Natural Origin Research Articles

Artemisia herba-alba Essential Oil: Chemical Composition, Phytotoxic Activity and Environmental Safety

Weeds cause a decrease in the quantity and quality of agricultural production and economic damage to producers. The prolonged use of synthetic pesticides causes problems of environmental pollution, the possible alteration of agricultural products and problems for human health. For this reason, the scientific community’s search for products of natural origin, which are biodegradable, safe for human health and can act as valid alternatives to traditional herbicides, is growing. Essential oils can have useful implications in agriculture by acting as effective alternatives to chemical herbicides. In this work, the chemical composition of an EO from Artemisia herba-alba and its herbicidal properties were studied on two weeds (Lolium multiflorum and Trifolium pratense) and two crops (Brassica napus and Hordeum vulgare) and its environmental safety was also assessed using three model organisms: Chaoborus sp., Tubifex tubifex and Eisenia foetida. The principal component of the EO was camphor (26.02%), with α- and β-thujone (9.60 and 8.38%, respectively), 1,8-cineole (8.02%), piperitenone (5.29%) and camphene (4.95%) as the main components. The EO demonstrated variable phytotoxic effects with a dose-dependent manner, inhibiting both the germination and the radical elongation of the tested seeds, and was also found to be environmentally safe for the selected organisms. The results lay the foundation for considering this EO as a potential weed control agent.

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties and Bioactivity of Koroneiki and Athinolia Olive Varieties Using In Vitro Cell-Free and Cell-Based Assays

Olive oil and table olives are considered staples of the Mediterranean diet and have been associated with various health benefits. Literature reports that the final composition of the olive drupe is greatly affected by varietal and agronomic factors, each contributing to a different degree. To that end, the objective of the study was the evaluation of the contribution of different agronomic conditions applied to two Greek olive varieties (Koroneiki, Mastoidis) using a holistic approach of in vitro methods. The findings highlight the importance of the application of a combination of agronomic techniques for each variety, as marked by the differences found in the antioxidant radical-scavenging and reducing power assays. Furthermore, the results obtained from the measurement of redox biomarkers (GSH, ROS, TBARS) in cell lines (EA.hy926, HepG2, MKN45) treated with olive samples demonstrate the capacity of the samples to induce redox imbalance, either by protecting normal cells from damage, or by inducing oxidative damage in cancer cell lines, with the Athinolia samples exhibiting greater antioxidant potential at lower concentrations. This particular finding could have further applications in possible chemo-preventive approaches facilitated by antioxidant compounds of natural origins.

Riparian Soil Heavy Metal Contamination and Pollution Assessment and Management Planning Integrating Multiple Indices, Statistical and Geospatial Approaches.

This research assesses heavy metal contamination within the riparian zone of the Danro River, a tributary of the Ganges River basin in India, particularly impacted by sand mining activities. The study conducted analyses on major and trace elements in soil samples, focusing on those identified as ecologically hazardous by the Water Framework Directive of India. Utilizing a combination of indices (Enrichment Factor, Pollution Load Index, and Index of geo-accumulation) and statistical techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the investigation aimed to evaluate contamination severity, ecological risks, and pollution sources. Results revealed arsenic concentrations ranging from 0.00-0.54 mg/kg to 117-136 mg/kg, and ecological risks for cadmium exceeding 30. PCA identified three dominant factors explaining over 95% of variance. This study also employed the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to assess land use suitability. Results unveiled that chromium and nickel predominantly stemmed from natural origins, while arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc exhibited a mixed origin. While most sites displayed low to moderate contamination, south-western portion of the basin demonstrated significantly elevated copper concentrations. Cadmium emerged as a particular concern, posing downstream ecological risks alongside chromium, nickel, and zinc, surpassing established thresholds. Further examination using PCA analysis pinpointed three primary pollution sources: traffic emissions, industrial activities, and natural processes. The research concludes by proposing a novel approach for remediation, including the Miyawaki technique alongside traditional methods like electrokinetic remediation and soil leaching. Policy suggestions advocate for collaborative efforts between economic entities and governments to promote sustainable practices that minimize heavy metal pollution.

