A Study of the Association between Primary Oral Pathologies (Dental Caries and Periodontal Diseases) Using Synchrotron Molecular FTIR Spectroscopy in View of the Patient's Personalized Clinical Picture (Demographics and Anamnesis).

In this exploratory study, we searched for associations between the two most common diseases of the oral cavity-dental caries and periodontal diseases-taking into account additional factors, such as personalized clinical pictures (the individual risk factors of the patient), based on the method of a multivariate data analysis of the molecular changes in the composition of human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). For this purpose, a set of synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of gingival crevicular fluid samples from patients with different demographics, levels of dental caries development and periodontal diseases, and the presence/absence of concomitant chronic diseases were obtained and analyzed. Using a set of techniques (v-, F-, Chi-square tests; a principal component analysis (PCA); and the hierarchical clustering of principal components (HCPCs)) implemented in the R package FactoMineR allowed us to assess the relationship between the principal components (PCs) and characteristics of the respondents. By identifying the features (vibrational modes in the FTIR spectra) that contribute most to the differentiation of the spectral dataset, and by taking into account the interrelationships between the patients' characteristics, we were able to match specific biological markers (specific molecular groups) to the two factors of interest-two types of oral pathologies. The results obtained show that the observed changes in the quantitative and qualitative composition of the modes in the infrared (IR) spectra of the GCF samples from patients with different dental caries developments and periodontal diseases present confirm the difficulty of identifying patient-specific spectral information. At the same time, different periodontal pathologies are more closely associated with other characteristics of the patients than the level of their caries development. The multivariate analysis performed on the spectral dataset indicates the need to take into account not only the co-occurrence of oral diseases, but also some other factors. The lack of this consideration (typical in lots of studies in this area) may lead to misinterpretations and consequently to a loss of data when searching for biological markers of certain oral diseases.

Vaccination as a Significant Factor Influencing the Psychoemotional State of Medical Students During the Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic: An International Aspect.

Background: The rapid spread of SARS-COV-2, characterized by its severe course in the absence of effective specific treatment for this infection, may become a significant risk factor for psycho-emotional disorders' emergence during this pandemic. One of the vulnerable groups in the current situation are first-year medical students, whose problems associated with an unfavorable sanitary-epidemiological situation and an increased infection risk are compounded by the difficulties of adapting to specific professional environments. In this situation, along with strict adherence to nonspecific prevention methods, the mass student SARS-COV-2 vaccination acquires particular importance. Objective: To compare the attitudes of first-year medical students in Russia and Azerbaijan toward SARS-COV-2 immunization and to assess the vaccination impact on the student's psycho-emotional state during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The study involved 594 first-year students at the Moscow and Baku branches of Sechenov University. The Google Forms platform was used to conduct an anonymous sociological survey. To compare the psychoemotional state of vaccinated freshmen and non-vaccinated students, we used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI, to assess reactive anxiety and the Beck Depression Inventory test - to diagnose depressive symptoms. The online survey was conducted during the fourth wave of coronavirus infection. WHO official sources were used to analyze the current epidemiological SARS-COV-2 situation during the study data provided by the Russian Federal Service on Customers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance and JHU CSSE. Statistical analysis was carried out using RStudio. Results: The study results showed that vaccination coverage of first-year students at the Moscow branch of Sechenov University during the fourth wave of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic was 42,9±5,13%, at the Baku branch - 69,6±5,86%. The lack of reliable information about anticovid vaccines, indicated by a third of all respondents, may largely determine the motivated participation in the vaccination SARS-COV-2 campaign. The role of medical school in imparting knowledge about active SARS-COV-2 immunization to medical students was found to be insignificant. It was shown that the percentage of students willing to recommend SARS-COV-2 vaccination to the people around them and thereby contribute to increasing collective immunity level significantly depends on the percentage of students vaccinated. It was proved that vaccinated students were characterized by significantly greater psychological stability regardless of their study place. Conclusion: Vaccination is not only a good preventive measure against the infection spread but also a significant factor in stabilizing the psycho-emotional state of first-year students, which significantly affects the quality of their educational process and its effectiveness.

