The molecular structures and crystal packings of three new BODIPY compounds with a bromine atom in the α-, β-, and γ-position were analyzed. The asymmetrization of the central conjugated fragment was demonstrated for the first time, with its expression and localization determined by the position of the substituent relative to the borofluoride core of the molecule.

Chloro-nitro-derivatives of benzofuroxan are compounds exhibiting pronounced biological (antibacterial, fungicidal, and NO-donor) and other types of activities along with low toxicity. For further pharmaceutical development and dosage form design based on them, effective quality control methods that allow the selective and sensitive detection of active ingredients are needed. Here, for 4,6-dinitro- 5,7-dichlorobenzofuroxan (4,6-DN-5,7-DCBF), 5-nitro-4,6-dichlorobenzofuroxan (5-N-4,6-DCBF), and process-related impurities of their synthesis, a method for the simultaneous determination of analytes by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode matrix detection was introduced. The chromatographic behavior of the analytes was studied using different reversed phases. The separation of the components was successful with amide and nitrile phases. Optimal conditions for the chromatographic separation were established using the Discovery RP Amide C16 (4.6×250 mm) columns and the isocratic elution with a mixture of 0.05 % H₃PO₄ – acetonitrile – methanol (51:34:15, vol. %) at the detection wavelengths of 245 and 207 nm. The linearity of the calibration graphs was achieved in the range of 0.5–200 μg/mL with the detection limits up to 0.12 μg/mL. The developed method was applied for the purification of chloro-nitro-derivatives of benzofuroxan in the mixtures and dosage forms based on them.

The electrooxidation of acyclovir (ACv) and paracetamol (PC) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) coated with reduced graphene oxide (GO_red) and electrodeposited gold particles (Au/GO_red/GCE) was studied. The separation of the oxidation peaks of PC and ACv on the Au/GO_red/GCE was achieved by decreasing overvoltage. А selective and highly sensitive voltammetric method for the simultaneous determination of PC and ACv was developed. The linear dynamic range of PC and ACv was from 5×10^-3 to 5×10^-8 M. The proposed method was successfully applied to detect non-metabolized forms of PC and ACv in the presence of human urine.

The reducing capacity of humic acids (HA) was evaluated by the spectrophotometric method using Fe(III) complexes with organic and inorganic ligands as oxidizing agents, depending on the medium pH and reagent concentration. The maximum sensitivity of the method was observed at pH = 5 for Fe(III) complexes with α,α′-bipyridyl and o-phenanthroline, as well as at pH = 9 for potassium hexacyanoferrate(III). The obtained results were supported by computational modeling of the complexation and dissociation processes. The number of available surface functional groups was found to decrease with an increase in the HA concentration due to the molecular aggregation, thus resulting in a lower reducing capacity. The formal redox potential of HA, measured by redox titration, ranged from 530–to 535 mV.

This article explores the methodological approaches to analyzing free radical processes in the body, particularly in relation to lipid peroxidation products (PLP). The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and PLP were shown to vary depending on the time and conditions of biomaterial storage, which may affect the reliability of the results. It was revealed that the optimal storage conditions include freezing (t = ‒20 °C) for the determination of ROS and diene conjugates (DC) and deep cooling (t = ‒80 °C) for malondialdehyde (MDA). For the determination of Schiff bases, the temperature of biomaterial storage was found to be non-essential. The analysis period after receiving the biomaterial was defined as follows: up to 2 h for Schiff bases, up to 24 h for ROS, up to 36 h for MDA, and up to 48 h for DC. The obtained results can be useful for further scientific research and in clinical diagnostic laboratories that perform prooxidant-antioxidant balance tests.

Olive tree leaves (Olea europaea L.) have been widely used in Mediterranean traditional medicine to prevent and treat various ailments. This study investigated the effects of consuming a water extract of Sigoise olive leaves on antioxidant levels and type II diabetes. The extract was prepared by steeping 10 g of dried olive leaves in 500 mL of boiling water and then given to 20 Algerian volunteers (10 diabetic subjects and 10 healthy controls), who consumed it twice a day for a month. The volunteers were screened by biochemical blood tests before and by the end of the experiment. The antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-based assay, 35.3 ± 0.5 mg/mL) and FRAP assays (ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, 8.3 ± 0.1 mg/mL). The quantitative analysis revealed high contents of total polyphenols (41.8 ± 0.8 mg gallic acid equivalent per 1 g of extract) and total flavonoids (14.3 ± 0.8 mg rutin equivalent per 1 g of extract). The hypoglycemic effect of the extract was shown, thus confirming that it helps improve renal function and prevents cardiovascular disorders in type II diabetic patients. No toxic effects on kidney or liver function were observed. Despite clear health-boosting benefits, further research is needed to fully validate them clinically.