Redox-Modulating Capacity and Effect of Ethyl Acetate Roots and Aerial Parts Extracts from Geum urbanum L. on the Phenotype Inhibition of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Las/RhI Quorum Sensing System

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections of the urinary tract, upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, etc. It is possible to develop bacteremia and sepsis in immunocompromised patients. A major problem in treatment is the development of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, new preparations of natural origin are sought, such as plant extracts, which are phytocomplexes and to which it is practically impossible to develop resistance. Geum urbanum L. (Rosacea) is a perennial herb known for many biological properties. This study aimed to investigate the redox-modulating capacity and effect of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts from roots (EtOAcR) and aerial parts (EtOAcAP) of the Bulgarian plant on the phenotype inhibition of the P. aeruginosa Las/RhI quorum sensing (QS) system, which primarily determines drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria, including biofilm formation, motility, and pigment production. We performed QS assays to account for the effects of the two EtOAc extracts. At sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) ranging from 1.56 to 6.25 mg/mL, the biofilm formation was inhibited 85% and 84% by EtOAcR and 62% and 39% by EtOAcAP extracts, respectively. At the same sub-MICs, the pyocyanin synthesis was inhibited by 17–27% after treatment with EtOAcAP and 26–30% with EtOAcR extracts. The motility was fully inhibited at 3.12 mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL (sub-MICs). We investigated the inhibitory potential of lasI, lasR, rhiI, and rhiR gene expression in biofilm and pyocyanin probes with the PCR method. Interestingly, the genes were inhibited by two extracts at 3.12 mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL. Antiradical studies, assessed by DPPH, CUPRAC, and ABTS radical scavenging methods and superoxide anion inhibition showed that EtOAcAP extract has effective antioxidant capacity. These results could help in the development of new phytocomplexes that could be applied as biocontrol agents to inhibit the phenotype of the P. aeruginosa QS system and other antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Bacterial Removal Efficiency of Crude Oil Polluted Water Using Corn Husk and Charcoal as Filter Material

Clean drinking water has become a distinguishing factor between developed countries and developing or underdeveloped countries so much so that it is fast becoming the most sought-after initiatives in the public health sector globally. Many people in underdeveloped nations still lack access to safe drinking water, they rely on surrounding rivers and streams for their water supply. Polluted water is not safe for drinking and use in homes for domestic activities as they may pose health risks. It is therefore important to consider effective ways to purify water for domestic use in communities that do not have access to treated water. Microorganisms are key contaminants in unsafe water sources and be of natural or human origin. The frequency of bacterial isolate occurrence showed that the most prevalent were Staphylococcus species (12.0 %), Aeromonas species (10 %), Klebsiella species (9.0 %), Clostridium species and Enterobacter species (8.0 %), while the lowest were Corynebacterium and Bacillus species (4 %). The bacteriological quality of the polluted water before and after filtration was analysed to evaluate the efficacy of charcoal and corn husk filters in removing pathogenic isolates. The total heterotrophic bacterial counts (THB) of the contaminated water reduced by 87.0 % and 88.7 %, hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial counts (HUB) reduced by 87.3 % and 95.4 %, faecal coliforms reduced by 94.5 % and 95.8 %, Salmonella shigella counts reduced by 69.2 % and 76.0 % for corn husk filter and charcoal filter respectively after filtration with the organic materials. Charcoal filter showed more promise in reducing bacterial isolates than corn husk.

The microbiota of cork and yellow stain as a model for a new route for the synthesis of chlorophenols and chloroanisoles from the microbial degradation of suberin and/or lignin

