MORPHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BACTERIAL MELANIN IN A RAT MODEL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

A comparative study of the morphological and functional state of the microvasculature of the substantia nigra pars compacta of the brain (SNc) and bone marrow of rats was carried out using the rotenone model of Parkinson's disease (PD) and with subsequent administration of bacterial melanin (BM). The detection of microvasculature was carried out according to the histoangiological method of Chilingaryan. Animal behavior was studied using a cylinder test. An analysis of morphometric data showed that, in comparison with control animals, experimental animals with rotenone dysfunction showed an increase in capillary diameters and a general reduction in the capillary link in SNc. Behavioral tests have shown that the animals with rotenone intoxication exhibit a form of behavior inherent in PD (freezing, immobility, apathy). Under the influence of BM, the diameter of the capillaries in the SNc approaches the norm, and the capillary link is restored. Due to the protective effect of BM in rats with rotenone intoxication, the trophism of the brain tissue increases as a result of the approach of the lumen of the vessels to the norm and the opening of new branches in the capillary network, an increase in the density of capillaries, which ensures the safety of nerve cells. Animal behavior indicators are close to normal. A comprehensive analysis of cytogenetic data of rat bone marrow was also carried out. In animals with PD, compared to controls, there is a significant increase in the amount of polyploid cells (PC) and a decrease in the level of mitotic index (MI), which usually manifests itself in inflammatory processes and is accompanied by inhibition of bone marrow hematopoiesis. Under the influence of BM, a tendency towards normalization of MI was noted and a significant decrease in the percentage of PC was obtained, which possibly indicates its beneficial effect. The data obtained suggest that BM can be used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of PD.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALIZATION.

In the ever-evolving landscape of public relations (PR), the significance of professional ethics has become increasingly pronounced, particularly in the digital age. This article embarks on a journey to synthesize the dynamic evolution of professional ethics in public relations and underscores the pressing need for its application in contemporary communication landscapes. Exploring the core values and principles that underpin ethical practices, the study extends to the alignment of these principles with fundamental human rights. A focal point of this article is an examination of the findings derived from research conducted among Armenian public relations practitioners, offering valuable insights into the challenges posed by the digital age. In this era of rapid digitalization, the traditional ethical codes that once governed the realm of public relations are facing unprecedented challenges. The classic ethical standards, while foundational, are now confronted with a shifting landscape shaped by the proliferation of social networks and online communication platforms. This article scrutinizes the practitioners' perspectives on the development of ethical standards, exploring questions of geographical and contextual relevance in the face of technological advancements. As the digital age transforms the dynamics of communication, the limitations of traditional PR ethics become increasingly apparent. The discussion highlights the intricacies of professional ethics within the realm of social networks, shedding light on the nuanced ethical considerations that emerge in this digitalized era. Amidst this exploration, a crucial issue emerges - the imperative for the preservation of ethical standards in public relations. The article contends that the challenges posed by digitalization necessitate a revision of the conventional PR ethical code. While the foundations remain relevant, there is a pressing need for an updated ethical framework that can effectively navigate the complex ethical terrain presented by social networks and digital communication channels. In conclusion, the article endeavors to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of professional ethics in public relations, emphasizing the transformative impact of digitalization. By examining the standpoints of Armenian public relations practitioners, it sheds light on the challenges faced in this digital age and advocates for a proactive approach to adapt and enhance ethical standards in response to the dynamic communication landscape.

[Study on the pressure on ceramic veneers during cementation]. / Izuchenie velichiny davleniya na keramicheskie viniry vo vremya ikh tsementirovaniya.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is measuring the magnitude and determining the method of finger pressure exerted by doctors on ceramic veneers during their fixation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A simulation model was designed in order to measure the volume of finger pressure. Veneers were produced for 2 central incisors. Doctors alternately placed veneers on the model and applied pressure on them for 20 seconds simulating the clinical stage of cementing. The operator recorded the maximum readings of the scales and entered the result on the research protocol. In addition, it was recorded which finger the doctor exerts on the veneer during its cementing to ensure a tight fit: thumb or index finger. RESULTS: The values obtained during cementation of 54% doctors ranged up to 1 kg, 27% of doctors from 1 to 2 kg and only 19% more than 2 kg. 80% of doctors applied the main pressure on the veneer using their thumb, while the pressure force was 1.4 kg. For those doctors who pressed the veneer to the tooth with their index finger, the impact value was 0.8 kg. CONCLUSION: The finger pressure on the veneer during cementation applied by dentists varies, the average pressure on the veneers was about 1.5 kg. The amount of pressure on cement during laboratory tests of cements for fixing veneers differs from clinical values many times. The development of a veneers fixation protocol, taking into account the conducted research, will ensure a reliable and accurate fit of the veneer at the stage of its cementing.