Changes in Dental Biofilm Proteins' Secondary Structure in Groups of People with Different Cariogenic Situations in the Oral Cavity and Using Medications by Means of Synchrotron FTIR-Microspectroscopy.

This work unveils the idea that the cariogenic status of the oral cavity (the presence of active caries lesions) can be predicted via a lineshape analysis of the infrared spectral signatures of the secondary structure of proteins in dental biofilms. These spectral signatures that work as natural markers also show strong sensitivity to the application in patients of a so-called modulator-a medicinal agent (a pelleted mineral complex with calcium glycerophosphate). For the first time, according to our knowledge, in terms of deconvolution of the complete spectral profile of the amide I and amide II bands, significant intra- and intergroup differences were determined in the secondary structure of proteins in the dental biofilm of patients with a healthy oral cavity and with a carious pathology. This allowed to conduct a mathematical assessment of the spectral shifts in proteins' secondary structure in connection with the cariogenic situation in the oral cavity and with an external modulation. It was shown that only for the component parallel ß-strands in the amide profile of the biofilm, a statistically significant (p < 0.05) change in its percentage weight (composition) was registered in a cariogenic situation (presence of active caries lesions). Note that no significant differences were detected in a normal situation (control) and in the presence of a carious pathology before and after the application of the modulator. The change in the frequency and percentage weight of parallel ß-strands in the spectra of dental biofilms proved to be the result of the presence of cariogenic mutans streptococci in the film as well as of the products of their metabolism-glucan polymers. We foresee that the results presented here can inherently provide the basis for the infrared spectral diagnosis of changes (shifts) in the oral microbiome driven by the development of the carious process in the oral cavity as well as for the choice of optimal therapeutic treatments of caries based on microbiome-directed prevention measures.

Complex Formation of Rare-Earth Elements in Carbonate-Alkaline Media.

Rare earth metals are critical components for many industries. The extraction of rare earth metals from mineral raw materials presents many problems, both of a technological and theoretical nature. The use of man-made sources imposes strict requirements on the process. Thermodynamic and kinetic data that could describe the most detailed technological water-salt leaching and precipitation systems are insufficient. The study addresses the problem of a small amount of data on the formation and equilibrium of carbonate-alkali systems of rare earth metals. Isotherms of solubility of sparingly soluble carbonates with the formation of carbonate complexes are presented to evaluate equilibrium constants logK at zero ionic strength for Nd -11.3, Sm -8.6, Gd -8.0, and Ho -7.3. To accurately predict the system under consideration, a mathematical model was developed, which allows to calculate the water-salt composition. The initial data for calculation are concentration constants of stability of lanthanide complexes. This work will contribute to deepening knowledge about rare earth elements extraction problems and will serve as a reference for studying the thermodynamics of water-salt systems.

COVID-19 Vaccinating Russian Medical Students-Challenges and Solutions: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The role of preventive measures increases significantly in the absence of effective specific COVID-19 treatment. Mass population immunization and the achievement of collective immunity are of particular importance. The future development of public attitudes towards SARS-CoV-2 immunization depends significantly on medical students, as future physicians. Therefore, it seemed relevant to determine the percentage of COVID-19-vaccinated medical students and to identify the factors significantly affecting this indicator. Methods: A total of 2890 medical students from years one to six, studying at nine leading Russian medical universities, participated in an anonymous sociological survey. The study was performed in accordance with the STROBE guidelines. Results: It was found that the percentage of vaccinated Russian medical students at the beginning of the academic year 2021 was 58.8 ± 7.69%, which did not significantly differ from the vaccination coverage of the general population in the corresponding regions (54.19 ± 4.83%). Student vaccination rate was largely determined by the region-specific epidemiological situation. The level of student vaccination coverage did not depend on the gender or student residence (in a family or in a university dormitory). The group of senior students had a higher number of COVID-19 vaccine completers than the group of junior students. The lack of reliable information about COVID-19 vaccines had a pronounced negative impact on the SARS-CoV-2 immunization process. Significant information sources influencing student attitudes toward vaccination included medical professionals, medical universities, academic conferences, and manuscripts, which at that time provided the least information. Conclusion: The obtained results make it possible to develop recommendations to promote SARS-CoV-2 immunoprophylaxis among students and the general population and to increase collective immunity.

