Vol 23, No 3 (2023)

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an acute natural focal disease of a viral nature. Its severity is determined by hemorrhagic phenomena, cytokine storm, kidney damage with the development of acute renal failure, and the possibility of death. HFRS is caused by viruses from the family Hantaviridae. Hantaviruses are characterized by the ability to infect endothelial and epithelial cells of the renal tubules, as well as innate immunity cells (neutrophils, monocytes, dendritic cells), which leads to both direct damage to the immune system and indirect through a violation of their functions. The review analyzes the immune mechanisms in HFRS and their role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

The article presents an analytical review of the published data on the features of protein glycosylation in multiple sclerosis (MS). The search in the PubMed database with the keywords "multiple sclerosis, glycosylation", for the period of 2012-2022, resulted in 12 sources presenting the studies on N-glycosylated plasma proteins and immunoglobulins G in multiple sclerosis, clinically isolated syndrome, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and meningitis of viral etiology in patients' cerebrospinal fluid and blood serum.

The studies revealed specific changes in glycoproteins in multiple sclerosis. Glycome changes correlated with the age and sex of patients, with the clinical form of the disease, as well as with the degree of disability on the EDSS scale. These findings can contribute to the early diagnosis of MS, the definition of the form of the disease and its course prediction.

Given the diversity of the glycome expression, the differences in its modifications in different environments (serum and blood plasma, cerebrospinal fluid), as well as the variety of approaches to its study (many quantitative and qualitative biochemical methods), there is a prospect of further search for markers and predictors of the course of multiple sclerosis.

Aim – to identify the features of cognitive status in chronic sensorineural hearing loss (CNHL) by analyzing the subscales of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test.

Material and methods. The study involved 45 people (aged 44 - 86 years, average age 57.87±11.74 years) with chronic sensorineural hearing loss. The study design included assessment of complaints and anamnesis, examination of ENT organs, tonal threshold audiometry (AC-40, Interacoustics, Denmark), tympanometry (AC 226, Interacoustics, Denmark). Cognitive status was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool (MoCA) on seven subscales: Executive and visuospatial function, Naming, Attention, Language, Abstraction, Delayed recall, and Orientation.

Results. The average total score for MoCA in persons with chronic SNHL (n=45) was 25.09±2.86 points out of 30 possible points, which indicates a trend towards a decrease in cognitive function. Cognitive impairments in individuals with SNHL were more pronounced on the subscales Executive and visuospatial function, Language and Delayed recall. Despite rather high average scores on the subscale Executive and visuospatial function, 100% completion was noted less than in half of the subjects – in 46.66% (n = 21).

Conclusion. Considering the cognitive characteristics of individuals with SNHL may improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation.

Aim – to conduct a clinical and radiological analysis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) bone elements ratio in patients of 12–17 years old with a distal position of lower jaw.

Material and methods. We examined 122 patients of two age groups: 12–15 years old and 15–17 years old. Patients with malocclusion class II formed the main group, the control group consisted of patients with physiological occlusion. Depending on the diagnosis, the patients of the main group were divided into subgroups in accordance with Angle's classification of malocclusion: patients with class II, subclass 1; patients with class II, subclass 2. The TMJ tomograms were analyzed according to the method of N.A. Rabukhina and the method proposed by the authors. The results were compared in patients from different groups.

Results. The size of the TMJ space in the anterior section in patients with class II subclass 1 malocclusion increases with age from 2.44±0.14 mm to 2.96±0.17 mm, P = 0.048, P = 0.008 in comparison with patients with physiological occlusion. In patients with class II subclass 2 the TMJ space increases from 2.92±0.21 mm to 3.12±0.19 mm (P = 0.001). In patients with class II subclass 1 in the age group of 12–15 years, the value of the angle ® in habitual occlusion is increased to 20.01±1.01° on the right (P = 0.035), and to 20.78±1.11° on the left (P = 0.044). In the group of 15–17 years the value of the angle ⟨ is reduced to 16.33±1.15° on the right (P = 0.04) and to 16.93±0.93°on the left (P = 0.049). In patients with class II subclass 2 malocclusion in the age group of 15–17 years, the value of the angle 〈 on the right is reduced to 16.47±1.02° (P = 0.016), on the left – to 16.03±0.86° (P = 0.011). The revealed differences indicate violations of ratio of the TMJ bone elements with age in patients with malocclusion class II. The asymmetry and distal position of the mandibular heads in the TMJ are most prominent in the subgroup of patients with class II subclass 2 malocclusion.

