This study investigated the phytochemical composition and biological activity of Cymbopogon citratus microshoot cultures and evaluated their suitability for incorporation into a cosmetic formulation. Microshoot cultures were established on Murashige and Skoog media supplemented with plant growth regulators and served as a reproducible source of biomass. Methanolic and ethanolic extracts were analyzed for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Chemical composition was characterized using LC-MS/MS analysis, which revealed the presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids, with p-coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids being among the most abundant detected constituents. In biological assays, the extracts inhibited murine tyrosinase in a concentration-dependent manner and exhibited antimicrobial activity against selected oral and skin-associated microorganisms, including Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, as well as showing fungistatic and fungicidal effects against Candida albicans. Cytotoxicity analysis performed on HaCaT keratinocytes confirmed biocompatibility within the tested concentration range. To assess formulation suitability, the microshoot extract was incorporated into an oil-in-water (O/W) cream, which maintained stable pH, viscosity, and physical properties while preserving the antioxidant activity of the extract. Overall, these findings indicate that C. citratus microshoot cultures represent a reproducible source of bioactive metabolites with potential application in cosmetic formulations.
This article examines one of the most significant trajectories in the reception of the existential philosophy of Lev Shestov in the USSR. His principal successor in the Soviet context was Yakov Druskin, who developed a distinctive practice of phenomenological reduction that extended Shestov’s notion of the “apotheosis of groundlessness” through the poeticization of experience. This approach was realized in practice by the Chinari, a circle associated with OBERIU. During the period of the Khrushchev Thaw, the works of the Chinari experienced a revival and gained renewed attention. At the same time, in Minsk, a group of samizdat poets emerged who may be understood as a case of intellectual convergence: independently and without direct influence, they rediscovered and rearticulated the phenomenological reduction developed by Druskin and the Chinari, but within the specific context of Belarusian culture. These authors are now referred to as the Minsk School of Poetry—non-Soviet poets of the Belarusian samizdat. This development is particularly significant given that, during the same period, official philosophy in the Belarusian SSR largely took the form of a colonial discourse shaped by intellectual centers in Moscow and Leningrad. Alongside this, an unofficial but widespread Soviet New Age milieu also influenced a number of Belarusian authors, particularly those engaged in pseudoscientific theorizing. Against this backdrop, the Minsk School of Poetry stands out as the non-Soviet and noncolonial form of philosophical expression in Soviet Belarus, articulating a version of existentialism closely aligned with that of Shestov and Druskin. The study of this school is therefore of considerable importance for the broader project of decolonizing the philosophical and literary legacy of the BSSR.
This paper proposes a phenomenological approach to philosophical logic by reexamining the overlooked yet deeply insightful position of Zaremba in his historical dispute with leading Polish logicians of the early 20th century. Rather than treating this debate as a closed chapter, we argue that Zaremba’s critique remains highly relevant for understanding the limits of formal logic and the need for a more structurally sensitive model of reasoning. His emphasis on the relational and contextual nature of logic challenges the formalist vision of mathematics as a system reducible to axioms. To address this challenge, we introduce a formal mathematical language designed to represent and analyze logemes – the minimal, context-dependent units of logical reasoning. This framework employs simplicial complexes as a topological structure to model how local fragments of reasoning interconnect. Each vertex represents a basic proposition, while higher-dimensional simplices capture the logical relations among them, forming coherent yet flexible substructures. This approach makes it possible to represent interactions among diverse logical systems (such as classical and intuitionistic logic) in a unified, geometrically intuitive manner. By modeling logic not as a unified system but as a dynamic network of interrelated fragments, this work offers a new foundation for philosophical logic – one that is capable of expressing ambiguity, incompleteness, and contextual variation, and that aligns more closely with the actual structure of mathematical and human reasoning. This approach may have a wide and rich range of practical applications in artificial intelligence. It provides a universal representation of databases in the form of logemes, as well as universal models for non-monotonic reasoning. Together, these features make it possible to model key phenomena of consciousness, such as context sensitivity, revision of beliefs, and circularity. By offering a mathematically rigorous framework for non-monotonicity, the approach opens new possibilities for integrating logical, topological, and cognitive structures in AI systems, potentially contributing to more flexible, adaptive, and cognitively plausible models of artificial intelligence.
Recent work on the Loeb Scale has provided astronomy a structured framework for assessing anomalous interstellar objects, including a quantitative mapping of a classification ranking, its evolution with the addition of data, and a broader observational strategy for firming its verdict. What remains unclear is the epistemic and methodological meaning of the threshold built into that framework. Here we argue that the central philosophical issue is no longer whether astronomy can define such a threshold, but how a threshold already in place should regulate scientific inquiry under uncertainty. We suggest that candidate technosignature status, such as Level 4 on the Loeb Scale, should be understood as an intermediate epistemic status: stronger than permissive openness, weaker than confirmation, yet sufficient to justify methodological escalation. The argument proceeds in three steps. First, it reconstructs the recent philosophical debate through the work of Lomas, Lane, and Cowie. Second, it turns to historical cases discussed by Kaplan (2026) to show that important discoveries are often delayed not only by weak evidence, but also by paradigms, prestige, and institutional filtering. Third, it interprets candidate status as a form of structured scientific commitment under uncertainty, one that justifies intensified observation, broader hypothesis management, and more deliberate allocation of attention and resources without licensing belief in artificial origin. The paper concludes by arguing that AI should not be the arbitrator in deducing an extraterrestrial origin, but can support the detection, comparison, and prioritization of anomalies once a candidate status has been formally recognized.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping the semantic, perceptual, and creative environments of young people, particularly in response to emerging challenges in the labour market. This is also true for higher education in communication disciplines, which have been especially affected by the rapid emergence and widespread adoption of generative tools. Alongside its practical potential, AI introduces significant risks, particularly in the domain of media manipulation, including AI-generated images and deepfake videos, which challenge established notions of authenticity and credibility. The aim of this study is to understand how Central European university students in communication fields perceive issues related to AI in the context of their studies, particularly with regard to its relevance to their field, the development of their professional competencies and creative skills, and their perception of threats resulting from AI-generated manipulative content. The study applies a mixed-methods research design. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire measuring students’ perspectives on AI-related topics within their education. The instrument also includes a qualitative component that allows students to express their thoughts and opinions on the topic. Our research suggests that the issue of AI in higher education within communication and creative disciplines in the Central European region appears to be established, yet still insufficiently formalized at present, with relatively significant differences observed between countries. We also found that students’ ideas about what teaching should focus on can be grouped into three research frameworks: a skills-based, a system-analytical, and a critical-normative framework.