Metabolic profiling of aromatic compounds in cerebrospinal fluid of neurosurgical patients using microextraction by packed sorbent and liquid-liquid extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

A new approach to the quantitative analysis of aromatic metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid samples of neurosurgical patients based on microextraction by packed sorbent coupled with derivatization and GC-MS was developed. Analytical characteristics such as recoveries (40-90%), limit of detection (0.1-0.3 µm) and limit of quantitation (0.4-0.7 µm) values, accuracy (<±20%), precision (<20%) and linear correlations (R2 ≥ 0.99) over a 0.4-10 µm range of concentrations demonstrated that microextraction by packed sorbent provides results for the quantitative analysis of target compounds comparable with those for liquid-liquid extraction. Similar results were achieved using 40 µl of sample for microextraction by packed sorbent instead of 200 µl for liquid-liquid extraction. Benzoic, 3-phenylpropionic, 3-phenyllactic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetic, homovanillic and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)lactic acids were found in cerebrospinal fluid samples (n = 138) of neurosurgical patients in lower concentrations than in serum samples (n = 110) of critically ill patients. Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples taken at the same time from neurosurgical patients (n = 5) revealed similar results for patients without infection and multidirectional results for patients with central nervous system infection. Our preliminary results demonstrate the necessity of further evaluating the aromatic compound profile in cerebrospinal fluid for its subsequent verification for potential diagnostic markers.

The Effect of the Phytocomplex Electrophoresis on the Clinical Symptomatology and Quality of Life of Patients with the Knee Joint Osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation of patients with osteoarthritis necessitates the use of drug electrophoresis with sinusoidal modulated currents (SMC-electrophoresis) in conjunction with drug therapy. The phytocomplex is proposed for electrophoresis composed of the compared, alfalfa and hops dry extract, containing flavonoids, coumestans, polysaccharides, steroids, essential amino acids, vitamins, mineral components and causing its possible use in osteoarthritis. AIM: The research aims to study the effect of the phytocomplex SMC-electrophoresis on the clinical symptoms and quality of life of patients with the knee joint osteoarthritis. METHODS: One hundred and eight patients were randomly distributed into 3 groups (n = 36). The phytocomplex SMC-electrophoresis was assigned to the first group, the amplipulse therapy (SMC) - to the second group, and the "basic" drug therapy - to the third group. The drug therapy of the patients of the third group was comparable with the drug treatment of those in the first two groups. The concentration of phytocomplex in the working solution was 10%. The electrotherapy was carried out in the aligned SMC mode in the first and fourth kind of works. Comparative indicators were as follows: WOMAC index, pain level on a visual analogue scale (VAS), Lequesne index, joint range of motion (JROM), articular and tendon indices, quality of life as per Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). RESULTS: The use of the phytocomplex SMC-electrophoresis had a more pronounced positive effect on pain, knee joint function and quality of life of the patients compared with the treatment with drugs alone or using amplitude therapy. This was especially pronounced immediately after the rehabilitation. The analgesic effect was consistently maintained in the patients of the first group for up to 6 - 12 months, the second group - up to 3 - 6 months in terms of the level of pain according to the WOMAC and Lequesne indices, VAS, articular and tendon indices. Stable results have been obtained for improving the functions of the knee joint for up to 6 - 12 months using the phytocomplex SMC-electrophoresis as per the WOMAC and Lequesne indices. In the treatment by the phytocomplex SMC-electrophoresis, no side effects were registered. CONCLUSION: The obtained results give grounds for further research on the evaluation of the effectiveness of using the phytocomplex SMC-electrophoresis in microcirculatory disorders in the affected joint, for correcting connective tissue metabolism and electrolyte metabolism in the patients with the knee joint osteoarthritis.

