Special Mechanisms Research Articles

The Rulings of Guardianship and the Objective of Natural Instinct (Fiṭrah): An Evaluative Study in Light of the Changes and Challenges of Contemporary Reality

The Islamic Sharīʽah laid down its rulings related to the actions of a mukallaf (a legally responsible person) on the basis of considering the natural instinct (fiṭrah) upon which people are created, so that it will lead to realize the objectives of Sharīʽah in protecting maṣlaḥah (public interest) of the people and removing mafāsid (evil) from them in this world and the hereafter. Islamic Sharīʽah gives special attention to the family because of its importance in building the society. Therefore, the rules related to the family are laid down precisely and comprehensively based on considering the instinct (fiṭrah) and natural disposition upon which both men and women are created. The problem of the study lies in what is witnessed in contemporary reality in terms of important changes under which voices are raised in the name of modernity (ḥadāthah). Using this new term, modernists try to interpret the texts (of the Qur’ān and Sunnah) with special mechanisms and methods foreign (to Islamic scholarship) in terms of its origin, purposes, and contents. Additionally, there are advocates of equality (between men and women), such as the followers of the feminist movement who aim to destroy the foundations of the family. They call for the abolition of the guardianship of men over women, in violation of a legal ruling established in the texts of the Qur’ān and Sunnah. The detailed rulings regarding this guardianship explain its causes, conditions and impediments that nullify it. Through its sections, this study shows that the family rulings were built based on human instinct in order to realize the objectives of their legislation. The roles and responsibilities are distributed between the man and woman according to what suits each of them, and the role of guardianship is entrusted to the husband based on innate elements in his psychological and physical formation that qualify him to assume this responsibility, which is to take care of the family financially and morally alike. This guardianship has causes, legal conditions to establish it, and impediments that nullify it. This research is based on the methods of induction, analysis, and description. It concluded with several conclusions and recommendations, including that the guardianship is an obligatory duty of a man towards his wife in order to realize its objectives that are based on instinct (fiṭrah). Likewise, this guardianship leads to preserving the status and prestige of women, and to honor men by making them vicegerents on the earth.

Behavioral and neural markers of visual configural processing in social scene perception

Research on face perception has revealed highly specialized visual mechanisms such as configural processing, and provided markers of interindividual differences –including disease risks and alterations– in visuo-perceptual abilities that traffic in social cognition. Is face perception unique in degree or kind of mechanisms, and in its relevance for social cognition? Combining functional MRI and behavioral methods, we address the processing of an uncharted class of socially relevant stimuli: minimal social scenes involving configurations of two bodies spatially close and face-to-face as if interacting (hereafter, facing dyads). We report category-specific activity for facing (vs. non-facing) dyads in visual cortex. That activity shows face-like signatures of configural processing –i.e., stronger response to facing (vs. non-facing) dyads, and greater susceptibility to stimulus inversion for facing (vs. non-facing) dyads–, and is predicted by performance-based measures of configural processing in visual perception of body dyads. Moreover, we observe that the individual performance in body-dyad perception is reliable, stable-over-time and correlated with the individual social sensitivity, coarsely captured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. Further analyses clarify the relationship between single-body and body-dyad perception. We propose that facing dyads are processed through highly specialized mechanisms –and brain areas–, analogously to other biologically and socially relevant stimuli such as faces. Like face perception, facing-dyad perception can reveal basic (visual) processes that lay the foundations for understanding others, their relationships and interactions.

