greatest amount of these metallic NPs were the artisanal products. The results demonstrate the importance of adequate quality control for cosmetics to ensure consumer safety
Elements of official ideology in Norwegian language textbooks for foreigners
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Ermakova Olga , Taratonkina Irina ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: February 2021

This article discusses the Norwegian language textbooks for foreigners Stein på stein and Her på berget, published from 1995 to 2015. These textbooks are analyzed as tools for promoting the official ideology and as sources of information showing how Norwegians would like to present their society and themselves to representatives of other nations. Such an interpretation is considered to be possible since these publications are primarily designed for immigrants who are planning to come to Norway for permanent residence. Norwegian language courses are expected to provide future citizens of Norway with the necessary knowledge about the society, culture and history of the country, and allow them to become acquainted with the values and lifestyle of Norwegians. The focus of the article is one of the most popular series of textbooks published by Cappelen Damm: Stein på stein and Her på berget. Over the course of twenty-five years, new editions of these textbooks have been published: for example, the first edition of the textbook Stein på stein was published in 1990, and the last one in 2015. The new editions show changes in the image of Norwegian society, shifts on emphasis, the themes that were important to discuss in different editions, and some new concepts and topics that the authors of the textbooks considered necessary to introduce in the new editions. When analyzing the texts, the authors single out several lexical ideologemes, the so-called “values” (verdier), which can be considered especially significant in the self-presentation of the Norwegian nation. Such ideologemes as “equality” (likestilling / likhetstanke), “democracy” (demokratiet) and “environmentally conscious” (miljøbevissthet) are analyzed. The article considers the political background for the actualization of these concepts in educational texts; the development of the semantic fields, the core of which are the mentioned ideologemes; the organization of these concepts in the text and model characters of the textbooks as bearers of these “values”.
Collective nouns denoting trees in the Scandinavian languages
Authors:   University of Lodz, Habrajska Grażyna , Rychło Mikołaj ,   University of Gdansk, Witczak Krzysztof Tomasz ,   University of Lodz
Published: February 2021

T﻿his article discusses the collective names of trees used in the Scandinavian languages, as well as the formation process of similar collective names in Eastern and Western Germanic. It should be emphasized that the Northern Germanic languages used the suffix *-ijan for creating collective nouns which denote ‘a group of trees’, e. g. ON. birki n. coll. ‘birch forest’, Icel. birki ‘birch forest; birch’, Norw. birki ‘birch forest’, Swed. björke ‘birch forest, birch grove’ (< PG. *berkijan n. coll. ‘a group of birches, birch forest, birch grove’  PG. *berkō f. ‘birch, Betula’). The same suffix denoting collectivity and originating from the Proto-Indo-European language is also present as *-ьje in most Slavic languages, cf. Ru. dial. берéзье n. coll. ‘birch forest, birch twigs’; OPol. brzezie n. ‘birch grove or forest’; Cz. březí n. ‘small birch-grove’, also břízí n. ‘birch twigs, birch-wood’; Slovak brezie n. ‘small birch-forest, birch-grove’; SC. bre ̑ z je n. coll. ‘birch forest’, Sloven. brẹ̑ zje n. ‘id.’ (< PSl. *berzьje n. coll. ‘group of birches, birch forest, birchgrove’  PSl. *bȅrza f. ‘birch, Betula’). Further possible traces of the same suffix can be found in the Baltic languages (cf. OPrus. pannean n. ‘mossy fen’ vs. Go. fani n. ‘mud’, OSax. feni n. ‘fen’) suggesting that the Proto-Indo-European collective suffix can be reconstructed as *-ii̯ o m (n. coll.). It seems probable that some northern Indo-European tribes used the derivative word *bhe r ̥h 2 ĝ i i̯ o m (n.) to denote ‘a group of birch trees’, especially ‘a birch grove’ or ‘a birch forest’.
The perception of native vs. non-native Danish speech: Bent and Bradlow’s matched interlanguage speech intelligibility benefit revisited
Authors:   Adam Mickiewicz University, Korpal Paweł , Sobkowiak Mikołaj ,   Adam Mickiewicz University
Published: February 2021

