When I think of ages past That have floated down the stream Of life and love and death, I feel how free it makes us To pass away.

Rabindranath Tagore

Welcome, readers, to September’s first issue: The Stream of Life, Love, and Death.

Sayani Mukherjee speaks to the weight of the world’s grief, of millions of lost loves over historical time.

Ibrahim Uthman draws on programming terms to comment on the loss of life in Gaza. Ahmed Miqdad quests for love and peace in Gaza, all in vain. Yucheng Tao bears witness to genocide in Cambodia through his evocative poem where memory and grief echo off the rocks and pages of history. In his piece, self-declared pure idealism leads only to death.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou addresses the issue of domestic violence. Christopher Bernard reflects on humanity’s continual state of conflict among different groups as Patricia Doyne excoriates tolerance for school shootings and immigration enforcement violence in the United States.

Alex Johnson speaks to the need for radical creativity as resistance to the forces of death and authoritarianism. Mary Bone captures moments of human and animal growth and creation. Jacques Fleury discusses the need for humans to coexist equitably with each other and with the wide diversity of natural creatures who share our planet.

Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal speaks to energy, creativity, and the need to support young people. Xudoyqulova Shahzoda highlights Uzbekistan’s efforts to empower the young, the disabled, and women. Rayhona Sobirjonova expresses her gratitude for a caring teacher. John Sheirer’s short story depicts a boy learning a mixture of love and toughness from both a father and stepfather. Bill Tope presents the story of a mother determined to overcome obstacles and keep her family together. Muhammadjonova Muzayyana praises the love and care of her devoted mother. Judge Santiago Burdon’s video presents an ironically humorous tale of a man’s adult son coming out of the closet.

Otaboyeva Zuhra shares how education can transform a young woman’s life. Madina Furkatova highlights efforts to educate and empower young women in Uzbekistan. Muhammed Suhail reflects on the indispensable contributions of women to shaping the early days and teachings of Islam. Bhekisisa Mncube reviews Nthikeng Molele’s novel Breasts, etc, a feminist story of a group of women and a man who photographs them nude. Anna Keiko shares her determination to live out her calling as a poetess, in honor of the many female trailblazers throughout history.

Vazira Yuldosheva shares ways to heighten students’ communication competence. Boboqulova Durdona outlines ways to engage students in active learning. Sevinch Mukhammadiyeva talks up a student leadership conference she attended, “Office of the Future.” Panoyeva Jasmina O’tkirovna highlights advantages of blended classrooms and self-study combined with instruction. Nafosat Jovliyeva discusses roles for technology in language learning. Dilshoda Jurayeva urges students to learn and adopt self-discipline as a study tool. Janna Hossam discusses the problem of burnout in gifted children.

Abigail George speaks to finding and claiming beauty and selfhood in the face of mental illness. Tursunbayeva Shohida Baxtiyor traces the history of diagnostic methods in psychiatry. Ana Petrovic speaks to the confluence of forces and emotions rising up in the human psyche. Brian Barbeito journeys through real and surreal worlds to tend and befriend the different and the marginalized. Hua Ai speaks to the wildness still inherent in our feelings and encounters with urban nature. Joan McInerney draws on elegant nature metaphors to describe love and the transitory states of life. Mark Young speaks to growth and transformation in our bodies and the natural world. Anakha S.J. compares maintaining feelings of love to tending a flower. Mahbub Alam presents a joyful couple forgetting themselves among the beauty of nature and their blossoming romance. Jerome Berglund and Christina Chin’s tan-renga present an adorable take on modern relationships. Mesfakus Salahin’s extensive nature metaphors speak to the psychology of a lover.

Brian Barbeito reflects on a random capricious day with various encounters, positive and negative, with people and nature. Chimezie Ihekuna expresses cynicism about the hypocrisy inherent in many relationships, Raisa Anan Mustakin laments people’s growing isolation and separation from each other, and Alan Catlin processes work anxiety through dreams while out in pastoral greenery. Nageh Ahmed evokes feelings of both love and loneliness under the moonlight as Wazed Abdullah finds inner peace in lunar light. Mykyta Ryzhykh evokes efforts of love in the face of the loss of innocence. Duane Vorhees speaks to the vulnerability and unpredictability inherent in love.

