Natural products chemistry in the third millennium

The main directions of Natural Products Chemistry in the Third Millennium are summarized

Recent trends and important developments in propolis research

The newest developments in propolis pharmacological research are summarized. The problem regarding biological studies, caused by the chemical variability of propolis, is discussed. The most important trends and developments in recent propolis research are outlined: biological studies performed with chemically characterized samples, bioassay-guided studies of active principles and comparative biological studies of propolis of different origin and chemical composition. These types of studies are extremely valuable with respect to propolis standardization and practical applications in therapy. They will allow scientists to connect a particular chemical propolis type to a specific type of biological activity and formulate recommendations for practitioners

Effect of the Main Soil Tillage Types on the Agronomic Response of Wheat in the Region of Souht Dobrudzha

Wheat yield (Triticum aestivum L. – cv. Enola) obtained under different main soil tillage systems in 4-field crop rotation (common bean-wheat-sunflower-grain maize), is strongly influenced by the regional soil (Haplic Chernozems) and the climatic conditions. This study was carried out at the trial field of Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute-General Toshevo from 2014 to 2016. The influence of seven main soil tillage systems (MSTS) on the yield and the physical properties of wheat grain was investigated. Four of these MSTS were applied independently and annually in crop rotation: 1. CP - conventional plowing (24-26 cm); 2. D – disking (10-12 cm) 3. C – cutting; 4. NT - nil tillage (direct sowing). The other three MSTS systems included: 5. Plowing (for spring crops) – Direct sowing (of wheat); 6. Cutting (for spring crops) - Disking (for wheat) and 7. Plowing (for spring crops) - Disking (for wheat). The mineral fertilization in the crop rotation was as follows: Common bean – N60P60K60; Wheat – N120P120K60; Sunflower - N60P120K120 and Maize – N120P60K60.The objectives were: (i) to investigate the seasonal variability in wheat yield as influenced by the tillage systems; (ii) to investigate the variability in the physical properties of wheat grain and (iii) to evaluate the correlations between the grain yield and the physical properties of wheat grain. A significant differentiation in the productivity of wheat was found depending on the tested MSTS systems. Lowest mean yields were obtained at the annual use of systems 3 and 4 - 4541 kg ha-1. Among the annually applied systems, constant disking was the most favorable for expression of the crop’s production potential. The mean addition to yield according to constant plowing in the crop rotation was 4541 kg ha-1. The systems involving annual alternation of tillage types with and without turning of the plow layer exceeded with 232.0 kg ha-1 (4.77%) the same systems, which were applied independently. The alternation of plowing for root crops with direct sowing of wheat was most efficient from an agronomic point of view. In comparison to annual plowing, the increase of productivity was with 280.5 kg ha-1 (5.62%). The values of the physical properties of grain were also highly differentiated according to MSTS. The constant application of disking in the crop rotation contributed to the production of grain with the best physical indices – absolute weight 43.15 g and test weight 76.86 kg. The use of the systems Cutting – Cutting and Direct sowing – Direct sowing had negative effect on both the yield and the physical properties of gain. Averaged for the period, the correlation between the grain yield and the physical indices of grain was high and positive. The mean value of the correlation coefficient between the yield and the test weight (0.930**) was higher than the correlation coefficient of the yield with 1000 kernel weight (0.780**). The correlation between the absolute and the test weight of grain was very high in all three years of the investigation

Photodynamische Therapie (PDT) und wassergefiltertes Infrarot A (wIRA) bei Patienten mit therapierefraktären vulgären Hand- und Fußwarzen

