Academic integrity at ICM: Successes, challenges and opportunities

At International College of Manitoba (ICM), we recognized that the stress to students and instructors caused by COVID-19 presented a unique opportunity to raise the awareness of academic integrity in fully online learning. In this presentation we describe several strategies which we employed to mitigate an expected rise in academic misconduct allegations. Strategies were chosen based on reportage from academic literature. Using data collected over two full terms of online learning, we provide insights into emerging trends related to academic integrity and offer a summary of future work in order to improve our performance. We welcome constructive commentary from the audience during question time

Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Preparation by Pulsed Laser Ablation of Metallic Targets in Liquid

The basic mechanisms of pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) as a method for the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) were considered. Physical and chemical processes occurring during the PLAL that determine the formation, composition and structure of the nanoparticles obtained are described. The influence of the composition and properties of the target material, the solvent and the characteristics of the laser irradiation on the efficiency of the synthesis of nanoparticles is discussed. Separately, an influence of the absorption and scattering (including nonlinear) of laser radiation in the dispersion of nanoparticles on the primary synthetic processes and secondary transformations inside the colloidal solution is examined. The specificity of the characterization of the colloidal solutions of oxide particles produced by PLAL is highlighted. The most promising practical applications of nanomaterials obtained are identified and the examples of their successful use in catalytic research and biomedicine are provided

Nanoparticles of Metals Oxides Preparation and Characterization

Abstract -Water dispersions of four metal oxides nanoparticles were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of metallic targets (Ce, Cu, Ti, Zn) in water. The fundamental harmonic of nanosecond Nd:YAG laser was used. Nanocrystalline powders of oxides were obtained from the dispersions. The composition and structure of the materials obtained were investigated. The average size of the crystallites was found to be 10-20 nm. Cubic CeO2 and Cu2O, wurtzite-type ZnO and anatase/brookite mixture of TiO2 were identified in products. CeO2 was obtained from metallic Ce target for the first time. As prepared nanostructured semiconductors can be used in catalysis and photocatalysis, sunscreen technology, in biomedicine, and as antibacterial agents

The Effectiveness of Sex Determination of Immature Individuals by Morphological Methods (A Case Study of Medieval Mamisondon Series, North Ossetia)

Introduction. One of the main issues in the analysis of human remains in paleoanthropology and forensic examination is the sex determination. A large number of reliable methods for sex determination in adult individuals exist. However, when examining the remains of children and adolescents, the problem of sex determination is much more complicate. Various methods of such determination have been developed. All of them have different degrees of accuracy, applicable to different osteological series. Methods and materials. The early Medieval Mamisondon series (North Ossetia) was chosen for the study, in which the sex of the buried, including children, determined the location of the corpse. Genetic analysis and peptide analysis of tooth enamel were carried out to confirm the connection of body location with sex. Three methods of morphological sex determination in children’s skeletons have been tested: the use of discriminant functions for the size of the teeth and the use of descriptive characteristics of the mandible and pelvis shape. Mesiodistal and bucco-lingual tooth sizes were measured in 60 adults and 43 children. Morphological features of the mandible were evaluated in 37 individuals and the ilium in 33. The evaluation of the descriptive characteristics of the postcranial skeleton was carried out by the blind method, and then the data obtained were compared with sex determination data confirmed by laboratory methods. Analysis. By the method of step-by-step discriminant analysis, the characters were selected that most successfully dividing individuals by sex in our series. Results. We have built several discriminant equations based on deciduous and permanent molars, which allow us to determine sex with an accuracy of 70–80%. In our work, we especially note the importance of the first permanent molar for sex determination in children, since it appears first among permanent teeth, which are more dimorphic than deciduous teeth. We consider this method to be promising, however, due to the unequal level of sexual dimorphism and the size of teeth in different populations, the discriminant functions created by us are not universal and are applicable only specifically to our series, or to another series with the same level of sexual dimorphism and dimensional characteristics of the teeth. The descriptive characteristics studied in the work showed a low percentage of correct decisions in determining sex. Authors’ contribution: D. Khodyreva – experimental research, data analysis, writing original draft; N. Goncharova – methodology of statistical analysis, formal analysis, review and editing; A. Buzhilova – methodology of the research algorithm, review and editing, critical revision in order to improve the content; N. Berezina – the concept of the research algorithm, methodology, writing, review and editing