Vohidova Ruxshona discusses the internal composition of Saturn and the wonder of the far-off universe. Don Bormon expresses his fascination with a constantly changing cloudy sky. Abdurrahim Is’haq’s artwork of a door shrouded in shadow and sunlight evokes mystery and wonder.

Abdulboqiyev Muhammadali turns to medicine as a subject, sharing some of the warning signs of a stroke. Eshmurodova Sevinch discusses how modern financial technology can improve the functioning of global economic systems.

Mathematics is also part of our physical universe, and Mamadaliyeva Durdona shares methods for solving systems of linear equations. Mardonova Marjona finds the beauty in each season, in change, as David Sapp revels in “relentless” natural elegance. Nikhita Nithin sways with the wind during a neighborhood festival. Nilufar Mo’ydinova offers suggestions on how to live sustainably with nature, suggesting improved environmental practices for the publishing industry.

Sushant Thapa writes of finding happiness wherever he can in life as Stephen Jarrell Williams enjoys a tender moment with his wife and Mahbub Alam loses himself in the joy of nature and love. Maja Milojkovic speaks to a transcendent love, present even when the couple is apart, echoed in endless mirrorings on water’s surface. Summer Kim takes joy in transitory childhood moments and memories. Su Yun’s Chinese bilingual elementary students write joyfully about nature and play. Sharifova Saidaxon reminisces about her happy childhood as Xo’jamiyorova Gulmira remembers her elementary school days and classmates.

Dilnoza Bekmurodova reflects on how she will always hear the unmistakable call of her home. O’g’iloy Bunyodbekovna Muhammadjonova sings the praises of her radiant Uzbek homeland. Maftuna Rustamova finds comfort and peace in her heritage as Ozodbek Narzullayev joins in the reflections on Uzbekistan. Maxmudjonova Begoyim considers the weight and grace of her Turkish heritage as Dr. Priyanka Neogi shares a poetically beautiful tale of the Indian flag. Eva Petropoulou interviews Greek sculptor and painter Konstantinos Fais, who is examining the myth of Hercules to revive classical civic virtue for modern Greeks.

Uzbekistan’s writers go beyond heritage to relate how the nation is currently a source of pride, as Jumaniyozova Nazokat discusses the potential for wellness tourism in Uzbekistan. Madinabonu Mamatxonova describes rapid Uzbek economic growth driven by entrepreneurship. Xurshida Abdisattorova highlights the accomplishments of an Uzbek mixed martial arts coach. Meanwhile, Shahnoza Ochildiyeva outlines what Central Asian countries, and the rest of the world, can learn from Finland.

J.J. Campbell explores different sides of memories: nostalgia, loss and mourning, and the quest to separate oneself from toxic or false aspects of the past. Brooks Lindberg laments the death of glaciers through a poem that grants nature a measure of agency even in melting. Jake Cosmos Aller reflects on historical revision at the Smithsonian Museum.

Grzegorz Wroblewski’s fresh installment of asemic poems evoke the aesthetic of language as a part of human culture. Ken Gosse’s ars poetica defends the power of rhyme and meter in a world of free verse. Graciela Noemi Villaverde celebrates the mysterious and poetic works of Jorge Luis Borges. Dr. Jernail S. Anand argues for the primacy of literature as a study and discipline to help us return to our humanity as Mirta Liliana Ramirez does something similar, depicting dance as an act of love to add beauty to life.

Michael Robinson shares, in his final piece after ten years of writing for Synchronized Chaos Magazine, the family and sanctuary he has found through his faith.

Susie Gharib draws on historical mythology to explore our place in the world and our vulnerabilities as humans. Patrick Sweeney’s tiny vignettes capture distinct moments in human life: wonder, confusion, humor, or just us pondering being alive. Taylor Dibbert relates the paradox of what happens when we care too much – or too little – about money. Santiago Burdon explores human nature in his tale of a chance encounter on an airplane.

