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The article is devoted to the study of methods for ensuring information security for vertically integrated companies. The study examined the concept of a vertically integrated company, studied its features, risks, information security structure and key components of its software. The authors analyzed modern methods and tools for ensuring cybersecurity, applicable in the analyzed companies, and carried out a comparative analysis of their advantages and disadvantages. The work mentions integrated information security systems. Particular attention is paid to authentication technology based on SIM cards with an electronic digital signature as one of its mechanisms. The article examines tokens as traditional tools for implementing electronic digital signatures and SIM cards from the point of view of more modern technology, and also carries out a comparative analysis of them from the economic, technical and legal aspects. The work describes and visualizes a diagram of the process of installing tokens and SIM cards in the business process of vertically integrated companies, and the process of replacing tokens with SIM cards is considered from three points of view: economic, technical and legal. The result of the study was the expansion of the existing knowledge base about ensuring information security in vertically integrated companies and the identification of the implementation of SIM card-based authentication technology as prevailing in relation to the token-based authentication system.

A brief review of devices and methods of functioning of sensors for direct control of transpiration phenomena, their advantages and disadvantages are given. The task of the research is to experimentally confirm the selected calculation dependence for determining the values of xylem flow, i.e. to obtain a formula for determining the rate of xylem mass movement depending on the temperature gradient on the stem surface, which is measured by sensors and given to the system of digital control of production processes based on thermoregulation. And the higher the flow velocity, the faster the temperature front will reach the remote sensor and will cool down by a smaller value than at lower flow velocity and the temperature difference will have a smaller value. The dependence of xylem flow velocity (sap flow) q (g/s) on the temperature difference Δt of the coolant at the inlet of the stem system (heater) and at its outlet (remote sensor-thermocouple) was experimentally obtained. The obtained dependence agrees well with the hyperbolic function q = 0.15 / Δt, obtained by computational method, which confirms the possibility of its application in the processor of digital control of the system of productivity processes in plant systems.

Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) is actively working to solve the problem of preventing Near-Earth Object (NEO) hazard. The article provides the goals and objectives of preventing NEO hazard, as well as ways to achieve them. The described ways of achieving the goal are applied in RAS best. The current state and prospects of the Russian contribution to the prevention of NEO hazard are considered. Statistical data on the dynamics of observation of minor planets by Russian telescopes is presented. The structure of the NEO part of hazardous situations classifier developed by Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM RAS) and structure of perspective National System Security of space activities in outer space are presented, including the system’s response to event classified as dangerous. The article is accompanied by illustrations of potentially hazardous objects in the sky, made by telescopes of the International Network of Optical Telescopes (ISON), coordinated by the KIAM RAS.

The possibility of seed genetic banks creating is associated with the ability of many plants seeds (the so-called orthodox ones) to maintain germination ability for a long time, being in a dormant state. This opens up wide prospects for the formation of a reserve seeds fund of rare species that are threatened with extinction in natural communities. Botanical gardens in different countries of the world, including the Russian Federation, are working on the creation of such seed banks. To assess the quality of seeds in relation to agricultural crops, as well as natural flora species, radiography is used. It is this kind of non-damaging express assessment of the quality of seeds that turns out to be the most informative technique for seed material obtained in botanical gardens. The article presents the preliminary results of an X-ray study of the seeds quality of some Samara region rare plants - four species ofthe Iris genus - Iris aphylla L., I. halophila Pall., I. pumila L., I. sibirica L.

Research background: The modern world is situated today in a very difficult and complicated period of existence: the coronavirus pandemic, quarantine, the global lockdown, etcetera. Today we are talking about the transition to a new type of social structure, and this transition to something new always entails complexity in adaptation and some breaking of familiar stereotypes. The mankind has faced again the necessity to develop new norms. Purpose of the article: In this article, from the point of view of philosophy, one of the most complex phenomena of the modern information age, is characterized, namely: the global crisis and its role in the formation and development of human thinking, is studied and analyzed. The author’s position echoing the key philosophical ideas presented by such philosophers as R. Descartes and B. Spinoza, I. Kant and G. Hegel, V. Heisenberg and by the others, however, contains its own authorial position. Methods: As part of the historical-comparative analysis, the crucial cultural and existential problems in modern society are demonstrated. The analysis is presented through the prism of such phenomena as a conflict of values, the subjective experience of a person, and a crisis. Thanks to an extensive historical-philosophical and sociocultural discourse, the main milestones of the transformation of understanding and attitude of a person to the basic existential elements of his being in a crisis situation are shown. Findings & Value added: The main focus of the article is on the study and new reception of some previous views on the phenomenon of crisis and the role of philosophy in its evolution.

