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Abstract Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) make up ~1% of the transcriptome; nevertheless, they play significant roles in regulating cellular processes. Given the complexity of the central nervous system, sncRNAs likely hold particular importance in the human brain. In this study, we provide sncRNA transcriptomic profiles in a range of adult and prenatal brain regions, with a focus on piRNAs, due to their underexplored expression in somatic cells and tissue-specific nature. Using the WIND workflow, which combines two detection methods, we found 1333 (731 miRNAs, 249 piRNAs, 285 snoRNAs, and 68 other sncRNAs) and 1445 unique sncRNAs (770 miRNAs, 307 piRNAs, 289 snoRNAs, and 79 other sncRNAs) in developing and adult brains, respectively. Significant variations were found upon comparison of fetal and adult brain groups, with 82 miRNAs, 17 piRNAs, and 70 snoRNAs enriched in fetal brains and 22 miRNAs, 11 piRNAs in adult brains. This dataset represents a valuable resource for exploring the sncRNA roles in brain function, their involvement in neurological diseases, and the molecular mechanisms behind brain region interactions.

The text complexity assessment is an applied problem of current interest with potential application in the drafting of legal documents, editing textbooks, and selecting books for extracurricular reading. The methods for generating a feature vector when automatically assessing the text complexity are quite diverse. Early approaches relied on easily calculable quantities, such as the average length of a sentence or the average number of syllables per word. With the development of natural language processing algorithms, the space of used features is expanding. In this work, we examined three groups of features: 1) automatically generated keywords, 2) information about the features of morphemic word parsing, and 3) information about the diversity, branching, and depth of syntactic trees. The RuTermExtract algorithm was utilized to generate keywords, a convolutional neural network model was used to generate morphemic parses, and the Stanza model, trained on the SynTagRus corpus, was used to generate syntax trees. We conducted a comparison using four different machine learning algorithms and four annotated Russian-language text corpora. The corpora used differ both in the domain and markup paradigm, due to which the results obtained more objectively reflect the real relationship between the characteristics and the text complexity. The use of keywords performed worse on average than the use of topic markers obtained using latent Dirichlet allocation. In most situations, morphemic characteristics turned out to be more effective than previously described methods for assessing the lexical complexity of a text: the frequency of words and the occurrence of word-formation patterns. The use of an extensive set of syntactic features allowed, in most cases, to improve the quality of work of neural network models in comparison with the previously described set.

Abstract Cardiac fibrosis contributes to the development of heart failure, and is the response of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) to pressure or volume overload. Limiting factors in CFs research are the poor availability of human cells and the tendency of CFs to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts when cultured in vitro. The possibility to generate CFs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), providing a nearly unlimited cell source, opens new possibilities. However, the behaviour of iPSC-CFs under mechanical stimulation has not been studied yet. Our study aimed to assess the behaviour of iPSC-CFs under mechanical stretch and pro-fibrotic conditions. First, we confirm that iPSC-CFs are comparable to primary CFs at gene, protein and functional level. Furthermore, iPSC-derived CFs adopt a pro-fibrotic response to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). In addition, mechanical stretch inhibits TGF-β-induced fibroblast activation in iPSC-CFs. Thus, the responsiveness to cytokines and mechanical stimulation of iPSC-CFs demonstrates they possess key characteristics of primary CFs and may be useful for disease modelling.