The main objective of the study was to test the applicability of Bent and Bradlow’s matched interlanguage speech intelligibility benefit to the Danish-Polish language pair. We aimed to verify whether it was easier for Polish students of Danish to understand a Danish native speaker or a Polish speaker with a proficient command of Danish. Sixteen Polish students, divided into two groups of eight, listened to two recordings of two Danish texts: one recorded by a native speaker of Danish and the other one — by a native speaker of Polish who is a graduate of Danish philology from a Polish university. Before the experiment, all of the recordings were evaluated in terms of traces of foreign accent using a 7-point Likert scale, the experts being native speakers of Danish. The evaluators assessed the Polish native speaker’s pronunciation as proficient, but they identified certain segmental and suprasegmental features in his speech that are common indicators of a foreign accent in Danish. During the experiment, participants were asked to fill in each recording transcript with twenty missing words. The analysis of the results revealed that the participants scored higher when listening to the text recorded by the Polish speaker. Hence, the matched interlanguage speech intelligibility benefit was observed in a study using Polish as L1 (native language) and Danish as a foreign language. The study may provide a valuable insight into the question of non-native speech perception, foreign-accented speech and the veracity of the matched interlanguage speech intelligibility benefit for the Polish–Danish language pair.
Karen Bixen reads the Olaf Tryggvason saga: Reseption of the saga and narrative strategies in “The Bear and the Kiss”
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Lomagina Anastasia
Published: February 2021

The article analyses the reception of the Norse sagas in Karen Blixen’s short story “The Bear and the Kiss” written in 1958 with the main focus on the “saga of Olaf Tryggvason”. Drawing on Wolfgang Iser’s reception theory, the article explores the hierarchy of the pre-texts that are traceable in the text of the considered story and suggests a system of markers that are meant to include interaction with the precedent texts. The typology of markers includes the characters’ names, metaphorical use of mythological or historical personas, the identified cited texts or stories, identical attributes (in this particular text — a glove thrown into a person’s face), the characters’ appearance, and similarity or contrast with the storyline of the other unidentified text. The analysis shows that there are two possible effects of the use of references: semantic compression and, conversely, symbolist and Neoplatonic circling around the event, which creates a semantic gap. The reader can either find himself aware of a riddle yet being unable to understand how the events or reactions fit into the plot or assume the role of an investigator creating his own interpretation of the storyline. The examined strategy of circling around the truth in order to indicate an idea or a fact by using metaphors, comparisons, and allusions in combination with Walter Benjamin’s and Edward Forster’s philosophy of oral storytelling allows Blixen’s short stories to fit neatly into the context of European modernism.
Literary reminiscences and the symbols of modern Finland in Ismo Alanko’s poetry
Authors:   Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History of Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Soini Helena
Published: February 2021

The article discusses the imagery system in the work of the modern Finnish poet Ismo Alanko. Literary and folklore traditions in his poetry are well researched. The poet has created a rather critical image of Finland as a Lutheran country full of national markers, but well-aware of its literature: “Martti Luther ja muovipussi” (Martin Luther and a plastic bag). Images of Finnish architecture, gray buildings in glass and metal, and a heavy gray northern sky connect Alanko’s poetry to Russian culture, to the name of Isaak Levitan who negatively described Finland as a kingdom of gray. Alanko clearly knows about Levitan’s words “Gray water and gray people, gray life”, but he gets into a debate with the artist, proving that gray has many shades of joy. One of the leaders of Finnish expressionism, Uuno Kailas, associated the nature and people of Finland with gray. But Kailas’ gray is clearly negative and lifeless. Alanko, on the other hand, distinguishes in gray all kinds of positive signs of life. His poems are characterized by the description of the lyrical hero’s irrational states against the background of the fantastic landscapes of Lapland, creating mythological images not immediately amenable to interpretation. For example, in the image of Mooneye from the North (kuusilmä pohjoisesta), there is a motif of turning a girl into a fish, typical for Finnish and Karelian epic songs, also familiar to us from Kalevala and Eino Leino’s poetry. Alanko comprehends serious worldview problems with poetic elegance, with the power of poetic word removing the contradiction between religious and common, rational, and irrational. Alanko revives Kalevala meter not in a “museum” form, but with modern accents and in his native Finnish language.
Thomas Tranströmer’s poetic syntax and its Russian translation
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chekalina Elena
Published: February 2021

