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Ultraviolet cross-linking (UVCL) of corneal collagen is one of the leading methods for treating primary progressive keratectasia. Purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a new Russian-produced device for UVCL, KERATOLINK, in treating patients with stage I–II keratoconus and pellucid marginal corneal degeneration (PMCD). Material and methods. UVCL was performed in 36 patients (46 eyes) aged 18 to 35 years, including 22 patients (30 eyes) with stage I–II keratoconus and 14 patients (16 eyes) with PMCD. Three programs were used: 1 — standard UVCL with radiation intensity from 2.5 to 3.0 mW/cm2 and 30-minute exposure time (8 patients, 10 eyes); 2 — accelerated UVCL 1: from 8.0 to 9.0 mW/cm2 and exposure time 10 min (20 patients, 25 eyes); 3 — accelerated UVCL 2 with radiation intensity from 16.0 to 18.0 mW/cm2 and 5-minute exposure time (8 patients, 11 eyes). The patients were examined before UVCL, then a week, 1, 3, 6 months after it. The examination included vision acuity, autorefkeratometry, biomicroscopy, Scheimpflug analysis on a Galilei G6 device (Ziemer, Switzerland), optical coherence tomography of the cornea (Anterion, Heidelberg Engineering, Germany), aberrometry (OPD-scan III, Nidek, Japan), confocal biomicroscopy (ConfoScan 4, Nidek, Japan), and determination of biomechanical parameters of the cornea - corneal resistance factor (CRF) and corneal hysteresis (CH) on an ORA device (Reichert Inc., USA). Results. 6 months after UVCL, an increase in visual acuity from 0.56 ± 0.16 to 0.68 ± 0.13 was noted in stage I-II keratoconus, and from 0.66 ± 0.17 to 0.75 ± 0.14 (p < 0.05) in PMCD. Flattening of the cornea at the steepest point increased from 54.46 ± 4.39 to 52.87 ± 4.26 D and from 52.64 ± 2.88 to 51.53 ± 2.84 D, while the rigidity increased in CRF from 6.93 ± 1.00 to 8.38 ± 1.00 mm Hg and from 8.02 ± 0.68 to 9.13 ± 0.97 mm Hg. (p < 0.03), and CH increased from 7.64 ± 0.47 to 8.61 ± 0.73 mm Hg and from 6.89 ± 1.20 to 8.17 ± 0.90 mm Hg (p < 0.05). The analysis of various UVCL programs revealed no difference in the recovery period and showed comparable clinical and functional results. Conclusion. The new KERATOLINK device is shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of stage I–II keratoconus and PMCD. A decrease in ophthalmometry indicators, and an increase in corneal rigidity and visual acuity indicate an improvement in the optical and biomechanical properties of the patients’ cornea and stabilization of the pathological process. The use of local UVCL and accelerated algorithms with a significant reduced exposure time improves the comfort and tolerability of the procedure, and also reduces the risk of complications. The KERATOLINK device provides a personalized approach to the treatment of patients due manual and stationary use options, the availability of standard and accelerated UVCL programs, providing for the choice of power and duration of the procedure, with smooth adjustment and fixation of the size and the area of treatment. The laser focal length control system ensures the maintenance of the required UVCL intensity regardless of the size of the impact spot. It has good prospects for clinical practice.

The high medical and social significance of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Russia is a valid argument in favor of developing qualitatively new approaches to predicting epidemiological complications. The complex nature of interaction of factors determining the intensity of epidemic manifestations requires the continuation of the search for the most reliable prognostic criteria for pre-epidemic diagnosis of HFRS, providing the completeness of information that is necessary in modern conditions to optimize the epidemic process management. The aim of the work was to form an objective methodological basis for predicting the epidemiological situation on HFRS through the use of machine learning in modeling the effect of combinations of abiotic risk factors on the actual incidence of HFRS. Materials and methods. The study materials comprised the data on 10,788 cases of HFRS, registered in the Saratov Region between 1982 and 2022. More than 46 thousand values of meteorological indicators obtained from the archive of the database of meteorological observations for the period of 1981–2023 of the Saratov – South-East meteorological station, presented in the open access by the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia, are considered as factors likely to influence the epidemic process of HFRS. The development of a neural network forecasting model is based on a specialized module of the Loginom platform version 7.1. Results and discussion. The paper presents the advantages of neural network forecasting of complications of the epidemiological situation on HFRS based on the analysis of complex, nonlinear dependencies of the influence of abiotic factors on the morbidity among the population. A standard scenario for neural network forecasting of epidemic complications due to HFRS has been developed and a prognostic model of incidence in the Saratov Region has been tested. It is shown that the use of neural network algorithms allows to obtain a forecast of the possible development of the epidemiological situation on HFRS in the future with a probability of 98.8 %, which will ensure a qualitative transition from expert forecasting to independent analysis of epidemiological trends, significantly increasing the information capacities and importance of forecasting when planning and conducting preventive measures by the efforts of Rospotrebnadzor institutions.

The paper considers the key areas of international activities of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumers’ Rights Protection and Human Well-being in strengthening cooperation with specialized agencies of foreign countries in the global provision of sanitary-epidemiological welfare of the population at the current stage. Consistent work to strengthen the international network to counter emergency situations of a sanitary and epidemiological nature through effective interaction in the field of rapid response with partner countries in the near and far abroad, including through the organization of joint scientific and practical centers for the study and prevention of infectious diseases is presented. It is shown that the programs being implemented are aimed at strengthening the national healthcare structures of partner countries to achieve independence in the implementation of monitoring and anti-epidemic measures and building a single epidemiological space, independent of the influence of global and regional geopolitical fluctuations. The relevance of increasing interstate cooperation in the field of analysis and control of biological threats, primarily infectious diseases with the potential for emergencies of a sanitary and epidemiological nature of international concern, in the South American region is considered. The currently expanding strategic biosecurity collaboration with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela through the establishment of the first joint research center in the South American region is described. The first results of the joint work of Russian and Venezuelan specialists are presented, confirming the successful integration of Russian experience in monitoring and preventing biological threats into the system of ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the Venezuelan population. Promising areas for further joint research are discussed.

The current study summarizes and analyzes new challenges to the sanitary protection of the Russian Federation related to the dynamics of the epidemiological situation in the countries of the world and trends in the structure of international passenger traffic.The aim is to improve approaches to reducing the risks of importation of dangerous infectious diseases based on development of additional criteria for dynamic assessment of epidemiological disadvantage in foreign countries and individualization of risk determination in relation to all in-coming flights.Materials and methods. The present-day epidemiological situation was analyzed using data from reports and periodicals of WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministries of Health of the countries and scientific publications. Information on the structure of passenger traffic is provided according to the portal of the Unified Interagency Information and Statistical System (pre-pandemic period – 2018, first half of the year 2023). Statistics on transport communication was obtained from the public reports of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Federal Air Transport Agency for 2022 and the first half of the year 2023. Information on the results of the sanitary-quarantine control (SQC) is presented according to the data logged in the automated information system “Perimeter”.Results and discussion. Taking into account the analyzed data in regard to the new threats to the system of sanitary protection of the territory of the Russian Federation, infections in the list of infectious diseases, requiring sanitary protection measures, should be differentiated into two categories based on the criteria of significance for implementation of SQC. A set of criteria, including retrospective analysis of morbidity, the presence of persistent conditions of stable circulation of the pathogen and the possibility of transmission from person to person in case of introduction into the territory of the Russian Federation, has been put forward for the most relevant medium-term assessment of the risk of importation. In addition, the increasing threats and challenges to sanitary protection dictate the need to use advanced information technologies within the framework of sanitary-quarantine control.

In vitro analysis of the inhibitory activity of extracts, fractions and secondary metabolites of plants of the genus Silene (Caryophylaceae) and Serratula cupuliformis (Asteraceae) to the «entry» of herpes simplex type 2 (HSV‐2) into sensitive cells of the Vero line.Ethanol extracts and butanol fractions of Silene spp. and Serratula cupuliformis were prepared. The flavonoid shaftoside and the ecdysteroid 20‐hydroxyecdysone from Lychnis chalcedonica were isolated. For analysis of biologically active substances (BAS) the HPLC method was used. The samples were dissolved in distilled water or DMSO. The laboratory strain MS HSV‐2 was grown on Vero cell culture. In vitro analysis of the inhibitory activity of the herbal preparations on «entry» of HSV‐2 was performed in Vero cell culture by direct inactivation (neutralisation) of virions with 103 PFU /ml.Effective concentrations (EC50) have been identified in the range of 50 % from 2.12±0.47 to 180.99±49.24 μg/ml when preparations were dissolved in water and from 1.99±0.44 to 57.42±14.74 μg/ml when they were dissolved in DMSO. Such results for some samples is comparable to the EC50 of comparison preparations (dry ethanol extracts of spice of cloves, chaga and licorice root). The results obtained suggest the presence of BAS in the herbal preparations studied that act destructively on HSV‐2 virions and affect one of the main stages of its «life» cycle – the «entry» of the virus into sensitive cells.

