Of great importance in materials science is the design of effective functional materials that can be used in various technological fields. Nanomodified materials, which have fundamentally new properties and provide previously unrealized properties, have acquired particular importance. When creating heating elements and materials for deformation measurement, it is necessary to understand the patterns of heat release under conditions of mechanical deformation of the material, as this expands the potential applications of such materials. A study of elastomers modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been carried at the MWCNTs concentration of 1–8 wt.%. The modes of heat release of nanomodified elastomers at a voltage of 50 V at different levels of tension are reported. The increment of the MWCNTs concentration to 7 wt.% leads to an increment in the power of heat emissions. It is worth noting the possibility of using the obtained elastomer samples with MNT as sensitive elements of strain sensors, which will allow obtaining information about physical and chemical parameters following the principles of measuring the change in electrical resistance that occurs during stretching and torsion. The changes in conductivity and heat emission under different conditions have been studied in parallel with Raman mapping and infrared thermography. The reported studies allow to make the next step to develop flexible functional materials for the field of electric heating and deformation measurement based on elastic matrices and nanoscale conductive fillers.

Technologies for obtaining dosage formulations (DF) for personalized therapy are currently being developed in the field of inkjet (2D) and 3D printing, which allows for the creation of DF using various methods, depending on the properties of pharmaceutical substances and the desired therapeutic effect. By combining these types of printing with smart polymers and special technological approaches, so-called 4D printed dosage formulations are obtained. This article discusses the main technological aspects and used excipients of a polymeric nature for obtaining 2D, 3D, 4D printed dosage formulations. Based on the literature data, the most widely used polymers, their properties, and application features are determined, and the technological characteristics of inkjet and additive 3D printing are shown. Conclusions are drawn about the key areas of development and the difficulties that arise in the search and implementation in the production of new materials and technologies for obtaining those dosage formulations.

Objective. To evaluate the potential of magnetic levitation systems when studying the autoaggregation of gram-negative and gram-positive pathogenic bacteria and elucidating mechanisms controlling autoaggregation.Materials and methods. Escherichia coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes were used. The number of alive bacteria was determined using a Live/Dead® dye. E. coli curli were stained with Congo red.Results. All four tested bacterial species formed autoaggregates that levitated within the liquid volume for up to 72 hours (observation time). After 72 hours, the number of alive bacteria in the autoaggregates ranged from 82% (E. coli) to 99% (L. monocytogenes). The formation of E. coli autoaggregates was shown to depend on the production of curli, which represent surface structures playing an important role in biofilm formation.Conclusion. The proposed system of magnetic levitation can be used to study molecular mechanisms of bacterial autoaggregation and flocculation.

Introduction. COVID-19 increases the risk of ischemic stroke (IS), but the impact of COVID-19 on the recovery period of IS remains poorly understood.The aim of the study – to identify patterns and features of the course and manifestations of the early and late stages of the recovery period after ischemic stroke associated with COVID-19.Materials and methods. The combined retro-prospective study included 81 patients. Patients were divided into three groups: 1) development of stroke followed by outcome in ischemic stroke (IS) associated with COVID-19 (n = 21); 2) COVID-19 infection without stroke (n = 40); 3) development of stroke without COVID-19 (n = 20). All subjects were interviewed by telephone within 12 months from the date of discharge from the hospital. In patients with stroke, the severity of stroke (NIHSS scale), functional status (Rankine scale), and daily activity level (Bartel scale) were studied. All subjects were interviewed by telephone within 12 months from the moment of discharge from the hospital, the following were assessed: complaints, general condition of patients, the patient’s level of activity and ability to self-care, emotional status and the presence of anxiety and depressive disorders. The following were retrospectively assessed: stroke severity, functional status, volume of lung lesions according to MSCT, the presence of cardiovascular diseases, indicators of general and biochemical blood tests, changes in blood levels of cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α.Results. The highest mortality at the post-hospital stage (only 67 and 47% of the total number of deaths) was in patients who had an ischemic stroke associated with COVID-19; half of them were registered in the first 3 months; by the end of the 6th month, this figure was 79%. Deaths in patients with IS due to COVID-19 occur 6 months earlier than in the group of patients with stroke without COVID-19. The leading causes of fatal outcomes in patients with IS due to COVID-19 in the first 3 months were acute myocardial infarction and repeated strokes. A high frequency of unfavorable rehabilitation prognoses and deaths both in the acute period of the disease and at the post-hospital stage was observed in patients with high comorbidity with forms of pathology of the circulatory system.Conclusion. Patients who have had an ischemic stroke associated with COVID-19, in the first 3 months of the post-hospital period, are at an increased risk of developing thrombotic complications and death and require special attention of outpatient doctors in this period after discharge from the hospital.