A distinctive mode of dissolved organic carbon biodegradation in karst lakes and reservoirs: Evidence from trophic controls and compositional transformations

Lakes and artificial reservoirs present as funnels for global and regional carbon cycling. However, limited information is available about dissolved organic carbon (DOC) bioavailability, especially for its trophic controls and compositional transformations in widely distributed karst waters. Here we examined DOC biodegradation (%BDOC), temperature sensitivity (Q10 value), nutrients and their stoichiometric ratios, as well as DOC composition over a 28-day laboratory incubation experiment in karst lakes and reservoirs. Fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV–Visible spectroscopy were employed to trace DOC variability. We found that %BDOC ranged between 1.17% and 66.6% (median: 30.1%) at 15 °C and 5.95%–68.5% (median: 31.0%) at 30 °C, respectively. The Q10 values were mainly distributed between 0.75 and 1.50, suggesting a large amount of degraded substrate with low activation energy. Aquatic DOC and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were tightly linked to the %BDOC, whereas significant phosphorus (P) limitation (TDN:TDP > 25) did not induce discernible correlations. Carbohydrates as a dominant contributor to biodegradable DOC (BDOC) largely drove DOC remineralization. The incomplete degradation of humic-like fractions increased the relative abundance of fulvic acid, tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like fractions. A distinctive mode as biological utilization of extreme active and inactive components could be summarized in the karst lakes and reservoirs. These findings hope to supplement special mechanisms of DOC transformation and fate in the context of climate change mitigation for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Design of a multifunctional specialized wheelchair mechanism for cerebral palsy in children.

This paper describes and evaluates an approximation of the proposed position-changing mechanism of a cerebral palsy wheelchair for children using only one actuator. Only details the functional requirements that allow the change of position: wheelchair mode, standing frame mode, and stretcher mode. To evaluate the mechanism, a video was recorded and evaluated in Kinovea, and MATLAB software to obtain the functional angular range of the backrest reclination and the seat elevation. The scaled prototype has a mean error of 2.58% in comparison with the original design. The results indicate that this mechanism effectively provided compliance with the proposed angles and comfort for the patient.

Contributions and challenges of healthcare financing towards universal health coverage in Ethiopia: a narrative evidence synthesis

BackgroundHigh burden of healthcare expenditure precludes the poor from access to quality healthcare services. In Ethiopia, a significant proportion of the population has faced financial catastrophe associated with the costs of healthcare services. The Ethiopian Government aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030; however, the Ethiopian health system is struggling with low healthcare funding and high out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure despite the implementation of several reforms in health care financing (HCF). This review aims to map the contributions, successes and challenges of HCF initiatives in Ethiopia.MethodsWe searched literature in three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science. Search terms were identified in broader three themes: health care financing, UHC and Ethiopia. We synthesised the findings using the health care financing framework: revenue generation, risk pooling and strategic purchasing.ResultsA total of 52 articles were included in the final review. Generating an additional income for health facilities, promoting cost-sharing, risk-sharing/ social solidarity for the non-predicted illness, providing special assistance mechanisms for those who cannot afford to pay, and purchasing healthcare services were the successes of Ethiopia’s health financing. Ethiopia's HCF initiatives have significant contributions to healthcare infrastructures, medical supplies, diagnostic capacity, drugs, financial-risk protection, and healthcare services. However, poor access to equitable quality healthcare services was associated with low healthcare funding and high OOP payments.ConclusionEthiopia's health financing initiatives have various successes and contributions to revenue generation, risk pooling, and purchasing healthcare services towards UHC. Standardisation of benefit packages, ensuring beneficiaries equal access to care and introducing an accreditation system to maintain quality of care help to manage service disparities. A unified health insurance system that providing the same benefit packages for all, is the most efficient way to attain equitable access to health care.

Thermodynamically‐consistent flash calculation in energy industry: From iterative schemes to a unified thermodynamics‐informed neural network