Background: Common warts (verrucae vulgares) are human papilloma virus (HPV) infections with a high incidence and prevalence, most often affecting hands and feet, being able to impair quality of life. About 30 different therapeutic regimens described in literature reveal a lack of a single striking strategy. Recent publications showed positive results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in the treatment of HPV-induced skin diseases, especially warts, using visible light (VIS) to stimulate an absorption band of endogenously formed protoporphyrin IX. Additional experiences adding waterfiltered infrared A (wIRA) during 5-ALA-PDT revealed positive effects. Aim of the study: First prospective randomised controlled blind study including PDT and wIRA in the treatment of recalcitrant common hand and foot warts. Comparison of "5-ALA cream (ALA) vs. placebo cream (PLC)" and "irradiation with visible light and wIRA (VIS+wIRA) vs. irradiation with visible light alone (VIS)". Methods: Pre-treatment with keratolysis (salicylic acid) and curettage. PDT treatment: topical application of 5-ALA (Medac) in "unguentum emulsificans aquosum" vs. placebo; irradiation: combination of VIS and a large amount of wIRA (Hydrosun® radiator type 501, 4 mm water cuvette, waterfiltered spectrum 590-1400 nm, contact-free, typically painless) vs. VIS alone. Post-treatment with retinoic acid ointment. One to three therapy cycles every 3 weeks. Main variable of interest: "Percent change of total wart area of each patient over the time" (18 weeks). Global judgement by patient and by physician and subjective rating of feeling/pain (visual analogue scales). 80 patients with therapy-resistant common hand and foot warts were assigned randomly into one of the four therapy groups with comparable numbers of warts at comparable sites in all groups. Results: The individual total wart area decreased during 18 weeks in group 1 (ALA+VIS+wIRA) and in group 2 (PLC+VIS+wIRA) significantly more than in both groups without wIRA (group 3 (ALA+VIS) and 4 (PLC+VIS)): medians and interquartile ranges: -94% (-100%/-84%) vs. -99% (-100%/-71%) vs. -47% (-75%/0%) vs. -73% (-92%/-27%). After 18 weeks the two groups with wIRA differed remarkably from the two groups without wIRA: 42% vs. 7% completely cured patients; 72% vs. 34% vanished warts. Global judgement by patient and by physician and subjective rating of feeling was much better in the two groups with wIRA than in the two groups without wIRA. Conclusions: The above described complete treatment scheme of hand and foot warts (keratolysis, curettage, PDT treatment, irradiation with VIS+wIRA, retinoic acid ointment; three therapy cycles every 3 weeks) proved to be effective. Within this treatment scheme wIRA as non-invasive and painless treatment modality revealed to be an important, effective factor, while photodynamic therapy with 5-ALA in the described form did not contribute recognisably - neither alone (without wIRA) nor in combination with wIRA - to a clinical improvement. For future treatment of warts an even improved scheme is proposed: one treatment cycle (keratolysis, curettage, wIRA, without PDT) once a week for six to nine weeks. © 2004 Fuchs et al; licensee German Medical Science. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL : http://www.egms.de/en/gms/volume2.shtmlHintergrund: Vulgäre Warzen (Verrucae vulgares) sind humane Papillomvirus-Infektionen (HPV) mit einer hohen Inzidenz und Prävalenz, die am häufigsten Hände und Füße befallen und die in der Lage sind, die Lebensqualität zu beeinträchtigen. Etwa 30 in der Literatur beschriebene Therapieverfahren zeugen von einem Mangel an einer einzigen überzeugenden Strategie. Jüngste Veröffentlichungen zeigten positive Ergebnisse der Photodynamischen Therapie (PDT) mit 5-Aminolävulinsäure (5-ALA) in der Therapie von HPV-induzierten Hautkrankheiten, besonders Warzen, wobei sichtbares Licht (VIS) verwendet wird, um ein Absorptionsband des endogen aus 5-ALA gebildeten Protoporphyrin IX zu stimulieren. Weitere Erfahrungen, wassergefiltertes Infrarot A (wIRA) während der 5-ALA-PDT zusätzlich anzuwenden, offenbarten positive Wirkungen. Ziel der Untersuchung: Erste prospektive randomisierte kontrollierte Blind-Studie, die PDT und wIRA in die Behandlung von therapierefraktären vulgären Hand- und Fußwarzen einbezieht. Vergleich von "5-ALA-Salbe (ALA) vs. Placebo-Salbe (PLC)" und "Bestrahlung mit sichtbarem Licht und wIRA (VIS+wIRA) vs. Bestrahlung mit sichtbarem Licht allein (VIS)". Methoden: Vorbehandlung mit Keratolyse (Salizylsäure) und Kürettage. Photodynamische Therapie (PDT): topische Applikation von 5-ALA (Medac) in "Unguentum emulsificans aquosum" vs. Placebo; Bestrahlung: Kombination von sichtbarem Licht (VIS) und einem hohen Maß an wassergefiltertem Infrarot A (wIRA) (Hydrosun®-Strahler Typ 501, 4 mm Wasserküvette, wassergefiltertes Spektrum 590-1400 nm, kontaktfrei, typischerweise schmerzlos) vs. sichtbares Licht (VIS) allein. Nachbehandlung mit Vitamin-A-Säure-Salbe. Ein bis drei Therapiezyklen im Abstand von 3 Wochen. Hauptzielvariable: "Prozentuale Änderung der Gesamtwarzenfläche jedes Patienten über die Zeit" (18 Wochen). Globales Urteil von Patient und von Arzt sowie subjektive Einschätzung von Empfindung/Schmerz (visuelle Analogskalen). 80 Patienten mit therapierefraktären vulgären Hand- und Fußwarzen wurden randomisiert einer der vier Behandlungsgruppen (mit vergleichbarer Anzahl an Warzen in vergleichbaren Lokalisationen in allen Gruppen) zugeteilt. Ergebnisse: Die individuelle Gesamtwarzenfläche nahm während 18 Wochen in Gruppe 1 (ALA+VIS+wIRA) und in Gruppe 2 (PLC+VIS+wIRA) signifikant mehr als in den beiden Gruppen ohne wIRA (Gruppe 3 (ALA+VIS) und 4 (PLC+VIS)) ab: Mediane und Interquartil-Spannen: -94% (-100%/-84%) vs. -99% (-100%/-71%) vs. -47% (-75%/0%) vs. -73% (-92%/-27%). Nach 18 Wochen unterschieden sich die zwei Gruppen mit wIRA deutlich von den zwei Gruppen ohne wIRA: 42% vs. 7% komplett geheilte Patienten; 72% vs. 34% völlig verschwundene Warzen. Das globale Urteil von Patient und von Arzt und die subjektive Einschätzung des Empfindens waren in den zwei Gruppen mit wIRA viel besser als in den zwei Gruppen ohne wIRA. Folgerungen: Das oben beschriebene vollständige Therapieschema von Hand- und Fußwarzen (Keratolyse, Kürettage, Photodynamische Therapie, Bestrahlung mit VIS+wIRA, Vitamin-A-Säure-Salbe; drei Therapiezyklen im Abstand von 3 Wochen) erwies sich als effektiv. Innerhalb des Therapieschemas zeigte sich wIRA - als nicht-invasive und schmerzlose Therapiemodalität - als ein wichtiger, effektiver Faktor, während die Photodynamische Therapie mit 5-ALA in der beschriebenen Form nicht erkennbar - weder alleine (ohne wIRA) noch in Kombination mit wIRA - zu einer klinischen Verbesserung beitrug. Für die zukünftige Behandlung von Warzen wird ein weiter verbessertes Schema vorgeschlagen: ein Therapiezyklus (Keratolyse, Kürettage, wIRA, ohne PDT) einmal pro Woche für sechs bis neun Wochen