The article discusses the syntactic structure of Tomas Tranströmer’s poems that reflects the uniqueness of his poetic worldview and the depth of philosophical meaning. Chains of homogenous parts of the sentence, mostly with conjunctionless coordination, are used to reflect the infinite diversity of the outer world as seen through the poetic vision. In these conjunctionless coordinated chains of nominal parts of the sentence — attributes and objects — commas are used for rythmical and expressive purposes, stressing the semantic significance of every component, and facilitate preserving the alliterative sounding of the poem. By contrast, when objects of the outer world are depicted with a negative value as a chaotic mass, commas between the lexemes that refer to them, are absent. Tranströmer’s poetic syntax is also characterized by a special “density” of relative clauses introduced with the conjunction som, that often expand on the main part in the form of a nominal sentence. They often have a complicated syntactic structure with “cyclic” repetition of the prop-word. Another typical feature of versification in Tranströmer’s works is the use of elaborate syntactic compounds which include various constructions — extended predicative attributes, adverbial constructions with the preposition med, as well as complex objects with an infinitive. A special function in Tranströmer’s syntactic structure is assigned to colons and hyphens. The use of colons makes it possible to express what is only accessible to the poet’s inner vision — what is hidden in the past or the future, seen in a dream, and revealing itself in the distant space. The use of hyphens inside sentences and between them expands the limits of the outer world making its image multidimensional. Translating Tranströmer involves the use of syntactic transformations caused by the typological differences between Swedish and Russian. Lexical substitutions can also be found, including the use of Russian words of a higher register, for example, the translation of the relative pronoun som ‘which’ with the conjunction что meaning ‘which’ but in a higher register and typical of an epic narrative, allows for the preservation of the rythmic structure of the original.
From a dialogue of cultures to a dialogue of ideas: The Swedish theosophist Emanuel Swedenborg in the perception of the German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard in the context of the current discussion
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Koryshev Mikhail , Ivanova Ekaterina ,   St. Petersburg State University, Petersen Katja ,   Helmut Schmidt University, Schmidt Katja ,   Helmut Schmidt University
Published: February 2021

This article completes a series of works on the reception of Scandinavian and Dutch cultural heritage in the works of the outstanding German psychiatrist and psychologist Karl Leonhard (1904–1988). His assessments already deserve attention because the portraits of remarkable artists, writers, and thinkers presented in his works, thanks to the research and undoubted literary talent of their author, on the one hand, go beyond the usual pathographies in terms of depth of analysis and mastery of presentation. On the other hand, the portraits serve as artifacts of an era in the history of medicine, when on the foundation of a cultural dialogue between Russia and Germany a unique dialogue of the German and Russian psychiatric thought developed — something that the historical vicissitudes of the twentieth century could not prevent. The authors of the article make an attempt to bring together the approaches available to the history of culture to study the perception of the personality and work of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) as reflected in Leonhard’s last book. Leonhard’s assessments not only capture a certain period in the reception history of the Swedish thinker and naturalist in German culture — they are a monument to the peculiar naturalistic culture of German nosological psychiatry, inscribed in the history of medical thought. Clinical experience leads the German psychiatrist to conclude that Swedenborg’s diagnosis of schizophrenia in its traditional Kraepelinian sense, which the Russian school of psychiatry is inclined to follow, is wrong, but the German psychiatrist himself comes to the conclusion that Swedenborg has an amalgam type of psychosis — phonemic confabulation paraphrenia. Following Leonhard, the authors of the article examine Swedenborg’s works, the testimonies of his contemporaries about him and his family as well as reproduce the picture of symptoms of mental illness taking into account the latest historical, cultural and medical-psychological works about the Swedish mystic. In their critical analysis, the authors emphasize the relevance of the classification of Leonhard’s endogenous psychoses, drawing the reader’s attention to the evidence about Swedenborg’s emotional- volitional and cognitive sphere within the historical and cultural context of 18th century Sweden. In conclusion, the authors announce the publication of the full text of Leonhard’s essay translated into Russian with historical, cultural and medical-psychological commentary.
Artificial Intelligence: the “Trait D’Union” in Different Analysis Approaches of Autism Spectrum Disorder Studies
Authors: Marciano Francesca , Venutolo Giorgia , Ingenito Carminia Marina , Verbeni Antonella , Terracciano Concetta , Plunk Elizabeth , Garaci Francesco , Cavallo Armando , Fasano Alessio
Published: February 2021

