Virulence Factors and Prevalence of Udder´s Pathogens in Dairy Cows during the Peripartal Period

Data presented in this study described the prevalence of udder pathogens and presence of virulence factors in staphylococci isolated from mastitis in dairy cows. The practical part of study was realized in five different dairy herds of Slovak spotted cattle breed located in Eastern Slovakia with conventional (non-organic) farming. At the beginning of lactation (during first two months after calving) were comprehensively investigated 960 cows from monitored herds. The comprehensive examination included clinical examination, sensory analysis of milk from fore stripping of each udder quarter, followed by assessment of the California mastitis test (CMT) and laboratory analyses of bacteria pathogens. Screening the health status of the mammary gland revealed that 314 cows (32.7%) had positive CMT score (1-3) for one or more quarters. Out of 230 infected milk samples, representing 24.0% of all dairy cows examined, were the most commonly isolated staphylococci (59.1% of positive findings), followed by E. coli (11.3%), streptococci Str. uberis (9.1%), Str. agalactiae (3.4%), and enterococci (6.1%). From 136 isolates of coagulase negative stafylococci (98 isolates) and S. aureus (38 isolates) were detected some virulence factors such as production of hemolysins (lysines ß and δ), gelatinase, biofilm, and hydrolyze of DNA. Isolated S. aureus, S. chromogenes and S. warneri had the most numerous representation of detected virulence factors, as demonstrated by the increased incidence of clinical forms of mastitis compared to less virulent strains.

Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty

Political disagreement is a fact of life. Such conflict can prompt people to stand for public office and seek to realise political change. Others take a different route; they start their own country. Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty is the first comprehensive examination of the phenomenon of people purporting to secede and create their own country. It analyses why micronations are not states for the purposes of international law, considers the factors that motivate individuals to separate and found their own nation, examines the legal justifications that they offer and explores the responses of recognised sovereign states. In doing so, this book develops a rich body of material through which to reflect on conventional understandings of statehood, sovereignty and legitimate authority. Authored in a lively and accessible style, Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty will be valuable reading for scholars and general audiences.

Process as an innovation

The aim of the chapter is to present key essential aspects of innovation and their species diversity. Basic definition formulations are considered. The emphasis is on business process innovation. One case study of company from Bulgaria that has implemented business process innovations is described, as well as the results of the innovation changes. With the help of various cognitive, analytical, inductive-deductive, case and simulation methods, students achieve the acquisition of new knowledge by combining theoretical statements, including familiarity with some international standards, and practical skills based on the principle of learning by doing. The topic draws students’ attention to the need for a comprehensive examination of the issues of innovative change and the formation of economic thinking, oriented towards the implementation of business solutions for sustainable prosperity based on innovative development.

ON THE ISSUE OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF BACTERIAL INFECTIONS AND PEDIATRIC MULTISYSTEM INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to be wary of the development of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (PMIS) who have had a COVID-19 and had antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of this work is to describe two clinical cases in children with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 against the background of yersiniosis in a 12-year-old child and salmonellosis in a 3-year-old child, which proceeded with a pronounced inflammatory reaction and required a differential diagnosis with multisystem inflammatory syndrome. These bacterial infections proceeded with severe intoxication and fever, had a polymorphic clinical picture with exanthema syndrome, conjunctivitis/scleritis, swelling of the palms/feet, diarrhea and toxic kidney damage, with a pronounced systemic inflammatory reaction – high leukocytosis with neutrophilia and lymphopenia, a significant increase in C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, hypercoagulability (increased fibrinogen, D-dimer). Etiotropic antibiotic therapy led to recovery in both cases. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, if antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus are detected in children in the presence of signs of systemic inflammation and corresponding symptoms, the alertness of doctors and a timely comprehensive examination are necessary to exclude bacterial infections, also characterized by signs of systemic inflammation, for the purpose of differential diagnosis of PMIS.

The role of disorders in the functional activity of platelets in the pathogenesis of microcirculatory disorders in patients with catarrhal gingivitis

A comprehensive examination of patients with chronic catarrhal gingivitis and with exacerbation of chronic catarrhal gingivitis with the inclusion of indicators of the microcirculatory link of the hemostasis system was carried out. In patients with exacerbation of chronic catarrhal gingivitis, platelet aggregation activity is increased compared to that in healthy individuals. This is accompanied by a statistically significant increase in the maximum degree of aggregation, a change in the time to reach the maximum degree of platelet aggregation Key words: platelet aggregation, catarrhal gingivitis, exacerbation of chronic catarrhal gingivitis.

