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This is the first study to assess antiviral activity against human influenza virus A/Aichi/2/68 and bird influenza virus A/chicken/Kurgan/05/2005 and phytochemical characteristics of an ethanol extract of Cacalia hastata L. from wild populations growing in the vicinity of Tomsk, Russia (mixed forest). A log10 neutralization index—an indicator of inhibition of virus replication by the extract from C. hastata leaves—was ≤2 lg for each influenza virus. The extract reduced the infectivity of the human influenza virus by 1.5-fold and that of the avian influenza virus by 1.7-fold. The phytochemical characterization of C. hastata (its various organs) showed that the largest amount of the tested biologically active substances is present in leaves and rhizomes.

An analytical model for polarizability dyadics of small chiral conductive particles in free space or those embedded in a lossy material is presented and discussed. Chiral particles are modeled by a wire loop connected to two straight wire elements. The electromagnetic analysis is based on the replacement the particles by two connected antennas representing the wire and loop portions. Analytical expressions for polarizabilities are given. For electrically small particles, a lumped-element equivalent circuit can be constructed and the polarizabilities can be expressed in terms of equivalent circuit parameters. It is shown that the wire-and-loop antenna model for scatterers satisfies the reciprocity condition and other basic physical requirements. Approximate analytical expressions are compared with numerical simulations and with the experimental data on reflection from single chiral particles, and the results are seen to be in good agreement. The model can be used in analytical modeling of chiral and omega composite materials.