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting
approximately 1 out of 70 (range 1:59 – 1:89) children worldwide. It is characterized
by a delay in cognitive capabilities, repetitive and restricted behaviors and deficit in communication
and social interaction. Several factors seem to be associated with ASD development;
its heterogeneous nature makes the diagnosis difficult and slow since it is essentially
based on screening tools focused on stereotypical and repetitive behaviors, gait, facial
emotion expression and speech assessments.

Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used to investigate ASD with the
overall goal of simplifying and speeding up the diagnostic process as well as making earlier
access to therapies possible. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the
state-of-the-art research in the ASD field, identifying and describing machine learning
(ML) approaches in ASD literature that could be used by clinicians to improve diagnostic
capability and treatment efficiency. A systematic search was conducted and the resulting
articles were subdivided into several categories reflecting the different fields of study
associated with ASD research. The existing literature has widely demonstrated the potential
of ML in several types of ASD study analyses: behavior, gait, speech, facial emotion
expression, neuroimaging, genetics, and metabolomics. Therefore, AI techniques are becoming
increasingly implemented and accepted, so highlighting the power of ML approaches
to extract and obtain knowledge from a large volume of data. This makes ML a
promising tool for future ASD research and clinical endeavors suggesting possible avenues
for improving ASD screening, diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
A Comprehensive Review on the Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of the Mandragora Genus; from Folk Medicine to Modern Medicine
Authors: Monadi Taha , Azadbakht Mohammad , Ahmadi Amirhossein , Chabra Aroona
Published: February 2021

The Mandragora genus (Solanaceae) is well known for its association with myths and has been used
in herbal medicine since ancient times. This extensive literature review synthesizes the information currently
available on the ethnobotany, Persian medicine (PM), traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity
profile of Mandragora spp. The electronic search engines Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google
Scholar, and ScienceDirect were searched using keywords such as Mandragora, mandrake, phytochemistry,
ethnopharmacology, Persian medicine, ethnobotany, and toxicity. Pertinent information was also extracted from
books on PM, ethnomedicine, and dissertations. Mandragora species are found throughout the Mediterranean
basin, Europe, Northern Africa, and the Himalayan regions. Traditionally, the species have been used to treat
insomnia, dysuria, hemorrhoids, rheumatic pain, toothache, melancholia, and depression, among many others.
In vitro studies have confirmed the biological properties of Mandragora spp. crude extracts, such as antioxidant,
immunomodulatory, and enzyme-inhibiting effects. Various phytochemicals, such as alkaloids (e.g., atropine
and scopolamine), coumarins (e.g., umbelliferone and scopoletin), withanolides (e.g., salpichrolide C), and
lipid-like compounds (e.g., beta-sitosterol), have been isolated from Mandragora spp. Some of the pure compounds
composing this plant are highlighted for their biologically active effects, including anticholinergic, antidepressant,
antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Modern identifications of biological activities of the
compounds isolated from Mandragora, especially alkaloids, support its traditional uses (e.g., for their narcotic
effects). More in vivo studies are required to further understanding and most effectively utilize this genus, and
extensive toxicological studies are required to validate its safety in clinical use.
Probing Protein-protein Interactions and Druggable Site Identification:
Mechanistic Binding Events Between Ubiquitin and Zinc Finger with
UFM1-specific Peptidase Domain Protein (ZUFSP)
Authors: Soliman Mahmoud E.S. , Ajadi Mary B. , Soremekun Opeyemi S. , Elrashedy Ahmed A , Olotu Fisayo A. , Kumalo Hezekiel M.
Published: February 2021