Abstract Different rat strains are used in various animal models of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) failure. No systematic assessment has been made to test differences in RV response to pressure overload between rat strains. We compared RV adaptation to pulmonary trunk banding (PTB) in Wistar (W), Sprague Dawley (SD), and Fischer344 (F) rats by hemodynamic profiling focusing on diastolic function. Age‐matched male rat weanlings were randomized to sham surgery (W‐sham, n = 5; SD‐sham, n = 4; F‐sham, n = 4) or PTB (W‐PTB, n = 8; SD‐PTB, n = 8; F‐PTB, n = 8). RV function was evaluated after 5 weeks by echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and invasive pressure‐volume measurements. PTB caused RV failure and increased RV systolic pressures four‐fold in all three PTB groups compared with sham. W‐ and SD‐PTB had a 2.4‐fold increase in RV end‐systolic volume index compared with sham, while F‐PTB rats were less affected. Diastolic and right atrial impairment were evident by increased RV end‐diastolic elastance, filling pressure, and E/e' in PTB rats compared with sham, again F‐PTB the least affected. In conclusions, PTB caused RV failure with signs of diastolic dysfunction. Despite a similar increase in RV systolic pressure, F‐PTB rats showed less RV dilatation and a more preserved diastolic function compared with W‐ and SD‐PTB.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition with complete age-dependent penetrance, variable expressivity and a global prevalence of ∼1/3,000. It is characteriszed by numerous café-au-lait macules, skin freckling in the inguinal or axillary regions, Lisch nodules of the iris, optic gliomas, neurofibromas, and tumour predisposition. The diagnostic testing strategy for NF1 includes testing for DNA single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number variants (CNVs) as well as RNA analysis for deep intronic and splice variants, which can cumulatively identify the causative variant in 95% of patients. In the present study, NF1 patients were screened using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay targeting NF1 exons and intron/exon boundaries for SNV and NF1 multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis for CNV detection. Twenty-six unrelated Southern African patients clinically suspected of having NF1, based on the clinical diagnostic criteria developed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), were included in the current study. A detection rate of 58% (15/26) was obtained, with SNVs identified in 80% (12/15) using a targeted gene panel and NF1 gene deletion in 20% (3/15) identified using MLPA. Ten patients (38%) had no variants identified, although they met NF1 diagnostic criteria. One VUS was identified in this study in a patient that met NF1 diagnostic criteria, however there was no sufficient information to classify variant as pathogenic. The clinical features of Southern African patients with NF1 are similar to that of the known NF1 phenotype, with the exception of a lower frequency of plexiform neurofibromas and a higher frequency of developmental/intellectual disability compared to other cohorts. This is the first clinical and molecular characterisation of a Southern African ancestry NF1 cohort using both next-generation sequencing and MLPA analysis. A significant number of patients remained without a diagnosis following DNA-level testing. The current study offers a potential molecular testing strategy for our low resource environment that could benefit a significant proportion of patients who previously only received a clinical diagnosis without molecular confirmation.

This article examines the transformation of the urban environment of Balaklava, as part of the Balaklava district of Sevastopol, and its impact on the daily practices of citizens. Authors describe the perception of the reconstruction of Balaklava by local residents. In the course of the author's research (31 semi-structured interviews), it was found that the commercialization of urban spaces is taking place, which completely changes the type of city — from a closed military-industrial to an open tourist one. This is facilitated, among other things, by gentrification, which manifests itself in the gentrification of urban areas, the reconstruction of the city's waterfront and the adaptation of new spaces for tourism purposes. The everyday practices of citizens, which consist of professional duties, leisure and communication practices, are also undergoing changes, as they are influenced by urban space. In the course of the analysis, the informants were divided into three groups: dissatisfied, satisfied and indifferent, each of which has its own characteristics, but at the same time they all adapt to the changes that have occurred.

Abstract Background Prime editing (PE) is the most recent gene editing technology able to introduce targeted alterations to the genome, including single base pair changes, small insertions, and deletions. Several improvements to the PE machinery have been made in the past few years, and these have been tested in a range of model systems including immortalized cell lines, stem cells, and animal models. While double nicking RNA (dncRNA) PE systems PE3 and PE5 currently show the highest editing rates, they come with reduced accuracy as undesired indels or SNVs arise at edited loci. Here, we aimed to improve single ncRNA (sncRNA) systems PE2 and PE4max by generating novel all-in-one (pAIO) plasmids driven by an EF-1α promoter, which is especially suitable for human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models. Results pAIO-EF1α-PE2 and pAIO-EF1α-PE4max were used to edit the voltage gated potassium channel gene KCNQ2 and voltage gated sodium channel gene SCN1A. Two clinically relevant mutations were corrected using pAIO-EF1α-PE2 including the homozygous truncating SCN1A R612* variant in HEK293T cells and the heterozygous gain-of-function KCNQ2 R201C variant in patient-derived hiPSC. We show that sncRNA PE yielded detectable editing rates in hiPSC ranging between 6.4% and 9.8%, which was further increased to 41% after a GFP-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) cell sorting step. Furthermore, we show that selecting the high GFP expressing population improved editing efficiencies up to 3.2-fold compared to the low GFP expressing population, demonstrating that not only delivery but also the number of copies of the PE enzyme and/or pegRNA per cell are important for efficient editing. Edit rates were not improved when an additional silent protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM)-removing alteration was introduced in hiPSC at the target locus. Finally, there were no genome-wide off-target effects using pAIO-EF1α-PE2 and no off-target editing activity near the edit locus highlighting the accuracy of snc prime editors. Conclusion Taken together, our study shows an improved efficacy of EF-1α driven sncRNA pAIO-PE plasmids in hiPSC reaching high editing rates, especially after FACS sorting. Optimizing these sncRNA PE systems is of high value when considering future therapeutic in vivo use, where accuracy will be extremely important.