BackgroundThe main application of cork is the production of stoppers for wine bottles. Cork sometimes contains 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, a compound that, at a concentration of ng/L, produces an unpleasant musty odor that destroys the organoleptic properties of wine and results in enormous economic losses for wineries and cork industries. Cork can exhibit a defect known as yellow stain, which is associated with high levels of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole. We describe how the microbiota of cork and yellow stain define a novel mechanism that explains the formation of chlorophenols and chloroanisoles (including 2,4,6-trichloroanisole) from p-hydroxybenzoate produced during lignin and/or suberin breakdown.ResultsElectron microscopy revealed that cork affected by yellow stain exhibited significant structural degradation. This deterioration was attributed to the presence of higher microbial populations compared to those found in standard cork. Cork microbiota is rich in filamentous fungi able to metabolize lignin. A metataxonomic analysis confirmed that yellow stain contained significantly greater populations of fungal species belonging to Absidia, Geomyces, Mortierella, Mucor, Penicillium, Pseudogymnoascus, Talaromyces, and Umbelopsis. It also contained significantly greater amounts of bacteria belonging to Enterobacterales, Streptosporangiales, Tepidisphaerales, Pseudomonas, and several members of Burkholderiaceae, particularly species of the Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia group. The extraction of aromatic compounds from cork samples allowed the identification of several compounds typically observed following lignin depolymerization. Notably, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and phenol were detected. Two strains of the genus Streptomyces isolated from yellow stain were able to biotransform p-hydroxybenzoate into phenol in resting cell assays. Phenol could be efficiently chlorinated in vitro to produce 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by a fungal chloroperoxidase, an enzymatic activity commonly found in filamentous fungi isolated from cork. Finally, as has been widely demonstrated before, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol can be efficiently O-methylated to 2,4,6-trichloroanisole by many of fungi that inhabit cork.ConclusionsChlorophenols and chloroanisoles can be produced de novo in cork from p-hydroxybenzoate generated by the microbial biodegradation of lignin and/or suberin through the participation of different types of microorganisms present in cork. The natural origin of these compounds, which are of great interest for the chlorine cycle and represent a new source of environmental contamination that differs from that caused by human activity, is described.BmZYZKVv9XTmg3g6suYKG9Video

New Steroid–Alkaloid Bioconjugates as Potential Bioactive Compounds: Synthesis, Spectroscopic and In Silico Study

The search for new biologically active compounds with prospective pharmaceutical applications has motivated the investigation of alternative synthesis pathways. One such approach involves the development of compounds with established biological activity as lead compounds. The focus on compounds of natural origin is gaining prominence, with steroids and alkaloids representing notable examples. Our research aimed to synthesize novel steroid–alkaloid bioconjugates with potential biological activity. The structure of all new compounds was determined using spectroscopic methods. The final heats of formation (HOF) for all bioconjugates were also calculated. In silico methods demonstrated that most obtained compounds, especially caffeine derivatives, exhibited potential biological activity. These compounds act as cholesterol antagonists, analeptics, antihypercholesterolemic, and respiratory analeptic compounds. The molecular docking results for the 1HWK and 6RZ4 protein domains indicate that the selected bioconjugates exhibit affinities comparable to or lower than those of atorvastatin (−9.6 kcal/mol), the reference ligand in cholesterol-lowering. Conversely, the affinities of the selected bioconjugates are higher than those of caffeine (−6.2 kcal/mol), which is used as the reference ligand for analeptic drugs.

Algae-derived polysaccharides and polysaccharide-based nanoparticles: A natural frontier in breast cancer therapy.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide, with its progression closely tied to the tumor microenvironment. To address the limitations and adverse effects of conventional therapies, algal polysaccharides and their nanoparticle derivatives have emerged as promising and effective anti-breast cancer agents. These bioactive compounds, derived from algae, are distinguished by their natural origin, non-toxicity, and significant medical relevance. Notably, algal polysaccharide-based nanoparticles exhibit advantageous properties such as hydrophilicity, biodegradability, prolonged circulation, and selective accumulation in tumor tissues. This review explores the relationship between the structural attributes of algal polysaccharides and their therapeutic efficacy. It further highlights the advantages of algal polysaccharide-based nanoparticles as drug delivery systems, particularly their potential in tumor targeting and overcoming multidrug resistance, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for their application in breast cancer treatment.

Natural indigo toxicity for aquatic and terrestrial organisms.