The aim of the review was to assess the epidemiological situation in natural plague foci in the Russian Federation, near and far abroad countries in 2023 and to forecast their epizootic activity for 2024. In 2023, cases of plague were registered in five countries worldwide: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (60 cases), the Republic of Madagascar (14), the United States of America (2), the People’s Republic of China (3), and Mongolia (5). A total of 84 cases of plague were recorded, of which 22 (26.2 %) were fatal. In the Russian Federation, in 2023, epidemic risks in epizootically active natural foci were significantly reduced due to the implementation of a set of preventive measures carried out by Rospotrebnadzor institutions, which was the guarantor of ensuring epidemiological well-being as regards plague. Plague epizootics were detected on the territory of two (Gorno-Altai high-mountain and Tuva mountain) out of 11 natural plague foci in the Russian Federation in 2023. Epizootics were reported on the territory of the Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic and the Mongun-Taiginsky kozhuun of the Tuva Republic. The total area of epizootics was 731.2 km2 (in 2022 – 248.3 km2). In total, 55 cultures of the antique biovar of the main subspecies Yersinia pestis pestis were isolated in 2023 (19 in 2022). The forecast for continuation of the tense epidemiological situation in the territory of the Altai and Tuva Republics in 2024 is substantiated. The trend of sustained growth in the epizootic potential of the East Caucasus high-mountain and Dagestan plain-piedmont plague foci is outlined. The prospects for introducing an automated electronic system for assessing the epidemic potential of natural plague foci into practice are explained.

The paper describes the epidemiological situation in the countries of the world in terms of the incidence of Hantavirus diseases. The results of an epidemiological analysis of the incidence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the Russian Federation in 2023 by federal districts are presented and a forecast for 2024 is made. In 2023, 5 093 cases of HFRS were registered in the Russian Federation (3.47 per 100 thousand population). The incidence was reported in 7 out of 8 federal districts of the country. The age structure was dominated by people in the 30–59 age category (65.7 %); 247 cases of the disease were noted among children under 17 years of age. The proportion of the male population was 70.3 %. 63.2 % of the total number of cases was registered among the urban residents. The mortality rate was at the level of 0.49 % – 25 lethal outcomes. Analysis of the data has revealed a decrease in the incidence of HFRS in Russia by 27.2 % as compared to the previous year. However, the data from epizootiological monitoring and the results of laboratory research of field material indicate a continuing tense situation in the country as a whole. In a number of regions, a high risk of complications of the epidemiological situation is predicted (mainly, in the constituent entities of the Volga and Central Federal Districts). Moderate risks of developing local complications of the epidemiological situation at the level of long-term average morbidity are expected to be realized in the entities of the Northwestern, Ural and Far Eastern Federal Districts. Sporadic cases of the disease in the territory of the Southern Federal District are not excluded. The aggravation of the situation on HFRS in the territory of the North-Caucasian and Siberian Federal Districts is not anticipated in 2024.

Scleral rigid contact lenses efficiently correct the vision of patients with irregular corneas. Purpose. To study the features of contact correction and visual rehabilitation of patients with irregular corneal surface using individual scleral rigid contact lenses. Results. Three clinical cases of successfully selected rigid individual scleral lenses for patients with an irregular corneal surface that appeared after a penetrating keratoplasty, implantation of intrastromal corneal segments, and eye injury. The expected refractive result was achieved; high tolerance and good adaptation to lenses was revealed. Conclusion. Scleral RCL can be successfully used in patients with irregular cornea to improve visual acuity, reduce the number of aberrations, restore binocular vision and social adaptation.

Introduction. The use of bitumen microdispersed emulsion as a resource-saving method for road surface construction is a popular trend in the development of innovative nanostructures. The technological use of petroleum bitumen as a binder for road materials requires a reduction in rheological viscosity. This can be achieved through synergistic developments that involve the use of various additives and modifiers. Methods and materials. The composition of bitumen microheterogeneous emulsions includes: bitumen-containing raw materials (up to 70–80% of mass); water with hardness up to 6 mg-eq/l (from 20 to 30%); emulsifiers (up to 3%) and other components. For large-tonnage production of water- bitumen emulsions, a colloid mill is the most technologically advanced equipment. Results. Water-bitumen emulsions are formed as a result of two competing processes: crushing (dispersion) and coalescence (merging) of microdroplets of the bitumen dispersed phase. The microheterogeneous bitumen phase is distributed in the aqueous dispersion medium in the form of microdroplets ranging in size from 1 to 10 μm (the main share is made up of bitumen microdroplets with a diameter of 2–4.5 μm). The synergetic durable microstructure of asphalt concrete road surfaces, which is formed by supplementing interaction in the boundary layers of the bitumen binder with the surface of the mineral component, is determined by the dominant interaction of complementary factors. Discussion. The synergetic approach to extending the service life of asphalt concrete road surfaces by using bitumen microdispersed emulsions holds promise for interpreting their evolution. The road construction industry of the Russian Federation at the beginning of the 21st century is characterized by a large-scale revision of regulatory documents, regulating the requirements for the construction and operation of highways. Conclusion. The optimal solution to the current problems of intensive construction and reconstruction of Russian highways is the improvement of technological characteristics of road surfaces by adding bitumen microdispersed emulsions to the composition. In complementary strengthening of weak soils of the road surface of high-speed highways, the use of water-bitumen microdispersed emulsions is also recommended.

Objective. Currently, the task of increasing the spectral solvability of a video stream using modern frame filtering methods is urgent. Various methods of frame filtering are considered and analyzed in the work, and their detailed comparative analysis is carried out. The obtained data contribute to the further development of various materials to increase the spectral resolution of the video stream. Method. A large number of different approaches have been developed in the scientific literature to increase the spectral resolution of a video stream using modern frame filtering methods, and the most basic ones are analyzed in this paper: linear spatial filtering; nonlinear spatial filtering; spatial frequency filtering; filtering using Fourier analysis; filtering based on wavelet analysis. Result. A preliminary systematization of the characteristics of the methods under consideration has been carried out in order to develop new algorithms and implement them to improve image quality, increase detail and clarity of the video stream; various frame filtering methods have been analyzed, contributing to an increase in the spectral resolution of the video stream, and their impact on the quality of video content has been considered; during the analysis, it was found that in order to increase the spectral solvability of the video stream, it is necessary to use a combined filter. The above facts will allow us to further develop methodological recommendations for increasing the spectral solvability of the video stream. Conclusion. The considered approaches to increasing the spectral resolution of a video stream using modern frame filtering methods are preferable when increasing the spectral resolution of images, since they use all the positive aspects of linear, nonlinear and spatial frequency filtering.

Based on the monitoring of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the article reveals the state of observance of labour rights of civilian hostages. The article identifies problematic issues that obstruct the realisation of these rights of persons who have been deprived of their personal liberty as a result of armed aggression. It is noted that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War prohibits the taking of hostages. Failure to comply with the principles of international humanitarian law by representatives of the Russian Federation leads to the inability to ensure the protection of civilian hostages in accordance with international norms due to the unresolved nature of this issue. The Russian Federation, despite international norms, keeps such persons in captivity, does not notify them of their detention, does not provide them with the appropriate status, as a result of which the detained person cannot appeal against his or her detention, has no opportunity to report it. According to international standards, victims of enforced disappearances have the right to compensation from the state, which provides them with the maximum possible rehabilitation. It is noted that the protection of the constitutional rights of civilian hostages is provided for by the Law of Ukraine “On Social and Legal Protection of Persons in respect of whom the deprivation of personal liberty as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine and members of their families has been established”. In addition, it is noted that civilian hostages have the right to keep their jobs, but the law does not provide for the payment of wages. The article establishes that it is impossible to properly exercise the labour rights of employees who have become civilian hostages guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine. The emphasis is placed on the legislative gaps that do not allow civilian hostages to exercise the guaranteed right to credit their insurance period. The article provides for the crediting of insurance periods to civilian hostages, which affects social guarantees and, subsequently, the level of pension provision. Due to the uncertainty of the payer of the unified social contribution, such credit is not given for persons in respect of whom the deprivation of personal liberty as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine has been established. Deprivation of personal liberty is the basis for postponement or extension of annual leave and is also included in the length of service that gives the right to annual basic leave. Civilian hostages are additionally entitled to a one-time voucher to maintain their competitiveness in the labour market through retraining, specialisation, advanced training, and education in professions and specialities for priority economic activities. It is found that the problem of civilian hostages is closely related to the problem of missing persons. It is proved that there is a need to expand the labour rights of civilian hostages by guaranteeing the payment of wages.