Abstract The development of pharmacological therapies for mitochondrial diseases is hampered by the lack of tissue‐level and circulating biomarkers reflecting effects of compounds on endothelial and mitochondrial function. This phase 0 study aimed to identify biomarkers differentiating between patients with mitochondrial disease and healthy volunteers (HVs). In this cross‐sectional case–control study, eight participants with mitochondrial disease and eight HVs matched on age, sex, and body mass index underwent study assessments consisting of blood collection for evaluation of plasma and serum biomarkers, mitochondrial function in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and an array of imaging methods for assessment of (micro)circulation. Plasma biomarkers GDF‐15, IL‐6, NT‐proBNP, and cTNI were significantly elevated in patients compared to HVs, as were several clinical chemistry and hematology markers. No differences between groups were found for mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial reactive oxygen production, oxygen consumption rate, or extracellular acidification rate in PBMCs. Imaging revealed significantly higher nicotinamide‐adenine‐dinucleotide‐hydrogen (NADH) content in skin as well as reduced passive leg movement‐induced hyperemia in patients. This study confirmed results of earlier studies regarding plasma biomarkers in mitochondrial disease and identified several imaging techniques that could detect functional differences at the tissue level between participants with mitochondrial disease and HVs. However, assays of mitochondrial function in PBMCs did not show differences between participants with mitochondrial disease and HVs, possibly reflecting compensatory mechanisms and heterogeneity in mutational load. In future clinical trials, using a mix of imaging and blood‐based biomarkers may be advisable, as well as combining these with an in vivo challenge to disturb homeostasis.

Experiments were undertaken to identify the nature of a previously identified inhibitor of PAF-induced platelet aggregation (PA) in human saliva. Human saliva fractionated by preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) yielded a fraction that co-migrated with fatty acids (FAs) and inhibited PAF-induced aggregation of platelets. Synthetic FAs tested for their capacities to inhibit 0.1 nM PAF-induced PA showed that only the cis-unsaturated compounds were inhibitory with activities of some of the polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA) reaching almost 100% at 20 μM. Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid also deaggregated the PAF-induced aggregates. With the exception of oleic acid (OLA), cis-monounsaturated FAs, and elaidic acid, the trans isomer of OLA, were poor inhibitors. In a direct comparison with other platelet agonists, ADP, thrombin, and ionophore A23187, the active saliva fraction and selected individual FAs inhibited, to greater or lesser extent, PA induced by each of the agonists. EPA, OLA, linoleic acid (LNA), and the active saliva fraction were potent inhibitors of ADP-induced PA, EPA completely inhibited thrombin-induced PA and the saliva fraction showed only weak – moderate inhibitory activity to both thrombin- and ionophore A23187-induced PA. Other reports of endogenous PAF inhibitors in mammalian tissues are compared to the present results. PAF can trigger and amplify inflammatory cascades suggesting a possible modulation role for cis-unsaturated FAs in some diseases.

