Raman spectroscopy analysis of dental enamel organic and mineral composition: an experimental non-randomised study

Background. Contemporary dental diagnosis should supplement clinical examination with instrumental diagnostic techniques. Raman spectroscopy has become widely adopted due to high spatial resolution, non-invasiveness, the lack of strict requirements and ease of sample preparation.Objectives. A qualitative assessment of enamel mineral and organic composition dynamics using Raman spectroscopy.Methods. Raman spectroscopy was used as primary research method. The trial bench consisted of a Shamrocksr-303i high-resolution digital spectrometer with built-in DV420A-OE cooled optical detector (spectral range 200–1200 nm), RPB-785 optic fibre scattering probe integrated with LuxxMaster LML-785.0RB-04 laser source with wavelength 785 nm.Software spectrum processing was performed with Wolfram Mathematica 9. Spectra were denoised with a median filter (5 points), the approximating line (fifth order polynomial) of autofluorescent component was determined in 700–2200 cm-1 range using an iterative algorithm and then subtracted to receive isolated Raman spectra.Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of data was performed with the IBM SPSS Statistics package. Results. The assay included 28 teeth, with 14 extracted for orthodontic indications and 14 — for chronic periodontitis. Spectral dental enamel dynamics has been established in periodontal disease and after the in-office bleaching procedure. The evidence obtained can be applicable in dental practice to verify patients at risk of periodontal disease by interpreting the tooth enamel spectral properties, as well as prior to in-office bleaching.Conclusion. We demonstrate high efficiency of Raman spectroscopy for qualitative assessment of the mineral and organic enamel composition dynamics in various settings. Raman spectroscopy is confirmed effective and versatile in various aetiologies. It was successfully applied to diagnose periodontitis by changes in the organic and mineral enamel composition and evaluate enamel after in-office bleaching

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic

Background. The use of antiviral agents can shorten the duration of the viral infection. The aim: to study the clinical and epidemiological features and the effectiveness of antiviral therapy for new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in outpatient children.Materials and methods. From April 2020 to March 2021, 9334 outpatient children aged from 0 months to 17 years were randomly tested for new coronavirus infection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in oropharyngeal and nasal material by PCR. Patients with confirmed new coronavirus infection were prescribed interferon-alpha (IFN-α) intranasally, antiviral agents of systemic action. The control group consisted of children with COVID-19 who did not receive treatment.Results. When examining clinically healthy contact children, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 7.4 % of cases. In the structure of ARI, the specific weight of COVID-19 was 12.3 % with the peak incidence in April-May (up to 22.8 %) and NovemberDecember (up to 30.0 %). In half of the cases, children became infected in the family, and usually adults were the index patient. In 47.7 % of cases, an asymptomatic form of COVID-19 was registered without significant differences in patients of different ages. In one third of children with concomitant pathology, the disease was asymptomatic, in half it was mild, in other cases moderate severity was diagnosed. The clinical picture of COVID-19 did not differ from other ARIs. Anosmia (9.4 %) in half of the cases was combined with ageusia (4.4 %) and was significantly more common in boys. The duration of clinical manifestations in children of the control group and those who received antiviral therapy did not statistically significantly differ in mild and severity of the disease. Also, various antiviral therapy options did not significantly affect the duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection in children with various forms of COVID-19.Conclusion. In the first year of the pandemic, the novel coronavirus infection did not dominate the pattern of respiratory diseases in outpatient children. Further research is required to develop pediatric guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 at the outpatient stage

Subtly modulating glycogen synthase kinase 3 ß: Allosteric inhibitor development and their potential for the treatment of chronic diseases

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 ß (GSK-3ß) is a central target in several unmet diseases. To increase the specificity of GSK-3ß inhibitors in chronic treatments, we developed small molecules allowing subtle modulation of GSK-3ß activity. Design synthesis, structure¿activity relationships, and binding mode of quinoline-3-carbohydrazide derivatives as allosteric modulators of GSK-3ß are presented here. Furthermore, we show how allosteric binders may overcome the ß-catenin side effects associated with strong GSK-3ß inhibition. The therapeutic potential of some of these modulators has been tested in human samples from patients with congenital myotonic dystrophy type 1 (CDM1) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients. We found that compound 53 improves delayed myogenesis in CDM1 myoblasts, while compounds 1 and 53 have neuroprotective properties in SMA-derived cells. These findings suggest that the allosteric modulators of GSK-3ß may be used for future development of drugs for DM1, SMA, and other chronic diseases where GSK-3ß inhibition exhibits therapeutic effects.This work was financially supported by MINECO (grant no. SAF2012-37979-C03-01 and SAF2016-76693-R to A.M. and IJCI-2014-20767 to V.P.). CCHMC funds L.T. A.M. and C.G. are members of the CIB Intramural Program “Molecular Machines for Better Life” (MACBET).Peer Reviewe