Research background: The article is devoted to the phenomenon of COVID-19 and its influence of modern man. The article analyses the processes in which the mechanisms of human interaction with the environment manifest themselves, as well as ways to address the destructive processes in the minds and behavior of modern man. Purpose of the article: In this article, from the point of view of philosophy, one of the most complex phenomena of the modern information age, is characterized, namely the modern stage of the human society in the context of pandemic is studied and analyzed. Methods: Theoretical interpretation of understanding of problem of interpersonal communication in the context of globalization and pandemic COVID-19 requires an integrated approach. The method of temporal analysis and the method of personalistic and ideal-typical reconstruction, a tool that is adequate to the author’s interpretation of social self-organization in the era of globalization as a process of constituting the temporal and ethical dominance of individuals and collectivities that formalize the integrity of the cultural epoch, will become the immediate, applied methodological basis. Findings &; Value added: Summing up our reflections, we can say that it is the flexibility, multiple variability in different behavioral situations tha is often the key to successful and efficient activity. On the contrary: constriction, resistance to the changing conditions and factors very often become an obstacle on the way to successful communication with the world around us.

The task of determining the parameters of an innovative project, their composition and structure is a crucial stage in the design and development of an innovative project within the framework of digital transformation. A refined classification of the parameters of an innovative project, considering the specifics of projects aimed at digital transformation of the enterprises, operating in the manufacturing sector, is proposed. The classification separates the parameters of innovative projects into 2 key categories: target parameters and controlled or limiting parameters. When applied to innovative project parameters in digital transformation, target parameters are further divided into gradual and optional types; controlled or limiting parameters constitute basic structure of innovative projects and include road-map and time allocation, costs, market parameters, human resources, technological readiness, regulatory norms. The presented approach leaves room for further research based on additional real case data and risk evaluation, standard and accepted deviations of the project results analysis.

The modern practice of defining administrative-industrial territories has formed the concept of «single-industry towns». Currently, there are many definitions of this phenomenon; however, the common criterion for classifying a town as a single-industry town is that its socio-economic development depends on the activities of one city-forming enterprise or several enterprises in the technological structure that operate within a single production and technological process. Such dependence for settlements with narrow specialization has a negative impact during the crisis situation at the enterprise or its liquidation. The negative consequences include a sharp increase in unemployment (including hidden one), aggravation of social problems, acceleration of population outflow to more developed cities/regions of the region/country, sharply reduced revenues to the local budget, which leads to the impossibility of independent development of the settlement. The problems of single-industry towns in the periods of economic crises are pronounced. Results. This paper has defined the criteria of single-industry towns, approaches to the identification of single-industry towns. In addition, the models and factors contributing to the sustainable socio-economic development of single-industry towns and domestic experience in the modernization of single-industry town settlements are identified.

The study reveals the multifunctionality which is typical of German and Russian political blogs. Regardless of the language of the blogs, information and evaluation, political and convening, consolidating, agitation and propaganda, presentation and propaganda, and directive functions are among the dominant functions. The paper briefly describes the linguistic means which represent these functions. It shows the discursive hybridity of political blogs which is manifested in combining the features of Internet discourse with elements of political, news, journalistic, and social values discourses (in German political blogs) and political, business, legal, conversational, and artistic discourses (in Russian political blogs). The authors establish the relevant communicative strategies of the addresser (the strategy to justify a “problem”, the strategy to support / not support demonstrated evaluation) and the tactics that implement them. The authors also define the topics for discussion which initiate the addressee’s protest reaction – these are social issues, international and regional developments, environment and migration crisis in German political blogs and finance and taxes, constitution and government, elections, corruption and officials in Russian political blogs. The paper describes the ways of forming and maintaining convening technologies in the protest practice considered. It considers the features of mediatization of politics and personality in the content analyzed, which are manifested in guiding the political agenda to the needs of the addressee. It also establishes that German and Russian political blogs as a protest practice are characterized by a set of common system and communicative characteristics, a similar strategy and tactic organization, and a different set of problem areas marked with the “threat” index. The results obtained contribute to further development of the provisions of the communicative theory of protest, facilitate the understanding of modern protest forms and attempt to explain how technology, politics and the media sphere are interlinked.

The study focuses on the problem of toxic communication as one of the risk factors in Health, Safety & Environmental culture development. The data obtained indicate that the effectiveness of Health, Safety & Environmental communication is reduced due to the expansion of toxic communication, which includes such phenomena as intentional confusion, topic overdiscussing, lack of dialogue on equal footing, lack of feedback, and weak corporate culture. It is also shown that in most cases, ineffective Health, Safety & Environmental leadership of managers and chiefs demonstrates the communicative behaviour of a toxic boss. The conclusion is drawn on the need for further studies of toxic communication in order to reduce its negative impact on Health, Safety & Environmental culture promotion.

