Novel Applications of Microextraction Techniques Focused on Biological and Forensic Analyses

In recent years, major attention has been focused on microextraction procedures that allow high recovery of target analytes, regardless of the complexity of the sample matrices. The most used techniques included liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid-phase extraction (SPE), solid-phase microextraction (SPME), dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS), and fabric-phase sorptive extraction (FPSE). These techniques manifest a rapid development of sample preparation techniques in different fields, such as biological, environmental, food sciences, natural products, forensic medicine, and toxicology. In the biological and forensic fields, where a wide variety of drugs with different chemical properties are analyzed, the sample preparation is required to make the sample suitable for the instrumental analysis, which often includes gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass detectors or tandem mass detectors (MS/MS). In this review, we have focused our attention on the biological and forensic application of these innovative procedures, highlighting the major advantages and results that have been accomplished in laboratory and clinical practice.

Coupling of 3D Porous Hosts for Li Metal Battery Anodes with Viscous Polymer Electrolytes

As the energy storage markets demand increased capacity of rechargeable batteries, Li metal anodes have regained major attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity. However, Li anodes tend to have dendritic growth and constant electrolyte consumption upon cycling, which lead to safety concerns, low Coulombic efficiency, and short cycle life of the battery. In this work, both conductive and non-conductive 3D porous hosts were coupled with a viscous (melt) polymer electrolyte. The cross-section of the hosts showed good contact between porous hosts and the melt polymer electrolyte before and after extensive cycling, indicating that the viscous electrolyte successfully refilled the space upon Li stripping. Upon deep Li deposition/stripping cycling (5 mAh cm-2), the non-conductive host with the viscous electrolyte successfully cycled, while conductive host allowed rapid short circuiting. Post-mortem cross-sectional imaging showed that the Li deposition was confined to the top layers of the host. COMSOL simulations indicated that current density was higher and more restricted to the top of the conductive host with the polymer electrolyte than the liquid electrolyte. This resulted in quicker short circuiting of the polymer electrolyte cell during deep cycling. Thus, the non-conductive 3D host is preferred for coupling with the melt polymer electrolyte.

Industry 5.0: concept, formation and development

At present in Europe and Russia there are active discussions of the next mega stage of human social and economic development. It concerns the Industry 5.0 concept. In 2020–2021 members of scientific research and technological organizations discussed the aspects of Industry 5.0 at a number of well-known European and Russian forums. Major attention was paid to technologies maintaining Industry 5.0. As a result the world scientific community reached a consensus on two fronts: firstly, on integration of opportunities of the existing technologies of Industry 4.0 with the human-oriented approach of Industry 5.0 which will give way to harmonious interaction of human intelligence with cognitive calculations; and, secondly, on integration of human and machine intelligence to create collective intelligence which will make it possible to avoid technological singularity in future as well as provide for simultaneous humans’ evolution and technologies’ development. These will become the basis for creating a fundamentally new social, economic and cultural strategy of the society’s development for the coming decades. The strategy is based on applying collective intelligence and meta-system technologies in all spheres of life. For the first time in the world scientific practice the authors introduce the concept of Industry 5.0 as a cyber social system which allows the alliance of human and artificial intelligence aimed at creating collective super intelligence and becomes a source of harmonious technological development of human civilization. The authors present a neuro-ecosystem model of Industry 5.0 concept which will make it possible to set the task of implementing the systems of global meta-system strategized development of cognitive production and industry. Such systems are established as part of organization of cognitive production and new types of social and economic, cyber-social and industrial ecosystems by means of implementing collective intelligence and neuro-digital meta-technologies. This is the first stage of a new evolution process of developing Industry 4.0 concept, transition to Industry 5.0 and to meta-system transformations economics.