Micrococcus sp. PNS1, Ochrobactrum sp. PNS5, Stenotrophomonas sp. PNS6, Pseudomonas sp. PNB3, Brevibacterium sp. PNB5, Achromobacter sp. PNB6, and Bosea sp. PNB7 were isolated from the PN2 and PN2-B associations and screened for their ability to degrade mono-hydroxylated biphenyls with hydroxyl groups at the C₃ or C₄ atoms in the biphenyl molecule. The maximum degradation efficiency was 98 % for 3-hydroxybiphenyl and up to 100 % for 4-hydroxybiphenyl with various strains. All strains showed amplification of a fragment of the bphA gene encoding biphenyl-2,3-dioxygenase biosynthesis. Sequence analysis of the bphA gene revealed a distinct branch on the tree topology, indicating its similarity level with known sequences of this gene. Pseudomonas sp. PNB3 was found to possess the benA gene encoding benzoate-1,2-dioxygenase biosynthesis and positioned on the same evolutionary branch as the benA gene from the well-known biphenyl degrader Pseudomonas putida KT2440. The results obtained demonstrate that the transformation of 3-hydroxy- and 4-hydroxybiphenyls by the isolated strains occurs through dioxygenation of the unsubstituted ring of the biphenyl molecule, with subsequent cleavage into 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids, respectively. Therefore, the strains that were examined are promising for potential application in technologies aimed at degrading both chlorobiphenyls and hydroxylated biphenyls.

Assessing the ecological and geochemical state of urban areas is important for ensuring their sustainable development, maintaining public health, and protecting the natural environment. In this article, the ecological and geochemical features of the Ufa city were studied by investigating the elemental composition of poplar leaves (Populus balsamifera L.) using instrumental neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and mapping (spatial distribution of geochemical indicators and concentrations of key chemical elements). The main pollutants (As, Br, Cr, Zn, Co, La, Ce, Nd, and Ta) from oil refining, heat power engineering, and machine building industry were identified. Depending on the source of anthropogenic activity, various micro-mineral phases on the surface of poplar leaves were found: rare earth phosphates associated with oil refining and petrochemical industry, native metals (W, Ti) resulting from machine building, and intermetallic compounds linked to the areas with heavy traffic (Cr-Ni, Ni-Cr-Fe).

Heavy metal pollution of the bottom sediments in the Northern Caspian Sea region was assessed for the period from 2012 to 2021. The concentrations and pollution levels of heavy metals were determined using the standard indices as part of the industrial environmental monitoring at the license site in the northern part of the Caspian Sea. Based on the concentrations of all identified metals (zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, nickel, iron, and manganese), significant spatial and temporal variations were observed. The values obtained did not exceed those of international sediment quality standards, thus suggesting that the studied bottom sediments were only slightly polluted by heavy metals. However, certain areas showed high levels of pollution, such as the northwestern area with the elevated iron levels and the central area with the maximum lead and cadmium concentrations. The statistical analysis of geochemical parameters of the bottom sediments revealed distinct patterns in the distribution of heavy metals.

This article examines the influence of wave cycles on major structural changes in the development of natural disasters worldwide from 1900 to 2023. During this period, natural disasters were most common in the latitudinal band between 30° N and 30° S. The results of the analysis show that structural changes in natural disaster types and subtypes coincide with wave cycles, which are characterized by fluctuations in the frequency of natural hazards. Hence, an overall increase in the number of natural disasters linked to solar activity is associated with a rise in the frequency of climatic, hydrological, and biological hazards, while the frequency of geophysical and meteorological hazards gets lower. Conversely, a decrease in the number of natural disasters, such as that from 2001 to 2023, is accompanied by a reduction in climatic, geophysical, and biological hazards, as well as an increase in the frequency of hydrological hazards, but no changes in the frequency of meteorological hazards.

The rock composition and ore mineralization of the Malenkiy site located within the Khengur gabbro-dolerite complex of the Pay-Khoy were examined. Petrogeochemical analysis revealed two varieties of the studied rocks: fine-crystalline quartz and medium- and coarse-crystalline quartz containing metagabbro-dolerite. The Y, Zr, and Nb contents suggest that metagabbro-dolerites formed in an intraplate setting from enriched mantle sources during the melting of garnet peridotite, with a small contribution from the melt source of ancient continental crust. Two types of ore mineralization were distinguished: nest- and veinlet-disseminated sphalerite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite (type I) and veinlet-disseminated cobaltite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite (type II). The most efficient ore mineralization was type II, which is characterized by the presence of both high-temperature cobalt- and nickel-bearing sulfide minerals, as well as low-temperature tellurides of palladium (kotulskite) and silver (hessite).

A diverse fish assemblage was reported from the Mazalovskiy Kitat and Alchedat beds (Givetian, Middle Devonian) of the Kuznetsk Basin (Siberia, Russia). Ptyctodontid and acanthothoracid placoderms; chondrichthyans such as the phoedodontiforms Phoebodus fastigatus and Ph. sophiae, the omalodontiform Omalodus grabaui, the cladodontomorph Cladodoides, euselachian Protacrodus, “Ohiolepis, and “Cladolepis”; Cheiracanthoides and acanthodiform acanthodians; actinopterygian Moythomasia; and struniiform sarcopterygians occur in the assemblage. The teeth of phoebodontiforms and omalodontiform are dominant among the fish microremains. The assemblage contains widely distributed taxa. The occurrences of Cladodoides and Protacrodus in the Givetian of Kuznetsk Basin are the oldest in the world.