NURSES' AWARENESS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS INFLUENZA VACCINATION: A STUDY IN GEORGIA.

This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and awareness of nurses in Georgia towards influenza vaccination, especially in light of the mandatory vaccination policy introduced for medical personnel. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 455 Level 5 nurses, chosen from a population of 19000 registered nurses in Georgia. Participants completed a 16-question mixed-format questionnaire assessing demographic information, knowledge about mandatory influenza vaccines, and attitudes towards vaccination. Data analysis employed quantitative methods using SPSS, focusing on statistical measures such as mean, relative frequencies, standard deviation, and chi-square tests. The study found that 56% of nurses had received training on flu vaccination, but a significant portion (36.6%) had not, leading to varied levels of self-assessed knowledge. Over 61% of nurses had been vaccinated for the current season. Reasons for not receiving the flu shot included personal health concerns (14.7%), time constraints (14.7%), and fear of adverse effects (16.5%). Despite these concerns, 83.8% believed in the vaccine's effectiveness. Regarding mandatory vaccination, 50% supported voluntary vaccination, while 24.6% supported mandatory policies. The study also noted regional differences in vaccine uptake and found that a significant proportion of those opposed to mandatory vaccination had nonetheless been vaccinated. The research underscores a need for improved educational initiatives to address the misconceptions about vaccine risks among nurses. Despite concerns over adverse events, the actual risk associated with influenza vaccination is low. The study advocates for enhanced communication strategies to bridge the gap between perceived and actual risks and to increase influenza vaccination uptake among nurses.

Caffeic and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid derivatives as antimicrobial agent: biological evaluation and molecular docking studies.

Herein we report the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of some previously synthesized 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid in benzylated and in free 3,4 hydroxy groups in catechol moiety along with some caffeic and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid amides using the microdilution method. The evaluation revealed that compounds showed in general moderate to low activity with MIC in range of 0.36-4.5 mg/mL. Compounds were also studied against three resistant bacteria strains MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Seven out of ten compounds were more potent than reference drugs ampicillin and streptomycin against MRSA, while against another two resistant strains seven compounds showed low activity and the rest were inactive. Antifungal activity of the tested compounds was much better than antibacterial, with MIC in the range of 0.019-3.0 mg/mL. Compounds #7 and 15 showed good activity against all fungi tested, being more potent than ketoconazole and in some case even better than bifonazole used as reference drugs. Docking studies revealed that the most active compound #7 binds to the haem group of the enzyme in the same way as ketoconazole.

[Development of technology for the substance of poly[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) glyceric acid] from Symphytum asperum].

Comfrey (Symphytum L.) is used to treat bone fractures, tendon injuries, ulcer lesions of gastrointestinal tract. It promotes wound healing, accelerates exudates resorption in lungs and reduces joints' inflammation. In Georgian folk medicine, herbal remedies from comfrey are used to accelerate regeneration processes. Comfrey contains hepatotoxic and carcinogenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, besides the main active ingredient is poly [3 - (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) glyceric acid] (PDPGA). The aim of present work was to develop a technology for the substance - poly [3-(3,4dihydroxyphenyl) glyceric acid] (PDPGA) from comfrey stems, free of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. During the investigation the optimal conditions for extraction and purification have been established: on the first stage pyrrolizidine alkaloids were removed from plant material by supercritical extraction; then the crude polysaccharides' fraction was obtained by water extraction (raw materials/extragent ratio was 1:15 at 90oC, the procedure was carried twice for 60 and 90 minutes). The isolation of the final product - PDPGA from crude polysaccharides' fraction was carried out by ultrafiltration on membrane filters. Based on the results of the investigation the technological scheme for the substance has been developed.

[Introduction of modified hexose residues into O-specific polysaccharides of Salmonella of serotype E, B, C2 and C3 using synthetic nucleotide sugars]. / Vvedenie modifitsirovannykh ostatkov geksoz v O-spetsificheskie polisakharidy salmonell serogrupp E, B, C2 i C3 s pomoshch'iu sinteticheskikh nukleotidsakharov.

A series of synthetic nucleotide sugars have been studied as monosaccharide donors in the biosynthetic assembly of the O-antigen repeating units of Salmonella sero-groups E, B, C2 and C3. UDP-Tal did not serve as a substrate of galactosyl phosphate transferase, and GDP-Tal did not substitute GDP-Man in mannosyltransferase reactions. dTDP-L-Man proved to be a substrate of rhamnosyl transferases; GDP-2dMan, GDP-3dMan, GDP-D-Rha and GDP-Glc served as substrates for mannosyltransferases. The modified tri- and tetrasaccharide derivatives can be converted into the modified O-specific polysaccharides after incubation with Salmonella membranes.

[Acceptor specificity of mannosyl transferases from Salmonella of serotypes C2 and C3]. / Aktseptornaia spetsifichnost' mannoziltransferaz salmonell serogrupp C2 i C3.

Synthetic mono- and disaccharide derivatives of moraprenyl pyrophosphate were studied as mannose acceptors during the assembly of the repeating unit Rha-Man-Man-Gal of the Salmonella newport (serogroup C2) and S. kentucky (serogroup C3) O-antigens. Mannosyl transferases revealed strict specificity towards the configuration of terminal monosaccharide residue at C1 as well as to the type of linkage between monosaccharide residues in the disaccharide acceptor. The specificity of mannosyl transferases towards the structure of subterminal monosaccharide was not absolute. Alpha-D-Glucose and alpha-D-mannose derivatives were found not to serve as mannosyl residue acceptors, whereas those of alpha-D-talose, alpha-D-fucose, 4-deoxy-D-xylo-hexose and Man (alpha 1-3) glucose were substrates in enzymatic mannosylation with formation of polyprenyl pyrophosphate trisaccharides. These derivatives could serve as substrates for two subsequent enzymatic reactions: rhamnosylation and polymerization of the repeating units, yielding 40-60% of the polysaccharides.

[Sensitivity of mannosyl transferases from Salmonella serotype E1 and B to modification of the donor heterocyclic base]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' mannoziltransferaz iz salmonell serogrupp E1 i B k modifikatsii geterotsiklicheskogo osnovaniia donora.

A series of synthetic nucleoside diphosphate mannoses with different heterocyclic bases were tested as GDP-Man analogues in enzymatic mannosylation during assembly of O-antigen repeating units of Salmonella anatum and Salmonella typhimurium. The substrate efficiency was found to depend strongly on oxygen atom presence at C6 of the purine residue, the H2N-C2-N1-H grouping of the heterocyclic nucleus being less important. UDP-Man proved to be an efficient substrate for the mannosylation reactions.