Special issue: Dynamics of systems on the nanoscale (2018). Editorial

The structure, formation and dynamics of both animate and inanimate matter on the nanoscale are a highly interdisciplinary field of rapidly emerging research engaging a broad community encompassing experimentalists, theorists, and technologists. It is relevant for a large variety of molecular and nanosystems of different origin and composition and concerns numerous phenomena originating from physics, chemistry, biology, or materials science. This Topical Issue presents a collection of original research papers devoted to different aspects of structure and dynamics on the nanoscale. Some of the contributions discuss specific applications of the research results in several modern technologies and in next generation medicine. Most of the works of this topical issue were reported at the Fifth International Conference on Dynamics of Systems on the Nanoscale (DySoN) – the premier forum for the presentation of cutting-edge research in this field that was held in Potsdam, Germany in October of 2018

Application of “Polyana Kvasova” Mineral Water in the Complex Therapy of Patients with Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease and Osteochondrosis of the Spine

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of complex therapy using “Polyana Kvasova” mineral water in patients with GERD and osteochondrosis (OH) of the cervical and thoracic spine. Materials and Methods: The examined patients included 56 Helicobacter pylori (HP)-positive patients with GERD and OH of the cervical and thoracic spine. The examined patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the scheme of complex treatment. All HP-positive patients with GERD and OH underwent standard triple anti-helicobacter therapy and itopride hydrochloride. Group I patients (n=26) received only the above-mentioned regimen. Patients of the II group (n=30) were additionally prescribed 100-150 ml of “Polyana Kvasova” carbonated bicarbonate-sodium mineral water (MW) as a natural antacid, warm, still 4 times a day (1.5 hours before meals and after 45 minutes after – both in the morning and evening) within 1 month. Results: The complex therapy carried out had a positive effect on the endoscopic picture of GERD in patients with cervical and thoracic OH. The decrease in the severity of RE was accompanied by an increase in the number of GERD patients in whom the erosive form of reflux esophagitis was not detected during repeated fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy (FEGDS) (mainly in the II group of examined patients – 10.0% of patients, p<0.05). The additional prescription of “Polyana Kvasova” MW to the complex treatment increased the frequency of eradication of HP infection by 9.2% – p<0.05 at the background of more pronounced normalization of clinical and endoscopic signs of GERD. Conclusions: 1. GERD is often manifested by atypical extraesophageal symptoms (up to 25.0-27.3% of cases) in patients with OH of the cervical and thoracic spine. 2. The use of standard triple AHT in combination with itopride hydrochloride is an effective method of correcting esophageal and extraesophageal clinical manifestations of GERD in patients with cervical and thoracic spine OH. 3. The additional prescription of “Polyana Kvasova” MW as part of the complex therapy of patients with GERD and OH of the cervical and thoracic regions is a safe, effective method for reducing clinical symptoms, the severity of esophageal lesions with repeated FEGD, and also contributes to increasing the frequency of HP infection eradication in the data patients

Introduction to the Special Issue on Biophotonics - Part 2

This Part 2 of the special issue on biophotonics contains 27 papers, including 18 invited and 19 contributed papers

PILOT STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF MEDICINES ADVERTISING ON HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND PATIENTS

The impact of advertising of medicinal products on healthcare professionals and patients is essential in the context of rational drug use. The hypothesis of this study is that the advertising of medicinal products affects the purchase decision and/or the recommendation of medical professionals and patients. Based on this hypothesis, the aim of the study is to explore attitudes towards drug advertising and the extent of its impact on patients/consumers and healthcare professionals. The study was conducted using the method of "direct anonymous poll" among 87 healthcare professionals (doctors, pharmacists, dentists and health care professionals) and 150 consumers/patients in four Bulgarian cities – Sofia, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil within 2012. The results show that patients (57.6% of respondents) have more confidence and are more likely to believe in drug advertising than healthcare specialists (35.6%). Over 82% of the healthcare specialists in Bulgaria admit to recommend/prescribe medicines which have been promoted to them, a little over 73% of patients admit that the advertising of a particular product has incited them to purchase. All this leads to the conclusion of good performance by the advertising of medicinal products on the decision to purchase and / or recommendation of a specific product

Probing Electron-Induced Bond Cleavage at the Single-Molecule Level Using DNA Origami Templates

Low-energy electrons (LEEs) play an important role in nanolithography, atmospheric chemistry, and DNA radiation damage. Previously, the cleavage of specific chemical bonds triggered by LEEs has been demonstrated in a variety of small organic molecules such as halogenated benzenes and DNA nucleobases. Here we present a strategy that allows for the first time to visualize the electron-induced dissociation of single chemical bonds within complex, but well-defined self-assembled DNA nanostructures. We employ atomic force microscopy to image and quantify LEE-induced bond dissociations within specifically designed oligonucleotide targets that are attached to DNA origami templates. In this way, we use a highly selective approach to compare the efficiency of the electron-induced dissociation of a single disulfide bond with the more complex cleavage of the DNA backbone within a TT dinucleotide sequence. This novel technique enables the fast and parallel determination of DNA strand break yields with unprecedented control over the DNA’s primary and secondary structure. Thus the detailed investigation of DNA radiation damage in its most natural environment, <i>e</i>.<i>g</i>., DNA nucleosomes constituting the chromatin, now becomes feasible