Invasive meningococcal infection remains a leading cause of death among infectious diseases in children.Aim. to investigate predictors of death in patients with invasive meningococcal infection during two periods of observation: 1991–2011 and 2012–2022.Materials and methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted including 143 children aged 1,5 months to 17 years old, living in the Arkhangelsk region and having had invasive meningococcal infection. The study included two periods: 1991–2011 (N=93) and 2012–2022 (N=50). Groups of recovered and deceased patients were compared.Results. When admitted to the hospital meningococcal infection or bacterial meningitis was diagnosed in 25,5% of cases among deceased patients, and in 57,3% among survivors. More than half of the patients with an fatal outcome were not referred to the hospital after the first examination by a medical professional, unlike the recovered patients, of whom 68,8% were immediately referred to the hospital after examination. The majority of the recovered patients (82.3%) were transported to medical facilities providing specialized medical care. In the deceased group, treatment was initiated in non-specialized medical facilities in 74,5% of cases due to the distance from the regional center, where specialized care is provided. Throughout the observation period, the probability of death was higher in infants, patients with of septic shock, leukopenia, in cases requiring repeated visits by medical professional, and during initial therapy in nonspecialized medical organizations. Conclusion. The need to repeatedly seek healthcare, a different referral diagnosis, delays in receiving specialized medical care and the necessity for evacuation to the regional center for specialized care, all increase the probability of death and justify the advisability of specific prevention of meningococcal infection.

The article presents the authors’ vision of the emerging geopolitical factors determining Russia’s position in the global energy infrastructure, which allowed identifying problems and defining priorities and directions of spatial organization of the Arctic system of energy transport communications, expanding the possibilities of involvement of highly liquid energy resources of the Russian Arctic into active economic turnover. The purpose of the study is to analyze the prospects of the economic development of Arctic energy resources in the context of projected changes in the world economic order from the standpoint of ensuring the long-term energy sustainability of the national economy and strengthening Russia’s position in the energy markets of the Asia-Pacific region. The data presented in the study show the vulnerability of the current export-oriented model of the resource-raw materials economy in Russia due to technological and infrastructural limitations of transport logistics. The study substantiates the need to form a new world-system infrastructure for the country’s energy security using the natural resource potential and geo-economic advantages of the Arctic territories. This implies the involvement of highly liquid reserves of fossil energy resources in the Arctic into active economic turnover through the creation of mineral resource centers (MRCs) included in the structure of world economic fuel and energy relations. To achieve this goal, a conceptual model of spatial organization of the Arctic system of energy transport communications is proposed, which combines marine, coastal and land infrastructure facilities into intermodal energy transport corridors (IETC), opening additional opportunities for participation in global, national, interregional value chains and providing a synergetic effect of development of remote Arctic territories.

This study presents the synthesis, characterization and Hirshfeld surface analysis of the title mononuclear complex, [PdCl2(C12H14N4)]·C3H7NO. The compound crystalizes in the P21/c space group of the monoclinic system. The asymmetric unit contains one neutral complex Pd(HLc-Pe)Cl2 [HLc-Pe is 2-(3-cyclopentyl-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)pyridine] and one molecule of DMF as a solvate. The Pd atom has a square-planar coordination. In the crystal, molecules are linked by intermolecular N—H...O and C—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the bc plane. A Hirshfeld surface analysis showed that the H...H contacts dominate the crystal packing with a contribution of 41.4%. The contribution of the N...H/H...N and H...O/O...H interactions is somewhat smaller, amounting to 12.4% and 5%, respectively.

Objective: validation of the Russian-language version of Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) specific questionnaire for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Materials and methods. Тhe study included 100 patients with a definite diagnosis of AS according to the modified New York criteria of 1984. Patients were mostly men (58.5%), average age – 38.6±10 years, disease duration – 10.3±7.0 years, median disease activity by ASDAS-CRP – 2.32 [1.45; 2.94]. At the initial visit and after 3 months, all patients underwent a standard rheumatological examination, with assessment of the tender joint count (TJC) and swollen joint count (SJC) out of 44 joints assessed, the number of inflamed entheses using MASES index, spinal mobility using BASMI index. Assessment of patient reported outcomes included an assessment of spinal pain, night spinal pain, spinal pain during the day using a numerical rating scale, patient’s global assessment of health, assessment of functional status using BASFI index and health related quality of life (HRQoL) using EQ-5D, SF-36 and ASQoL questionnaires. To determine reliability of ASQoL questionnaire, a test-retest analysis and determination of internal consistency by calculating the Cronbach's α coefficient were used. The reliability of the questionnaire was analyzed in 39 patients. To assess the validity of the ASQoL questionnaire, i.e. its ability to reliably measure its inherent characteristics, construct and criterion validity were determined. The sensitivity of the questionnaire was assessed after 3 months during therapy in 79 patients. Results and discussion. According to the test-retest analysis, there was no difference between the initial assessment and re-assessment after 3 days (p>0.05), the Cronbach α coefficient was 0.884, indicating high reliability. Construct validity analysis was carried out using factor analysis and the “known groups” method. 3 main factors were identified: pain, physical health, emotional health. The “known groups” method showed that in patients with high disease activity according to ASDAS-CRP and BASDAI, HRQoL was significantly worse than in patients with low disease activity (р

The relevance of the study of D. V. Pivovarov’s philosophical heritage, his proposed approach to under¬standing religious spirituality, the developed concept of forms of religion and religiosity (cosmocentrism, egocentrism, sociocentrism) is related to the fact that today Russia is in search of that spiritual foundation that could unite all Rus¬sians. The purpose of the article is to show the methodological possibilities of applying D. V. Pivovarov’s concept to com¬prehend the phenomenon of «new spirituality» expressed through such concepts introduced by modern Russian legal acts: «Russian nation», «all-Russian civil identity», «common cultural (civilizational) code of the Russian people». To describe the approach of D.V. Pivovarov, the principles of system analysis are used, which allows us to evaluate the contribution of an outstanding Ural scientist to Russian religious studies; the judgments and conclusions of the author of the concept are used as methodological guidelines for the analysis of the phenomenon of «new spirituality». As a result of the study, the authors came to the conclusion that it is possible to interpret the phenomenon of «new spirituality» as an attempt to create such a «solid core» of sacred values of the unified Russian culture, which will en¬sure the non-conflict coexistence of the ideals of cosmocentrism, sociocentrism and egocentrism. The practical significance is seen in the fact that, being an important methodological tool, the approach proposed by D. V. Pivovarov will find application in the study and explanation of new religious ideas and spiritual practices ad¬equate to the needs of the time, in the teaching of historical and religious studies courses, in assessing the effectiveness of mechanisms for strengthening Russian identity.

The example of a service company demonstrates the need to prevent corruption risks, develop and implement a Regulation on Anti-Corruption Policy (hereinafter – the Regulation) and its implementation even in small companies. Potential corruption risks have been analyzed. The occurrence probability and the risks impact on a company’s goals and results have been assessed. The corruption risks map before and after the Regulation implementation have been developed and the expected results presented. The purpose of the study is to assess the importance of implementing anti-corruption policy for organizations of different sizes in the framework of modern socio-economic realities. The following objectives have been set: to disclose the corruption risks essence based on the analysis of the current crime situation in Russia; to analyze the specifics of a service company’s activities from the point of view of anti-corruption policy; to draw up a risk map based on a predetermined list of potential corruption risks typical for a service company; to develop a Regulation on anti-corruption policy; to assess the expected effect on the organization from its implementation. In order to achieve the stated goal and solve the specified tasks, such research methods as social audit, literature review, documentary sources study, analysis, analogy, description, synthesis, and generalization of the obtained data were used. The application of the above mentioned research methods allowed the most objective and comprehensive study and assessment of the HR corruption risks impact on a company’s objectives, its development trajectory, and the social responsibility degree to all stakeholders (employees, partners, customers, etc.).