Finally, Sarvinoz Orifova reflects on the nature of hope and the power of holding on to it during challenging times.

Promise

The courtesy of ever brimming love

The fountain of lost promises

Of lands and antique mountain heroes

They sung a different lullaby

To keep the vigil intact of broken dreams

A dream is a moving wish for penchant hope

I stand at the gate of eternity

Of heavenly shadows and rainbow dreams

A penmanship of an author lost and found

As the river ran a thousand depths

For the feeling of innumerable grief

As if my heart string was tied to a shadow.

All In Vain

Every night,

I chase sleep

As if I were a ferocious lion

And it was the humble friendly deer.

However, the closer I get 

The more the distance becomes greater

As if I were lost in the vast universe looking for a dead-light star and the moon laughs at me,

But all in vain.

I search for sleep

As if I were looking for my lost beloved inside a black hole,

But all in vain.

I beseech sleep

As if I were thirsty

Lost in an arid desert 

And I think the scorching wavering heat is the cold lake,

But all in vain. 

I beg to sleep

As if it were an affluent arrogant man

And I were a destitute poor soul

Nonetheless, he is so mean

And I’m extremely needy,

But all in vain.

Please let my eyes embrace you just  for a once

As my fatigued body 

Anchors on your banks.

Palestinian poet, activist, teacher

Awarded Naji Naaman literary award, 2025

Women in chains

Unloved Woman 2

I was alone for years…

Like a tree

During the rain

So when I met this man

It was love at the first sight

I think

Talking hours on the phone

Talking hours over the dinner table

-U are only mine, he whispers for years

– U belong to me, he repeat day after day

I didn’t react when he search my bag, my phone, my Facebook account..

He told me to delete my social media accounts

He told me no need to go to work because he will take care of me

He told me, never go out alone…

I do not like!!

I did not react,

I did not go away

I did not talk to anyone

I keep my secrets deep inside

Without smile

Without tears

One night, they find me

In a foetus position

Cover of blood

He stabbed me with the kitchen knife….

After we had celebrated our 5th anniversary

The police described the whole scene

as a

Crime of passion

……….. 

Speak up!!!! 

Open the door and run!!!!

Do not be afraid!!! 

Longing

for K. Sello Duiker

I sleep when I am tired

When there’s a hummingbird in my mouth

A starling swimming in a cup of honey

On my kitchen table

I was so good at giving 

my heart away to the flowers,

to the rain, to the sky, 

to the empty field behind my house

I am tired of being mentally ill,

this chronic sickness,

this flame

the powers that be

I watch it burn between my fingers

It tastes of Palestine

Cold stone turned into rubble

Make it go away

But it doesn’t go away

Look!

Wildflowers have started 

to grow next to my bed in the hospital

next to the bars at my window

I needed sanity in my life

Every woman needs that

So I imagined their beauty,

their growth

the growth and beauty 

of the wildflowers

Every woman needs that

In my bedroom, at home

a cobweb covers the rose,

my mother’s wizened hands

and fingers as she makes my bed

She bought me a journal,

a new pen,

new books

She places these gifts

on the table next to my bed

welcoming me home

She doesn’t say that she loves me

She doesn’t say that I’ve been missed

The gifts are enough

The fact that they tidied up my room

that my mother’s made up my bed

I dance in the Imperial dark

by myself, barefoot,

to the lonely notes of pianist Olga Scheps

The bathwater turns into seawater

The kitchen turns into the shore

I hug the red fox 

bleeding into the sheet

I hand my father his teeth

and towel-dry my hands

I watch him shave

We read the newspaper

in the sitting room

We drink coffee

We eat cheese sandwiches

We talk

Years later

I am standing in the kitchen

thinking back to my first breakdown

My brother makes eggs 

While he makes the eggs

he shouts at me

Those were his words and not my own,

I tell myself

I ate the green olives gingerly

Olives for breakfast

They tasted delicious and cold

The men in my life

that tension and spark

didn’t know what to do

with me really

Only that I could never

be wife material

Only that I could never 

raise children

Oh, madwomen couldn’t do that

Years later

I am alone

remembering all of this

all of them

remembering the breakdown

how it changed me

how it broke me in waves

The kitchen turns into the shore

The bathwater turns into seawater

I sink

I fall

I think

I know it all

Cloud people turn to dust in the rain

Another year turns into a birthday cake

A woman brings life into the world

The father, my brother, nurtures the child

Calls his daughter “Princess”

