Scientific Results Research Articles

Digital History of Law: Principles of Methodology

Objective: to theoretically substantiate the basic principles of methodology of a new interdisciplinary area of socio-humanities – the digital history of law; to demonstrate the heuristic potential of digital technologies in legal historical sciences.Methods: the study is based on systemic, formal-logical, and comparative general scientific methods.Results: it is concluded that the methodology of the digital history of law is based, first of all, on the source-centric approach, which considers a source as a macro-object of humanitarian and social sciences, through which information exchange takes place (O.M. Medushevskaya’s concept of cognitive history). Secondly, it is based on the combination of traditional methods of legal history with digital techniques and technologies and methods based on them – within a research program of historical-legal (historical-juridical) source studies. The article attempts to summarize the existing digital technologies and techniques, as well as methods based on them, as applied to legal historical sciences; their heuristic potential is shown in case studies.Scientific novelty: for the first time in the Russian legal history science, the author substantiates the methodology of the digital history of law as an interdisciplinary field that studies the past of state and law using digital information and communication technologies and tools.Practical significance: under the shifts in socio-humanities (digital, linguistic, visual ones, etc.), which have become relevant in recent years, and the development of the digital type of social communication, methodological approaches to obtaining new knowledge are changing, new interdisciplinary branches of scientific knowledge are emerging, as well as new requirements for the qualification of researchers. The ongoing changes affect legal historical sciences: digital history of law is formed as an interdisciplinary area within digital humanities, at the confluence of history, legal science, and information science. The understanding and application of digital technologies and the scientific cognition methods based on them in legal historical research open up new opportunities for legal historians in determining the directions of their scientific research and obtaining new scientific results. This ultimately expands our understanding of historical and legal facts, phenomena and processes.

Methodological aspects of the study of the right to access to information in the context of modern communicative practices

The article is devoted to the analysis of methodological aspects of the study of the right to access to information in the context of modern communicative practices.
 The necessity of identifying and substantiating the most applicable methods for research is determined. It is emphasized that the methodology of scientific research appears as a certain «code of laws» of scientific knowledge, which consists of two blocks of methodological knowledge - theoretical and worldview concepts and a system of methods of knowledge of different levels.
 Based on the analysis of doctrinal sources, the author followed the understanding of the concept of legal methodology, method as a research tool. The importance of determining the methods of scientific research as one of the primary theoretical and applied tasks has been established.
 The influence on the choice of scientific research methods (both general scientific and special scientific) of the subject of research (to determine the share of techniques within the method) and features of the object (to determine the range of techniques within the method) was monitored.
 The article clarifies the possibilities of general scientific methods of researching the right to access to information in the context of modern communicative practices, in particular methods of general logic, such as analysis and synthesis, deduction and induction, abstraction and generalization, as well as classification. The author considered the most applicable historical-legal, comparative-legal (comparative), hermeneutic (hermeneutic-legal) and formal-dogmatic (legal) methods for research.
 The author concluded that an important factor in the success of modern legal research is the use of an effective methodological toolkit, which depends on the quality of scientific results, their reliability and practical significance. Collectively, the analyzed methods make possible a comprehensive theoretical and methodological study of the right to access to information in the context of modern communication practices. The chosen methodology determines the research strategy, the system of applicable methods, as well as their importance and distribution of roles in obtaining and processing research materials.

Effects of Limiting the Number of Different Cross-Sections Used in Statically Loaded Truss Sizing and Shape Optimization.