The modern world is firmly connected with the phenomenon of globalization. In fact, globalization means a new stage in the historical development of society, where the economic, political and cultural interaction of the countries of the modern world is becoming more intense and profound. The method of temporal analysis and the method of personalistic and ideal-typical reconstruction, a tool that is adequate to the author’s interpretation of inter-personal understanding in the era of globalization as a process of constituting the temporal and ethical dominance of individuals and collectivities that formalize the integrity of the cultural epoch, will become the immediate, applied methodological basis. The article deals with the phenomenon of social understanding, as important interaction between individuals in the global modern society through the analysis of information systems and inter-machine communication. The authors are convinced that as a result of all these processes we can speak about principal new level of individual relationship. In our opinion, information communication systems created by people are the ideal communication model for the future society. The article is devoted to for the inter-personal understanding in the future society based on information systems.

The relevance of this study is caused by the need to solve problems of sustainable use of natural resources in the Arctic region when implementing projects with international participation. The paper highlighted a number of the most significant problems of the region, which destroy the ecological balance. The areas of development of the natural resources of the Arctic region have been determined with the participation of countries interested in this, in particular, China, which is striving to become the leading export world power and influence the sustainable use of natural resources in the Arctic region. The paper analyzes the interests of China in the Arctic, identifies the strategy of China’s behavior and the main directions of international cooperation with the countries of Northern Europe and North America in the Arctic region. China is increasingly pursuing its Arctic policy, and international cooperation is an important way for China to strengthen its research and economic potential in the Arctic. The dominant interests of China in the Arctic are: the development of polar scientific research; the creation of a transport and logistics system; development of hydrocarbon energy and mineral resources; development of systems based on renewable energy sources; maintaining ecological balance, including through the development of a green economy in the region; environmental protection. In this regard, China is taking active steps to establish strong bilateral and multilateral relations with Western countries, the so-called Arctic G8 countries, and seeks to promote its interests in the region under consideration, including through large investments in the Arctic projects of these countries.

The article basing on the case study of English-language websites of British restaurants and taking into account such discursive parameters as the goal of communication, content, addresser and addressee factors, communicative strategies, and linguistic features deals thoroughly with genre organization of restaurant online discourse. The authors establish the stages and the criteria for its hyper-genre and sub-genre levels. They show that genres systems of virtual communication adjusted to achieving the goals of the restaurant business become system-forming for this type of restaurant discourse practice. The authors also establish the factors of a communicative and pragmatic goal, institutionally based typical interactions, and the addresser and addressee factors as the most important ones of its formation. They point out communicative strategies realized by a set of tactics and dominant linguistic means as the most important communicative and pragmatic means of achieving the goal of a restaurant.

Objectives: The antimicrobial, oxidative activities, and ecotoxicity of synthesized silver-loaded zeolites (X and ZSM-5(MFI), Si-to-Al ratios 12 and 25) were studied, linking antimicrobial properties to material structure and released active silver species., Methods: The materials were characterized by SEM, EDX, TEM, and XRPD. All materials, with a silver content of 1-3%wt for the Ss and about 35%wt for the X-zeolites, were tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Redox activity was studied in physiological (pH 7.4/37 °C) and optimal (pH 8.5/37 °C) conditions in chemiluminescent model systems. In the ecotoxicity tests, we used Daphnia magna. Results: A proportional correlation was observed between the bactericidal effect of and the silver content in the zeolites. AgX with a Si/Al ratio of ~1.23 and 35% silver showed a higher antimicrobial efficiency, particularly against Gram-negative E. coli versus Gram-positive S. aureus . The concentration thresholds were as follows: AgXas had a bactericidal effect at 0.003 g/L -1 , with an MIC at 0.0015 m/L -1 for E. coli ; SA25-Ag, AgXcl, AgXrc had a bactericidal effect at 2.5 g/L -1 . The bacteria were more resilient than Daphnia magna , which showed a 90-100% lethality at Ag-zeolite concentrations of 0.00625 to 0.0125 g/L -1 . AgXas and AgXrc demonstrated strong reactive oxygen species generation at both the physiological and optimal pH, explaining their bactericidal effects. In general, the tested materials showed an inhibition of the generated reactive oxygen species depending on the model system and conditions., Conclusions: The silver species leached from the new materials explain their higher oxidation and bactericidal activity. While suitable for stringently controlled biological applications, their release into the environment, in concentrations higher than 0.01g/L -1 , should be avoided.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials offer some promising antibacterial effects. In this study, a new form of ZnO is synthesized, named ZnO nanocluster bars (NCs). Herein, ZnO NCs, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), ZnO coated with silica (ZnO-SiOA, ZnO-SiOB), and SiO2 NPs were prepared, characterized, and their antimicrobial and prooxidant activity were tested. The prooxidant activity of all nanomaterials was studied according to free-radical oxidation reactions (pH 7.4 and pH 8.5) in chemiluminescent model systems. Each form of new synthesized ZnO nanomaterials exhibited a unique behavior that varied from mild to strong prooxidant properties in the Fenton`s system. ZnO NPs and ZnO NCs showed strong antibacterial effects, ZnO-SiOA NPs did not show any antibacterial activity representing biocompatibility. All tested NMs also underwent oxidation by H2O2. ZnO NCs and ZnO NPs exhibited strong oxidation at pH 8.5 in the O2-. generating system. While, SiO2, ZnO-SiOA andZnO-SiOB possessed pronounced 60-80% antioxidant effects, SiO2 NPs acted as a definitive prooxidant which was not observed in other tests. ZnO NCs are strong oxidized, assuming that ZnO NCs provide a slower release of ZnO, which leads to having a stronger effect on bacterial strains.  Thus, ZnO NCs are an important antibacterial agent that could be an emergent replacement of traditional antibiotics.