My father loves me

He turns the wrinkled prunes 

and custard into a feast meal

I was loved

I am loved

I will love myself and take care of myself

It’s much too late

The clock doesn’t work anymore

Yes, it’s much too late.

flame

in the silence

in this, this lonely hour

Gaza falls

like the neck of a wildflower falls

this too shall pass

do you remember the past

your past

i am in the cave again

how your voices warm my heart

how your voices comfort me

a bird spilled out of me

i am 19 years old

getting on a bus to Johannesburg

not knowing I will go mad there

that it will be six months

before I will see the sun again

the leaves are sad for me

this singing forest, my mother

there is a terror inside of me

the voices murmur something

something about a baptism

i am only a passenger

a passenger who lost her mind

the marbles rock the children to sleep

the children i will never have

the son and daughter i will never have

speak, memory of light, of war

before I disinherit you

summer. salt. tears

the highway falls through the sky

i read everything

i can even read your mind,

this silence

this perception and topography of light healed all my wounds

bloodless grass

on reading that sad story Flowers For Algernon

flame

tomato seeds plastered on my tongue

tasting of summer in the salad

droplets of seawater

against my skin

cold. wet. plasma

the shake of the fish seismic

these pills fill me or are they peas

please fix me, i cried

my mother doesn’t love me

i doubt she ever has

perhaps when i was a baby

no

perhaps when i cried

in her own mother’s arms

i don’t know

perhaps when she knew

that i was going to be a writer

at eight

well, maybe

at twelve, when the typewriter appeared

perhaps when she 

bought adult diapers for me

but she never told me,

her manic depressive daughter

in so many words

that she loved me

i am still crying

middle-aged i am still crying

please, please fix me

fix what is broken

make me whole again

bring my father back to life

i’m changing

i’m changing

watch how proteas grow

out, yes, out of my fingers

watch how they hiss, 

snake and groove

just look at how perfect the day is

Don’t you forget about me, pinky swear promise me, R.

I’m sick, R.

It’s my kidneys

(they don’t

work so nicely

anymore) and

my heart and 

so sometimes

I get tired. So, so 

tired. Today was

one of those 

days. You’re

two-years-old so 

you don’t really

understand

but I’m telling

you anyway so

that you’ll

understand one day

So, today you

weren’t mine

So, today you

didn’t belong 

to me. Your

father kept you

 hidden from me.

You didn’t 

sing for me. We

didn’t watch

 television together.

I didn’t 

cook for you.

I was crazy, he 

said. I felt no

shame. Many 

people had

called me that. I 

sat in my bedroom

as your father 

shouted at me.

Where’s the food?

He screamed, as

he walked down

the passage

with you in his arms

You do goddam

nothing in this

 house. It didn’t

matter. Nothing 

mattered. Only

the composer 

Maurice Ravel.

I could feel him 

in my bones, you

know? He was

shielding 

me from my

brother’s gaze.

Lifting me towards

the foam of the

sea threatening

to engulf me via

the ceiling . Oh,

you’ll see. You’ll forget 

me. Just like

other family members, 

just like my mother

on my birthday, the 

church, the

Johannesburg

People. This

memory of

isolation is so 

deep. Today

you didn’t ask for

me but that

didn’t make me cry

It was, forget

about her, she’s

crazy, (I mean

what kind of man

says that 

to a two year old.)

Soon I’ll disappear,

vanish like chocolate

into thin air. There’s

no key that can fit

into the cage

of my heart

anymore. Shush.

Close your eyes.

Go to sleep. I

am only a dream.

He screams and

screams. The man

screams and

screams at me

but all I can hear

is Olga Scheps  and

Maurice Ravel. Look!

I am turning

into a pianist,

a composer. They’re

standing for me

like they stood for

Beethoven. There’s

no more pain.