Načrti avtonomne in upravne organiziranosti Slovenske krajine v obdobju Károlyijeve ljudske republike (od novembra 1918 do marca 1919)

The article discusses a specific field of the history of the Prekmurje Slovenes and the Prekmurje area itself, from the end of the First World War to the formation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, namely attempts to find a solution for the administrative or autonomous organization of the Slovene community there, to keep the Prekmurje area as a part of the Hungarian state. Various Slovene and Hungarian studies have mentioned contents related to attempts at the autonomous or administrative organization of the Slovene community (probably most thoroughly written by László Kővágó and Miroslav Kokolj). However, there have been almost no articles that would focus directly on this topic. In the context of the preparation of this article we have primarily processed the Hungarian and Slovene archive resources (as well as some newly researched ones), published local newspapers from that period (especially Novine and Muraszombat és vidéke) and a part of literature, where the authors – allthough the studies were mostly ideologically oriented – also devoted major attention to substantive questions of the planned autonomous and administrative arrangements of Prekmurje Slovenes.

Combating commodity smuggling in Ukraine: in search of the optimal legislative model

The purpose of the paper is to identify optimal legislative model of criminal law counteraction to commodity smuggling in Ukraine, taking into account experience of foreign countries, primarily the European Union. The following research methods have been used to study criminal legislation, prove hypotheses, formulate conclusions: comparative law, system analysis, formal logic and modeling methods. Taking into account the achievements of criminal law science, materials of law enforcement practice, he results of sociological surveys and based on the analysis of accompanying documents to the relevant bills, social conditionality of criminalization of smuggling of goods have been clarified. Foreign experience of criminalization of commodity smuggling in the legislation of the European Union has been investigated. Legislative initiatives in this area have been critically considered. Major attention in this aspect has been paid to the shortcomings and debatable provisions of the draft law “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on the Criminalization of Smuggling of Goods and Excisable Goods and Inaccurate Declaration of Goods” (Registration # 5420 of April 23, 2021). Author’s proposals on the relevant improvements of criminal legislation have been put forward and substantiated.

Analytical Strategies for the Detection and Quantification of Nano-formulated Antibiotics: Updates and Perspectives

The rapid development of drug resistant micro-organisms is a challenge to the mankind. Nano formulated compounds have proved to be effective strategy to combat bacterial drug resistance. Currently nanoparticulate systems such as nanoantibiotics are getting major attention due to their low inherent toxicity, biodegradability, bioincompatibility and tuneable mechanical characteristics. Nano formulated antibiotics are generally obtained by emulsification and gelification techniques. The effective uses of polymers in encapsulation of antibiotics show enhancement of the efficacy of antibiotics. Combined with techniques like diffraction laser spectroscopy (DLS), electron microscopy (EM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), morphological research of nanoformulated antibiotics are conducted. The detailed study of the polymers used in the preparation of antibiotics nanoparticles as well as their impact on interactions is done by bio-analytical techniques. Antibiotics attached to nanoparticles can avoid the action of enzymes produced by drug resistant bacteria. Nano antibiotics show higher efficacy and bioavailability so a lot of new formulations using nano methods can be developed with the help of bioanalytical techniques. The development as well as the estimation of antibiotics prepared as nano-formulations as per the recent advanced techniques is illustrated in this review.

1p36 Deletion Syndrome and the Aorta: A Report of Three New Patients and a Literature Review

Background: Monosomy 1p36 syndrome is now considered the most common terminal deletion syndrome, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 5000. Cardiac involvement is well described in the literature mainly in terms of congenital heart defects (CHDs) and cardiomyopathies (CMPs). Few data in the literature describe the potential progressive nature of aortic dilatation (root and ascending aorta) in 1p36 deletion syndrome. SKI harboured in the deleted region might play a predisposing factor for this aspect. Methods: we reviewed the aortic aspect both in the literature and in our cohort, where major attention to the aortic abnormalities was given through dedicated echocardiographic measurements even in previously screened individuals. Results: aortic involvement in 1p36 deletion syndrome was described in the literature three times within the CHD context. We observed three additional patients from our cohort (three out of nine patients) with aortic dilatation. All patients with dilated aorta had SKI haploinsufficiency within the deleted region. Conclusions: at long-term outcome and with a growing population of this rare disease, this association (1p36 deletion and aortic dilatation) might represent a major concern especially in terms of risk stratification and the potential need for specific management (conservative pharmacologic and eventually surgical) whenever indicated. The present study suggests the need for detailed multicentric studies and indication to periodic echocardiographic screening in addition to baseline tests, especially in individuals with deletions harbouring SKI.