Objective: To investigate the effects of single-session premotor and primary motor tDCS in chronic stroke patients with relation to possible inter-hemispheric interactions., Methods: Anodal tDCS of either M1 or premotor cortex of the side contralateral to the paretic hand, cathodal tDCS of the premotor cortex of the side ipsilateral to the paretic hand and sham stimulation were performed in 12 chronic stroke patients with mild hand paresis in a balanced cross-over design. The Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function test, evaluating the time required for performance of everyday motor tasks, was employed., Results: The repeated-measure ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser correction showed significant influence of the stimulation type (factor SESSION; F(2.6, 28.4) = 47.3, p < 0.001), the test performance time relative to stimulation (during or after tDCS; factor TIME, F(1.0, 11.0) = 234.5, p < 0.001) with higher effect after the stimulation and the interaction SESSION*TIME (F(1.7, 1.2) = 30.5, p < 0.001). All active conditions were effective for the modulation of JTT performance, though the highest effect was observed after anodal tDCS of M1, followed by effects after anodal stimulation of the premotor cortex contralateral to the paretic hand. Based on the correlation patterns, the inhibitory input to M1 from premotor cortex of another hemisphere and an excitatory input from the ipsilesional premotor cortex were suggested., Conclusion: The premotor cortex is a promising candidate area for transcranial non-invasive stimulation of chronic stroke patients., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim is to evaluate the prooxidant and antimicrobial effects of Fe 3 O 4 and TiO 2 nanoparticles and thalicarpine by luminescent and standard microbiological assays. Their effect on the kinetics of free-radical oxidation reactions (at pH 7.4 and pH 8.5) is studied in the following model systems, using activated chemiluminescence: chemical, with Fenton's reagent (H 2 O 2 -FeSO 4 )-for the generation of hydroxyl radicals ( . OH); chemical, with oxidant hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ); chemical (NAD.H-PhMS), for the generation of superoxide radicals (O 2 .- ). Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles exhibit highly pronounced antioxidant properties; TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibit mild to moderate prooxidant properties at neutral and alkaline conditions. Those properties are tested by the chemiluminescent method for the first time. Thalicarpine and its combination with TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibit pronounced antioxidant activities at pH 8.5 which are lost and transformed into well-presented prooxidant effects at pH 7.4. That is a result-supported proof on the observed typical properties of thalicarpine and TiO 2 , namely antibacterial, organic-preserving and anti-pathogenic activities. The antimicrobial effect is tested on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria: two strains of Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus 1095 and Staphylococcus aureus. All bacteria are destroyed after the application of TiO 2 , but not Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, showing their antibacterial effect. Thalicarpine, in combination with TiO 2 , showed even synergetic antibacterial effect.

In this study we compared the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the subacute and chronic stages of post-stroke recovery. Anodal/sham tDCS was applied to the primary motor cortex of stroke patients in these stages of recovery in a cross-over design. The Jebsen-Taylor hand function test was employed. The repeated-measure ANOVA showed significant influence of the stimulation type and test performance time (during/after tDCS) with no overall influence of recovery stage. The interaction TYPE*TIME*STAGE was significant. The effect after anodal tDCS in the subacute stage was significantly higher compared to the effects in all relevant conditions including the chronic stage. Therefore, tDCS treatment in the subacute stage of recovery can be superior, at least for some patients, to treatment in the chronic stage.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method of modulating brain excitability by low intensity direct current. At present, there are numerous studies of tDCS application in various mental and neurological diseases. In this review, the data of tDCS efficiency in the treatment of different disorders are presented and the recommendations on using this method in clinical practice are given.