Indigo is a widely used colorant available from natural and synthetic origin. It is practically insoluble in water. Indigo can reach aquatic sediments through wastewater discharges from dyeing processes, terrestrial compartments from the treatment sludges used as biosolids and dyed textiles disposed in landfills. The aim of this work was to chemically characterize a commercial natural indigo dye from Isatis tinctoria (woad) and, evaluate its toxicity using a sediment organism (Parhyale hawaiensis) in an acute test (96 h) and the soil dwelling invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus in a chronic assay (21 days). These organisms are model organisms and representative of the environmental compartments where dye's destination is expected. Also, the toxicity of natural indigo was evaluated under the conditions in which it is applied to textiles. Specifically, water column invertebrate Daphnia similis was used to test indigo in its leuco form along with the salts used for its generation. The composition of the test sample was 91 % indigo, 4 % indirubin and 5 % of other components including flavonoids. The sample was toxic to P. hawaienis (LC50 309 g kg-1) and inhibited the reproduction of E. crypticus at concentrations 5.06 and 7.59 g kg-1 in dry soil. The leuco form of indigo was acutely toxic to Daphnia similis at concentrations 0.2 and 1 g L-1.The data of this study can be used to guide other indigo toxicity studies and provide information that can be used in preliminary risk assessment evaluations of environmental compartments, such as aquatic sediments and indigo contaminated soils.

Evaluation of mucilages efficacy in the removal of a natural adhesive (gacha) from a canvas by ATR – FTIR. First results

Nowadays the use of gelled systems to remove natural glues from cultural artefacts is very common, as they allow the application of controlled humidity to sensitive surfaces. These cleaning systems can be of natural or synthetic origin. The simplest gelled systems are made by adding a gelling agent (such us Laponite® RD, xanthan gum or agar-agar) to the cleaning agent.The aim of this research is to evaluate, using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR), the efficacy of hydrogels prepared from three commercial natural mucilages: guar, locust bean and konjac, in removing gacha from the reverse side of a canvas, and following the nowadays tendence that try to use eco-sustainable and bio-renewable cleaning materials. Gacha is an adhesive, made commonly with flour and animal glue as the main ingredients, used to line canvas paintings. The gels prepared were characterised by means of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), viscosity and aqueous phase release capacity. For this study, a mock-up of the canvas and the adhesive was prepared. Two application methods for the gels were tested: direct application and indirect using a physical barrier, with contact times of 15 and 30 min. The suitability of the mucilages in the elimination of the natural adhesive has been related to the decrease of the content of gacha on one side, and to the absence of gel residues after the cleaning process on the other, both parameters evaluated with ATR-FTIR analysis complemented with microscopic observations. The obtained results indicated that the removal of gacha was more effective with direct application, regardless of the mucilage used. On the other hand, mucilage residues are, in general, not significant, although in the case of direct application of guar and konjac for 15 min and locust bean and konjac for 30 min, the presence of mucilages traces were detected.

Natural peptides and their synthetic congeners acting against Acinetobacter baumannii through the membrane and cell wall: latest progress.

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the deadliest Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), responsible for 2-10% of hospital-acquired infections. Several antibiotics are used to control the growth of A. baumannii. However, in recent decades, the abuse and misuse of antibiotics to treat non-microbial diseases have led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains. A. baumannii possesses a complex cell wall structure. Cell wall-targeting agents remain the center of antibiotic drug discovery. Notably, the antibacterial drug discovery intends to target the membrane of the bacteria, offering several advantages over antibiotics targeting intracellular systems, as membrane-targeting agents do not have to travel through the plasma membrane to reach the cytoplasmic targets. Microorganisms, insects, and mammals produce antimicrobial peptides as their first line of defense to protect themselves from pathogens and predators. Importantly, antimicrobial peptides are considered potential alternatives to antibiotics. This communication summarises the recently identified peptides of natural origin and their synthetic congeners acting against the A. baumannii membrane by cell wall disruption.