Multicomponent multiphase fluid flows are commonly seen in the engineering practice of hydrocarbon production and transportation; thus, the phase-wise heat and mass transfer mechanisms underneath the macroscopic flow and transport behaviors are essentially needed for better understanding of the physical phenomena and optimization of the industrial processes. Flash calculation, as the main approach computing phase equilibrium conditions, has arisen increasing interests to establish the thermodynamic foundations of multiphase flow simulation, as well as to determine whether two-phase model is needed. In this paper, the general thermodynamically-consistent flash calculation scheme will be developed, and the general adaptability to various special mechanisms will be analyzed. A unified framework of thermodynamics-informed neural network will also be designed to accelerate conventional iterative flash calculation schemes that will be applied in various engineering scenarios to provide certain suggestions to the energy industry based on the predictions and analysis. Novelty Statement A thermodynamically-consistent flash calculation scheme incorporating various special mechanisms that are often met in energy industry. A unified thermodynamics-informed neural network structure for various engineering demands in the energy industry. Suggestions to the energy industry to optimize the productions based on the phase transition predictions and analysis.

Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snakeAmerotyphlops brongersmianus(Serpentes: Typhlopidae) brings new insights on snake cranial evolution

AbstractBlind snakes represent the most basal group of extant snakes and include fossorial species with unusual skeletal traits. Despite their known phylogenetic position, little is known about their ontogeny and what it might reveal about the origin of their skull anatomy. Here we describe for the first time the ontogenetic transformations of the skull of a blind snake, the typhlopid Amerotyphlops brongersmianus, including embryos and postnatal individuals. Furthermore, we provide data on the size changes relative to skull growth of the main elements of the gnathic complex. We observed that the skull of this blind snake undergoes considerable morphological change during late ontogeny. Additionally, we detected delayed development of some traits (closure of the skull roof, opisthotic-exoccipital suture, ossification of the posterior trabeculae) simultaneously with clearly peramorphic traits (development of the crista circumfenestralis, growth of the pterygoid bar). Our analysis suggests that the unique skull anatomy of blind snakes displays plesiomorphic and highly autapomorphic features, as an outcome of heterochronic processes and miniaturization, and is shaped by functional constraints related to a highly specialized feeding mechanism under the selective pressures of a fossorial lifestyle.

Simulation of Subject Coordination for a Smart Campus Based on Complex Network and Evolutionary Game Theory

The construction of smart campuses can help realize the modernization of higher education. However, the subjects and mechanisms are easily ignored in the construction of smart campuses in colleges and universities. The purpose of this paper is to construct an evolutionary game model based on the complex network structure characteristics of smart campus subjects and the dynamic relationship of collaborative games. Taking the scale-free network as the carrier, the decision-making behavior among subjects is explained. Then, the importance of subject coordination and the effectiveness of the mechanisms of leadership organization, special funds, assessment rewards, and punishments are analyzed through the simulation platform, i.e., Simpy. The results show that (1) moderate subject collaboration helps to avoid the phenomenon of getting something for nothing, (2) appropriate leadership and organization mechanisms can promote the construction process, (3) special fund mechanisms can ensure sustainable development, and (4) assessment reward and punishment mechanisms can increase the popularity of achievements. The proposed method enriches relevant theories of smart campus research and provides a reference for decision-making in smart campus construction.

Effect of Drought Stress on Degradation and Remodeling of Membrane Lipids in Nostoc flagelliforme.

Nostoc flagelliforme is a kind of terrestrial edible cyanobacteria with important ecological and economic value which has developed special mechanisms to adapt to drought conditions. However, the specific mechanism of lipidome changes in drought tolerance of N. flagelliforme has not been well understood. In this study, the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were employed to analyze the lipidome changes of N. flagelliforme under dehydration. A total of 853 lipid molecules were identified, of which 171 were significantly different from that of the control group. The digalactosyldiacylglycerol/monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG/MGDG) ratio was increased. The amount of wax ester (WE) was sharply decreased during drought stress, while Co (Q10) was accumulated. The levels of odd chain fatty acids (OCFAs) were increased under dehydration, positively responding to drought stress according to the energy metabolism state. In conclusion, the lipidomic data corroborated that oxidation, degradation, and biosynthesis of membrane lipids took place during lipid metabolism, which can respond to drought stress through the transformation of energy and substances. Besides, we constructed a lipid metabolic model demonstrating the regulatory mechanism of drought stress in N. flagelliforme. The present study provides insight into the defense strategies of cyanobacteria in lipid metabolic pathways.