This research aims to show the effects of adding cardinality constraints to limit the number of different cross-sections used in simultaneous sizing and shape optimization of truss structures. The optimal solutions for sizing and shape optimized trusses result in a generally high, and impractical, number of different cross-sections being used. This paper presents the influence of constraining the number of different cross-sections used on the optimal results to bring the scientific results closer to the applicable results. The savings achieved using the cardinality constraint are expected to manifest in more than just the minimization of weight but in all the other aspects of truss construction, such as labor, assembly time, total weld length, surface area to be treated, transport, logistics, and so on. It is expected that the optimal weight of the structures would be greater than when not using this constraint; however, it would still be below conventionally sized structures and have the added benefits derived from the simplicity and elegance of the solution. The results of standard test examples for each different cardinality constraint value are shown and compared to the same examples using only a single cross-section on all bars and the overall optimal solution, which does not have the cardinality constraint. An additional comparison is made with results of just the sizing optimization from previously published research where authors first used the same cardinality constraint.

On Green Hydrogen Generation Technologies: A Bibliometric Review

Green hydrogen, produced by water electrolysis with renewable energy, plays a crucial role in the revolution towards energy sustainability, and it is considered a key source of clean energy and efficient storage. Its ability to address the intermittency of renewable sources and its potential to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify make it a strategic component in climate change mitigation. By using a method based on a bibliometric review of scientific publications, this paper represents a significant contribution to the emerging field of research on green hydrogen and provides a detailed review of electrolyzer technologies, identifying key areas for future research and technology development. The results reflect the immaturity of a technology which advances with different technical advancements, waiting to find the optimal technical solution that allows for its massive implementation as a source of green hydrogen generation. According to the results found in this article, alkaline (ALK) and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers seem to be the ones that interest the scientific community the most. Similarly, in terms of regional analysis, Europe is clearly committed to green hydrogen, in view of the analysis of its scientific results on materials and electrolyzer capacity forecasts for 2030.

A novel infrared imager for studies of hydroxyl and oxygen nightglow emissions in the mesopause above northern Scandinavia

Abstract. The paper describes technical characteristics and presents the first scientific results of a novel infrared imaging system (imager) for studies of nightglow emissions coming from the hydroxyl (OH) and molecular oxygen (O2) layers in the mesopause region (80–100 km) above northern Scandinavia. The OH imager was put into operation in November 2022 at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Kiruna (67.86° N, 20.42° E; 400 m altitude). The OH imager records selected emission lines in the OH(3-1) band near 1500 nm to obtain intensity and temperature maps at around 87 km altitude. In addition, the OH imager registers infrared emissions coming from the O2 IR A-band airglow at 1268.7 nm in order to obtain O2 intensity maps at a slightly higher altitude, around 94 km. This technique allows the tracing of wave disturbances in both horizontal and vertical domains in the mesopause region. Validation and comparison of the OH(3-1) rotational temperature with collocated lidar and Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite temperatures are performed. The first scientific results obtained from the OH imager for the first winter season (2022–2023) are discussed.

Spirituality in the realities of digitalization of society in the era of intelligent machines development

The study is devoted to determining the consequences of the digitalization of society in the era of the development of intelligent machines from the perspective of spirituality. Using the regression analysis method, econometric modeling of the impact of the spread of artificial intelligence (according to Tortois) on human development (according to UNDP) in 2022 is carried out. The obtained quantitative results are complemented by qualitative research based on the methodology of neo-institutionalism using a critical analysis method to identify hidden threats of artificial intelligence for spirituality, not reflected in official statistics. As a result, it was concluded that the spread of artificial intelligence has a contradictory impact on society. A quantitative analysis of official statistics showed that the spread of artificial intelligence not only does not slow down, but even accelerates human development. At the same time, qualitative analysis pointed to hidden threats to the digitalization of society in the era of the development of intelligent machines for spirituality, requiring attention and neutralization by managing the spread of artificial intelligence. A scientific interpretation of these potential problems of the spread of artificial intelligence as “institutional traps” is given. These include: 1) the “trap” of the transition from human-inspired labor to impersonal production in the process of automation; 2) the “trap” of the spiritual and moral assessment of the release of personnel under the influence of automation; 3) the “trap” of eliminating the spiritual component from social communications during their transition to a human-machine format; 4) the “trap” of distortion of spirituality in the “distorting mirror” of artificial intelligence when mindlessly copying people’s social and moral assessments; 5) the “trap” of the transition from spiritual and moral understanding of the situation to “blind faith” in artificial intelligence with intellectual support for decision-making (rationality = soullessness). The uniqueness of the article and its theoretical significance lies in the fact that it was the first to reveal and systematize the socio-ethical aspects of the spread of artificial intelligence. The practical significance of the new scientific results obtained in the article is due to the fact that they revealed the prospect of improving the management of the spread of artificial intelligence. In order to minimize the risk of personality degradation, that is, to achieve consistent comprehensive human development in the era of the development of intelligent machines, it is recommended to pay attention to issues of spirituality. This will ensure the humanization of artificial intelligence, thereby optimizing its impact on society.