Everyday Life and Social Contacts of Dementia and Non-Dementia Residents over 80 Years in Long-Term Inpatient Care: A Multi-Level Analysis on the Effect of Staffing

The relationship between nurse staffing, physical outcomes of residents, as well as quality of care receives major attention. The impact of staffing levels on residents’ ability to organize their everyday life and maintain social contacts, however, has not been analyzed to date. This study examines whether a relationship between the staff-to-resident ratio for registered nurses and nursing home residents with and without dementia aged over 80 exists. Secondary data collected in the project inQS (indikatorengestützte Qualitätsförderung) were used (n = 1782, mean age = 88.14). The analyzed cross-sectional data were collected in winter 2019 in facilities of the Diocesan Caritas Association in Germany. A sum score formed from variables measuring residents’ abilities to independently organize their everyday life and maintain social contacts functioned as the dependent variable. A multi-level regression analysis was performed. The results revealed that the ability of residents without dementia was significantly associated with the staff-to-resident ratio of registered nurses. This was not true for residents with dementia. For the latter, however, whether the facility offers a segregated care unit turned out to be significant. Additional and longitudinal research is indispensable to explain the inequality between the two groups analyzed.

IN SEARCH OF LIFE EXPERIENCE AND WISDOM (ORIGINALITY OF THE FAIRY TALE BY IVAN FRANKO “ABOUT A NOBLEMAN LOOKING FOR А TROUBLE”)

The paper deals with the story “About a Nobleman Looking for а Trouble” (1887) by Ivan Franko and highlights its genre peculiarities. The major attention is drawn to the dominant features indicating the fairy-tale nature of the story. The literary sources of the plot, the system of characters, biblical allusions, main issues as well as the reception of the work by contemporary criticism have been explored. The story by Ivan Franko was based on Ukrainian folk tales about the search for trouble performed by a nobleman or a priest. In the field of struggle between the forces of good and evil, the images of the young magician — Messiah — Jesus Christ and the Тrouble become the central symbols of the tale. The Misfortune archetype, which is directly linked to Franko’s perception of the people, suffering under circumstances of total dependence on the landlords, must be analyzed with attention to the people’s outlook and the author’s individual thinking. The young magician appears as Messiah, and it helps to bring a nobleman closer to something eternal and make him reevaluate his own life. These images perform important functions in the plot and composition of the work, revealing active changes in the character of a nobleman and forming the philosophical and psychological discourse of the author. There is a variety of associations between the light in the Bible and in Franko’s tale. The “light that enlightens everyone” causes enlightenment of а nobleman. The inner state of the hero at the moment of enlightenment is revealed in prayer. The prayer monologue demonstrates openness, sincerity, the immediacy of self-expression and despair, and at the same time hopelessness. The plot of the tale “About a Nobleman Looking for а Trouble” is related to Franko’s unfinished poem “About a Richman Who Went to Buy а Trouble” (written in 1887). The research also involves some other prose works by the writer.

Relevant issues of conducting verification of reports on illegal banking operations

This article is dedicated to the issues of conducting audit pursuant to the Article 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation on report of crimes established by the Article 172 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Methodological framework for this research consists of dialectical, logical, and formal-legal methods; the normative framework is comprised of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, criminal and criminal procedure legislation of the Russian Federation, local normative acts that regulate the conduct of audit initiating at the stage of initiating a criminal case. Major attention is turned to the theoretical and applied issues associated with the initiation of criminal cases stipulated by the Article 172 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Analysis is conducted on the peculiarities of seizure of objects and documents on this category of crime; as well as on the goals, tasks, methods of seizure, and admissible procedural actions. The author examines the questions of admissibility of evidence received at the state of opening a criminal case, their role in subsequent stages of criminal proceedings. Assessment is given to the existing theoretical and practical views on the possibility of instituting a search and seizure prior to opening a criminal case. The author analyzes case law on the topic, and concludes on the need for further amendments. The importance of observing the rights and legitimate interests of individuals and companies in the course of pre-trial proceedings pertinent to the reports of illegal banking operations is substantiated. The author also indicates that arbitrary interference of law enforcement agencies in legitimate business activity is unacceptable.