Psychological and Philosophical Problems of Tolerance

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to formulate the uncontroversial principle of tolerance, taking into account the internal philosophical and psychological difficulties associated with its implementation in practice. Theoretical basis. The author proceeds from the insoluble problem of the very concept of "tolerance" and its psychological implementation. Not classical, but post-metaphysical psycho-religious method of promoting the idea of tolerance is proposed. This method was stated in the works by J. Derrida, P. Ricker, J. Caputo, G. Vattimo, R. Kearney, A. Shepherd, E. Newman, M. Moyaert, and others. The historical Christian type of tolerance (implementation of the principle of love for one’s neighbour) retains a significant potential for hidden aggression. This can be traced in the texts of the Holy Scripture and the fathers of the church. The division into friends and strangers based on the principle of confession remains relevant to this day. In addition, the religious component of tolerance tends to present it as self-worth, and not just an important socio-psychological parameter. The author points out that the application of Christian post-metaphysical approaches to this problem is the most philosophically coherent and psychologically effective. Originality. The article examines the internal semantic paradox of the idea of tolerance and methods of its promotion. The promotion of tolerance gives a rise to the suspicion of intolerance, which, being inherently intolerant, turns out to be a necessary component of the spread of the idea of tolerance. Typology of methods of introduction and promotion of tolerance (authoritarian, passive, psychological and religious), their main disadvantages and advantages are given. The main problems arising only at the level of philosophy and psychology are indicated. Conclusions. Historical Christianity is ineffective in achieving tolerance for a number of reasons: it is not sufficiently attentive to the individual, as it preserves the reasoning about the person in the categories of social formations (chosen people, etc.). The reality of God in classical texts was manifested by His violence in the past or in the future. The metaphysical basis of the principle of tolerance and the post-metaphysical understanding of hospitality return tolerance to its natural origin and provide a relevant basis for both interreligious dialogue and the removal of psychological tension between different cultural codes. The former models, which are proposed in the UNESCO Declaration, have a number of internal contradictions and are not effective enough in practice.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ МЕДИЦИНСКОГО ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ АДАПТОГЕНОВ РАСТИТЕЛЬНОГО ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ

Relevance. Currently, scientists are paying increasing attention to the search and in-depth study of the pharmacological activity of representatives of the adaptogen class. At the same time, special preference is given to substances obtained from medicinal plant raw materials. They are, from the point of view of economic and therapeutic effectiveness, sometimes very profitable. The advantages of medicinal plants are their relatively low toxicity, rare side effects and, accordingly, the possibility of long-term use. In addition, one should not forget about the natural, natural origin of the raw material base, which, even with special cultivation, still requires less material and financial costs than in chemical production. Phytoadaptogens are a unique group of drugs. It is characterized by multifaceted pharmacodynamic effects. Thanks to such properties, wide prospects for their practical application in various fields of medicine open up. But, of course, the key direction of the biological action of phytoadaptogens is their stress-protective and geroprotective activity. Over the last century, the mechanisms of action of adaptogens have been very actively studied. Knowing them opens even wider possibilities for using them. The article analyzes modern scientific publications characterizing the pharmacodynamics of phytoadaptogens. More than 1000 publications have been analyzed, of which the most significant ones have been identified. Special attention is paid to important aspects of the combined use of adaptogens of plant origin with other classes (using the example of antidepressants) in the aspect of drug interaction. So, despite the numerous positive qualities, adaptogens can provoke undesirable phenomena in a certain number of cases. An attempt to reveal the mechanism of action of phytoadaptogens, a description of the organ effects of this class, opens real prospects for non-trivial approaches to the medical use of adaptogens of plant origin.

Review of Cathepsin K Inhibitor Development and the Potential Role of Phytochemicals.

Cathepsin K plays a pivotal role in bone resorption and has emerged as a prominent therapeutic target for treating bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis. Despite significant advances in synthetic inhibitor development, none have achieved FDA approval due to safety and efficacy challenges. This review highlights the potential of phytochemicals as alternative inhibitors, emphasizing their natural origin, structural diversity, and minimal adverse effects. Key phytochemicals, including AC-5-1, Cycloaltilisin 6, Cycloaltilisin 7, Nicolaioidesin C, and Panduratin A, were examined for their inhibitory activities against cathepsin K. While these compounds exhibit varying IC50 values, their docking studies revealed significant interactions within Cathepsin K's active site, particularly involving critical residues such as Cys25 and His162. However, challenges such as lower potency compared to synthetic inhibitors and limited in vivo studies underscore the need for structural optimization and comprehensive preclinical evaluations. This review discusses biological insights, current limitations, and future strategies for advancing phytochemical-based inhibitors toward clinical applications in managing Cathepsin K-associated diseases.