Structure and Properties of Biodegradable PLLA/ZnO Composite Membrane Produced via Electrospinning

These days, composite materials based on polymers and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in optoelectronics and biomedicine. In this work, composite membranes of polylactic acid and ZnO NPs containing 5–40 wt.% of the latter NPs were produced by means of electrospinning. For the first time, polymer material loaded with up to 40 wt.% of ZnO NPs (produced via laser ablation in air and having non-modified surface) was used to prepare fiber-based composite membranes. The morphology, phase composition, mechanical, spectral and antibacterial properties of the membranes were tested by a set of analytical techniques including SEM, XRD, FTIR, UV-vis, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity of the materials was evaluated following standard procedures (ISO 20743:2013) and using S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. It is shown that incorporation of 5–10 wt.% of NPs led to improved mechanical properties of the composite membranes, while further increase of ZnO content up to 20 wt.% and above resulted in their noticeable deterioration. At the same time, the antibacterial properties of ZnO-rich membranes were more pronounced, which is explained by a larger number of surface-exposed ZnO NPs, in addition to those embedded into the bulk of fiber material

Peculiarities of gender identity of deviant adolescents

The article is devoted to the study of the formation and manifestation of gender identity in deviant adolescents. The authors analyzed the works devoted to the psychological development of adolescents, taking into account the acceptance or rejection of existing social roles. Special attention is paid to deviant behavior, which partly influences the formation of a person's identity. The authors conducted a study to identify the tendency towards victim behavior in adolescents and correlated them with the data obtained on the definition of character accentuation in students of a regular school and a boarding school. The results of the study confirmed the fact that adolescents with deviant behavior have specific characteristics that make their relationships with their peers and with adults especially difficult. The formation of the gender culture of adolescents takes place on the basis of physical, cognitive development in their relationship with peers and parents, taking into account their psycho-emotional state during puberty

Antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles obtained by pulsed laser ablation in water and air

The paper studies physicochemical and antibacterial properties of ZnO nanoparticles obtained by pulsed laser ablation in water and air. Their composition and structure were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles was examined by its affection on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus). The dependence of nanoparticles’ physical and chemical antibacterial properties on the conditions of the ablation was shown. The model materials for the antibacterial bandage were made of cotton, filter paper and biodegradable polymer scaffolds (poly-l-lactide acid), and then they were coated with the obtained ZnO nanoparticles. The model bandage materials were examined by the scanning electron microscopy method and their antibacterial activity (ISO 20743:2013) was determined. High activity of all the samples against S.aureus was proved

Antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles obtained by pulsed laser ablation in water and air

The paper studies physicochemical and antibacterial properties of ZnO nanoparticles obtained by pulsed laser ablation in water and air. Their composition and structure were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles was examined by its affection on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus). The dependence of nanoparticles’ physical and chemical antibacterial properties on the conditions of the ablation was shown. The model materials for the antibacterial bandage were made of cotton, filter paper and biodegradable polymer scaffolds (poly-l-lactide acid), and then they were coated with the obtained ZnO nanoparticles. The model bandage materials were examined by the scanning electron microscopy method and their antibacterial activity (ISO 20743:2013) was determined. High activity of all the samples against S.aureus was proved

Passing of Nanocarriers across the Histohematic Barriers: Current Approaches for Tumor Theranostics

Over the past several decades, nanocarriers have demonstrated diagnostic and therapeutic (i.e., theranostic) potencies in translational oncology, and some agents have been further translated into clinical trials. However, the practical application of nanoparticle-based medicine in living organisms is limited by physiological barriers (blood–tissue barriers), which significantly hampers the transport of nanoparticles from the blood into the tumor tissue. This review focuses on several approaches that facilitate the translocation of nanoparticles across blood–tissue barriers (BTBs) to efficiently accumulate in the tumor. To overcome the challenge of BTBs, several methods have been proposed, including the functionalization of particle surfaces with cell-penetrating peptides (e.g., TAT, SynB1, penetratin, R8, RGD, angiopep-2), which increases the passing of particles across tissue barriers. Another promising strategy could be based either on the application of various chemical agents (e.g., efflux pump inhibitors, disruptors of tight junctions, etc.) or physical methods (e.g., magnetic field, electroporation, photoacoustic cavitation, etc.), which have been shown to further increase the permeability of barriers