The article is devoted to the study of trends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and the world and the search for ways to improve the competitiveness of the study area. The aim of the publication is to substantiate the directions of increasing the competitiveness of the hospitality industry in the regions of Ukraine in modern conditions on the basis of the analysis of trends in the studied sphere. Methodology. The study is based on the analysis of scientific literature and points of view of foreign and domestic experts in the field of hospitality. The study also used analytical data of the World Travel and Tourism Council and the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine. During the organization and conduct of the study were used general scientific and special methods, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, identification of destructive factors affecting the state and development of the hospitality industry. Using a structural-logical method, presented a vision of the implementation of modern ways to improve the competitiveness of the hospitality industry in the regions of Ukraine in the conditions of the spread of pandemic. Results. The content and importance of the hospitality industry in the development of the regions of Ukraine and the world. Defined the content of the definitions under study, summarized and formulated approaches to defining the relationship between the concepts of "hospitality industry" and "tourism industry". The analysis of the main indicators of the hospitality industry. In order to find ways to improve the competitive advantages of the hospitality industry and determine the target audience the analysis of indicators of inbound and outbound tourism in Ukraine. Described trends in the development of the hospitality industry in modern conditions. The decrease in almost all indicators of development of the hospitality industry is revealed. The data of the World Council of Travel and Tourism about the state of the hospitality industry in Ukraine are analyzed. The reduction of the total contribution of travel to employment in Ukraine in 2020 to 6.3% was revealed. Identified directions and measures to strengthen the competitive advantages of the hospitality industry in the regions of Ukraine. It is proved that promising directions to improve the competitiveness of the hospitality industry in modern conditions are the association of business entities of the industry, as well as the use of modern digital and information tools. Such associations can be alliances, clusters, unions, brotherhoods, and so on. Joint cooperation of economic entities of the region will allow to create a comprehensive regional product that meets international standards, the needs of modern consumers, safe and of high quality, as well as able to integrate into the world tourism market. Practical implications. The study, based on analysis of major trends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and the world has allowed to define integrated directions for improving the competitiveness of the hospitality industry, the implementation of which in the regions allows you to create a comprehensive regional product that meets international standards and the needs of the modern consumer, is of high quality and safe. Value/originality. The proposed directions for improving the competitiveness of the hospitality industry are the leading tools of regional development, which will quickly overcome the consequences of the spread of the pandemic, promote socio-economic growth of regions and the integration of regional products and services in the global tourism market.

Based on a combination of a system-oriented approach and a synergetic concept, the requirements for the design of tribological polymer composite materials with high-modulus fillers are formed. These materials are considered as an open dynamic system that evolves during operation. The principles of the synergetic concept for tribotechnical systems taking into account the theory of evolution and self-organization to ensure its self-governing and self-supporting development are considered. It is revealed that in the process of interaction of elements of the tribosystem the cooperation of local areas of their materials is formed with the emergence of a critical number of such areas and the creation of an information field about their functioning. The direction of self-organization of processes and states of parts materials in the tribotechnical system and expediency of using the conclusions of the synergetic concept in the construction of polymer composite materials, as well as their nonequilibrium are shown. The issues of creation of tribophysical bases of wear resistance of tribotechnical systems with conjugations of the details made or strengthened by polymeric composite materials are considered. Polymer composite materials are considered as a set of interacting ensembles of local areas, the principle of maximum wear resistance (reliability) is used. Tribological principles and requirements to creation and substantiation of expediency and efficiency of use of high-modulus fillers in polymers are formulated.

Deviations from Brownian motion leading to anomalous diffusion are ubiquitously found in transport dynamics but often difficult to characterize. Here the authors compare approaches for single trajectory analysis through an open competition, showing that machine learning methods outperform classical approaches.

This paper is devoted to the study of active and stable nickel catalysts for methane dry reforming based on Pr-doped ceria–zirconia obtained via the solvothermal continuous method. Studies on the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the 5%Ni/Ce0.75Zr0.25−xPrxO2 series have showed that Pr introduction leads to an increase in the amount of highly reactive oxygen in the oxide lattice. Praseodymium-based catalysts showed significantly higher reactant conversions. In addition to the nature of support, the method of nickel introduction was also studied; Ni was added both using impregnation and the one-pot procedure with mixed oxide preparation. The method of Ni addition was shown to have significant effect on the morphology of its particles and Ni-support interaction, and, respectively, on catalytic activity and coking stability. The 5%Ni/Ce0.75Zr0.15Pr0.1O2 catalyst prepared by one-pot method showed stable operation in the MDR reaction for 30 h at CO2 and CH4 conversions of ~40% and an H2 yield of ~18% (T = 700 °C, τ = 10 ms).