Background:

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) protein family have been implicated in some deregulated pathways involved in carcinogenesis such as cell cycle, gene expression, and DNA damage response (DDR). Zinc finger with UFM1-specific peptidase domain protein (ZUFSP) is one of the recently discovered members of the DUBs

Objectives:

To identify and cross validate the ZUFSP binding site using the bioinformatic tools including SiteMap & Metapocket respectively. To understand the molecular basis of complementary ZUFSP-Ub interaction and associated structural events using MD Simulation

Methods:

In this study, four binding pockets were predicted, characterized, and cross-validated based on physiochemical features such as site score, druggability score, site volume, and site size. Also, Molecular dynamics simulation technique was employed to determine the impact of ubiquitin-binding on ZUFSP

Results:

Site 1 with a site score 1.065, Size 102, D scores 1.00, and size volume 261 was predicted to be the most druggable site. Structural studies revealed that upon ubiquitin-binding, the motional movement of ZUFSP was reduced when compared to the unbound ZUFSP. Also, the ZUFSP helical arm (ZHA) domain orient in such a way that it moves closer to the Ub, this orientation enables the formation of a UBD which is very peculiar to ZUFSP.

Conclusion:

The impact of ubiquitin on ZUFSP movement and the characterization of its predicted druggable site can be targeted in the development of therapeutics
An Urgent Industrial Scheme Both for Total Synthesis, and for
Pharmaceutical Analytical Analysis of Umifenovir as an Anti-viral API
for Treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Siadati Seyyed Amir , Dadras Akbar , Rezvanfar Mohammad Amin , Beheshti Abolghasem , Naeimi Sedigheh Sadat
Published: February 2021

Background:

This paper is prepared to reveal about an urgent industrial scheme for a fast and facile total synthesis of umifenovir (arbidol) (by one-pot stages) as an antiviral agent for treating 2019-nCoV virus via inhibiting its viral replication in the human cells. As COVID-19, takes thousands of lives all around the world, it seems that the medicinal resources would not be enough to supply billions of peoples, currently living on the planet earth. Thus, this pandemic and its subsequent impacts on the natural order of our life, would be one of the most important threats against the entire human race.

Aims & Objective:

Due to this, in this project, we have made attempts to find an operative approach for synthesizing this compound as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), which showed it could be effective in inhibiting the newly emerged coronavirus.

Results:

The designed scheme uses relatively cheap precursors, and contains one pot stages, instead of seven time consuming, and more costly, linear steps. Also, it is tried to use safe and cheap solvents like water, and ethanol, instead of toxic ones like methanol, and pyridine which could cause rejection of the API in the organic volatile impurities (OVI) test of pharmacopeia analysis, as well as increasing the concern of inflammability, explosive, and carcinogenic properties of those common solvents.

Conclusion:

The most important pharmaceutical analytical methods containing OVI test (mainly ethanol (about 171 ppm) much lower than the limits, by gas chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) instrument), Assay content (about 99.6% by potentiometric titration), and related purity analysis (by High performance liquid chromatography-Ultraviolet Detector (HPLC-UV)) (about 99.8%) were performed and described to give a more clear industrial scheme.
Role of Amygdalin in Blocking DNA Replication in Breast Cancer In Vitro
Authors: Albogami Sarah , Alnefaie Alaa
Published: February 2021

Background:

Amygdalin has anticancer benefits because of its active component, hydrocyanic
acid. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear.