Baseline mutational profiles of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary origin enrolled in the CUPISCO study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with unfavorable carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP) have an extremely poor prognosis of ∼1 year or less, stressing the need for more tailored treatments, which are currently being tested in clinical trials. CUPISCO (NCT03498521) was a phase II randomized study of targeted therapy/cancer immunotherapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, unfavorable CUP, defined as per the European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines. We present a preliminary, descriptive molecular analysis of 464 patients with stringently diagnosed, unfavorable CUP enrolled in the CUPISCO study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic profiling was carried out on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue to detect genomic alterations and assess tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability. RESULTS: Overall, ∼32% of patients carried a potentially targetable genomic alteration, including PIK3CA, FGFR2, ERBB2, BRAFV600E, EGFR, MET, NTRK1, ROS1, and ALK. Using hierarchical clustering of co-mutational profiles, 10 clusters were identified with specific genomic alteration co-occurrences, with some mirroring defined tumor entities. CONCLUSIONS: Results reveal the molecular heterogeneity of patients with unfavorable CUP and suggest that genomic profiling may be used as part of informed decision-making to identify the potential primary tumor and targeted treatment options. Whether stringently diagnosed patients with unfavorable CUP benefit from targeted therapies in a similar manner to those with matched known primaries will be a key learning from CUPISCO.

[Metal 3D printing in dentistry]. / 3D-pechat' iz metallov v stomatologii.

The article describes the use of 3D printing in dentistry, the principle of operation of 3D printers for metals, a review of comparative data on the quality and accuracy of the final product of 3D metal printing is carried out. Possibilities and prospects of using 3D metal printing in dentistry are indicated.

[Informative value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of intraneural perineurioma]. / Informativnost' UZI v diagnostike intranevral'noi perinevriomy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical and sonographic features of confirmed intraneural perineurioma in 5 patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report clinical and sonographic features and retrospective follow-up data in 5 patients with intraneural perineurioma verified by biopsy. RESULTS: In all cases, symptoms were represented by a slowly progressive painless mononeuropathy with muscle atrophy and impaired tendon reflexes. Ultrasound examination revealed locally enlarged cross-sectional area of the nerve that was confirmed by intraoperative visualization. CONCLUSION: Intraneural perineurioma should be obligatory suspected in case of fusiform thickening of the nerve with locally changed echogenicity. Pooled multiple-center studies with large samples are needed to determine sensitivity and specificity of the main ultrasound parameters including changes in cross-sectional area and echogenicity of the nerve.

[Neurotization of the cornea as pathogenically targeted method of treating neurotrophic keratitis in patients with facial paralysis]. / Nevrotizatsiya rogovitsy kak patogeneticheski napravlennyi metod lecheniya neirotroficheskogo keratita u patsientov s litsevym paralichom.

Combined lesions of the facial and trigeminal cranial nerves are typical after neurosurgical treatment. Violation of the innervation of orbicularis muscle leads to inability to completely close the eyelids, while denervation of the cornea is often manifested as a long-term ongoing and recurring neurotrophic keratitis. The restoration of corneal innervation is a pathogenetically targeted treatment for this pathology. For this purpose, neurotrophic keratitis could be reversed via the method of corneal neurotization using contralateral n. ophthalmicus. The presented clinical case demonstrates the results of the first operation of neurotization of the cornea in a patient with combined lesions of the facial and trigeminal nerves.

Dynamics of Renin, Angiotensin II, and Angiotensin (1-7) during Pregnancy and Predisposition to Hypertension-Associated Complications.

Changes in the levels of rennin, angiotensin II, and angiotensin (1-7) were studied during normal pregnancy. The blood was taken on gestation days 140-237 and 238-280. No significant changes in renin concentration were observed during normal pregnancy (p=0.423). The level of angiotensin II increased during normal pregnancy from 9.7±1.2 to 14.7±1.9 pg/ml (p=0.019). On the contrary, angiotensin (1-7) concentration decreased from 771.1±44.2 to 390.7±13.9 pg/ml (p<0.001). The shift in the proportion between vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and vasodilaltor angiotensin (1-7) attests to high predisposition of pregnant women to hypertension-related complications.

[THE STATE OF FALLOPIAN TUBES IN WOMEN WITH UROGENITAL CHLAMYDIA AND INFERTILITY].