A series of 5%Ni/Ce1-xTixO2 catalysts was prepared with nickel impregnation of mixed Ce–Ti oxides obtained via synthesis in supercritical isopropanol. All oxides have a cubic fluorite phase structure. Ti is incorporated into the fluorite structure. Small amounts of impurities of TiO2 or mixed Ce–Ti oxides appear with Ti introduction. Supported Ni is presented as the NiO or NiTiO3 perovskite phase. Ti introduction increases total samples reducibility and results in stronger interaction of supported Ni with the oxide support. The fraction of rapidly replaced oxygen and the average tracer diffusion coefficient also increase. The number of metallic nickel sites decreased with increasing Ti content. All catalysts except Ni-CeTi0.45 demonstrate close activity in tests of dry reforming of methane. The lower activity of Ni-CeTi0.45 can be connected to Ni decoration with species of the oxide support. The incorporation of Ti prevents detachment of Ni particles from the surface and their sintering during dry reforming of methane.

Summary: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) express a large variety of cell surface receptors that are associated with acquisition of self-renewal and multipotent properties. Correct expression of these receptors depends on a delicate balance between cell surface trafficking, recycling, and degradation and is controlled by the microtubule network and Golgi apparatus, whose roles have hardly been explored during embryonic/fetal hematopoiesis. Here we show that, in the absence of CLASP2, a microtubule-associated protein, the overall production of HSCs is reduced, and the produced HSCs fail to self-renew and maintain their stemness throughout mouse and zebrafish development. This phenotype can be attributed to decreased cell surface expression of the hematopoietic receptor c-Kit, which originates from increased lysosomal degradation in combination with a reduction in trafficking to the plasma membrane. A dysfunctional Golgi apparatus in CLASP2-deficient HSCs seems to be the underlying cause of the c-Kit expression and signaling imbalance.

Creativity, driving environmentally sustainable fashion design through innovation, has become increasingly more important. From an educational perspective, enhancing students' creative design thinking processes, presents several challenges, especially in blended learning. This article addresses this concern and reports on the implementation of a blended learning teaching framework, applied to support students' positive emotions and creativity during an environmentally sustainable fashion design project that required innovative design solutions. The qualitative inquiry adopted a case study research design, involving undergraduate fashion design students at a tertiary institution in South Africa. Two key findings have emerged from the research. Firstly, the significant level of creativity required by the undertaken design project requires re-thinking of support for creative and innovative thinking. Secondly, a clearer understanding of the anxiousness caused when participants are faced with innovative design practices is needed to find suitable solutions. Based on the findings, this paper concludes with improvements presented in an amended framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different rat strains are used in various animal models of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) failure. No systematic assessment has been made to test differences in RV response to pressure overload between rat strains. We compared RV adaptation to pulmonary trunk banding (PTB) in Wistar (W), Sprague Dawley (SD), and Fischer344 (F) rats by hemodynamic profiling focusing on diastolic function. Age‐matched male rat weanlings were randomized to sham surgery (W‐sham, n = 5; SD‐sham, n = 4; F‐sham, n = 4) or PTB (W‐PTB, n = 8; SD‐PTB, n = 8; F‐PTB, n = 8). RV function was evaluated after 5 weeks by echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and invasive pressure‐volume measurements. PTB caused RV failure and increased RV systolic pressures four‐fold in all three PTB groups compared with sham. W‐ and SD‐PTB had a 2.4‐fold increase in RV end‐systolic volume index compared with sham, while F‐PTB rats were less affected. Diastolic and right atrial impairment were evident by increased RV end‐diastolic elastance, filling pressure, and E/e' in PTB rats compared with sham, again F‐PTB the least affected. In conclusions, PTB caused RV failure with signs of diastolic dysfunction. Despite a similar increase in RV systolic pressure, F‐PTB rats showed less RV dilatation and a more preserved diastolic function compared with W‐ and SD‐PTB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of air transportation of strategic goods is a very complex task with many challenges. This paper describes the method used in documenting the requirements for an IT system intended to support management of air transportation of military and dual-use goods. The work was completed in conjunction with a private logistics company. The project produced a Software Requirements Specification document and a working prototype. The document and prototype are held by the Military University of Land Forces of Poland. Requirements were solicited from numerous sources. A private logistics company, numerous books and personal experience of the team members all contributed to requirements. These requirements were then analyzed and a final set of requirements was produced. Screen mock-ups and a working prototype were developed. Selected screen shots are within the paper. The working prototype was developed by constructing a database and using a code generator to produce a web application.