The aim of this study is to investigate the antimicrobial properties of nanocomposite thin TiO 2 :Cu:Ag films on Pseudomonas putida as a natural isolate and an opportunistic pathogen. Several different methods were used to compare the antibacterial effect of thin TiO 2 :Cu:Ag layers obtained by radiofrequency magnetron sputter deposition against P. putida: optical density of the bacterial suspension, most probable number of survived cells, dehydrogenase activity inhibition, scanning electron microscopy images, atomic flame absorption spectroscopy, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) luminescent assay. Optical density measurements and most probable plate count were in agreement and showed a strong bactericidal effect of the as-deposited and only bacteriostatic effect of the annealed coatings with the same metal content on tested bacteria. As the metal quantity in the medium rises during the first hour of the experiment, it could be suggested that this is the main reason for cell death. ATP-luminescent assay showed up to 18-fold reduction of the signal. It was compared with other microbiological and biochemical assays to prove the strong antibacterial effect of nanocomposite thin TiO 2 :Cu:Ag coatings with the possibilities of medical applications. Protection of medical devices against infections is a significant current challenge raised by an increasing number of medical devices-associated infections and microbial resistance to conventional antibiotic and multidrug treatments. Deposition of antimicrobial coatings is one of the current approaches to mitigate the problem., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be an effective treatment for depression, however, the duration of the stimulation session, among other parameters, needs to be optimized., Methods: 69 mild to moderately depressed patients (age 37.6±10.5years, 19 men) were randomized into three groups - 30-, 20-minute or sham tDCS. 10 daily sessions of anodal/sham tDCS of the left DLPFC (0.5mA; electrode 3,5×7cm) combined with 50mg/day of sertraline were performed. Mood, cognition and BDNF level were assessed before and after the treatment., Results: A significant difference between groups was observed in the percent change of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (F(2, 66)=10.1; p<0.001). Sham group (43.4%±18.1) had a smaller improvement compared to the 30-minute (63.8%±13.4; 95% CI: 11.23-29.44; p=0.00003) and 20-minute group (53.2%±15.3; 95% CI: 0.21-19.26; p=0.045). 30-minute group had significantly greater percent improvement than 20-minute group (95% CI: 1.74-19.46; p=0.02). Responders constituted 89%, 68%, and 50% and remitters - 70%, 27%, and 35% in the 30-, 20-minute and sham groups, respectively. A significant difference in the number of responders was observed between 30-minute vs. sham group (odds ratio=8; 95% CI, 2.59-24.69; p=0.001), in remission rate - between 30-minute vs. sham (odds ratio=4.40; 95% CI, 2.02-9.57; p=0.02) and vs. 20-minute (odds ratio=6.33; 95% CI, 2.85-14.10; p=0.003) groups. Two hypomania cases and one case of blood pressure elevation were detected in the 20-minute group. Among neuropsychological tests, only the change in Digit Span Backwards test showed a significant interaction between groups (TIME*GROUP; F(2, 65)=6,6, p=0.002); a greater improvement was observed in both active groups compared to sham (p<0.05). The change in BDNF level after the treatment did not show the significant difference between groups., Conclusions: tDCS of 20- or 30-minutes combined with sertraline are efficient for the treatment of mild and moderate depression; the effect of 30min stimulation exceeds the one obtained from 20min., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The authors sought to explore the impact of tactile sensation on manual dexterity and the validity of the strength-dexterity test in subjects with chronic impairments after stroke in a cross-sectional study of 24 patients with impaired hand function after stroke. Dexterity was assessed by the strength-dexterity test, Box and Blocks, and Nine-Hole Peg Test, and the ABILHAND questionnaire. Sensation was measured by pinprick, cotton-wool, graphesthesia, and 2-point discrimination tests. Sensation in the paretic hand had strong association with paretic hand performance in the strength-dexterity test and Nine-Hole Peg Test and explained 13% of the variance. Sensation in the nonparetic hand was associated with the results of the ABILHAND questionnaire. Among sensory tests, 2-point discrimination had the strongest association with dexterity tests. No significant correlations between sensation, pinch force, and dexterity tests were found for the nonparetic hand. The strength-dexterity test exhibited strong correlations with the other dexterity measures and with pinch force. There is an association between tactile sensation and dexterous performance in the paretic hand; activity level performance is associated with sensation in the nonparetic hand. The study supports the validity of the strength-dexterity test when applied in subjects in the chronic stage after stroke.