Everything that

I do is still wrong

but there’s no more

pain. There’s no

longer a cage in

front of and behind

me, an order and

routine of isolation.

1. 《在春天种一朵女孩》

河北省石家庄市藁城区工业路小学 苏墨琰 10岁

在春天种一朵女孩

春风轻轻把她唤醒

绿草染发

柔柳梳头

小蜜蜂提着水壶匆匆赶来

喂她最甜美的饮料

她穿上五颜六色的裙子

戴着露珠银耳坠

和蝴蝶一起开化装舞会

……

她盛开了

全世界都知道

Plant a Girl in Spring

Su Moyan, 10 years old

Gongye Road Primary School, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province

Plant a girl in spring

The spring breeze gently wakes her up

Green grass dyes her hair

Soft willows comb her tresses

Little bees hurry over with water pots

To feed her the sweetest drink

She puts on a colorful dress

Wears dewdrop silver earrings

And has a costume party with butterflies

……

She blooms

The whole world knows

2. 《秋天的课堂》

河北省石家庄市藁城区贾市庄镇贯庄小学 薛润楠 9岁

叶子们悄悄落下来

秋天的教室开学了

秋风老师教他们

跳舞、唱歌、做游戏

他们用自己的姿势

欢迎下一个春天

Autumn Classroom

Xue Runnan, 9 years old

Guanzhuang Primary School, Jiashizhuang Town, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province

Leaves fall quietly

The autumn classroom starts its term

Teacher Autumn Wind teaches them

To dance, sing, and play games

In their own postures

They welcome the next spring

线卷

我在老箱子里翻出一筒线卷

索性避开了从屋顶闯入的

鬼祟的雨

与背叛木梁而塌下的泥

没有尘染没有破损

几十年的线

把一群男女从婴儿缝成人

在几茬的棉花上从老虎绣成鸳鸯

索性是被珍藏的线卷

我手捏着软木芯的柄

我要怎样安排这几十或几百寸棉纤

在她身上插一根针当作饰品

还是把她扯下又缠上新的榆木的芯

拿不定主意

但决不会再让她缝棉衣缝布片

也不会让她绣老虎绣鸳鸯

找到她久别的丈夫

——熏黑的油灯

与他同葬

Spool of Thread

I rummaged through an old trunk and found a spool of thread

Thus evading the furtive rain

That intruded through the roof

And the mud that betrayed the wooden beams and collapsed

Untarnished, unbroken

This thread, after decades

Stitched a group of men and women from infants into adults

On several crops of cotton, embroidered tigers turned into mandarin ducks

It was a cherished spool of thread, indeed

I hold the soft wooden core’s handle

How should I arrange these dozens or hundreds of inches of cotton fibers?

Stick a needle into her as an ornament?

Or tear her off and wind her around a new elm core?

Undecided

But I’ll never let her sew cotton-padded clothes or cloth pieces again

Nor let her embroider tigers or mandarin ducks

Find her long-lost husband

——the smoke-blackened oil lamp

And bury them together

Su Yun, 17 years old, is a member of the Chinese Poetry Society and a young poet. His works have been published in more than ten countries. He has published two poetry collections in China, namely Inspiration from All Things and Wisdom and Philosophy, and one in India titled WITH ECSTASY OF MUSINGS IN TRANQUILITY. He has won the Guido Gozzano Orchard Award in Italy, the Special Award for Foreign Writers in the City of Pomezia, and was praised by the organizing committee as the “Craftsman of Chinese Lyric Poetry”. He has also received the “Cuttlefish Bone” Best International Writer Award for those under 25.

Clinical Psychiatry and Modern Diagnostic Methods

Abstract

Clinical psychiatry is a branch of medicine focused on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental disorders. Over the past decades, the field has undergone significant transformation due to advancements in neuroscience, imaging technologies, and psychometric tools. Modern diagnostic methods have improved accuracy, reduced misdiagnosis, and enabled early intervention, which is critical for effective treatment outcomes. This paper explores the evolution of psychiatric diagnostics, emphasizing current evidence-based approaches, including structured interviews, neuroimaging, genetic testing, and digital assessment tools. The discussion also highlights the integration of biological, psychological, and social models in psychiatric evaluation and the ethical considerations surrounding emerging technologies.