Relevance. The development of antimicrobial drugs and alternative methods, technologies and means of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human infectious diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms is one of the priorities of ensuring the biological safety of the country. Aims. To evaluate the bactericidal activity of tetrapyrrole macroheterocycles (porphyrins) at different light irradiation durations in relation to staphylococci, in vitro. Materials and methods. Studied strains of microorganisms: museum strains of microorganisms – S. aureus ATCC 29213, S. epidermidis ATCC 14990 and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus (n=18) isolated from clinical biomaterial and from environmental objects in a medical organization. The studied chemical compounds are three different compounds of water-soluble asymmetrically substituted porphyrins containing heterocyclic fragments on the periphery of the porphyrin cycle (residues of benzoxazole, N-methylbenzimidazole and benzothiazole). Results. The activity of all three porphyrin compounds in relation to museum strains of staphylococcus and 77.8% of clinical antibiotic-resistant strains (n=14; 95% CI 20.1-97.5) turned out to be maximal (complete lysis) after 10 minutes of irradiation. Conclusions. The tested tetrapyrrole macroheterocycles (porphyrins) exhibit bactericidal activity against museum and clinical strains of staphylococcus, with different levels of antibiotic resistance, which determines Keywords: antibiotic resistance, water-soluble porphyrin, photodynamic inactivation, photosensitizer, photochemistry, staphylococci No conflict of interest to declare.

This article aims to examine the Euthymius Chudovski’s editing in the translation of «Epitome» by Constantine Armenopoulos, carried out by Epiphanius Slavinetsky in the second half of the XVII century. The research goal is to identify the directions of editing in this translation and substantiate the authorship of Euthymius Chudovski. The study focuses on the relationship between the Slavic translation of «Epitome» and the Greek original. The editorial revisions of Euthymius are analyzed primarily at the lexical and grammatical levels. The article author delves into the analysis of specific editorial positions, characterizing the language of the Chudov scribes. These positions include the rendering of the Greek substantivized infinitive, the use of demonstrative pronouns as personal pronouns, and the principle of morphemic and literal translation. The research material is based on the final version of the translation, copied by Euthymius (Sin. 129), as well as the possible draft of the translator and editor (Und. 40). Certain editorial positions are compared with materials relevant to the grammars used by the Chudov scribes. The significance of this work lies in the need for a more detailed linguistic investigation of the translations produced by the scribes of the Chudov school, which are valuable monuments of the period of the Nikonian reforms. The novelty of the research lies in introducing into scholarly discourse manuscripts that have not been previously studied by linguists and in defining the role played by Euthymius of the Chudov Monastery in the translation done by his teacher.

The aim of the work was to study the species diversity of pathogenic and non-pathogenic hantaviruses circulating in populations of small mammals in the Republic of Bashkortostan using molecular-genetic methods.Materials and methods. Individual samples from small mammals were tested by the nested PCR using genus-specific primers that amplify the L segment of hantaviruses. The resulting PCR products were sequenced by the Sanger’s method from internal nested PCR primers. For samples containing Puumala virus, fragments of the S, M, and L segments of the viral genome were sequenced using Sanger’s method. The construction of phylogenetic trees was carried out using the MEGA X software.Results and discussion. Out of 300 examined samples of small mammals collected on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2023, 14 samples have been found positive for the presence of hantavirus RNA: Seewis (8), Tula (3), Puumala (3). The circulation of the non-pathogenic hantavirus Seewis and the opportunistic hantavirus Tula has been established for the first time in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The circulation of the Seewis hantavirus has been confirmed in populations of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and the pygmy shrew (S. minutus); the Tula hantavirus – in populations of the common vole (Microtus arvalis). Results of phylogenetic analysis substantiate the reassortment origin of one of the genetic variants of the Puumala hantavirus on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The prerequisites for the formation of combined natural foci of hantaviruses Puumala, Seewis, and Tula on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan are discussed.

The efficacy and safety of levilimab (LVL) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been confirmed in controlled clinical trials. This article presents the results of a preliminary analysis of a non-interventional observational study of LVL in RA patients. Objective: to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LVL in the treatment of patients with RA in real-world clinical practice. Materials and methods. The HELIOS study is a retrospective-prospective, multicenter, non-interventional study of retention rate of LVL therapy and the safety of LVL in patients with RA in real-world clinical practice. Patients received medical care, including LVL, according to routine clinical practice for the treatment of RA and Russian instructions for medical use of the drug. This article presents the results of an analysis of the efficacy and safety of LVL after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment. Efficacy was assessed using the DAS28-CRP/ESR, SDAI, CDAI and patient assessment of pain, fatigue and morning stiffness according to VAS (0–100 mm). Results and discussion. 524 patients from 42 medical centers in the Russian Federation were enrolled in the study from June 2022 to November 2023. The majority of patients were female (83.2 %) and the mean age of patients was 53 years. A statistically significant decrease in DAS28-CRP/ESR, SDAI, CDAI, patient assessment of pain, fatigue and morning stiffness (VAS) was observed after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment, regardless of previous treatment with biologics or Jak inhibitors (JAKi). LVL was well tolerated by patients, the most frequently reported adverse events were infections, changes in peripheral blood and laboratory abnormalities characteristic of treatment with IL-6R inhibitors. Conclusion. In real-world clinical practice, LVL has been shown to be highly effective and well tolerated in patients with RA when prescribed as the first biologic disease-modifying antirheaumatic drus (bDMARD) and after switching from other bDMARDs or JAKi.

The results of the monitoring of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding compliance with the labor rights of persons with the status of persons who have disappeared under special circumstances are presented. The actuality of the topic is due to the fact that ensuring compliance with the constitutional rights of citizens, primarily citizens who need additional social protection, is a priority of the state. Attention was drawn to the fact that the observance of such rights, especially in the conditions of martial law, is an important aspect of state policy. The purpose of the article is to analyze the legislation regulating compliance with the labor rights of civilian employees who are missing due to military aggression by the russian federation. Achieving the outlined goal became possible thanks to the use of a complex of methods of scientific knowledge: dialectical, comparative-legal, formal-logical, systemic-structural. On the basis of the conducted analysis, it was established that the legal norms that guarantee the preservation of the labor rights of the investigated category of employees are imperfect, which prevents the proper realization of the constitutionally guaranteed labor rights of employees who are missing. It has been established that there are different approaches to ensuring the labor rights of civilian employees depending on the position. It was established that the absence of a clear list of persons authorized to perform state functions makes it impossible to determine a complete list of such persons. The role of the Ombudsman of Ukraine in observing the labor rights of the specified category of persons is emphasized. The imperfection of the mechanism of informing the owner of the Register of missing persons of the employer about the acquisition of such a status by the person was noted. It has been established that in the absence of a missing person, the employer is unable to pay wages to the relatives of the missing person, and there is no order among relatives in the possibility of receiving wages. On the basis of the conducted research, conclusions were formulated regarding the gaps in the legislation, which lead to the violation of the labor rights of the specified category of citizens. On the basis of the received conclusions, in the future, proposals for normative legal acts may be formulated with the aim of restoring the violated constitutional rights of the missing persons, as well as their family members and relatives.

This study focuses on the development of coal deposits in the western part of the Russian Arctic. Historically, the Arctic economy has relied on its mineral resources. Advancements in science and technology related to Arctic resource development have facilitated production in previously inaccessible and remote territories of the Russian Arctic, including areas on the Arctic shelf. Much of this progress can be attributed to the proactive strategic policies of the government and collaboration with Western partners. However, the current geopolitical landscape has introduced challenges to the implementation of many Arctic projects. New economic trends, including shifts in market orientation and technical obstacles, necessitate the adaptation of Arctic resource projects to the prevailing conditions. Coal projects, especially those aimed at export, are particularly susceptible to these challenges, as highlighted in this study. Therefore, the goal of the study was to identify the key processes associated with the implementation of new coal projects at the present stage. Geographically, the study encompasses the western part of the Russian Arctic, focusing on coal projects potentially interconnected with the development of the Northern Sea Route and its infrastructure. The paper offers an overview of the status of coal deposits in this Arctic region, examining the interplay between regulatory frameworks governing Arctic coal projects, and the consequences and risks of developing the new Syradasai deposit, located in the Arctic part of the Krasnoyarsk region.