Influenza pathogenesis comprises a complex cascade of impaired cellular processes resulting from the viral replication and exaggerated immune response accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and oxidative stress, destructing membranous structures and tissues. By classical virological and biochemical methods we compared and evaluated the therapeutic effects of 2.5mg/kg/day of the antiviral drug - oseltamivir (OS), 500mg/kg/day of the immune modulator - isoprinosine (IP) and 500mg/kg/day of the antioxidant agent ellagic acid (EA) with a focus on their combined activities in influenza H3N2 virus-infected mice. The survival, lung pathology and titers, as well as the oxidative stress biomarker thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the lungs, liver and blood plasma, correlated to the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) were assessed. We found that the viral inhibitor applied together with the immune modulator and the antioxidant exhibited strong therapeutic effects on the survival of the influenza-challenged mice. That effect was mostly pronounced for the triple combination - protection index (PI) of 75.2%, mean survival time (MST) extended by 5.8 days compared to the PBS control and significant reduction of the lung titers by 1.38 Δlg; 2.3 scores lower lung pathology and 8 times reduction of the accumulated TBARS in the lungs and liver on the 5 -th day p.i. The enzymatic assays revealed that this combination demonstrated very good protection against the damaging superoxide radicals (83% efficiency of SOD, in comparison to healthy controls 100%). The double combinations of OS with IP and EA also showed protective effects according to the virological analysis - PI of 53.1% and 54.5%. Ten times higher GR activity was observed when the combination EA+OS and monotherapy of EA were applied (96% in comparison to healthy controls 100%). The best antioxidant effect in blood plasma was observed in the EA+IP group - 4 times reduction in the TBARS-content compared to infected controls but it did not have any efficacy on the survival and lung injury., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recent studies exploring the combined effect of motor learning and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for stroke rehabilitation have shown partially conflicting results., Objective: To test the efficacy of an optimized hand training approach combined with tDCS in stroke patients., Methods: In the present pilot study we investigated motor effects of four-week training with a visuomotor grip force tracking task combined with tDCS in 11 chronic stroke patients. Anodal (0.5 mA) or sham tDCS was applied over the primary motor cortex of the lesioned side for 20 minutes, twice a day, during training., Results: No difference between the Active and Sham groups in the total upper extremity (UE) Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score was found. The most prominent recovery occurred in the shoulder-elbow FMA sub-score; in this segment a significantly greater improvement in the Active compared to the Sham group was observed up to two months after the intervention. Mean hold force during the first treatment session predicted the change in the total UE FMA score after treatment., Conclusion: Four-week visuo-motor training combined with tDCS showed no difference between the Active and Sham groups in the total UE FMA score, which may be explained by heterogeneity of the degree of recovery in the Active group. However, the shoulder-elbow FMA sub-score improved significantly more in the Active compared to the Sham group, which deserves further study.

This study compares the antioxidant capacities in vitro of several synthetic and natural compounds applied and researched for influenza treatment - oseltamivir, isoprinosine, ellagic acid, vitamin E and vitamin C. Three chemical systems are utilized for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at pH 7.4 and pH 8.5: (1) Fenton's (Fe 2+ +H 2 O 2 ) for OH and -OH species (2) H 2 O 2 (3) NADH-phenazinemethosulfat, for superoxide radicals (O 2 - ). The kinetics was evaluated by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. The calculated constants of inhibition k 7 describe the antioxidant capacity at the moment of oxidative burst. Their values do not necessarily correspond to the calculated total antioxidant activity. The obtained results revealed that the synthetic anti-influenza drugs (oseltamivir and isoprinosine) as well as ellagic acid possess pronounced scavenging properties mostly against superoxide radicals, comparable and higher than that of traditional natural antioxidants. Quantitative analysis of the antioxidant effects of the examined synthetic substances was performed. The results compared the corresponding effect of the average physiological concentrations and the applied therapeutic antioxidant dose. With these experiments we registered new aspects of their therapeutic activities, due to antioxidant properties against hydroxyl, superoxide radicals and H 2 O 2 oxidation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this work is to study the effect of the flavonoids rutin and quercetin on hepatic monooxygenase activities in experimental influenza virus infection (EIVI). EIVI causes oxidative stress in the whole organism. This is confirmed by the rapidly increased concentrations of thiobarbituric reactive substances in influenza-infected mice: lungs - 290%; blood plasma - more than 320%; liver - 230%; brain - 50%. Although known for their antioxidant activities, rutin and quercetin exhibit prooxidant effect in healthy and antioxidant activity in influenza-infected animals. The pretreatment with both flavonoids (20 mg/kg b.w.) restores oxidative damage mostly in the target organ of the infection as well as in the liver of all infected mice (lungs: rutin - 30%, quercetin - 40%, combination - 45%; liver: rutin - 12%; quercetin - 40%; combination - 50%). As far as EIVI causes oxidative stress, toxicosis and inhibition of the hepatic monooxygenase activity, it is important to study the effects of rutin and quercetin on these systems. Both flavonoids induce the level of cytochrome P-450 (rutin - 13%, quercetin - 30%, combination - 22%) but inactivate NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, aminopyrine N-demethylase and analgin N-demethylase on the 5th day of EIVI. Probably, these flavonoids affect different components of the monooxygenase system. These effects could be explained with oxidative hepatic intoxication on the 5th critical day of EIVI as well as higher dose treatment. More data are needed on the antioxidant/prooxidant effects of rutin and quercetin, probably due to specific metabolic and physiological activities, chemical structure, etc.