To the 55th аnniversary of the Department of Virus Ecology with the Scientific and Practical Center for the Ecology and Epidemiology of Influenza (D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation)

The article presents historical aspects and key achievements of the Department of Virus Ecology (DVE) with the Scientific and Practical Center for Influenza Ecology and Epidemiology, which was established in 1969 at the D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. For over 50 years, the DVE has been devoted to addressing fundamental issues in virus ecology, including the formation of viral populations in nature, and conducting comprehensive large-scale studies in the interest of the state’s biosecurity. The department’s primary focus is on particularly dangerous (arboviral) and socially significant (influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, parenteral hepatitis) viral infections. As a result of this extensive work in the Northern Eurasia region, over 2,000 strains of zoonotic viruses (17 genera, 8 families), ecologically linked to various arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts, have been isolated. Many of them have been registered in international catalogs as new species. The role of these isolated viruses in human pathology has been studied, new viral infections have been described, and diagnostic preparations have been developed. The scientific results obtained by the department are of high priority and internationally recognized.

A Review of Waterjet Cutting Research towards microAWJ and the Definition of the Waterjet Digital Twin.

This review paper aimed to draw the red line passing through almost 25 years of research on waterjet cutting carried out at WJ_Lab, the waterjet laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Politecnico di Milano. The purpose was not to just historically analyse the obtained scientific results by themselves but to make them even more useful by introducing the concept of the waterjet digital twin passing through the accuracy improvements due to microAWJ. This strategy effectively creates synergy among the topics and gives the opportunity to researchers in this field to both have an example of how research in industrial manufacturing processes can be guided by scientific and industrial needs, at least from the author's point of view, and to appreciate how it can be made useful for further improvements by introducing a powerful concept as the digital twin.

Target-induced photoelectrochemistry and colorimetric dual-mode platform for HIgG based on Ag2S/SnO2 composites and CoOOH nanoflakes

Human immunoglobulin G (HIgG) plays a significant role in diagnosing infections and monitoring autoimmune diseases. However, the development of sensitive and reliable sensing platforms remains a challenge. Based on the Ag2S/SnO2 composites, a dual-mode sensing platform was developed using multifunctional CoOOH nanoflakes for the sensitive detection of HIgG through photoelectrochemistry (PEC) and colorimetry. In the PEC mode, Ag2S QDs boost the PEC activity of SnO2 NFs and facilitate the subsequent antibody immobilization. Ascorbic acid (AA) captures holes in Ag2S/SnO2 to enhance the photocurrent. CoOOH, acting as a secondary antibody label, forms a sandwich structure with the electrode. The loading of HIgG and CoOOH-Ab2 due to specific recognition of antigen-antibody, leads to the quenching of PEC signal. Various amounts of HIgG will bind with different amounts of CoOOH-Ab2, displaying a linear response within the range of 100 pg/mL∼10 μg/mL, with the detection limit of 2.2 pg/mL. In the colorimetric mode, CoOOH efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), and various amount of the sandwich biocomplexes formed with different HIgG levels lead to distinct color changes for visual detection. The linear response range is 500 pg/mL∼9.375 μg/mL with a lower detection limit of 0.29 ng/mL. The two independent modes with different mechanisms, based on the same PEC electrode, can validate each other and provide more scientific and reliable results in response to the targets. Thus, this dual-mode sensing platform for targets-induced signaling changes presents a novel strategy for bioanalysis and detection.