Background: Indications for retinotomy, its procedure and efficacy are still a subject for study and discussions. Purpose: To examine the efficacy of relaxing circumferential and radial retinotomies for retinal detachment associated with marked proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Material and Methods: Twenty-seven patients (27 eyes) with retinal detachment associated with PVR were involved in the study. Eleven eyes (40%) had retinotomy of less than 90°, eight (30%), of 90° to 180°, four (15%), of 180° to 270°, and four (15%), 360° (circumferential retinotomy). Additional radial retinotomy was performed in 5 eyes (19%), and retinotomy combined with choroidectomy, in 2 eyes. Results: Of the 27 eyes, retinal reattachment was achieved after the first surgery in 20 eyes (74%), after re-surgery in 5 eyes (19%). Anatomical success was achieved after removal of silicone oil in 15 eyes (56%). By the time of analysis, silicone oil was not removed in 12 eyes (44%). Complete retinal re-attachment was achieved in 25 eyes (93%), and partial re-attachment, in 2 eyes (7%). Conclusion: Retinotomy should be performed in eyes with retinal detachment and contraction. Circumferential and radial retinotomies provide a relatively high rate of anatomical success of surgery.

Анотація. Присвячено дослідженню тенденцій розвитку індустрії гостинності в регіонах України. Розглянуто зміст та значення індустрії гостинності в соціально-економічному розвитку регіонів. Визначено зміст досліджуваних дефініцій, узагальнено та сформульовано підходи до визначення співвідношень понять «індустрія гостинності» й «індустрія туризму». Визначено основні показники, що характеризують споживання послуг індустрії гостинності. Доведено що основними такими показниками є внесок індустрії туризму у ВВП, обсяги туристичного збору. Визначено, що стан і розвиток індустрії гостинності характеризують також обсяги капітальних інвестицій за видами економічної діяльності у сфері тимчасового розміщення та організації харчування. Проведено аналіз зазначених показників у динаміці та в регіональному розрізі. Охарактеризовано тенденції розвитку індустрії гостинності в сучасних умовах. Виявлено суттєві регіональні диференціації щодо сплати туристичного збору в Україні, а також зниження майже всіх показників розвитку індустрії гостинності. Проаналізовано дані Всесвітньої ради з подорожей і туризму щодо стану індустрії гостинності в Україні. Виявлено скорочення загального внеску подорожей і туризму в зайнятість України 2020 року до 6,3 %. Визначено напрями і заходи посилення конкурентних переваг індустрії гостинності в регіонах України. Визначено умови діяльності суб’єктів господарювання індустрії гостинності, до яких віднесено гнучкість і здатність швидко адаптуватися до сучасних умов ринку, упровадження заходів безпеки та гігієни, оптимізації форм підприємницької діяльності, розвиток цифрових технологій, посилення ролі здорового харчування, розширення асортименту продукції та послуг туристичних регіонів, швидкий розвиток послуг доставки, орієнтація на екологічну діяльність, посилення вимоги до кваліфікації персоналу тощо. Доведено, що перспективними напрямами підвищення конкурентних переваг індустрії гостинності в сучасних умовах є підвищення рівня фінансування галузі, активізація зусиль органів місцевого самоврядування щодо цільового використання коштів від туристичного збору на місцях, а також застосування інструментів стратегування та програмування розвитку індустрії гостинності регіонів, об’єднання стейкхолдерів індустрії в кластери, альянси тощо. Ключові слова: конкурентні переваги, індустрія гостинності, регіональний розвиток, туристичний збір. Формул: 0; рис.: 3; табл.: 1; бібл.: 14.