Background. Ovarian heterotopias are quite successfully diagnosed with ultrasound examinations. Considering the high risk of spread of the disease, as well as reproductive consequences (infertility, pelvic adhesive processes, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, dysmenorrhea), early differential diagnosis of endometrioid cysts and, accordingly, early initiation of treatment are of particular importance.Objective: to combine ultrasound criteria using 3D visualization and the content of biomarkers to verify stage 1–2 endometrioid ovarian cysts.Material and methods. In 59 infertile women with endometrioid ovarian cysts, in the dynamics of the menstrual cycle, ultrasound examinations were performed using Acuson S2000 (Siemens, Germany) and Voluson E8 (General Electric, USA) with the possibility of Doppler measurements and three-dimensional reconstruction of tissue images. Also, in laboratories “Invitro”, “Hemotest”, “Nauka” (Samara, Russia) the biomarkers were determined: interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and the index by Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA). The control group included 195 fertile women of reproductive age. In patients with endometrioid cysts, the diagnosis was subsequently confirmed morphologically.Results. Small unilateral and bilateral ovarian cysts corresponding to stage 1–2 endometriosis by revised American Fertility Society classification (rAFS) were clearly differentiated in 56 (94.9%) patients, in 3 (5.4%) of them the ultrasound result was questionable. In 48 (81.4%) women the lesion was unilateral and in 11 (18.6%) it was bilateral. The structure of cystic formations in all cases was hypoechoic, heterogeneous, in 36 (61.0%) cases it was finely cellular, without blood flow.Conclusion. Ovarian endometriomas in “gray scale” are round formations of reduced echogenicity and fine suspension, with an even, clear contour, not fused with the surrounding tissues, avascular, changing size depending on menstrual cycle phase. An ovarian mass may have a capsule with locus signals on Doppler. The sensitivity of ultrasound examination in “gray scale” in the presence of an endometrioid cyst is 94.6%.

The intersection of two lexical-semantic fields “mentality” and “physiology” in the poetic texts of Igor-Severyanin is studied. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that within the framework of modern anthropocentric approach and increased attention to the mental sphere lexical semantics is investigated, lexical-semantic fields, their intersections, semantic shifts are considered, actual problems of linguistic poetics are touched upon. The aim of the work is to explore the intersection of lexical-semantic fields “mentality” and “physiology” in the language of Severyanin's poems. The material includes lexemes of the mental sphere from Igor-Severyanin's poetic texts. While determining the usual meaning of these lexemes, the authors used the materials of “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” by S.I. Ozhegov. The methods of description, comparison, contrast, lexical-semantic and contextual analysis, and continuous sampling were applied; the lexical-semantic field - a generally accepted form of representing lexical units by their meaning - was used to structure the vocabulary. The intersections of the lexical-semantic fields “mentality” and “physiology” in Igor-Severyanin's texts, revealed in the research, are primarily due to the inseparable connection between the inner world of man and his bodily organs of sense. The language fixes stable expressions indicating the possibility of comprehending the human consciousness through analyzing the signals of his body. Words used to denote phenomena and processes related to the body, health, gestures, etc., are reinterpreted in poetic language and receive new semantics, which allows to refer these new lexical-semantic units to the lexical-semantic field of mentality. In Igor-Severyanin's poems the inner world of the lyrical subject dominates, which is reflected in the author's word usage. Even words and expressions with the semantics of physiology shift in their meanings, acquiring the semantics of mentality, at the same time thoughts and feelings are endowed with the author's positive evaluation. The prospects of the research are connected primarily with further study of the mental sphere in the Russian linguistic lexical-semantic system, its dynamics, as well as with the analysis of semantic shifts in the poetic language vocabulary.

As oil reserves are depleted during the development of an oil deposit in an elastic-water-pressure mode, the water cut of the fluid gradually increases, reducing the efficiency of waterflooding and maintaining reservoir pressure by the system of injection wells. The rheological characteristics of the saturating fluid and the structure of the reservoir affect the likelihood of premature watering of production wells. To increase oil production and level the displacement front, various polymer systems, both synthetic and biological, are used to promote additional oil production from previously untapped reservoir zones. There are technologies for both constant injection of a working agent with a polymer, and a slug of a polymer solution of a certain concentration with subsequent injection of water. The purpose of this work is to assess the effect of injection of xanthan solution on the oil displacement efficiency with subsequent injection of formation water. An experimental (laboratory) study was carried out on alternating injection of xanthan and formation water solutions to increase filtration resistance in flooded filtration channels. Inhomogeneous terrigenous core samples with different fracturing and filtration-capacitive properties were selected as a physical model for carrying out the experiments. The main results of the laboratory study are the dependence of the oil recovery factor and water cut on the injected volume of formation water. It is noted that the key factor in reducing the displacement efficiency after injection of a polymer slug is the loss of polymer molecules both after adsorption on the rock and during further filtration of formation water through diffusion. As a result of the experimental study, it was revealed that changing the filtration rate can have a beneficial effect on the involvement of oilsaturated rock in the displacement process due to the sealing of watered areas when the injection pressure changes.

Study of the structural parameters of petroleum acids isolated from oil from the Priozernoye field and analysis of their possible negative impact on the environment.The object of the study is and naphthenic acids isolated from the oil of the Priozernoye field. The research was carried out using modern instrumental methods: gas‐liquid chromatography, IR‐spectroscopy, 13C NMR, 1H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis.The high degree of oxidation of the oil studied was confirmed. Extraction with dichloromethane and subsequent analysis of the organic extract using IR‐Fourier spectrometry proved that part of the petroleum acids entered the aqueous phase, which poses a serious threat to the biological diversity of this region. The structural parameters of “medium” molecules of petroleum acids isolated by leaching from three distillate fractions of this oil have been established. It is shown that the products isolated during leaching have a molecular weight of 294–574 amu and contain from 20 to 40 carbon atoms, most of which are part of the naphthenic structures. Along with petroleum acids, leaching products include hydrocarbons.Comparison of the structural parameters of the products isolated from the fractions of the studied oil with the data in the scientific literature allows us to qualify the acids contained in the oil of the Priozernoye field as being substances with high toxicity, which requires finding ways to solve the problem of ensuring the environmental safety of this region.

NiSpAR is a non-interventional, multicenter study whose aim was to describe a cohort of patients with non-radiological axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and approaches to its diagnosis in the Russian Federation.Material and methods. The study involved 20 research centers in different regions of the Russian Federation. The work consisted of two phases: retrospective data collection 12 months before enrolment in the study and prospective observation of patients in whom the diagnosis of nr-axSpA was confirmed (104 weeks).The study included 272 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria (Full Analysis Set, FAS). The mean age of the FAS-population was 38.7±11.0 years. The diagnosis of nr-axSpA was confirmed in 159 (58.5 %) of the 272 patients. Of the remaining 113 (41.5%) participants, 57 (50.4%) did not have the information required to confirm the diagnosis, 34 (30.1%) did not have pelvic radiographs, and 22 (19.5%) did not fulfil the ASAS criteria for nr-axSpA.Results and discussion. The mean age of patients with nr-axSpA was 37.6±10.4 years, more than half of them (52.8%) were women. The median disease duration was 36 [12; 80] months. In half of the patients the disease duration was more than 2 years, in more than one third – less than 2 years. The median CRP and ESR values were 5.0 [2.0; 12.0] mg/l and 11.0 [5.0; 18.0] mm/h, respectively. The BASDAI averaged 3.5±2.0 and was >4 in more than half of the cases (64.2%). The mean ASDAS-CRP value reached 2.6±1.1. Only 1 in 5 participants (20.8%) had low axSpA activity, while in 61.1% it was high (44.7%) or very high (16.4%). An inactive state was found in a small number of patients (9.4%). Twenty two (13.8%) patients had treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in anamnesis, and 21 (13.2%) patients were still taking them.Conclusion. The results of the retrospective phase of the study show that in real-life clinical practice in the Russian Federation there is a continued positive trend towards improving the diagnosis of nr-axSpA. The median duration of the disease at the time of enrolment in the study was 3 years. The frequency of use of magnetic resonance imaging has increased by more than 1.8 times. At the same time, practitioners still have difficulties in establishing the diagnosis of nr-axSpA and a shortage of bDMARDs for treatment of these patients.

An extensive body of research suggests a positive connection between subjective well-being (SWB) and volunteering. However, their relationship is often described in terms of health-related and personal psychological effects, thus raising an issue of elaborating proxies that would focus on the social effects and determinants of such relationship. This study aims to demonstrate a number of direct and indirect links of volunteering and the SWB on the example of Russian citizens. We believe that exploring the connection between SWB and volunteering can expand knowledge about the social component of SWB and its correlates. The hypotheses suggested were tested using binary logistic regression on data from the All-Russian population survey (N = 2,015, urban and rural residents aged 18 and over were interviewed by telephone). The obtained results do not allow us to conclude that volunteering itself significantly increases the level of subjective well-being. Nevertheless, some kind of “external effect” was revealed: respondents are more likely to feel happy if they observe social solidarity, which in turn may be fostered by raising awareness of the beneficial outcomes of volunteerism. This observation directly leads to practical considerations to be taken into account in planning and organizing volunteer engagement. It would require a shift in the promotion of volunteerism, from its direct impact on the lives of individuals to a broader effect of volunteering on the quality of life in the community at large, fostering the feeling of social connectedness, common goals and solidarity. To achieve this, concerted efforts of NGO leaders and social media in this direction will be important.