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which amygdalin exerts antiproliferative
effects in the human Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cell line.

Methods:

MCF-7 cells were exposed to amygdalin at a particular IC50 value for 24 and 48 hours and
compared to non-treated cells. An Affymetrix whole-transcript expression array was used to analyze
the expression of 32 genes related to DNA replication.

Results:

Among the 32 genes, amygdalin downregulated the expression of 16 genes and 19 genes by
>1.5-fold at 24 and 48 hours, respectively. At 24 hours, the downregulated genes from the DNA polymerase
α-primase complex were POLA1, POLA2, PRIM1, and PRIM2; DNA polymerase δ complex:
POLD3; DNA polymerase ε complex: POLE4, Minichromosome Maintenance protein (MCM) complex
(helicase): MCM2, MCM3, MCM4, MCM6, and MCM7; clamp and clamp loader: PCNA; nuclease:
FEN1; and DNA ligase: LIG1. At 48 hours, the downregulated genes from the DNA polymerase
α-primase complex were POLA1, POLA2, and PRIM1; DNA polymerase δ complex: POLD3; DNA
polymerase ε complex: POLE and POLE2; MCM complex (helicase): MCM2, MCM3, MCM4,
MCM5, MCM6, and MCM7; clamp and clamp loader: PCNA, RFC2, and RFC3; RNase H:
RNASEH2A; nucleases: DNA2 and FEN1; and DNA ligase: LIG1.

Conclusion:

Amygdalin treatment caused downregulation of several genes that play critical roles in
DNA replication in the MCF-7 cell line. Thus, it might be useful as an anticancer agent.
Cell-penetrating Peptide-mediated Nanovaccine Delivery
Authors: Jiang Jizong
Published: February 2021

Vaccination with small antigens, such as proteins, peptides, or nucleic acids, is used to activate the immune system and trigger the protective immune responses against a pathogen. Currently, nanovaccines are undergoing development instead of conventional vaccines. The size of nanovaccines is in the range of 10-500 nm, which enables them to be readily taken up by cells and exhibit improved safety profiles. However, low-level immune responses, as the removal of redundant pathogens, trigger counter-effective activation of the immune system invalidly and present a challenging obstacle to antigen recognition and its uptake via antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In addition, toxicity can be substantial. To overcome these problems, a variety of cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-mediated vaccine delivery systems based on nanotechnology have been proposed, most of which are designed to improve the stability of antigens in vivo and their delivery into immune cells. CPPs are particularly attractive components of antigen delivery. Thus, the unique translocation property of CPPs ensures that they remain an attractive carrier with the capacity to deliver cargo in an efficient manner for the application of drugs, gene transfer, protein, and DNA/RNA vaccination delivery. CPP-mediated nanovaccines can enhance antigen uptake, processing, and presentation by APCs, which are the fundamental steps in initiating an immune response. This review describes the different types of CPP-based nanovaccines delivery strategies.
A Comprehensive Review on Linum usitatissimum Medicinal Plant: Its Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Ethnomedicinal Uses
Authors: Akter Yeasmin , Junaid Md. , Afrose Syeda Samira , Nahrin Afsana , Alam Muhammad Shaiful , Sharmin Tania , Akter Rasheda , Hosen S.M. Zahid
Published: February 2021

Background:

Linum usitatissimum or flax has been broadly utilized in numerous milieus
worldwide as a primeval medicinal plant because of its health benefits in diverse types of diseases.

Objective:

The objective of this review is to assemble the latest information on the botanical description,
distribution, conventional uses, and biochemical constituents, along with the pharmacological
activities and toxicity of flax.

Methods:

For this purpose, data on Linum was accumulated from scientific journals, books, and
worldwide acknowledged scientific databases via a library and electronic search.