Исследовательские проекты в сфере устойчивого развития Арктики

Currently, Russia has a rather complicated geopolitical situation, as a result of which there have been significant economic changes that have been superimposed on the difficult «Сovid» period. The dollar exchange rate reached record levels in March 2022, exceeding the mark of 100 rubles per dollar, while the Central Bank of the Russian Federation faced a shortage of foreign exchange reserves, freezing assets in foreign banks and funds. In addition, various international sanctions are being imposed on Russia, and Russia’s participation in international projects has been suspended, in particular within the framework of the Arctic Council. As a result, it seems expedient to involve not only the member states of the Arctic Council in cooperation and participation in projects, but also other states, along with the formation of specialized centers, tools and mechanisms that contribute to their realization.

Temporal responses of bumblebee gustatory neurons to sugars

SummaryThe sense of taste permits the recognition of valuable nutrients and the avoidance of potential toxins. Previously, we found that bumblebees have a specialized mechanism for sensing sugars whereby two gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) within the galeal sensilla of the bees’ mouthparts exhibit bursts of spikes. Here, we show that the temporal firing patterns of these GRNs separate sugars into four distinct groups that correlate with sugar nutritional value and palatability. We also identified a third GRN that responded to stimulation with relatively high concentrations of fructose, sucrose, and maltose. Sugars that were nonmetabolizable or toxic suppressed the responses of bursting GRNs to sucrose. These abilities to encode information about sugar value are a refinement to the bumblebee’s sense of sweet taste that could be an adaptation that enables precise calculations of the nature and nutritional value of floral nectar.

Learning under social versus nonsocial uncertainty: A meta-analytic approach.

Much of the uncertainty that clouds our understanding of the world springs from the covert values and intentions held by other people. Thus, it is plausible that specialized mechanisms that compute learning signals under uncertainty of exclusively social origin operate in the brain. To test this hypothesis, we scoured academic databases for neuroimaging studies involving learning under uncertainty, and performed a meta‐analysis of brain activation maps that compared learning in the face of social versus nonsocial uncertainty. Although most of the brain activations associated with learning error signals were shared between social and nonsocial conditions, we found some evidence for functional segregation of error signals of exclusively social origin during learning in limited regions of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and insula. This suggests that most behavioral adaptations to navigate social environments are reused from frontal and subcortical areas processing generic value representation and learning, but that a specialized circuitry might have evolved in prefrontal regions to deal with social context representation and strategic action.

RESEARCH OF METHODS OF SEARCHING KEY FRAMES IN VIDEO FLOW WITH THE USE OF NEURAL NETWORKS FOR SEARCH SYSTEMS

The paper presents a comparative analysis of current research in the field of data analysis in the format of video content and regarding it, that effective methods of analysis of these data are methods of search keyframes in the video stream. The analysis shows that the application of a method of processing visual data is determined by the structure of this data. Therefore, in order to simplify their analysis, they were divided into the following categories: consistent comparison; global comparison, based on clustering, and those that use events or objects. Especially valuable are the methods of comparing and matching matches (fragments), namely: methods of sequence search (detection of objects or certain actions on frames); methods of classifications (determining the content of personnel and their distribution to certain categories); frame decoding methods (description of the characteristics of a particular image) and methods for detecting anomalies in the video stream (search for objects, characters that are unique properties of the fragment relative to others). It shows that the most optimal of the considered methods there are methods that are based on technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning. And also shows the difference and efficiency of deep learning methods in relation to сonventional methods. Particularly promising are the methods, the implementation of which is to model the temporal dependences of the variable range using convolutional neural networks and functions with special attention mechanisms. Methods that use an Actor-Critic model embedded in a Generative adversarial network have also demonstrated their effectiveness. It is shown that the development of these methods contributes to the rapid development of information systems with which you can successfully analyze video content and recognize its origin.