Nervous system disorders in a patient with Adie syndrome (a clinical case)

Holmes-Adie syndrome, or tonic pupil syndrome, is a condition characterized by a triad of main symptoms: unilateral tonic pupil dilation, accommodative paresis without or with a significant reduction in pupillary light reflex, and decreased tendon reflexes. The disease is based on dysfunction of the parasympathetic nervous system. The syndrome results from damage to the ciliary ganglion, which carries parasympathetic innervation to the m.sphincter pupillae, cornea, and eyeball. Often the condition is accompanied by dysfunction of the spinal ganglia and, as a consequence, autonomic dysfunction in the form of sweating disorders, usually on one side of the body, rarely — by heart rhythm disorders, lability of blood pressure. A frequent sign of Adie syndrome is the absence or reduction in patellar, rarely Achilles, reflexes. The etiology of the disease is not definitively determined, bacterial or viral factors are not excluded. The diagnosis of Adie syndrome is mainly based on a clinical comparison of the symptoms of the disease, as well as on a thorough and comprehensive examination by a neuroophthalmologist with mandatory testing of pupillary responses with low doses of pilocarpine (narrowing of the pupil is characteristic). Despite the positive prognosis for the patient’s life and his ability to work, the condition belongs to the group of difficult-to-treat ones, and the management consists in symptomatic vision correction.

«PORTRAIT OF A LADY» OF THE BOICHUCK SCHOOL FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE FUNDS. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION RESULTS

The article features the results of the comprehensive examination of an outstanding piece from the Mykhailo Boуchuk school, «Portrait of a Lady» from the NAFAA funds. The research was done by the Associate Professor of the Department of the Technique and Restoration of Artwork of NAFAA, Tetiana Tymchenko, Ph.D, and the Leading Researcher of the Bureau of scientific and technical expertise «ART-LAB» Svitlana Biskulova, Ph.D, in connection with the planned restoration of the artwork. Since 2018, «Portrait of a Lady» has been attributed to Mykola Kasperovych (1885–1938), an outstanding painter, restorer and researcher. The reasoning is provided in the expert conclusion of the Head of the Ukrainian Art Department of the end of 19th — beginning of the 20th century of the National Art Museum of Ukraine Olena Kashuba-Volvach. The article lists the peculiarities of the techniques, technology, condition of the artwork from the NAFAA funds. In particular, it reveals the peculiarities of the preparatory drawing, imitation of the monumental art techniques by means of the easel painting, and individual techniques of working with paints. The paper specifies the time of the portrait creation, which indicates 1923 — probably, the year of the work creation, and the age of the lady from the portrait, 30 years. The technological examination of the portrait in the Bureau of scientific and technical expertise «ART-LAB» confirmed the dating of the work to the period of the 1920s – 1930s. The article clarifies important components of the portrait technology: in particular, it has been found that the ground is chalk-glue and the paints’ medium is casein-oil tempera; among the pigments the zinc white with an admixture of lead white, yellow and red ochre, Ivory black pigment (burnt bone), mixed green pigment (burnt bone and yellow ochre) were identified. The examination revealed the traces of restoration interventions of different times. The paper features a number of considerations regarding further research of Boychukists’ creativity from the point of view of technology.

The role of title and epigraph in the essay “The Vision of Mirza” by Joseph Addison

The object of this research is the essay “The Vision of Mirza” by Joseph Addison. The relevance of studying J. Addison's essay is substantiated by undue attention to his works in the Russian literary studies, as well as the need for tracing the dynamics in the genre of vision in the Age of Enlightenment. The subject of this research is the title and epigraph as parts of the work that determine its structure and artistic distinctness. Analysis is conducted on the images of the viewer, visionary hero, and his guide, chronotope of the essay and allusive links. The essay is based on the combination of systemic-structural, comparative-historical, and hermeneutic methods. The novelty consists in the fact that the comprehensive examination of the role of the title ensemble within the structure of the essay allows reconstructing the link of the essay with the traditions of the medieval genre of vision manifested in the traditional topic and consistent motifs, imagery system, space and time arrangement, and dialogical structure of the text. The author provides interpretation to the allusive links between J. Addison's essay and Greco-Roman mythology, epic poem “The Aeneid” by Virgil, and psalms from the New Testament, and “The Voyage of St. Brendan”. It is established that the dialogue set by the epigraph passes through the entire plotline of the essay and reveal the characters of its participants. The extensively presented Christian theme alongside the images from ancient mythology and Virgil’s texts are essential for the author to express the enlightening program.

THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE ARSACIDS’ DESCENT FROM THE ACHAEMENIDS: MYTH OR REALITY?

In the 40s of the last century, J. Wolski proposed a thesis, still dominant in historiography, arguing that the story of Arrian which reached us thanks to his work “Parthica” that the Arsacid dynasty, the founder of Parthian state, descended from the Achaemenids, has a fictional origin. According to J. Wolski, J. Neusner and their followers, it is an "ideological fiction", a "literary forgery", which appeared in the period between the second half of II century BC and the beginning of the I century AD and was recorded in written form by Arrian. However, the conclusion, based on the limited and often one-sided data by Strabo and Justin, is defective and does not meet the current requirements of the study of the problem. Оnly a comprehensive examination of the evidence provided by written sources in the field of the Parthian numismatics, epigraphy, archaeology, onomastics and other branches of science can give a complete answer to the issue. In this case, it becomes obvious that the "Arrianian" legend about the genealogical connection between the Arsacids and the Achaemenids is not just a literary fiction, but has a real historical basis.