TEXTUAL VS. SCHEMATIC TEACHING MATERIAL IN A LESSON OF RUSSIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN A CHINESE AUDIENCE

The Russian language continues to maintain a leading position as a foreign language in China. Every day students have to work with much information in Russian. According to the confirmed data, the Chinese are representatives of cultures of the right-brain type of thinking. Today some works touch on the psychological and pedagogical aspects and linguo-methodological foundations of teaching Chinese students. The researchers believe it is possible to classify Chinese students as individuals with a significant dominance of the brain's right hemisphere. This is related to the specificity of the cognitive style of their educational activity, which manifests itself in the following features: in an inductive, concrete-nonlinear type of thinking, which allows one to perceive information holistically, at one time, in establishing connections not from word to word, but from image to word, with an important role of a visual image. Leading methodologists and psycholinguists recommend considering the dominance of the right hemisphere to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching Russian as a foreign language to Chinese. Nevertheless, the design of the educational material of the lesson is still formalized in a traditional, textual form. The article aims to experimentally answer the question: in what form, textual or schematic, Chinese students perceive and remember information better. The authors used an experimental method, which consisted in studying the development of educational material depending on the form of presentation: text or schematic. As a result of the experiment, it was revealed that Chinese students make much fewer mistakes when studying the material in a schematic form.

Moroccan propolis: a natural antioxidant, antibacterial, and antibiofilm against Staphylococcus aureus with no induction of resistance after continuous exposure

This study was performed to evaluate the total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of twenty-four propolis samples from different regions of Morocco. In addition, two samples were screened regarding the antibacterial effect against four Staphylococcus aureus strains. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectra (GC-MS) analysis was done for propolis samples used in antibacterial tests. The minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC, MBC) were determined. The potential to acquire the resistance after sequential exposure of bacterial strains and the impact of adaptation to propolis on virulence using the Galleria mellonella were evaluated. Additionally, the effects of propolis extract on the bacterial adherence ability and its ability to inhibit the quorum sensing activity were also examined. Among the twenty-four extracts studied, the samples from Sefrou, Outat el Haj, and the two samples marketed in Morocco were the best for scavenging DPPH, ABTS, NO, peroxyl, and superoxide radicals as well as in scavenging of hydrogen peroxide. A strong correlation was found between the amounts of phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities. Propolis extract at the MIC value (0.36 mg/mL) significantly reduced (p < 0.001) the virulence potential of S. aureus ATCC 6538 and the MRSA strains without leading to the development of resistance in the sequence of continuous exposure. It was able to impair the bacterial biofilm formation. The results have revealed that sample 1 reduces violacein production in a concentration dependent manner, indicating inhibition of quorum sensing. This extract has as main group of secondary metabolites flavonoids (31.9%), diterpenes (21.5%), and phenolic acid esters (16.5%).Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Pest-OE/QUI/UI4023/2011info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Процес "кризи читання" у сучасному світі та діяльність вузівської бібліотеки, щодо позитивної зміни ситуації

В статье затронуты проблемы снижения уровня читательской культуры населения в настоящее время, сформулированы причины кризиса чтения, а также определены задачи библиотек по его преодолению. Автор приводит результаты исследований и социологических опросов среди пользователей библиотеки на тему чтения, делится опытом практической деятельности библиотеки Винницкого Национального технического университета по вопросу популяризации чтения среди студенчества.У статті порушено проблеми зниження рівня читацької культури населення в даний час, сформульовані причини кризи читання, а також визначені завдання бібліотек по його подоланню. Автор наводить результати досліджень і соціологічних опитувань серед користувачів бібліотеки на тему читання, ділиться досвідом практичної діяльності бібліотеки Вінницького Національного технічного університету з питання популяризації читання серед студентства

Мистецтво результативного керування сучасною бібліотекою

У бібліографічному покажчику «Мистецтво результативного керування сучасною бібліотекою» відображена література з організації менеджменту в бібліотеці, ролі персоналу у системі керування, питання мотивації персоналу бібліотек, моделювання системи підвищення кваліфікації. Покажчик містить 240 позицій. Матеріали згруповано тематично у чотирьох розділах, у межах розділів – в абетковому порядку прізвищ авторів або назв публікацій

Библиографический обзор – традиционная методика с новыми элементами

В рекомендациях рассмотрена методика проведения традиционной формы массовой работы – библиографического обзора. Библиотечные работники могут использовать предложенные методические рекомендации с учетом их творческого участия в работе с читателям