Influence of Flavonoids on the Cytotoxic Activity of Mononuclear Blood Cells in Model Tests.

BACKGROUND: The spread of phytocomplex application and justification of its selective effects on tumour cells (mainly due to the presence of flavonoids) require research of its cytotoxic and immunomodulatory activity. AIM: The goal wa`s to study the direct cytotoxic effect of the phytocomplex and its modulating effect on the cytotoxic activity of the donor's mononuclear blood cells in in vitro experiments. METHODS: The phytocomplex was a dry extract from marsh cinquefoil, creeping alfalfa and common hop; its main active ingredients were flavonoids. Transplantable monolayer cultures of lung adenocarcinoma, colorectal cancer, erythroblastic leukaemia, and fibroblasts were used as target cells. The cytotoxic activity was assessed using a cytotoxic test based on the selective ability to live cells to reduce MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethyltriazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) to formazan in mitochondria. Quantitative determination of formazan was performed using spectrophotometry. RESULTS: A direct cytotoxic effect of the phytocomplex in concentrations of at least 2.5 mg/ml on tumour cells has been established. Its modulating effect on the cytotoxic activity of mononuclear blood cells at a concentration of 0.05 mg/ml was shown. The phytocomplex in doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/ml increased the killer activity of the mononuclear cells in a diseased person's blood, but did not affect these blood cells in a healthy donor. Incubation of lymphocytes with a phytocomplex for 24 hours increased the cytotoxic activity of mononuclear cells by 20-25%. CONCLUSION: The direct cytotoxic effect of the phytocomplex and its modulating effect on the cytotoxic activity of mononuclear blood cells in model experiments in vitro have been established.

Control of the Transdermal Delivery Process of Active Substances of the Phytocomplex during Phonophoresis in Model Experiments.

BACKGROUND: The scientific substantiation for the selection of therapeutically significant dosage of phytocomplex in the dosage form for phonophoresis, control over the delivery of active substances into the body, and what affects this process require the study of the kinetics of phytocomplex flavonoids delivery during phonophoresis. AIM: The aim was to study the possibilities of controlling the process of transdermal delivery of phytocomplex active substances (flavonoids) during phonophoresis in vitro model experiments. METHODS: Working compositions with different concentrations of phytocomplex for phonophoresis were used. The content of flavonoids in the compositions was determined using the spectrophotometric method and was calculated equivalent to quercetin, the flavonoid prevailing in the phytocomplex. The study of the kinetics of flavonoids delivery from working compositions was carried out using Franz diffusion cells and Carbosyl-P membranes. The authors determined the main parameters of the process and established the dependence of the delivery rate of flavonoids on their initial concentration in the working composition. The authors studied the effect of dimethyl sulfoxide and the base-forming substances of the working composition on the kinetics of phytocomplex flavonoid delivery during phonophoresis. RESULTS: The authors recorded an increase in the rate of delivery of the active substances from working compositions containing dimethyl sulfoxide into the model medium by almost 1.5-2 times during the first ten minutes of the experiment (approximate duration of the phonophoresis procedure). The authors proposed technological techniques for improvement of the phonophoresis method for the phytocomplex. The possibilities of control over the process of transdermal delivery of the phytocomplex active ingredients during phonophoresis in vitro model experiments were shown. CONCLUSION: The obtained results provide information for further pharmacological studies of the nature and mechanism of the effect of phytocomplex flavonoids during phonophoresis in the rehabilitation of patients with osteoarthrosis.