PyRTlib: an educational Python-based library for non-scattering atmospheric microwave radiative transfer computations

Abstract. This article introduces PyRTlib, a new standalone Python package for non-scattering line-by-line microwave radiative transfer simulations. PyRTlib is a flexible and user-friendly tool for computing down- and upwelling brightness temperatures and related quantities (e.g., atmospheric absorption, optical depth, opacity, mean radiating temperature) written in Python, a language commonly used nowadays for scientific software development, especially by students and early-career scientists. PyRTlib allows for simulating observations from ground-based, airborne, and satellite microwave sensors in clear-sky and in cloudy conditions (under non-scattering Rayleigh approximation). The intention for PyRTlib is not to be a competitor to state-of-the-art atmospheric radiative transfer codes that excel in speed and/or versatility (e.g., ARTS, Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator; RTTOV, Radiative Transfer for TOVS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder)). The intention is to provide an educational tool, completely written in Python, to readily simulate atmospheric microwave radiative transfer from a variety of input profiles, including predefined climatologies, global radiosonde archives, and model reanalysis. The paper presents quick examples for the built-in modules to access popular open data archives. The paper also presents examples for computing the simulated brightness temperature for different platforms (ground-based, airborne, and satellite), using various input profiles, showing how to easily modify other relevant parameters, such as the observing angle (zenith, nadir, slant), surface emissivity, and gas absorption model. PyRTlib can be easily embedded in other Python codes needing atmospheric microwave radiative transfer (e.g., surface emissivity models and retrievals). Despite its simplicity, PyRTlib can be readily used to produce present-day scientific results, as demonstrated by two examples showing (i) an absorption model comparison and validation with ground-based radiometric observations and (ii) uncertainty propagation of spectroscopic parameters through the radiative transfer calculations following a rigorous approach. To our knowledge, the uncertainty estimate is not provided by any other currently available microwave radiative transfer code, making PyRTlib unique for this aspect in the atmospheric microwave radiative transfer code scenario.

Challenges and Opportunities for Twenty First Century Bayesian Econometricians: A Personal View

Abstract This essay is about Bayesian econometrics with a purpose. Specifically, six societal challenges and research opportunities that confront twenty first century Bayesian econometricians are discussed using an important feature of modern Bayesian econometrics: conditional probabilities of a wide range of economic events of interest can be evaluated by using simulation-based Bayesian inference. The enormous advances in hardware and software have made this Bayesian computational approach a very attractive vehicle of research in many subfields in economics where novel data patterns and substantial model complexity are predominant. In this essay the following challenges and opportunities are briefly discussed, including the scientific results obtained in the twentieth century leading up to these challenges: Posterior and predictive analysis of everything: connecting micro-economic causality with macro-economic issues; the need for speed: model complexity and the golden age of algorithms; learning about models, forecasts and policies including their uncertainty; temporal distributional change due to polarisation, imbalances and shocks; climate change and the macroeconomy; finally and most importantly, widespread, accessible, advanced high-level training.

Structure and Properties Improvement by Recipe Factors of Geopolymer Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete for Building Enclosing Structures

The application of geopolymer concrete in buildings and structures is becoming widespread because of its low cost and high strength characteristics. At the same time, the capabilities of geopolymer concrete are not fully used, especially to strengthen flexural properties. The article examines the problems of developing an effective composition of geopolymer concrete based on ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) by selecting the optimal composition of the alkaline activator and the amount of basalt fiber (BF). To determine the degree of effectiveness of the proposed formulation solutions, the characteristics of geopolymer fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) were determined. It has been investigated the most effective composition of an alkaline activator is an activator containing a NaOH solution with a molarity of 12 M. The most optimal dosage of BF is 1.5% by weight of GGBS. The increase in compressive and flexural strength for the most effective composition of geopolymer FRC 12 M/BF1.5, which combines the most effective parameters of formulation solutions, compared to the least effective composition 8 M/BF0 was 40.54% and 93.75%, respectively, and the decrease of water absorption was 45.75%. The obtained scientific result represents a significant empirical basis for future research in the field of geopolymer FRC. The developed effective composition of geopolymer FRC is ready for use in practical construction.

BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE GREATEST NUCLEAR DISASTERS: WHAT IS KNOWN SO FAR AND WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS?

Abstract. The high potential of nuclear power to combat climate change and support sustainable development plays a critical role in achieving the goal of the Paris Agreement. Moreover, with the ever-increasing demand for electricity, it is essential to consider nuclear power as a reliable source of energy. However, it should be noted that although the risk of a radiological accident is small, it always exists, and therefore it is crucial to have a complete understanding of the management of nuclear power. Herein, we present a statistical review of nuclear accident research at Chernobyl and Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants using bibliometric analysis to identify key patterns in scientific results and current issues in accident research. More than 10,000 articles have been collected from the SCOPUS database covering the periods 1986–2022 and 2011–2022 on Chernobyl and Fukushima, respectively. The results were obtained from two perspectives: first, we identified stages through which pre- and post-accident researches have evolved, and then we analysed the spatial correlation between energy-economic performance and scientific literature for the leading productive countries. From the analysis of research trends, it was found that the number of articles increased sharply immediately after the accident and slightly decreased over time. Among the most attractive subject categories in terms of the largest number of publications and received citations were environmental sciences, medicine and energy policy. The productive country ranking was mostly topped by the country in which the accident occurred. Spatial statistical analysis revealed a strong correlation between the scientific productivity and energy-economic performance of the leading countries.

Improving the performance of cryogenic calorimeters with nonlinear multivariate noise cancellation algorithms

State-of-the-art physics experiments require high-resolution, low-noise, and low-threshold detectors to achieve competitive scientific results. However, experimental environments invariably introduce sources of noise, such as electrical interference or microphonics. The sources of this environmental noise can often be monitored by adding specially designed “auxiliary devices” (e.g. microphones, accelerometers, seismometers, magnetometers, and antennae). A model can then be constructed to predict the detector noise based on the auxiliary device information, which can then be subtracted from the true detector signal. Here, we present a multivariate noise cancellation algorithm which can be used in a variety of settings to improve the performance of detectors using multiple auxiliary devices. To validate this approach, we apply it to simulated data to remove noise due to electromagnetic interference and microphonic vibrations. We then employ the algorithm to a cryogenic light detector in the laboratory and show an improvement in the detector performance. Finally, we motivate the use of nonlinear terms to better model vibrational contributions to the noise in thermal detectors. We show a further improvement in the performance of a particular channel of the CUORE detector when using the nonlinear algorithm in combination with optimal filtering techniques.

Key comparison CCAUV.W-K2: features of hydrophone calibration

The results of key comparison are the most convincing and objective indicator of confirmation of the correctness and accuracy of the newly developed measurement method. The results of comparison and measurement methods applied at the second key comparison of national standards of the unit of sound pressure in water CCAUV.W-K2, organized by the Consultative Committee for Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibration of the International Committee for Weights and Measures, are described. A feature of the comparison is that the calibration range has been expanded into the low frequency region by two octaves compared to the first key comparison CCAUV.W-K1. The results of the CCAUV.W-K2 comparison were considered successful. Important scientific results of participation in the comparison were confirmation of: the correctness of the hydrophone free-field calibration methods developed at VNIIFTRI (at ultra-low frequencies for a sound-reflecting water tank and in the noise reverberant sound field of the water tank), the equivalence of the calibration results when radiating signals of various types: chirp, noise and ton-burst. In the process of performing control calibrations, the pilot laboratory discovered violations of the stability of the reference hydrophone of comparison. When comparing the results obtained by participants, there was an increase in the discrepancy between the results in the frequency range 60–100 kHz, which is considered the least problematic.