The aim of this work was to assess the state of the fallopian tubes in women with urogenital chlamydia (UC) and infertility. 344 women 18-49 y.o with infertility have been investigated. UC was detected in 133 of them -38.7%, (main group), UC was absent in 211 (61.3%) patients (comparision group). In the main group prevailed the tubal or tubal peritoneal factor of infertility (51.9% versus 19.4% in the comparison group, p<0.001). UC in women in the main (62.4%) was in the form of mixed infection. Obstruction of the fallopian tubes and adhesions in the pelvic region were more often detected in patients of the main group (p<0.05). The most pronounced lesions of the fallopian tubes were observed in women with chlamydial mixed infection. Adhesive process in the small pelvis was established by laparascopy in 72.2% of women in the main group and in 27.8% in the comparison group (p<0.001). There was a correlation between the extent of the adhesion process in the small pelvis and the presence of chlamydial mixed infection. A histological study was carried out of the tissues of the fallopian tubes in 12 women diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy, 5 of whom had UC. Women with UC have alternating areas with signs of acute inflammation and various stages of the reparative processand in 4 women with UC the above mentioned signs and sclerosis were detected also in the the submucosa, which can cause destruction of the functional activities of the fallopian tubes and obstruction as well. All this causes a violation of the transport of spermatozoa, the embryo and leads to a ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Obtained results explain the inefficiency of restoring reproductive function in women after elimination of UC with preserved patency of the fallopian tubes.

[Intraocular pressure, ocular blood flow, and corneal biomechanics changes after LASIK surgery for myopia]. / Vliyanie operatsii LASIK pri miopii na pokazateli oftal'motonusa, ob''emnogo glaznogo krovotoka i «biomekhaniki¼ rogovitsy.

AIM: to study changes in intraocular pressure (IOP), volumetric ocular blood flow (OBF) rate, and biomechanical properties of the cornea after excimer laser ablation in patients with myopia of different degrees. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 16 patients (32 eyes) with myopia ranging from 2.75 to 9.0 D were examined before and after LASIK. Ocular Blood Flow Analyzer (OBFA) was used to measure IOP and OBF as well as pulse amplitude and volume. Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) was also employed to provide the following data: Goldmann-equivalent IOP, corneal compensated IOP, corneal hysteresis, and corneal resistance factor. The eyes were then divided into two groups: group 1 - 15 eyes with less than 70-µm deep ablation of the cornea and group 2 - 17 eyes with more than 70-µm deep ablation. RESULTS: Group 1 demonstrated a statistically reliable decrease in IOP values provided by either method and biomechanical parameters of the cornea (p<0.005), but no difference in pre- and postoperative OBF, or pulse amplitude, or pulse volume (p>0.05). In group 2, all the parameters changed reliably, except for the pulse volume (p>0.05). In particular, a decrease was recorded for IOP (with no dependence to the method of measurement; p<0.001), pulse amplitude (p<0.01), corneal hysteresis (p<0.001), and corneal resistance factor (p<0.001); an increase - for OBF (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: One should allow for possible mismeasurement of IOP and OBF as well as biomechanical parameters of the cornea in post-LASIK patients, keeping in mind that the extent of error depends on the depth of ablation. Shallow ablation (no more than 70-µm deep) has no statistically significant effect on OBF readings, while IOP seems to decrease considerably. In deep ablation (more than 70-µm deep), both parameters are reliably lower than at baseline.

[ASSOCIATION OF AGE OBESITY AND METABOLIC SYNDROME IN MEN].

The study included 253 men aged 22 to 74 years. Was shown that at the end of the first period of middle age the accumulation of adipose tissue was enhanced that was associated with the change of dominance from the gynoid to the android type of obesity. The most pronounced increase in the frequency of occurrence of individual components and the overall metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in men in the second period of middle age with a following decrease in the frequency such components as hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol and hyperglycemia in elderly age. In the all three age groups the value of the index of visceral obesity was significantly higher in men with android type of obesity compared with gynoid. Thus, the men with gynoid compared with android type of obesity have a lower risk of development metabolic syndrome in all age groups.

[Adipokines and a risk for metabolic disturbances in different types of female obesity]. / Adipokiny i risk razvitiya metabolicheskikh narushenii pri raznykh tipakh ozhireniya u zhenshchin.

AIM: To investigate the effects of adiponectin and leptin on the development of metabolic disturbances in women with android and gynoid fat distribution. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 101 women aged 40 to 65 years were examined. Anthropometric measurements were made; overweight and obese women with a waist/hip (W/H) ratio of less than 0.83 were referred to as a gynoid fat distribution (GFD) group; and those with a W/H ratio of 0.83 or more were to an android fat distribution (AFD) group. The serum concentrations of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose were measured; the levels of insulin, leptin, and adiponectin were determined by enzyme immunoassay. Insulin resistance (IR), HOMA IR, and visceral obesity index (VOI) were calculated. RESULTS: With the same excess adipose tissue accumulation, the women with GFD had a less magnitude of hormonal and metabolic disturbances than those with AFD, whose HOMA-IR also pointed to the presence of IR. VOI was insignificantly higher in the women with GFD and 2.4-fold greater than that in normal weight (NW) women. In the women with GFD and AFD, the concentration of leptin was higher than that in the NW women, which was characteristic of obesity, but the concentration of adiponectin proved to be significantly lower in the patients with AFD and to be unchanged in those with GFD as compared with that in the NW women. CONCLUSION: The women with AFD are typified by a high VOI, hypoadiponectinemia, IR, and metabolic disturbances, which determine a high risk for cardiovascular events and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the women with GFD, obesity is associated with normal adiponectinemia and a low VOI and, in terms of hormonal and metabolic characteristics, may be characterized as metabolically healthy obesity.