Flexible Artificial Synapses Based on Field Effect Transistors: From Materials, Mechanics towards Applications

Flexible artificial synapses, which use flexible electronic devices to simulate biological synapses, are the cornerstone of brain‐like computers and artificial intelligence systems. Devices based on field‐effect transistors (FETs) are suitable for emulating synaptic functions because of their diverse material selection, controllable parameters, and clear working mechanism. In addition, owing to their material fabrication and structural design, FETs can realize the special operation mechanisms of devices for constructing flexible artificial synapses with multiple functions. Herein, the essential principles of carrier transport in flexible artificial synapses based on FETs are focused. First, the selection of materials, carrier transfer mechanisms, and synaptic functions of flexible synaptic devices based on various transistors are summarized in detail. Subsequently, the applications of flexible synaptic devices in conformal artificial tactile and visual systems are introduced. Finally, future challenges and opportunities of flexible synaptic devices toward artificial neuromorphic electronics are discussed.

La autofagia como mecanismo de defensa y adaptación celular

La autofagia constituye un mecanismo altamente especializado de adaptación celular que se encarga de degradar y reciclar organelas disfuncionales, para lo que utiliza estructuras especializadas (autofagosoma, autofagolisosoma), con el fin de mantener la homeostasis metabólica, calidad de las organelas citoplasmáticas y una respuesta regulada al estrés, cuya finalidad es proteger a la célula, limitando el daño y muerte celular. Existen procesos de autofagia selectiva que eliminan organelas específicas como acontece con la mitocondria, recibiendo el nombre de mitofagia, que se encarga del control de calidad mitocondrial, selecciona e ingiere mitocondrias dañadas para luego degradarlas, impidiendo de esta manera la liberación de patrones de daño molecular (DNA mitocondrial), ya sea hacia el citosol o hacia el espacio extracelular, y evitando de esta forma respuestas inmunes exageradas. La autofagia interviene en muchos mecanismos fisiológicos de nuestro organismo, por lo tanto, la desregulación de este proceso está involucrada en la fisiopatología de un buen número de enfermedades que podrían beneficiarse de su modulación. En el presente trabajo de investigación se describen los procesos fisiológicos y fisiopatológicos involucrados con la autofagia y mitofagia; analizaremos el papel que desempeñan en determinadas patologías.

Phylogeography and Prevalence of Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Eucoccidiorida) in Galápagos Marine Iguanas, Amblyrhynchus cristatus (Reptilia: Iguanidae).