Identification and Evaluation of Natural Compounds as Potential Inhibitors of NS2B-NS3 Zika Virus Protease: A Computational Approach.

The Zika virus (ZIKV), an arbovirus within the Flavivirus genus, is associated with severe neurological complications, including Guillain-Barré syndrome in affected individuals and microcephaly in infants born to infected mothers. With no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments available, there is an urgent need for effective therapeutic options. This study aimed to identify new natural compounds with inhibitory potential against the NS2B-NS3 protease (PDB ID: 5LC0), an essential enzyme in viral replication. An e-pharmacophore model was generated using a five-point (ADDRR) feature approach in the PHASE module of Schrodinger and used for the virtual screening of 26,689 natural compounds from the PubChem database. The screening yielded 14,277 prioritized compounds based on fitness scores, further refined through extra precision (XP) docking in GLIDE, resulting in 24 compounds. Eight top hits were selected following ADME analysis with SwissADME, and toxicity screening with ProTox-II identified four non-toxic lead candidates. Molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stability of the three most promising leads, CID 44418637, CID 163078083, and CID 68734190, with binding affinities of - 7.721, - 8.226, and - 8.307kcal/mol, respectively. MM/GBSA analysis revealed that Compounds 68734190 (- 50.192kcal/mol) and 163078083 (- 49.947kcal/mol) possess superior binding affinities to the ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease compared to the reference compound (- 38.347kcal/mol). Given their natural origin, these compounds may offer safer options to mitigate severe ZIKV-related symptoms while providing a favourable safety and pharmacokinetic profile. This study lays the groundwork for developing targeted ZIKV therapies, potentially addressing a significant unmet need in public health by reducing the incidence of ZIKV-related complications. Further experimental validation is required to confirm efficacy and address potential development challenges.

Социальность в социальном. Постсоциальность как возможность

The article substantiates the distinction between social and sociality as two levels of social ontology. The concept of the invariant of sociality is introduced to denote the ability of a set of active agents of natural or artifi cial origin to form a stable homogeneous or heterogeneous unity by orienting each agent to the coordination and coordination of interactions. The analysis of the polemics between J. Habermas and K. Popper regarding the explanation of the mode of emergence of symbolic objects that are part of intersubjective life worlds allowed the author to clarify the peculiarities of interactions in digital communications. If the life world of an individual is constructed for him in the space of the technosystem, and is not a product of the cultural tradition of practices of a certain community, then the content of symbolic formations necessary for interactions with other individuals also arises in the information space organized and fi lled with the technosystem. The conditions of the possible transition of society to a post-social state are considered. According to the author, post-sociality emerges as a format of patterns of interactions between individuals in interactions with imaginary Others. These patterns are objectifi ed symbolic formations and are incorporated into the practices of interactions with the Other in three parallel spaces: a) in the space of direct interpersonal interactions, b) in the space of network interactions mediated by patterns of virtual origin, and c) in the space imposed by network platforms in the form of ‘digital twins’. These three spaces in the intersubjective life world are now being formed as regulators of the behavior of individuals not only in the interhuman, but also in the space of inseparable connection with the digital technosystem.

Cooling of animal products in an air-gas environment of carbon dioxide

In our country, as well as throughout the world, special attention is paid to finding more modern, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly methods of cooling food products, including animal ones. The basis of most technological processes of refrigeration treatment is working fluids, which can be natural or synthetic substances. Due to the negative impact of synthetic raw materials on the environment, preference is given to substances of natural origin. The greatest interest in the last twenty years in the world community of refrigeration equipment and technology is shown to carbon dioxide. This refrigerant is actively used in traditional vapor-compression refrigeration machines. In Russia carbon dioxide as a working substance in closed cycles of refrigeration machines is found at industrial facilities whose operation is based on cascade cycles. In this case, carbon dioxide acts as a working substance of the lower cascade, since it belongs to high-pressure refrigerating agents. Until 2022, carbon dioxide-based refrigerants were also actively developed at transcritical temperature levels, where the condensation temperature of carbon dioxide is close to ambient temperatures. In this study, carbon dioxide will be considered as a refrigerant when it interacts with the product in an air-gas environment during sublimation, in which carbon dioxide changes its aggregate state from snow-like to gaseous.