Introduction: Tooth extraction is still one of the most common dental procedures, routinely performed for a variety of reasons. Tooth extraction forceps and elevators are well-known extraction instruments which have been the standard in tooth extraction procedures for well over a hundred years. Physics forceps are one possible alternative, aiming to perform less traumatic and more predictable extractions. Aim: The aim of study was to compare the effectiveness of physics forceps as an alternative, less traumatic, tool to the conventional extraction forceps. Materials and methods: All patients in the study were split into two groups: 26 patients in whom conventional extraction forceps were used (a control group) and 28 patients in whom we used physics forceps (a study group). For each group, we assessed the success of the extraction, the buccal cortical plate preservation, pain experience, and early wound healing. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in extraction success scores between the two groups. Physics forceps extractions preserved the buccal cortical plate in 81.1% of instances, while traditional forceps extractions did so in 71.8%. The patients in the study group reported less pain on the seventh day. At 10 days, the study group had a marginally higher proportion of completely healed extraction wounds. Conclusions: Atraumatic extractions preserve more hard and soft tissues at the extraction site. Physics forceps are a tool similar to the well-known conventional extraction forceps. They provide for somewhat better results in most extractions.

Introduction. Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A are secondary metabolites of microscopic mold fungi. They seriously threaten human and animal health. These toxins are carcinogenic, teratogenic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic substances. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified them as class IA and IIB carcinogens. The maximum permissible concentrations of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in the Russian Federation are currently regulated only in food products according to the Technical Regulation of the Customs Union 021 "On Food Safety". The content of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in medicinal plant raw materials is not regulated in any way. Harmful environmental and biological conditions such as temperature, humidity, air quality, insects and others during post-harvest handling can lead to contamination of medicinal raw materials with aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. Therefore, the detection of these toxins is one of the problems of raw materials quality control.Text. The present review summarizes the following methods of sample purification, used at the sample preparation stage: solid-phase extraction, immunoaffin column and QuEChERS. This review also summarizes the following modern analysis methods for the identification of aflatoxin and ochratoxin A in medicinal plant raw materials: thin-layer chromatography, liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and screening methods.Conclusion. The QuEChERS method has been identified as the most popular method for preparing samples for analysis. It is based on solid phase extraction technology. This method combines the variability of approaches to sample purification and allows people to study a wider range of toxins. The high-performance liquid chromatography method has been identified as the most popular method for qualitative and quantitative analysis. It has high selectivity, multicomponent analysis and low detection limits.

Abstract. Leaf rust on wheat caused by P. triticina is the most widespread fungal disease worldwide and in Bulgaria. The development of wheat genotypes resistant to leaf rust is related to the different types of resistance and ways of gene inheritance. The different varieties have different susceptibility during the different stages of their ontogenetic development. The study of the initial material is an important step in the breeding for resistance and it is an ongoing process. Two hundred and forty-six breeding lines were tested against the local population of P. triticina during 2015-2017, under conditions of infection field and in a greenhouse at Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute – General Toshevo, Bulgaria. Twenty lines were selected, which demonstrated different degrees of resistance under infection field conditions and which showed resistance to some of the seven pathotypes used in the study. The identification of the pathotypes was based on the type of reaction of 20 monogenic lines. The reaction of isogenic lines was compared with the reaction of the selection lines and the results showed that the reaction of line 165/05-46 corresponded to isogenic lines carrying genes Lr 9, Lr 19 and Lr 25. The response of the other 3 lines (245/03-72, 13/04-97, 14/06-110) partially coincided with the response of the above mentioned genes. The reaction of the other 3 lines (169/05-69, 14/06-81, 8/08-25) partially coincided with the reaction of isogenic lines carrying genes Lr 2a, Lr 28 and Lr 29. It was determined that seven of the lines were carriers of a race-specific gene and that it was necessary to subject these lines to further breeding and genetic studies to determine presence of race-specific resistance. Five of the lines (72/05-53, 61/03-75, 106/04-189, 268/03-151, 79/04-131) combined incomplete resistance at young stage with resistance at adult stage. Four of the tested lines (68/06-78, 29/02-133-38, 79/04-125-28, 197/05-33) exhibited typical race non-specific resistance or APR. Four lines (13/04-165, 14/05-119, 19/06-79 and 61/03-81) demonstrated “slow rusting” type of resistance. Twenty of the studied lines were carriers of effective resistance and can be included in the breeding programs as donors of resistance to P. triticina.

The paper deals with the history of academic commentary in the Soviet era, particularly the formation of standards for a description of the sources of the text, its creative history, and clarification of the encountered realities incomprehensible to the reader. A separate part of the paper is devoted to the critical editions of Russian “classics” designed for high school institutions, among them, e. g., the five-volume collection of works by A.S. Pushkin, issued by Lev I. Polivanov. The main specificity of these comments is that they precede the literary text and answer questions that students may have in advance. The next object of our analysis is N.L. Brodsky’s commentary on Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin,” intended for secondary school teachers. It became a subject of sharp criticism by V.V. Nabokov, like a commentary on the same novel released by Yu.M. Lotman. A new stage in the genre of commentary has become the Russian version of Nabokov’s “A Novel in Verse by Alexandr Pushkin,” growing into an autobiography and a self-discovery tool for the editor (Nabokov). We are also considering the question of how fair was Nabokov’s criticism of the commentaries of Brodsky and Chizhevsky. Another type of commentary should be that of Odessa researcher S.Z. Lushchik, published as an appendix to Kataev’s novel “Werther has already been written” (1980) and entitled “A real commentary on the novel.” This type of commentary grows into a full-fledged study that discovers unknown and carefully hidden details of the famous Soviet writer’s biography.

Current media studies as well as the analysis of social interaction put forward the notion of rumours playing a significant role in human communication and making it a full-fledged object of linguistic analysis. The article is devoted to the description and unification of the lexicographical meaning of the word ‘rumour’ which is basic for indirect knowledge transmission. The proposed research perspective is preconditioned by the interest in uncertain knowledge and informal communication practices including such phenomena as rumors, gossip, etc., inherent in professional communication, as well as in the category of evidentiality. The empirical material comprises dictionary interpretations, the inconsistency of which stipulated the application of the ideas of lexical semantics. Componential analysis is chosen as the main method to define meanings. As a result, the polysemy of the word under study has been exposed, with its structure including five lexico-semantic variants with different types of relations. The invariant set of ‘without confirmation’, ‘uncertain origin’, ‘questionable accuracy’ components in the structure of the meanings indicates that there is a direct connection of the word semantics with the linguistic categories of evidentiality and epistemic modality. The analysis shows that when interpreting the values obtained, the concept of evidence as a source of information has an explanatory potential, the crucial factor being its distinct classification in terms of levels. The extensive typology of reportive evidentials enables to define the central meaning of the word ‘rumour’ as information characterized as transmitted knowledge, realized through informal statements, categorized as a proper reportative marked by the third level of evidence. The core ‘questionable accuracy’ seme testifies to the correlation of the reportative evidential value and the epistemic evaluation of the acquired knowledge which manifests itself in the fact that indirect mediated access to information potentiates its qualification as lacking confirmation.

Abstract One of the major hurdles that has hindered the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies against solid tumors is on-target off-tumor (OTOT) toxicity due to sharing of the same epitopes on normal tissues. To elevate the safety profile of CAR-T cells, an affinity/avidity fine-tuned CAR was designed enabling CAR-T cell activation only in the presence of a highly expressed tumor associated antigen (TAA) but not when recognizing the same antigen at a physiological level on healthy cells. Using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) which provides single-molecule resolution, and flow cytometry, we identified high carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) density on clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patient samples and low-density expression on healthy bile duct tissues. A Tet-On doxycycline-inducible CAIX expressing cell line was established to mimic various CAIX densities, providing coverage from CAIX-high skrc-59 tumor cells to CAIX-low MMNK-1 cholangiocytes. Assessing the killing of CAR-T cells, we demonstrated that low-affinity/high-avidity fine-tuned G9 CAR-T has a wider therapeutic window compared to high-affinity/high-avidity G250 that was used in the first anti-CAIX CAR-T clinical trial but displayed serious OTOT effects. To assess the therapeutic effect of G9 on patient samples, we generated ccRCC patient derived organotypic tumor spheroid (PDOTS) ex vivo cultures and demonstrated that G9 CAR-T cells exhibited superior efficacy, migration and cytokine release in these miniature tumors. Moreover, in an RCC orthotopic mouse model, G9 CAR-T cells showed enhanced tumor control compared to G250. In summary, G9 has successfully mitigated OTOT side effects and in doing so has made CAIX a druggable immunotherapeutic target.