Simple SummaryIt is estimated that a vast diversity of parasites populate our planet, many of them still to be discovered. Blood parasites (hemoparasites) of the phylum Apicomplexa may infect both vertebrates and invertebrates. Here, we used molecular methods to characterize the diversity of hemoparasites in the emblematic Galápagos marine iguana. We examined major island populations of marine iguanas across the Galápagos archipelago, performing the largest biogeographical study on the topic in this species. In addition, ticks were collected from marine iguana’s body to screen for hemoparasites. Our genetic analysis revealed two distinct clusters of hemoparasites belonging to Hepatozoon and/or Hemolivia. The occurrence of hemoparasites differed dramatically across islands, indicating that some populations may have mechanisms to reduce infection rates. The infection status of ticks did not match with their marine iguana hosts, suggesting that this method cannot be used to reliably know whether or not marine iguanas are infected. Given that apicomplexan blood parasites may cause important zoonotic diseases, studies like this one focusing on the relationship between parasites, their hosts and transmitting vectors, may help to shed light on the underlying mechanisms that wild animals employ to cope with pathogen infection. Parasitism is among the most common forms of coexistence of organisms of different species. Hemoparasites live in the bloodstream of the host where they complete different life-cycle stages. Members of the phylum Apicomplexa constitute a large portion of all hemoparasites infecting reptiles and their parasite transmitting vectors, including arthropods. In this study, we carried out a survey and molecular identification of hemoparasites in blood samples of the iconic Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Major island populations of marine iguanas were sampled to examine large-scale biogeographic patterns of parasite diversity and prevalence. Nested PCRs were used to amplify segments of the 18S rRNA-gene of hemoparasites. Furthermore, ticks attached to marine iguanas were collected and analyzed in the same way to assess their potential use as a non-invasive method for the detection of hemoparasites in vertebrate host species. PCR products were sequenced and a phylogenetic analysis was carried out showing the presence of two genetically distinct clusters of hemoparasites, one more commonly distributed than the other one, belonging to the genera Hepatozoon and/or Hemolivia (Apicomplexa: Eucoccidiorida). Overall, 25% of marine iguanas were infected by hemoparasites. However, infection rates varied strongly among particular island populations (from 3.45% to 50%). Although marine iguanas are an extremely mobile species that has colonized all islands in the Galápagos archipelago, parasite occurrence was not related to geographical distance, suggesting that dispersal behavior has a minor role in parasite transmission. On most islands, females tended to have higher infection rates than males, but this relationship was only significant on one island. Overall, ticks and marine iguanas had similar prevalence and diversity of parasites. However, the infection profiles of ticks and their corresponding hosts (marine iguanas) did not mirror one another, indicating that this method cannot be used reliably to assess marine iguana infection status. Interestingly, we found that hemoparasite prevalence in marine iguanas and ticks tended to be positively correlated across islands. Our results indicate that certain populations of marine iguanas may have special mechanisms and adaptations to cope with parasite infection. In addition, other factors such as vector density, anthropogenic-related activities or the immunological state of marine iguanas could potentially affect the striking variation in hemoparasite prevalence across island populations.

Exosomal miRNAs as a Promising Source of Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer Progression.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer worldwide amongst males and females. CRC treatment is multidisciplinary, often including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Early diagnosis of CRC can lead to treatment initiation at an earlier stage. Blood biomarkers are currently used to detect CRC, but because of their low sensitivity and specificity, they are considered inadequate diagnostic tools and are used mainly for following up patients for recurrence. It is necessary to detect novel, noninvasive, specific, and sensitive biomarkers for the screening and diagnosis of CRC at earlier stages. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has an essential role in tumorigenesis; for example, extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes can play a crucial role in communication between cancer cells and different components of TME, thereby inducing tumor progression. The importance of miRNAs that are sorted into exosomes has recently attracted scientists’ attention. Some unique sequences of miRNAs are favorably packaged into exosomes, and it has been illustrated that particular miRNAs can be directed into exosomes by special mechanisms that occur inside the cells. This review illustrates and discusses the sorted and transported exosomal miRNAs in the CRC microenvironment and their impact on CRC progression as well as their potential use as biomarkers.

Movement and storage of nematocysts across development in the nudibranch Berghia stephanieae (Vald\xe9s, 2005)