A nearly complete database on the records and ecology of the rarest boreal tiger moth from 1840s to 2020

Global environmental changes may cause dramatic insect declines but over century-long time series of certain species’ records are rarely available for scientific research. The Menetries’ Tiger Moth (Arctia menetriesii) appears to be the most enigmatic example among boreal insects. Although it occurs throughout the entire Eurasian taiga biome, it is so rare that less than 100 specimens were recorded since its original description in 1846. Here, we present the database, which contains nearly all available information on the species’ records collected from 1840s to 2020. The data on A. menetriesii records (N = 78) through geographic regions, environments, and different timeframes are compiled and unified. The database may serve as the basis for a wide array of future research such as the distribution modeling and predictions of range shifts under climate changes. It represents a unique example of a more than century-long dataset of distributional, ecological, and phenological data designed for an exceptionally rare but widespread boreal insect, which primarily occurs in hard-to-reach, uninhabited areas of Eurasia.Peer reviewe

Electrodeposition and characterisation of CdS thin films using thiourea precursor for application in solar cells

CdS thin films have been successfully electrodeposited on glass/FTO substrates using acidic and aqueous solution of CdCl2.xH2O and thiourea (SC(NH2)2). The electrodeposition of CdS thin films were carried out potentiostatically using a 2-electrode system. The prepared films were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurements, Electrical resistivity measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometry to study their structural, compositional, morphological, electrical and optical properties, respectively. The structural studies show that the as-deposited and annealed CdS layers are polycrystalline with hexagonal crystal structure and preferentially oriented along (200) planes. The optical studies indicate that the ED-CdS layers have direct bandgaps in the range (2.53-2.58) eV for the as-deposited and (2.42-2.48) eV after annealing at 400oC for 20 minutes in air. The morphological studies show the good coverage of the FTO surface by the CdS grains. The average grain sizes for the as-deposited and annealed layers were in the range (60-225) nm. These grains or clusters are made out of smaller nano crystallites with the sizes in the range ~(11-33) nm. The electrical resistivity shows reduction as thickness increases. The resistivity values for the as-deposited and annealed layers were in the range (0.82-4.92)×105 Ωcm. The optimum growth voltage for the CdS thin films was found to be at the cathodic potential of 797 mV with respect to the graphite anode. No visible precipitations of elemental S or CdS particles were observed in the deposition electrolyte showing a stable bath using thiourea during the growth

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ДИНАМИКИ ИММУННОГО ОТВЕТА ПРИ ГРИППЕ У ДЕТЕЙ НА ФОНЕ ИНТЕРФЕРОНОТЕРАПИИ

The paper presents clinical and laboratory study results of the immune response indicators dynamics in 199 children aged 1 year to 14 years with verified diagnosis of influenza depending on the type of immune response to the treatment with recombinant interferon alpha-2b (IFN) (Grippferon®, nasal drops). A total of 100 people received this medication, whereas 99 patients in the control group received pathogenetic therapy. The immune response type was determined on the basis of the polarisation coefficients (PC) suggested by the authors: PC1 = IL-4/IFN-γ and PC2 = IL-10/IFN-γ obtained by calculating the content ratio in the serum cytokines of IL-4 to IFN-γ and IL-10 to IFN-γ, responsible for the predominant type of immune response to antigen introduction.  A good therapeutic efficacy of the intranasal medication of recombinant interferon alfa-2b was established for the treatment of influenza in children, given both the Th1and Th2-type immune response. This allows us to recommend  this medication for use in children, regardless of the immune response type.Представлены результаты клинико-лабораторного исследования динамики показателей иммунного ответа у 199 детей в возрасте от 1 года до 14 лет при верифицированном гриппе в зависимости от типа иммунного ответа на фоне применения препарата рекомбинантного интерферона (IFN) альфа-2b (Гриппферон®, капли назальные) (100 человек получали препарат, 99, получавшие патогенетически направленную терапию, вошли в состав группы сравнения). Тип иммунного ответа определяли на основании предложенных авторами коэффициентов поляризации (КП) КП1 = IL-4/IFN-γ и КП2 = IL-10/IFN-γ, полученных при расчете соотношения содержания в сыворотке крови цитокинов IL-4 к IFN-γ и IL-10 к IFN-γ, ответственных за преимущественный тип иммунного  ответа на внедрение антигена. Установлена хорошая лечебная эффективность интраназального применения препарата рекомбинантного интерферона альфа-2b в комплексной терапии гриппа у детей как при Th1, так и при Th2 типе иммунного ответа, что позволяет рекомендовать его применение у детей, независимо от типа иммунного ответа

Оценка своевременности вакцинации против коклюша детей первого года жизни и причин нарушения графика прививок