Influence of unsaturated carbonic acids on hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity of poly-vinylacetate based co-polymers.

The aim of this study was to investigate hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity properties of synthetic polymer coatings containing various unsaturated carbonic acids with vinylacetate. Co-polymers of vinylacetate and crotonic acid (CA), maleic acid (MA), and itaconic acid (IA) were made. The materials were characterized in terms of their adhesion to metal supports (titanium and stainless steel) as well as hemocompatibility (% hemolysis, wettability, erythrocyte aggregation, hemoglobin content, thrombocyte count and lipid peroxidation levels) and cytotoxicity (human endothelial cell activity in vitro and chromosome aberrations, bone marrow proliferation and cell ploidy in rats). Co-polymers of unsaturated carbonic acids with vinylacetate exhibited good hemocompatibility properties, as opposed to vinylacetate homopolymer for which substantial levels of hemolysis were observed. By coating the metal supports with co-polymers the cytotoxic effects associated with the bare metal samples were markedly reduced. MA samples showed excellent hemocompatibility and no cytotoxicity, yet they lacked good adhesion properties to metal substrate, probably due to high water content. CA samples, having the highest density of carboxylic groups among the samples under investigation, showed increased bone marrow proliferation activity and cell ploidy in rats, as compared to controls. The most promising results in the present study were obtained for the samples with IA, which showed good adhesion to metal substrates, good hemocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. Thus, co-polymers of vinylacetate and IA rich in carboxylic groups are promising materials for the design of novel drug-eluting stents.

The binding of ethidium bromide with DNA: interaction with single- and double-stranded structures.

The pH-induced helix-coil transition of DNA and its complexes with EtBr is carried out at acidic pH in a wide interval of change of concentration ratio of EtBr/DNA. The binding isotherms of EtBr on double and single-stranded DNA at pH = 7.0 and pH = 3.0 (t = 25(o)C) are obtained by absorption and fluorimetric methods. Binding constants (K) and number of bases (n), corresponding to one binding site were determined. Non fluorescent "strong" complex with ds-DNA at pH = 7.0 and t = 25(o)C as well as "strong" and "weak" complexes with ss-DNA at pH = 3.0 and t = 25(o)C are revealed.

Study of ethidium bromide interaction peculiarities with DNA.

The helix-coil transition of DNA-ethidium bromide complexes in an interval of ionic strength of 2.0 x 10(-3) M < or = muNa+ < or = 2.0 x 10(-2) M has been investigated. It has been revealed that at the certain high ligand-DNA ratios (r(b)) the transition interval of the complex--(deltaT) becomes equal to that of DNA itself (deltaTo). It has been shown that the values of r(b) at which delta deltaT=deltaT-deltaT0=0 depends on ionic strength of a solution. Further increasing of ligand concentration leads to its conversion from stabilizer into the destabilizer of the double-stranded DNA.

Thermodynamics of B-Z transition of poly[d(G-C)] in a water-ethanol solution. The "tie calorimetry".

Poly[d(G-C)] in a 55% ethanol solution undergoes a transition from the Z form to the B form when the temperature is increased from 20 degrees to 50 degrees C. The enthalpy of the transition, delta HBA = -1.4 kcal/mol, has been determined with a "tie" polyamine which stabilizes the Z conformation. This value has been shown to be practically independent of ionic strength within the range of 5 X 10(-4) M - 2 X 10(-3) M NaCl.

Increase in temperature induces the Z to B transition of poly[d(G-C)] in water-ethanol solution.

An increase in temperature from 20 to 50 degrees C results in the complete transition from the Z to B form of poly[d(G-C)], dissolved in a 55% ethanol-water solution. The transition is fully reversible and displays a slow kinetics. The transition profiles for the free polynucleotide and for that in the presence of ethidium bromide, which is known to stabilize the B form, are obtained by circular dichroism. Based on these data the enthalpy value for the B-Z transition in our conditions is estimated to be delta HBZ = -0.7 kcal/mol.