The goal of this research was to measure in vitro the inhibitory constants of the antioxidants ascorbic and uric acid in urine, with lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) in Fenton's system. Maximum CL emission is registered in urine containing H2O2 (5.10(-4) M), Fe2+ (5.10(-5) M), EDTA (5.10(-5) M), and chemical enhancer lucigenin (10(-4) M) at pH 5.5 and 36 degrees C. Ascorbic acid exhibits up to 4-fold stronger antioxidant effect than uric acid. The constants of antioxidant inhibition in urine were measured at concentrations 10(-3) and 10(-4) M: for ascorbic acid, 5.92 +/- 0.04 and 24.05 +/- 1.82 micromol.sec(-1); for uric acid, 1.60 +/- 0.02 and 21.45 +/- 0.97 micromol.sec(-1), respectively. Three phases of CL kinetics of urine are well observed: spontaneous CL (0-10 sec), fast flash of CL (10-50 sec), and latent period (50-300 sec). The antioxidant efficiency of ascorbic and uric acids in the final stage of catabolic processes in the body is discussed.

The aim of this work was to study the dynamics of oxidative stress in the blood and urine of children with kidney diseases: glomerulonephritis (GN), pyelonephritis (PN), renal failure (RF), and lower urinary tract infections (LUTI). The concentration of conjugated dienes is increased in blood: GN 4 times and RF up to 2 times; and extremely increased in urine: GN 12 times and RF 4 times. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in urine shows a similar trend: GN 7 times, PN 2 times, RF 1.5 times, and LUTI almost 3 times. Urine chemiluminescence is also increased: GN 5 times, PN and LUTI 3 times, and RF 6 times. Kidney disease leads to 2.5-fold inhibition of antioxidant catalase activity in blood and 10-fold in urine. Total antioxidant activity of urine is induced in all groups: GN 18 times, PN 2 times, RF 1.5 times, and almost 4 times in the LUTI group. Experimental data confirm that products of lipid peroxidation, intensity of chemiluminescence, and total and enzyme antioxidant capacity in combination with clinical parameters are a proper test for the dynamics of oxidative stress and markers of intoxication in children with inflammatory and immunological active parenchymal kidney disorders. These data could be helpful for the optimization of complex and effective antioxidant therapy of children with kidney disease.

Removal of a vestibular organ (unilateral labyrinthectomy, UL) in the lamprey results in a loss of equilibrium, so that the animal rolls (rotates around its longitudinal axis) when swimming. Owing to vestibular compensation, UL animals gradually restore postural equilibrium and, in a few weeks, swim without rolling. Important elements of the postural network in the lamprey are the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which are driven by vestibular input and transmit commands for postural corrections to the spinal cord. As shown previously, a loss of equilibrium after UL is associated with disappearance of vestibular responses in the contralateral group of RS neurons. Are these responses restored in animals after compensation? To answer this question, we recorded vestibular responses in RS neurons (elicited by rotation of the compensated animal in the roll plane) by means of chronically implanted electrodes. We found that the responses re-appeared in the compensated animals. This result supports the hypothesis that the loss of equilibrium after UL was caused by asymmetry in supraspinal motor commands, and the recovery of postural control in compensated animals was due to a restoration of symmetry.

In the lamprey (a lower vertebrate), motor commands from the brain to the spinal cord are transmitted through the reticulospinal (RS) and vestibulospinal (VS) pathways. The axons of larger RS neurons reach the most caudal of approximately 100 spinal segments, whereas the VS pathway does not descend below the 15th segment. This study was carried out to compare functional projections of RS and VS neurons in the rostral spinal segments that the neurons innervate together. To reveal these projections, individual RS or VS neurons were stimulated, and the responses of different groups of spinal motoneurons were recorded in ventral root branches to dorsal and ventral parts of myotomes. The responses were detected using a spike-triggered averaging technique on the background of ongoing motoneuronal activity. Individual RS and VS neurons exerted uniform effects on segmental motor output within this rostral part of the spinal cord. The effects of VS neurons on different groups of motoneurons were weaker and less diverse than those of RS neurons. The results indicate that VS neurons are able to elicit a flexion of the rostral part of the body and to turn the head in different planes without affecting more caudal parts. By contrast, larger RS neurons can elicit head movement only together with movement of a considerable part of the body and thus seem to be responsible for formation of gross motor synergies.