α-RuCl3, a narrow-band Mott insulator with a large work function, offers intriguing potential as a quantum material or as a charge acceptor for electrical contacts in van der Waals devices. In this work, we perform a systematic study of the optical reflection contrast of α-RuCl3 nanoflakes on oxidized silicon wafers and estimate the accuracy of this imaging technique to assess the crystal thickness. Via spectroscopic micro-ellipsometry measurements, we characterize the wavelength-dependent complex refractive index of α-RuCl3 nanoflakes of varying thickness in the visible and near-infrared. Building on these results, we simulate the optical contrast of α-RuCl3 nanoflakes with thicknesses below 100 nm on SiO2/Si substrates under different illumination conditions. We compare the simulated optical contrast with experimental values extracted from optical microscopy images and obtain good agreement. Finally, we show that optical contrast imaging allows us to retrieve the thickness of the RuCl3 nanoflakes exfoliated on an oxidized silicon substrate with a mean deviation of −0.2 nm for thicknesses below 100 nm with a standard deviation of only 1 nm. Our results demonstrate that optical contrast can be used as a non-invasive, fast, and reliable technique to estimate the α-RuCl3 thickness.

The paper provides a clinical case of physical and medical rehabilitation of patient D born in 1963. Principal diagnosis established in 2018 according to ICD-10: I42.0 dilated cardiomyopathy. Laboratory testing revealed DNA of herpes virus 6 (HHV6), positive test for cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA, 6.0×102 copies/mL, positive test for the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA, 7.2×103 copies/mL. In April 2018, the patient underwent successful surgery, implantation of the biventricular bypass system supplemented by membrane oxygenation. Physical rehabilitation was performed that yielded positive results.

Relevance. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, viruses have become a more common cause of pulmonary infections in adults; therefore, the distinction between viral lung injury and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia is of increasing importance. Aim. Development of a model for differentiating community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and viral lung injury, including COVID-19. Materials and methods. This retrospective case–control study included 300 adult patients with viral lung injury and 100 adult patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data were analyzed, significant factors were selected by which the samples differed, and a model was developed using logistic regression to distinguish between community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and viral lung damage, including COVID-19. Results. The developed model included the following parameters: total protein level, neutrophil/lymphocyte index, heart rate, unilateral infiltration on CT or chest x-ray, vasopressor prescription in the first 24 h of hospitalization, altered level of consciousness, chills, and fatigue. The model had the following characteristics: AUC = 0.94 (0.92–0.96), AUC_PR = 0.84 (0.76 to 0.92), prediction accuracy — 90%, sensitivity — 76%, specificity — 95%, positive predictive value — 83 %. Conclusion. The use of this model can facilitate the differential diagnosis of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and viral lung injury, including COVID-19, in adults in general wards and intensive care units.

Abstract Background Long-term health outcomes in children and young people (CYP) after COVID-19 infection are not well understood and studies with control groups exposed to other infections are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) and incomplete recovery in CYP after hospital discharge and compare outcomes between different SARS-CoV-2 variants and non-SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods A prospective exposure-stratified cohort study of individuals under 18 years old in Moscow, Russia. Exposed cohorts were paediatric patients admitted with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection between April 2 and December 11, 2020 (Wuhan variant cohort) and between January 12 and February 19, 2022 (Omicron variant cohort). CYP admitted with respiratory and intestinal infections, but negative lateral flow rapid diagnostic test and PCR-test results for SARS-CoV-2, between January 12 and February 19, 2022, served as unexposed reference cohort. Comparison between the ‘exposed cohorts’ and ‘reference cohort’ was conducted using 1:1 matching by age and sex. Follow-up data were collected via telephone interviews with parents, utilising the long COVID paediatric protocol and survey developed by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC). The WHO case definition was used to categorise PCC. Results Of 2595 CYP with confirmed COVID-19, 1707 (65.7%) participated in follow-up interviews, with 1183/1707 (69%) included in the final ‘matched’ analysis. The median follow-up time post-discharge was 6.7 months. The incidence of PCC was significantly higher in the Wuhan variant cohort (89.7 cases per 1000 person-months, 95% CI 64.3–120.3) compared to post-infection sequalae in the reference cohort (12.2 cases per 1000 person-months, 95% CI 4.9–21.9), whereas the difference with the Omicron variant cohort and reference cohort was not significant. The Wuhan cohort had higher incidence rates of dermatological, fatigue, gastrointestinal, sensory, and sleep manifestations, as well as behavioural and emotional problems than the reference cohort. The only significant difference between Omicron variant cohort and reference cohort was decreased school attendance. When comparing the Wuhan and Omicron variant cohorts, higher incidence of PCC and event rates of fatigue, decreased physical activity, and deterioration of relationships was observed. The rate of incomplete recovery was also significantly higher in the Wuhan variant cohort than in both the reference and the Omicron variant cohorts. Conclusions Wuhan variant exhibited a propensity for inducing a broad spectrum of physical symptoms and emotional behavioural changes, suggesting a pronounced impact on long-term health outcomes. Conversely, the Omicron variant resulted in fewer post-infection effects no different from common seasonal viral illnesses. This may mean that the Omicron variant and subsequent variants might not lead to the same level of long-term health consequences as earlier variants.

The aim of the work was to conduct an analysis of the current state and current trends in the approval of drugs, as well as some aspects of the methodology for their development based on biological molecules and registration.Materials and methods. The material for the analysis was taken from the abstract databases of PubMed, Google Scholar and e-library.ru. The search was carried out using publications for the period from 2008 to 2023, the keywords were as follows: “biologicals”, “new drug approval”, “drug authorization”, “drug development”, “biosimilar”, taking into account various spellings.Results. Over the past 15 years, scientists have been observing revolutionary trends and processes in the field of the drug development, especially biopharmaceuticals. Significant advances have been made in gene, immune and cell therapies, resulting in the approval of such drugs more than doubling over the past ten years. The development of biological drugs includes the identification and testing of molecular targets and requires a deep understanding of the structure and functioning of the polypeptides involved in the development of the effect. The features of these active pharmaceutical substances are a high molecular weight, a complex three-dimensional structure and a high immunogenic potential. Preclinical and clinical studies of biologics have unique challenges. Selecting appropriate animal species, understanding the immunogenicity, and assessing pharmacodynamics and toxicological properties require a multilevel, detailed approach. The article discusses the regulatory framework under which these drugs are registered, summarizing the guidelines provided by international organizations such as the International Council for Harmonization and various national agencies.Conclusion. The analysis highlights the current advances and prospects in the development of biologics, highlighting their key role in future transformations in the treatment of rare diseases and oncology, approaching the era of personalized medicine. Monitoring the development directions and technological approaches, as well as the commitment to global methodological and regulatory aspects can become a catalyst in the development of the Russian pharmacology.

Modern approaches to the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are aimed not only at glycemic control, but also at reducing cardiovascular risks. The increasing prevalence of the disease and the need for effective treatment options highlight the importance of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in the pharmacotherapy structure.The aim of the work was to review the literature regarding the physiology of GLP-1 and the therapeutic potential and development trends of its agonists.Materials and methods. The search for the review materials was carried out using the abstract databases of PubMed, Google Scholar and e-Library. The search was carried out for publications from 2000 to 2023, using the following keywords: “GLP-1”; “GLP-1R agonists”; “GIP”; “exenatide”; “liraglutide”; “dulaglutide”; “semaglutide”; “lixisenatide”; “albiglutide”; “taspoglutide” taking into account various spellings.Results. The interaction of almost all food components with enteroendocrine cells of the intestine leads to the secretion of incretins (primarily GLP-1) into the blood, triggering a complex of physiological reactions aimed primarily at the rapid utilization of incoming glucose (regulation of insulin and glucagon secretion), as well as the central regulation of dietary behavior (slowing gastric emptying and the formation of a feeling of satiety). A wide distribution of the GLP-1 receptor in various tissues and organs, its connection with intracellular signaling cascades aimed at launching energy-consuming remodeling (recovery) processes in endothelial cells, heart, neurons, beta cells, etc., is the basis for a wide range of pleiotropic effects of GLP-1 unrelated to its hypoglycemic effect. The discovery of synthetic GLP-1 receptor agonists with a long period of action has made it possible not only to therapeutically influence various parts of carbohydrate metabolism disorders, but also to increase the functional reserves of the target diabetes organs, reducing the risk of developing complications of the disease. Incretin-like drugs are well tolerated, with nausea being the most common side effect. The factors limiting a wider use of the drugs include their high cost and the preferred form of a subcutaneous solution. The current research is focused on the development of long-acting, oral, dual and triple agonists, fixed-dose combinations, and small molecule drugs.Conclusion. GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of effective and safe drugs for the treatment of diabetes and obesity, which is rapidly developing in the most advanced areas of pharmacy. A further development of this group and the solution of the identified problems will open up new opportunities for the treatment of diabetes and its complications.