BackgroundIntracellular sequestration requires specialized cellular and molecular mechanisms allowing a predator to retain and use specific organelles that once belonged to its prey. Little is known about how common cellular mechanisms, like phagocytosis, can be modified to selectively internalize and store foreign structures. One form of defensive sequestration involves animals that sequester stinging organelles (nematocysts) from their cnidarian prey. While it has been hypothesized that nematocysts are identified by specialized phagocytic cells for internalization and storage, little is known about the cellular and developmental mechanisms of this process in any metazoan lineage. This knowledge gap is mainly due to a lack of genetically tractable model systems among predators and their cnidarian prey.ResultsHere, we introduce the nudibranch Berghia stephanieae as a model system to investigate the cell, developmental, and physiological features of nematocyst sequestration selectivity. We first show that B. stephanieae, which feeds on Exaiptasia diaphana, selectively sequesters nematocysts over other E. diaphana tissues found in their digestive gland. Using confocal microscopy, we document that nematocyst sequestration begins shortly after feeding and prior to the formation of the appendages (cerata) where the organ responsible for sequestration (the cnidosac) resides in adults. This finding is inconsistent with previous studies that place the formation of the cnidosac after cerata emerge. Our results also show, via live imaging assays, that both nematocysts and dinoflagellates can enter the nascent cnidosac structure. This result indicates that selectivity for nematocysts occurs inside the cnidosac in B. stephanieae, likely in the cnidophage cells themselves.ConclusionsOur work highlights the utility of B. stephanieae for future research, because: (1) this species can be cultured in the laboratory, which provides access to all developmental stages, and (2) the transparency of early juveniles makes imaging techniques (and therefore cell and molecular assays) feasible. Our results pave the way for future studies using live imaging and targeted gene editing to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in nematocyst sequestration. Further studies of nematocyst sequestration in B. stephanieae will also allow us to investigate how common cellular mechanisms like phagocytosis can be modified to selectively internalize and store foreign structures.

Improvement of technical means for recycling of technogenic waste to construction fiber

Currently, a very significant environmental problem is the increase in the accumulation of solid domestic and industrial waste, including the polymer composition. There is a need to involve these wastes in processing, including in the production of building materials. On this way, the issue of reducing the energy intensity of grinding technogenic polymeric materials is relevant. For the secondary use of technogenic fibrous waste in construction, it is necessary to use special technological mechanisms that are not currently available. To fill this gap, an apparatus with a multi-link working body was developed, which was the objective of this article. The optimal technical characteristics of the apparatus were determined when modeling the process of complex processing of technogenic fibrous materials with sizes of single pieces of 30–100 mm dimensions of the working chamber L × B × H = (420 × 350 × 400) · 10-3 m, maximum dimensions of the screening openings of the chain cloth l = (20 × 25) · 10-3 m; frequency of rotation of the output shaft of the motor-reducer n = 50–600 rpm; oscillation amplitude of the drive link А = (50–60) · 10-3 m; electric motor power N = 1.1 kW; working length of elements for the intensification of the working process of cutting 50 · 10-3 m; needle 70 · 10-3 m; unit weight m = 55 kg. The technological capabilities of the developed apparatus were established: active movement of material in the working space, high screening capacity, creation of complex spatial shear deformation of the material being processed, the implementation of the self-cleaning effect, a developed working surface, the possibility of removing waste inclusions from the technogenic charge during processing.

Chi@HMPB@CBD nanocomplexes for laser-assisted therapy of MRSA-infected cutaneous wounds in normal and MKR diabetic mice

The emergence and spreading of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become one of the main reasons for the surgical failure even for the death. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop efficient antimicrobial alternatives for eradicating it so as to improve the therapy efficiency of related diseases. Although the synthesized metal nanoparticles showed the MRSA-killing function in vitro, their biosafety in vivo application is still in controversy due to the potential toxicity and induced multidrug resistance. Recently, plant natural compounds with high antibacterial activity and special mechanisms different from antibiotics have attracted wide interest for developing new anti-MRSA regents. In this work, new nanocomplexes of Chi@HMPB@CBD based on natural compounds of cannabidiol (CBD) and chitosan (Chi) were designed for eradicating MRSA. In vitro results demonstrate that Chi@HMPB@CBD NPs plus laser irradiation can efficiently kill MRSA by inducing bacterial surface perforation, content leakage, ROS production, and ATP reduction. In vivo results show that the combination of Chi@HMPB@CBD NPs plus laser can effectively remove bacteria and accelerate wound healing of MRSA-infected normal and diabetes mellitus mice by up-regulating VEGF and CD31. Moreover, Chi@HMPB@CBD NPs possessing excellent biocompatibility and ultra-low toxicity in vitro significantly delayed the time for multidrug-resistance induction, comparing with silver nanoparticles. In our point, the “green therapeutics” against MRSA show great potential in clinical application.