Keywords: Clinical psychiatry, modern diagnostics, mental disorders, neuroimaging, psychometrics, genetic testing, early intervention

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 Introduction

Clinical psychiatry plays a central role in the healthcare system by addressing mental health issues ranging from depression and anxiety to severe psychotic disorders. Historically, psychiatric diagnosis relied heavily on clinical observation and patient-reported symptoms. However, this approach, while valuable, often lacked objective biological markers. Advances in neuroscience, imaging, and computational tools have transformed psychiatry into a more precise and multidisciplinary field. Today, psychiatrists combine traditional clinical expertise with advanced diagnostic technologies to improve diagnostic accuracy, personalize treatment, and reduce stigma.

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Evolution of Psychiatric Diagnostics

The 20th century witnessed the introduction of structured diagnostic systems such as the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and the ICD (International Classification of Diseases). These systems standardized diagnostic criteria, facilitating consistency across clinical and research settings. However, psychiatric disorders often exhibit overlapping symptoms, making differentiation challenging. To address this, researchers have developed objective tools, including neuroimaging, genetic profiling, and standardized psychometric assessments.

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Modern Diagnostic Methods

 Structured Clinical Interviews

Tools such as the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) ensure standardized questioning, reducing diagnostic variability between clinicians.

Neuroimaging Techniques

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Detects structural brain changes linked to disorders such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder.
• fMRI (Functional MRI): Measures brain activity by detecting blood flow changes, useful for studying cognitive and emotional processing.
• PET (Positron Emission Tomography): Evaluates metabolic activity, aiding in the study of neurodegenerative conditions and mood disorders.

Genetic and Biomarker Testing

Genomic studies have identified specific gene variants associated with psychiatric conditions. For example, variations in the COMT and SERT genes are linked to mood regulation. Biomarkers such as cortisol levels can provide insight into stress-related disorders.

 Psychometric Assessments

Standardized questionnaires like the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) quantify symptom severity and track treatment progress.

 Digital and AI-Based Tools

Mobile applications, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly used for continuous mood monitoring, speech pattern analysis, and early detection of relapse.

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 Integration of Diagnostic Approaches

A modern psychiatric evaluation often involves a biopsychosocial approach, combining biological (e.g., neuroimaging, genetic testing), psychological (e.g., cognitive assessments), and social (e.g., environmental stressors) factors. This integrated model enables a holistic understanding of the patient, enhancing treatment planning and outcomes.

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 Ethical Considerations

While modern diagnostic tools offer greater accuracy, they raise ethical questions about privacy, data protection, and informed consent. Genetic testing, for example, can reveal information with implications beyond psychiatry, affecting family members and insurance eligibility. Balancing technological innovation with ethical responsibility is essential for maintaining trust in mental healthcare.

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 Conclusion

Clinical psychiatry is undergoing a paradigm shift from purely symptom-based diagnosis to integrated, technology-driven approaches. Modern diagnostic methods—ranging from structured interviews to neuroimaging and AI—allow earlier, more accurate detection of mental disorders. As these tools become more accessible, psychiatrists must ensure that their use aligns with ethical principles, patient-centered care, and the broader goal of reducing the global burden of mental illness.

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References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., Text Revision). APA Publishing.
2. Insel, T. R., & Cuthbert, B. N. (2015). Brain disorders? Precisely. Science, 348(6234), 499–500.
3. Keshavan, M. S., Nasrallah, H. A., & Tandon, R. (2011). Schizophrenia, “Just the Facts” 6. Moving ahead with the schizophrenia concept: From the elephant to the mouse. Schizophrenia Research, 127(1–3), 3–13.

Tursunbayeva Shohida Baxtiyor qizi
5th-year student, Faculty of Medicine, General Medicine program, Al-Faraganus University

Scientific Supervisor: Asadova Gulnara Akmalovna, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology specialty