Results :

Phytochemical analysis showed that the major chemical constituents of L. usitatissimum are
ω-3 fatty acid, phytoestrogenic-lignans (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside-SDG), phenols, flavonoids,
sterols, proteins, antioxidants as well as various soluble and insoluble fibres. Among them, secoisolariciresinol
diglucosides (SDG) are the major bioactive compounds of L. usitatissimum with prospective
pharmacological accomplishments. Pure compounds and crude extracts isolated from L. usitatissimum
exhibited significant anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antidiabetic,
anti-diarrheal, anti-malarial, hepato-protective, reno-protective, immunosuppressive, antiarrhythmic,
and cognitive effects. Studies indicated that the toxicological effect from the consumption
of flaxseed is because of its cyanogenic glycosides, linatine, and cadmium, but the level does not seem
to be adequately concentrated to contribute to any physiological impact.

Conclusions:

Further studies are expected to comprehend the detailed mode of action of its dynamic
constituents as potent therapeutics and to completely reveal its preventive and healing potentials.
Glyceryl Monostearate based Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Controlled Delivery of Docetaxel
Authors: Rai Nadia , Madni Asadullah , Faisal Amir , Jamshaid Talha , Khan Muhammad Imran , Khan Muhammad Muzamil , Parveen Farzana
Published: February 2021

Background:

Background: Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) is the drug delivery systems that has the capability to improve drug release at the desired tumor site. The aim of present study was to develop Glyceryl Monostearate (GMS) based SLNs for the controlled delivery of docetaxel.

Method:

Hot Melt Encapsulation (HME) method was employed avoiding the use of organic solvents and therefore, regarded as green synthesis of SLNs.

Results:

Optimized DTX-SLNs showed desirable size (100 nm) with low poly dispersity index and excellent entrapment efficiency. Surface charge confirmed the stability of formulation. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) analysis showed spherical shaped particles and Fourier Transform Infrared Microscopy (FTIR) revealed compatibility among formulation excipients. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) analysis revealed that melting transition peak of optimized formulation was also greater than 40°C indicating that SLNs would be solid at body temperature. In-vitro release profile (68% in 24 hours) revealed the controlled release profile of DTX-SLNs indicating lipophilic docetaxel drug was entrapped inside high melting point lipid core. Cytotoxicity study revealed that blank SLNs were found to be biocompatible while dose dependent cytotoxicity was shown by DTX-SLNs.

Conclusion:

These studies suggest that DTX-SLNs have potential for controlled delivery of docetaxel and improved therapeutic outcome.
Pomegranate, its Components, and Modern Deliverable Formulations as Potential Botanicals in the Prevention and Treatment of Various Cancers
Authors: Hussein Laila , Gouda Mostafa , Buttar Harpal S.
Published: February 2021

Cancer is a global multifactorial disease consisting of over 200 types of cancers. It is
well recognized that primary prevention is an effective way to fight cancers by using natural polyphenolic
anticancer foods, vegetables, and fruits, avoiding exposure to the carcinogenic environment,
smoking cessation, and through lifestyle modifications. The present review provides up-todate
information on the effects and functions of pomegranate juice and its bioactive components on
the most widespread six cancer types. Pomegranate contains important polyphenolic compounds,
such as ellagitannins and punicalagin, with strong antioxidant ability for scavenging free radicals
and producing metal-chelates in the biological tissues. The in vitro and in vivo studies suggests that
antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties of pomegranate constitute have major antimutagenic
and antiproliferative activities for regulating gene expression, modulating cellular mechanisms, and
limiting the ability of cancers to metastasize. A limited number of clinical studies have suggested
that pomegranate ingredients have the potential for the prevention and treatment of cancer, especially
colorectal and prostate cancer. In cancer therapy, it remains a clinical dilemma to hit the right target
without inducing side effects. The costly anticancer chemotherapies are often associated with
drug resistance and serious side effects in vital organs and noncancerous neighboring cells. It appears
that the pomegranate-based phytotherapy would be affordable and cost-effective for next-generation
non-pharmacologic anticancer remedies with lesser side effects. However, well-designed,
randomized, double-blind, and multi-center studies are needed to establish the long-term safety, efficacy,
and dose schedules for orally deliverable pomegranate formulations.