The maximum incidence of pertussis in young children confirms the importance of their timely immunization.The goal is – to study the timeliness of vaccination against whooping cough, causes of violation of the vaccination schedule in young children, the effect of recombinant interferon-a on the post-vaccination period.Materials and methods: the vaccination history and data on the course of the post-vaccination period after immunization with DPT and DaPT vaccines of 469 children at the age of 3–24 months were studied.Results. The analysis showed that 14,9% of the observed children were not vaccinated against whooping cough in a timely manner. Of these: 34,3% had a written refusal to vaccinate (5.1% of the total number of observed children), in 32,8% of cases, the vaccination schedule was violated due to late arrival of parents, 32,9% of children by the start of immunization had medical challenges, and only half of them had justified contraindications. Non-serious side effects associated with immunization were observed in 11.3% of cases, statistically more often with DTP (22,0%) compared with DaPT (5.,5%). General and local reactions, in general, were recorded on DPT (6,9% and 15,1%, respectively) and less often developed with the use of DaPT (1,0% and 4,5%, respectively). Within 1 month after immunization, 16,2% of the observed children had an acute respiratory viral infection of varying severity. Those who did not receive antiviral therapy more often carried the disease in a moderate and severe form, which in all cases led to the postponement of the administration of the second and third doses of the vaccine.Conclusion. To increase the timeliness of vaccination of children against whooping cough, medical professionals should persistently remind parents about the timing of turnout for the next vaccination, when making medical withdrawals, be guided by modern methodological documents and instructions for vaccines. The use of antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of IFN-alpha drugs allows us to comply with the recommended schedule for vaccination of children with a high risk of SARS in the post-vaccination period.Максимальная заболеваемость коклюшем детей раннего возраста подтверждает важность их своевременной иммунизации.Цель: изучить своевременность вакцинации против коклюша, причины нарушения графика прививок у детей раннего возраста, влияние препаратов рекомбинантного интерферона-aльфа на течение поствакцинального периода.Материалы и методы: изучен прививочный анамнез и данные о течении поствакцинального периода после иммунизации вакцинами АКДС и препаратами с бесклеточным коклюшным компонентом 469 детей в возрасте от 3 мес. до 24 мес.Результаты. Анализ показал, что 14,9% наблюдаемых детей оказались своевременно не привиты против коклюша, из них: у 34,3% оформлен письменный отказ от прививки (5,1% от общего числа наблюдаемых детей), в 32,8% случаев график вакцинации был нарушен из-за несвоевременной явки родителей, 32,9% детей к началу иммунизации имели медицинские отводы, причем только у половины противопоказания были обоснованные. Несерьезные побочные проявления, связанные с иммунизацией, наблюдались в 11,3% случаев, статистически чаще при введении АКДС (22,0%) по сравнению с бесклеточными коклюшными вакцинами (5,5%). Общие и местные реакции, в основном, регистрировались на АКДС (6,9% и 15,1% соответственно) и реже развивались при использовании препаратов с бесклеточным коклюшным компонентом (1,0% и 4,5% соответственно). В течение 1 месяца после иммунизации 73 ребенка (16,2%) перенесли острую респираторную вирусную инфекцию различной степени тяжести. Не получавшие противовирусную терапию чаще переносили заболевание в среднетяжелой и тяжелой форме, что во всех случаях привело к переносу срока введения второй и третьей дозы вакцины.Заключение. Для увеличения своевременности вакцинации детей против коклюша медицинские работники должны настойчиво напоминать родителям о сроках явки на очередную вакцинацию, при оформлении медицинских отводов, руководствоваться современными методическими документами и инструкциями к вакцинам. Использование противовирусного и иммуномодулирующего эффекта препаратов интерферон-альфа позволяет соблюсти рекомендованный график при вакцинации детей с высоким риском заболеваемости острой респираторной вирусной инфекцией в поствакцнальном периоде.