Enhancing Gene Delivery to Breast Cancer with Highly Efficient siRNA Loading and pH-Responsive Small Extracellular Vesicles.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are promising nanocarriers for drug delivery to treat a wide range of diseases due to their natural origin and innate homing properties. However, suboptimal therapeutic effects, attributed to ineffective targeting, limited lysosomal escape, and insufficient delivery, remain challenges in effectively delivering therapeutic cargo. Despite advances in sEV-based drug delivery systems, conventional approaches need improvement to address low drug-loading efficiency and to develop surface functionalization techniques for precise targeting of cells of interest, all while preserving the membrane integrity of sEVs. We report an enhanced gene delivery system using multifunctional sEVs for highly efficient siRNA loading and delivery. The integration of chiral graphene quantum dots enhanced the loading capacity while preserving the structural integrity of the sEVs. Additionally, lysosomal escape is facilitated by functionalizing sEVs with pH-responsive peptides, fully harnessing the inherent homing effect of sEVs for targeted and precise delivery. These sEVs achieved a 1.74-fold increase in cytosolic cargo delivery compared to unmodified sEVs, resulting in substantial gene silencing of around 73%. Our approach has significant potential to advance sEV-based gene delivery in order to accelerate clinical progress.

Проблема соотношения понятий «общественный порядок» и «общественная безопасность» в современной правовой науке

Ensuring public order and safety is one of the main state tasks, one of the priority areas of state policy in the sphere of national security of the Russian Federation. Currently, the level of public safety is low, the situation continues to be unstable, which is complicated by the aggravated foreign policy relations, threats to the integrity of the state from external aggressors, worsening crime situation in the country, terrorist activity, activities of extremist groups, abuse of alcohol products, narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as threats of man-made and natural origin, which can be countered only with the constant improvement of public safety systems. Being an object of criminal law protection, crimes against public safety and public order are singled out in a separate section of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and the protection of public order and public safety are defined in Article 2 among the tasks of the code. The legal and technical design of Section IX of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the use by the legislator of the concepts of “public safety” and “public order” raise questions in the course of law enforcement and discussion in the scientific community. In this regard, implementing state policy to ensure public order and security, it is necessary to understand the essential nature of social phenomena, including by comparing such related concepts as “public order” and “public safety”. In the course of the study, we come to the conclusion that these concepts are interconnected, their semantic fields intersect, thereby one ensures the implementation of the other, but each of them has its own content. In this regard, the concepts differ in their nature, scope of regulation. The issue of the relationship of these categories in the scientific community remains one of the debatable, which requires separate coverage.

An exploratory study of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in PM2.5 atmospheric particles from an outdoor environment in Brazil.

The development of methods for determining volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in public spaces has become necessary to identify potential health and environmental risks. This study presents a practical methodology for sampling, extracting, detecting, and identifying these compounds in a vehicular traffic region in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The methodology uses direct-immersion solidphase microextraction (DI-SPME) and static headspace (SHS) to extract SVOCs/VOCs. Comprehensive time-of-flight gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC×GC/Q-TOFMS) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used to detect and identify compounds. The analysed samples, collected with a high-volume sampler (Hi-Vol) with quartz filters and in which particulate matter (PM2.5) was retained, showed the presence of more than 200 compounds, both biogenic (natural origin) and anthropogenic (human origin). Regarding the distribution of chemical classes, aromatic compounds were predominantly found at 29.2%, followed by esters at 20.8%, non-aromatic hydrocarbons at 5.6%, and carboxylic acids at 9.4%. Static headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) enabled the identification and quantification of 21 volatile compounds, including BETX, dichloromethane, chloroform, and naphthalene, which are currently regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).