Conclusion. The method of analyzing angular indicators on the TMJ CBCT data complements the study of the TMJ CBCT data according to the method of N.A. Rabukhina.

Aim – a comparative study of the content of flavonoids in the fresh fruits of some cultivated species of the genus Crataegus L.

Material and methods. The objects of the study were fresh fruits of Crataegus sanguinea Pall., Crataegus submollis Sarg. and Crataegus flabellata (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch harvested on the territory of the Botanical Garden of Samara University in September 2022 during their ripening. A direct spectrophotometry was chosen as a study method.

Results. The absorption curves of water-alcohol extracts of fresh fruits of the Crataegus flabellata (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch have a maximum of 280 ± 2 nm due to procyanidins. The highest content of total flavonoid 1.27 ± 0.07% expressed as catechin equivalents was found in the fruits of Crataegus flabellata (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch. The highest content of the total flavonoids was noted in the exocarp of fresh fruits of the Crataegus flabellata (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch. Fresh fruits of the Crataegus flabellata (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch are suitable for obtaining juice, while the content of total flavonoids equivalent to catechin is 0.30 ± 0.02%.

Conclusion. Fruits of the North American species Crataegus flabellata (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch are promising for the procurement of medicinal plant raw materials and use in medical practice.

Aim – to consider the problem of theoretical synthesis as a method for creating a new theory.

Conclusion. Theoretical synthesis serves as a subject of philosophical analysis. The synthesis of two theories is explicated by an example of the conflict between early Darwinism and Morgan – Weisman genetics, culminating in the formation of synthetic theory of evolution. Prerequisites and conditions of synthesis of the competing theories are revealed.

Aim – through the analysis of a fiction novel, to review contemporary social relations where narcissistic issues manifest themselves. The modern Homo Psychologicus, a human being of the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, more and more resembles the Narcissus captured by enthusiastic self-adoration. The extreme importance of how people demonstrate themselves in society, the escalated investments in personal image, claims of omnipotence and superpowers are combined with formalism and coldness, fear of human intimacy, shame and hiding one's own underside. The narcissistic problems have long ceased to be the domain of a psychoanalyst's office and have become a part of social relations. Oscar Wilde is one of those writers who timely reflected the underlying dynamics of the essence of interpersonal communication and intrapersonal interactions with one's soul. He demonstrated how our personal and collective narcissism is reinforced and becomes more and more apparent. His literary analysis is quite relevant to psychoanalysis, which emerged a little later, a method where the clinical study of narcissism came to occupy a key position, and later extended to the social sphere as well.

Aim – to analyze the transformation of criminologists' approach to the biology of a criminal, to highlight the achievements of physiological, genetic, endocrinological, neurobiological, biochemical, ethological research in this area, to study the dynamics of the scientific views on the role of biological factors in the etiology of criminal behavior, to give a dialectic assessment of the development of the described scientific paradigm.

Results. The article provides an overview of research in the field of biological criminology. The results of physiological, psychological, genetic, neurobiological, biochemical, endocrinological, ethological studies are described. The role of the positivist school of criminology is evaluated as negative for the harmful consequences of their activities. It is shown that its provisions became the starting point for the development of social Darwinism, eugenics, the ideology of fascism, racial theory, the organization of national, racial and ethnic genocide.

Conclusion. The most promising and most effective is a comprehensive, multifactorial approach to the problem of criminal behavior with mathematical modelling and artificial intelligence technologies.

Aim – to consider the idea of transhumanism from the point of its impact on the individual's spiritual component and possible social consequences.

The article analyzes the "spirituality" category in the works of N.A. Berdyaev, V.V. Zenkovsky, and considers spirituality in its socio-cultural meaning revealed by V.S. Barulin. During the study of this concept as understood by philosophers, the spirituality is singled out as a sphere of human essence, his deep, basic dimension penetrating all of his vital activity, social relations and also transforming the very essence of a person. To understand the influence of transhumanism on a person, the principles of extropy were considered as the basis of the philosophy of transhumanism.

Results. A number of problems that humanity may face were highlighted, the key role of spirituality in a healthy balancing of a person between the inevitable introduction of technology into his life and the preservation of his nature was emphasized.