REFERRED MUSCLE PAIN, SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN PRACTICE

Muscle pain is a common symptom in many musculoskeletal disorders. When it is local as a result of a muscle injury, correct diagnosis does not appear difficult. Referred muscle pain is a symptom associated with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. It can be a consequence of an injury that develops elsewhere in the body: a skeletal muscle in another area or joint, or it can often be associated with a visceral injury (in this case we have referred muscle pain or secondary muscle pain). The aim of this article is to make a review of the available literature studying the nature, diagnosis, and treatment of referred pain and its relevance to clinical practice. Materials and Methods: In this review, the available scientific articles concerning the field of reflected pain are reviewed: Google Scholar, Pubmed, Science Direct Web of Science, Scopus, and scientific articles in Cyrillic) databases were reviewed. The search results included keywords that define the current problem: muscle pain, referred muscle pain, nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, radicular pain, somatic, viscera, visceral pain, hyperalgesia, central sensitization, spinal sensitization, visceral hyperalgesia; viscerosomatic convergence; descending modulation, muscle contraction, muscle hypotrophy. Results: When searching for topical scientific results, not many publications have been found. Some of them were older, in some possible mechanisms of pathogenetic manifestation of referred muscle pain were discussed. One article suggested the existence of another possible mechanism besides the generally described ones. Several hypotheses concerning the occurrence of this secondary pain were found to exist, without giving priority to any theory. Most articles described different localizations of symptoms of referred pain and their relationship to other body structures (muscle or joint in a distant region) or internal organ dysfunction or disease. Most of the authors emphasized on the need of better knowledge of this type of pain and the distinction between local, nociceptive, radicular, and neuropathic pain that has a precise clinical characteristic and evidence of a specific injury to an underlying body structure. Conclusion: Knowledge and diagnosing of referred muscle pain is important for clinical practice. Differentiation from primary skeletal muscle pain is still a challenge, but a good knowledge of the problem can provide solutions, although the pathogenetic mechanisms of its occurrence remain unclear. It is likely that the totality of central-nervous mechanisms, the convergence of information from different somatic areas in the dorsal horn and/or its facilitation in it as well as at the level of the thalamus, and the phenomenon of hyperexcitability are essential, although the notion that referred muscle pain has a peripheral origin should not be ignored. Knowledge and targeted search for referred secondary pain could prevent some diagnostic problems and at the same time treat it with appropriate treatments, including the means of physiotherapy.

Japanese quails (Coturnix Japonica) show keel bone damage during the laying period-a radiography study.

Keel bone damage is an important welfare issue in laying hens and can occur with a high prevalence of up to 100% of hens within one flock. Affected hens suffer from pain. Although multiple factors contribute to the prevalence and severity of keel bone damage, selection for high laying performance appears to play a key role. With up to 300 eggs/year, Japanese quails show a high laying performance, too, and, thus, may also show keel bone damage. However, to our knowledge, there are no scientific results on keel bone damage in Japanese quails to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether keel bone fractures and deviations occur in Japanese quails and to obtain more detailed information about the development of their keel bone during the production cycle. A group of 51 female quails were radiographed at 8, 10, 15, 19, and 23weeks of age. The X-rays were used to detect fractures and deviations and to measure the lateral surface area, length, and radiographic density of the keel bone. In addition, the length of the caudal cartilaginous part of the keel bone was measured to learn more about the progress of ossification. At 23weeks of age, quails were euthanized and their macerated keel bones assessed for fractures and deviations. Both keel bone deviations and keel bone fractures were detected in the Japanese quails. In the 23rd week of age, 82% of the quails had a deviated keel bone as assessed after maceration. Furthermore, there was a decrease in radiographic density, lateral surface area, and length of the keel bone between weeks of age 8 and 19. This could indicate a general loss of bone substance and/or demineralization of the keel bone. Our study shows that keel bone damage is not only a problem in laying hens but also affects female Japanese quails.