Background. The analysis of local floras reveals floristic diversity in most detail. This component of biodiversity is basic for its study and is important for solving scientific and practical problems. Materials and methods. In Penza region, three floras of the physiographic region and seven local floras are considered. Each local flora has been described from an area of 400 km2 and includes 589–804 species. The initial lists of species for all floras were compiled during a number of field seasons for 2010–2022; literature data were also used. Results. The flora of Penza region is characterized by the Rosaceae type, which is also preserved in each of the districts, both in the complete flora and in the native fraction. The difference between the proportions of the Rosaceae and Fabaceae families is most noticeable in the flora of the Zasursky district, which is the most forested and is located in the northeastern part of the region. In the spectra of families of adventitious fractions of the considered floras, the leading four are: Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae. For the considered floras of all three regions, the genus Vicia is the most numerous in the composition of legumes. The generic spectrum of the Rosaceae family in relation to the leading genera has differences: in the southern regions, the genus Potentilla is in the lead. The genus Alchemilla holds the first place in the composition of the flora of the Zasursky region. In the aboriginal fractions of local floras, the third place in the spectra of families is occupied by Rosaceae, and the genus Vicia dominates in the generic spectrum of the family Fabaceae. Five local floras include the genus Alchemilla, which is one of the leaders in the Rosaceae family. Two local floras located in the southern part have no representatives of Alchemilla and Potentilla dominates in Rosaceae. The local floras differ in the proportions of the Cyperaceae family. Conclusions. The considered floras of the physiographic regions, as well as the local floras, belong to the Rosaceae type. At the same time, Potentilla or Alchemilla can dominate in the Rosaceae family.

This study investigates the implementation of media educational technology in preschool institutions in Ukraine. The increasing prevalence of media manipulation, fake information, and uncontrolled media consumption among children necessitates media education from an early age. The research involved developing and experimentally testing a model for media educational technology tailored for preschoolers aged 5-6 years. The technology encompasses a three-stage process: diagnostic-target, integrational, and analytical, incorporating various forms, methods, and means of media education activities. A key component is innovative “media educational tales” designed to engage children in learning about media literacy concepts. The effectiveness of the technology was evaluated through a confirmatory experiment conducted in multiple preschool institutions across Ukraine, involving 384 respondents. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in media literacy levels among children in the experimental groups, with 20.9% achieving a high level and 61.7% reaching a sufficient level after implementing the technology. The study highlights the feasibility and positive impact of implementing structured media educational approaches in preschool settings while also revealing the need for further training and support for preschool teachers in this domain.

With the rapid development of wireless communication technologies and the miniaturization trend in the electronics industry, the reduction of electromagnetic interference has become an important issue. To solve this problem, a lot of attention has been focused on polymer composites with combined functional fillers. In this paper, we report a method for creating an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic composite with a low amount of conductive carbon and magnetic fillers preparation. Also, we investigate the mechanical, thermophysical, and electrodynamic characteristics of the resulting composites. Increasing the combined filler amount in the ABS composite from 1 to 5 wt % leads to a composite conductivity growth of almost 50 times. It is necessary to underline the temperature decrease of 5 wt % mass loss and, accordingly, the composite heat resistance reduction with an increase in the combined filler from 1 to 5 wt %, while the thermal conductivity remains almost constant. It was established that electrodynamic and physical–mechanical characteristics depend on the agglomeration of fillers. This work is expected to reveal the potential of combining commercially available fillers to construct effective materials with good electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection using mass production methods (extrusion and injection molding).

Abstract Bioenergetics models estimate ectotherm growth, production, and prey consumption – all key for effective ecosystem management during changing global temperatures. Based on species‐specific allometric and thermodynamic relationships, these models typically use the species' lab‐derived optimum temperatures (physiological optimum) as opposed to empirical field data (realized thermal niche) that reflect actual thermal experience. Yet, dynamic behavioral thermoregulation mediated by biotic and abiotic interactions may provide substantial divergence between physiological optimum and realized thermal niche temperatures to significantly bias model outcomes. Here, using the Wisconsin bioenergetics model and in‐situ year‐round temperature data, we tested the two approaches and compared the maximum attainable lifetime weight and lifetime prey consumption estimates for two salmonid species with differing life histories. We demonstrate that using the realized thermal niche is the better approach because it eliminates significant biases in estimates produced by the physiological optimum. Specifically, using the physiological optimum, slower‐growing Salvelinus namaycush maximum attainable lifetime weight was underestimated, and consumption overestimated, while fast‐growing Oncorhynchus tshawytscha maximum attainable weight was overestimated. While the physiological optimum approach is useful for theoretical studies, our results demonstrate the critical importance that models used by management utilize up‐to‐date system‐ and species‐specific field data representing actual in‐situ behaviors (i.e., realized thermal niche).

This article presents an implicit two-layer finite element scheme for solving the Kirchhoff equation, a nonlinear nonlocal equation of hyperbolic type with the Dirichlet integral. The discrete scheme was designed considering the solution of the problem and its derivative for the time variable. It ensures total energy conservation at a discrete level. The use of the Newton method was proven to be effective for solving the scheme on the time layer despite the nonlocality of the equation. The test problems with smooth solutions showed that the scheme can define both the solution of the problem and its time derivative with an error of O(h2+τ2) in the root-mean-square norm, where τ and h are the grid steps in time and space, respectively.

Transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an increasing concern in many countries. We investigated the detection rate of HEV viremia in blood donors in Russia. A total of 20,405 regular repetitive voluntary non-renumerated blood donors from two regions (Moscow and Belgorod) were screened for HEV RNA using the cobas® HEV test in mini-pools of six plasma samples. Samples from each reactive pool were tested individually. The average HEV RNA prevalence was 0.024% (95% CI: 0.01–0.05%), or 1 case per 4081 donations. No statistically significant differences in HEV RNA prevalence were observed between the two study regions. The PCR threshold cycle (Ct) values ranged from 25.0 to 40.5 in reactive pools, and from 20.9 to 41.4 in reactive plasma samples when tested individually. The HEV viremic donors had different antibody patterns. Two donor samples were reactive for both anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibodies, one sample was reactive for anti-HEV IgM and negative for anti-HEV IgG, and two samples were seronegative. At follow-up testing 6 months later, on average, four donors available for follow-up had become negative for HEV RNA and positive for anti-HEV IgG. The HEV ORF2 sequence belonging to HEV-3 sub-genotype 3a was obtained from one donor sample. The sequencing failed in the other four samples from viremic donors, presumably due to the low viral load. In conclusion, the HEV RNA detection rate in blood donors in Russia corresponds with data from other European countries, including those that implemented universal donor HEV screening. These data support the implementation of HEV RNA donor screening to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HEV infection in Russia.

Magnetic nanoparticles have gained attention as a potential structure for therapy and diagnosing oncological diseases. The key property of the magnetic nanoparticles is the ability to respond to an external magnetic field. It is known that magnetofection causes an increase in the cellular uptake of RNA and DNA in complexes with magnetic nanoparticles in the presence of a permanent magnetic field. However, the influence of a dynamic magnetic field on the internalization of MNPs is not clear. In this work, we propose the idea that applying external low-frequency dynamic magnetic fields may decrease the cellular uptake, such as macrophages and malignant neuroblastoma. Using fluorescence microscopy and atomic emission spectroscopy, we found that oscillating magnetic fields decreased the cellular uptake of magnetic nanoparticles compared to untreated cells by up to 46%. In SH-SY5Y tumor cells and macrophage RAW264.7 cells, the absolute values of Fe per cell differed by 0.10 pg/cell and 0.33 pg/cell between treated and untreated cells, respectively. These results can be applied in the control of the cellular uptake in different areas of biomedicine.