A postural control system in the lamprey is driven by vestibular input and maintains a definite orientation of the animal during swimming. After a unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL), the lamprey continuously rolls toward the damaged side. Important elements of the postural network are the reticulospinal (RS) neurons that are driven by vestibular input and transmit commands for postural corrections to the spinal cord. We characterized the effect of UL on vestibular responses in RS neurons elicited by rotation of the animal in the pitch plane. The activity of RS neurons was recorded from their axons in the spinal cord before and after UL. The neurons can be classified into the Up and Down groups activated preferentially with nose-up or nose-down rotation, respectively. After UL, vestibular responses in the group Up changed only slightly on the damaged side and disappeared almost completely on the opposite side. In the group Down, responses on both sides persisted after UL. These results indicate that the left and right subgroups of the group Up neurons receive excitatory input mainly from the contralateral labyrinth. In contrast, the group Down neurons receive excitatory input from both labyrinths. We conclude that the UL-induced changes in vestibular responses to pitch tilt will disturb the normal activity of the postural control system. The UL-induced asymmetry in the bilateral activity of the group Up neurons seems to be an important factor contributing to the loss of equilibrium in UL animals and to their rotation during swimming.

In the swimming lamprey, a postural control system maintains a definite orientation of the animal's longitudinal axis in relation to the horizon (pitch angle). Operation of this system is based on vestibular reflexes. Important elements of the postural network are the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which are driven by vestibular input and transmit commands for postural corrections from the brain stem to the spinal cord. Here we describe responses to vestibular stimulation (rotation of the animal in the pitch plane) in RS neurons of intact lampreys. The activity of neurons was recorded from their axons in the spinal cord by chronically implanted arrays of macroelectrodes. From the multielectrode recordings of mass activity, discharges in individual axons were extracted by means of a spike-sorting program, and the axon position in the spinal cord and its conduction velocity were determined. Vestibular stimulation was performed by rotating the animal in steps of 45 degrees throughout 360 degrees or by periodical "trapezoid" tilts between the nose-up and -down positions. Typically, the RS neurons exhibited both dynamic responses (activity during movement) and static responses (activity in a new sustained position). The neurons were classified into two groups according to their pattern of response. Group UP neurons responded preferentially to nose-up rotation with maximal activity at 0-135 degrees up. Group DOWN neurons responded preferentially to nose-down rotation with maximal activity at 0-135 degrees down. Neurons of the two groups also differed in the position of their axons in the spinal cord and axonal conduction velocity. An increase in water temperature, which presumably causes a downward turn in swimming lampreys, affected the activity in the UP and DOWN groups differently, so that the ratio UP responses to DOWN responses increased. We suggest that the UP and DOWN groups mediate the opposing vestibular reflexes and cause the downward and upward turns of the animal, respectively. The lamprey will stabilize the orientation in the pitch plane at which the effects of UP and DOWN groups are equal to each other. In addition to the main test (rotation in the pitch plane), the animals were also tested by rotation in the transverse (roll) plane. It was found that 22% of RS neurons responding to pitch tilts also responded to roll tilts. The overlap between the pitch and roll populations suggests that the RS pathways are partly shared by the pitch and roll control systems.

A postural control system in the lamprey is driven by vestibular input and maintains the dorsal-side-up orientation of the animal during swimming. After a unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL), the lamprey continuously rolls toward the damaged side. Normally, a recovery of postural equilibrium ("vestibular compensation") takes about 1 mo. However, illumination of the eye contralateral to UL results in an immediate and reversible restoration of equilibrium. Here we used eye illumination as a tool to examine a functional recovery of the postural network. Important elements of this network are the reticulospinal (RS) neurons, which are driven by vestibular input and transmit commands for postural corrections to the spinal cord. In this study, we characterized modifications of the vestibular responses in individual RS neurons caused by UL and the effect exerted on these responses by eye illumination. The activity of RS neurons was recorded from their axons in the spinal cord by chronically implanted electrodes, and spikes in individual axons were extracted from the population activity signals. The same neurons were recorded both before and after UL. Vestibular stimulation (rotation in the roll plane through 360 degrees ) and eye illumination were performed in quiescent animals. It was found that the vestibular responses on the UL-side changed only slightly, whereas the responses on the opposite side disappeared almost completely. This asymmetry in the bilateral activity of RS neurons is the most likely cause for the loss of equilibrium in UL animals. Illumination of the eye contralateral to UL resulted, first, in a restoration of vestibular responses in the neurons inactivated by UL and in an appearance of vestibular responses in some other neurons that did not respond to vestibular input before UL. These responses had directional sensitivity and zones of spatial sensitivity similar to those observed before UL. However, their magnitude was smaller than before UL. Second, the eye illumination caused a reduction of the magnitude of vestibular responses on the UL side. These two factors tend to restore symmetry in bilateral activity of RS neurons, which is the most likely cause for the recovery of equilibrium in the swimming UL lamprey. Results of this study are discussed in relation to the model of the roll control system proposed in our previous studies as well as in relation to the vestibular compensation.