Antibiotic Coordination Frameworks against Antibiotic Resistance: How to Involve Students through Experimental Practices in the Search for Solutions to Public Health Problems.

For decades, multiple varieties of antibiotics have been successfully used for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, antibiotic resistance is currently one of the major threats to global health. This work presents an innovative laboratory practice carried out in an inorganic medicinal chemistry course within the Degrees of Pharmacy and Biochemistry for undergraduate students. This experiment includes three classes of 2 h each. The first class consisted of the mechanochemical synthesis of an antibiotic coordination framework (ACF) using a known antibiotic (nalidixic acid) and zinc as the ligand. The prepared Zn-nalidixic acid ACF (Zn-ACF) was obtained in up to 82% yield with high purity. On the second day, the synthesized Zn-ACF was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Finally, during the last class, the antimicrobial activity was tested against Escherichia coli by the well diffusion method. The students verified the higher antimicrobial activity of Zn-ACF compared to nalidixic acid, proving that small changes in the chemical structure can result in great biological differences. In the end, the students presented their results in a poster format, encouraging the development of their soft skills and scientific results communication and dissemination. In the future, it is expected that such a laboratory experiment at the interface between medicinal chemistry, microbiology, analytical techniques, public health, and pharmacology will lead to the development and implementation of some service-learning practices and will serve as a model to look at for other courses and institutions.

Development and Evaluation of Two-Phase Gel Formulations for Enhanced Delivery of Active Ingredients: Sodium Diclofenac and Camphor.

The formulation of biphasic gels as potential semi-solid carriers for hydrophilic and lipophilic active substances is promising for the development of pharmaceutical preparations. The aim of this study was to design a stable bigel composition and to determine the influence of the organogel/hydrogel ratio on the gel's physical-chemical and structural-mechanical properties. The investigated compositions of organogel/hydrogel remained stable at ratios ranging from 5/95 to 40/60. After texture and microstructure analysis, bigels with 20/80 and 25/75 ratios were selected as carriers for the active ingredients, sodium diclofenac and camphor, for use as topical preparations for the treatment of muscle-joint inflammation and pain. Although other researchers have published data on the preparation and evaluation of bigels, there are no scientific results on the development of a two-phase gel with our proposed combination of APIs. Sodium diclofenac release was found to be higher when combined with camphor, which revealed the advantages of the biphasic formulation. The pseudoplastic behavior, thixotropy, and thermal stability of flow of the studied bigel samples was investigated by rheological analysis. Ongoing stability studies confirmed the minimal 6-month period.

Studying the Literary Features of the “Arctic Robinsonade” Plot in the Artistic Discourse of the 21st Century

This research aims to describe and study the “Arctic Robinsonade” plot embedded in the texts of the 21st century, considering the literary features of these texts. The authors revealed the properties due to which the “Arctic Robinsonade” plot is preserved in the literature of the first decades of the 21st century. Structural-semantic analysis enabled us to identify the elements that are introduced or removed from the plot of this story and update the potential content of texts created on the basis of one plot. This article assesses new opportunities for a promising direction in the subject area of the history of literature – studying fiction in the context of modern issues of preserving “cultural memory”. This article lays the conceptual foundations for further study of integrating a well-known historical episode into modern mass culture. This research demonstrates a significant practical contribution to the development of subjectology in the world literature. This article presents a number of useful literary commentaries aimed at expanding the interpretive background of the text, originally published in Europe in the 18th century – the book by P.-L. Le Roy about the adventures of Russian sailors on Svalbard (Spitzbergen). The scientific result of this research is the creation of a model of the “Arctic Robinsonade” in the texts of authors of the 21st century.
 
 Received: 3 October 2023 / Accepted: 16 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024