ПАНДЕМИЧЕСКИЙ ГРИПП A (H1N1) PDM 09 В ЭПИДСЕЗОН 2015/2016 ГГ.: АНАЛИЗ ЛЕТАЛЬНЫХ ИСХОДОВ У ДЕТЕЙ

The analysis of the characteristics of the current influenza A(H1N1) pdm 09 at 624 children in the 2015/2016 season. For severe illness (5%) characterized by short incubation period, lack of initial period, acute or acute onset with rapid development of multiorgan failure, prolonged febrile body temperature (up to 5—6 days or more) in the absence of complications, a prolonged severe intoxication (4—5 days or more), a significant frequency of diarrhea syndrome (10,2%), hemorrhagic syndrome (5.3%), exacerbation of comorbidity (20%), combined  with other viral infections  — herpes, rotavirus, enterovirus and others (33%).In the clinical analysis of blood — leukopenia (33.9%), leukocytosis (14.5%) with neutrophilic  shift (11.3%), neutrophilia (51.6%), monocytosis (45.2%), lymphocytosis (9.7%), thrombocytopenia, anemia, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate moderately; in the biochemical analysis of blood, hypernatremia, increase in the concentration of lactate, hyperfermentemia (ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, CPK), hypoproteinemia, dysproteinemia, increased CRP, increased creatinine and urea, increase of procalcitonin (PCT). In the structure of complications of pneumonia was 6%, stenosing laryngotracheitis — 9.8%, obstructive bronchitis — 14.5%. Two unvaccinated against influenza in infants who become ill during the epidemic period for influenza and SARS from homes with a typical clinical picture, died from severe (toxic) form of pandemic influenza. Pandemic influenza occurred at the background of severe immunosuppression (atrophy of the thymus, depletion  of follicles of peripheral organs of immunogenesis — spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils). The main cause of death was the development of multiple organ failure with rapid progressive lesion of the vital organs. Проведен анализ особенностей течения гриппа A (H1N1) pdm 09 у 624 детей в эпидсезон 2015/2016 гг. При тяжелой форме болезни (5%) отмечаются: короткий инкубационный период, отсутствие начального периода, острое или острейшее начало с быстрым развитием полиорганной недостаточности, длительная фебрильная температура тела (до 5—6 суток и более) при отсутствии осложнений,  выраженная длительная интоксикация (4—5 суток и более), значительная частота синдрома диареи (10,2%), развитие геморрагического синдрома (5,3%), обострение сопутствующей патологии (20%), сочетание с другими вирусными инфекциями — герпесвирусной, ротавирусной, энтеровирусной и др. (33%).В клиническом  анализе крови отмечаются лейкопения (33,9%), лейкоцитоз (14,5%) с нейтрофильным сдвигом (11,3%), нейтрофилез (51,6%), моноцитоз (45,2%), лимфоцитоз (9,7%), тромбоцитопения, анемия, умеренно ускоренная СОЭ; в биохимическом анализе крови  — гипернатриемия, нарастание концентрации лактата, гиперферментемия (АЛТ, АСТ, ЩФ, ЛДГ, КФК), гипопротеинемия, диспротеинемия, повышение СРБ, повышение креатинина и мочевины, увеличение прокальцитонина (ПКТ). В структуре  осложнений  пневмонии  составили 6%, стенозирующие ларинготрахеиты  —  9,8%, обструктивные   бронхиты  — 14,5%. Двое непривитых против гриппа детей раннего возраста, заболевшие в эпидемический период по гриппу, из семейных очагов ОРВИ, с типичной клинической картиной, умерли от тяжелой (токсической) формы пандемического гриппа. Пандемический грипп протекал на фоне выраженной иммуносупрессии (атрофия тимуса, истощение фолликулов периферических органов иммуногенеза — селезенки, лимфатических узлов, миндалин). Основной причиной смерти явилось развитие полиорганной недостаточности с быстрым прогрессирующим поражением жизненно важных органов

КОРЬ У ДЕТЕЙ В СОВРЕМЕННЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ

Children and adults of any age and any social and professional groups are susceptible to the measles infection. Measles may lead to the development of severe disease forms and complications; it remains one of the main causes of death among infants around the world, despite a safe and effective vaccine. A clinical observation of children of 5 months to 14 years of age (n = 44) with measles hospitalized to a specialized in-patient department was conducted. Examination of all children included history taking and daily medical examination throughout the inpatient treatment with the evaluation of intensity of clinical symptoms. It is shown that in modern conditions measles in children is registered mainly in the age group of 5 months to 3 years (81.8%), mainly in unvaccinated children (95.5%), and typically takes a moderate-severe form (95.4%). Strenosing laryngotracheitis and obstructive bronchitis are among the specific measles complications.Коревой инфекцией болеют дети и взрослые любого возраста, различных социальных и профессиональных групп. Корь опасна развитием тяжелых форм болезни, осложнений; она остается одной из основных причин смерти среди детей раннего возраста во всем мире, несмотря на наличие безопасной и эффективной вакцины. Проведено клиническое наблюдение за больными корью детьми в возрасте от 5 мес до 14 лет (n = 44), госпитализированными в специализированный стационар. Обследование всех детей включало сбор анамнеза, ежедневный врачебный осмотр на протяжении всего периода стационарного лечения с оценкой выраженности клинической симптоматики. Показано, что в современных условиях корь у детей регистрируется в основном в возрастной группе от 5 мес до 3 лет (81,8%), преимущественно у непривитых (95,5%), протекает типично, как правило, в среднетяжелой форме (95,4%). Среди специфических осложнений кори преобладали стенозирующий ларинготрахеит и обструктивный бронхит