We have been observing large fluctuations and price increases in electricity markets in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic, rising energy costs, political instability and increasing demand for electricity have been the factors intensifying the problems. This causes uncertainty related to maintaining energy security. Energy security is an element of the national security system. In this context, the question arises whether Polish energy companies are able to adapt to the growing demand for electricity while meeting the growing environmental requirements. Moreover, it remains to be seen how the current energy crisis will affect the financial condition of energy companies in Poland and whether companies from the energy sector will benefit from this crisis. Another issue is the impact of the current crisis on the sense of energy security of consumers. There are many factors affecting energy security. This study focuses on economic and financial factors. The article aims to assess the energy security of consumers from the perspective of the stability of energy prices and the financial condition of companies from the energy industry in Poland in the context of the global energy crisis.

This paper shows the changes in soil properties in the fourth year after the application of two kinds of environmentally burdensome wastes. One of the wastes was mineral—carboniferous rock from a coal mine, and the other one was organic—post-fermentation sludge from an agricultural biogas plant. The wastes were applied once to a soil of poor quality—a Podzol. The hypothesis to be verified was that one-time application of waste carboniferous rock and/or post-fermentation sludge to a soil has a beneficial effect on the physical status of the soil, and the changes in the soil properties have a permanent character. Also, based on the experiment results, we suggested how these types of waste should be applied to soil. For that purpose, an assessment was performed of the durability, range, and character of changes in soil properties, inter alia: soil texture (PSD), total organic carbon content (TOC), particle density (PD), bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), air capacity (FAC), air permeability (FAP), sampling moisture (SM), field water capacity (FC), available water (AWC), unavailable water (UWC), and hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Some soil properties have been improved by the use of post-fermentation sludge and the combined application of the two wastes. These were the following soil properties: PSD, TOC, BD, TP, and SM. However, changes to the soil air-water properties (FAC, FAP, FC, AWC, UWC, and Ks) were unfavorable. The effect of the waste’s application was permanent, as differences in soil properties were still visible in the fourth year after their addition. The observations made in the course of the experiment indicate that natural utilization of wastes requires a lot of consideration and should be focused on keeping the balance in the relations between the environmental functions of the soil.

The work includes examination of emergency events in the methanol storage base. The article presents physical effects and hazards that may arise as a result of uncontrolled emission of methanol to the environment.

Запропоновано удосконалення регіональних програм розвитку туризму регіону, а саме пропонуємо збільшити кількість центрів туристичної інформації в регіоні та запровадити регіональні організації з менеджменту дестинацій; залучати до вирішення завдань якості різні зацікавлені сторони, зокрема бізнес; розвивати механізми місцевих туристичних об’єднань; створювати та формувати регіональні стандарти якості туристичних послуг, які відповідають міжнародним стандартам та кращим світовим практикам. Обґрунтовано, що запропонований підхід покращить якість продукції та послуг індустрії гостинності на регіональному рівні та дозволить максимально раціонально та ефективно використовувати туристичний потенціал регіону. Визначено підхід до удосконалення регіональної політики підвищення якості туристичних послуг, який передбачає формування пріоритетів розвитку та стратегічних цілей підвищення якості зазначених послуг в регіоні. Запропоновано авторське бачення концептуальних засад підвищення якості продукції та послуг індустрії гостинності регіону з врахуванням визначених програмно-цільових напрямів підвищення якості досліджуваних процесів, а також визначення основних блоків забезпечення якості продукції та послуг в регіоні, що дозволяє сформувати передумови підвищення якості досліджуваних процесів, пріоритетні напрями дій та визначити основні інструменти та важелі для досягнення мети.

Two series of Ni/Ce(Ti/Nb)ZrO2 catalysts were prepared using citrate route and original solvothermal continuous flow synthesis in supercritical isopropanol and studied in dry reforming of methane (DRM). TEM, XPS and FTIRS of adsorbed CO confirm influence of support composition and preparation method on the catalysts’ morphology and surface features. The oxygen mobility was studied by isotope heteroexchange with C18O2. After testing in DRM, carbon deposits after catalysts’ testing in DRM were investigated by temperature-programmed oxidation with thermo-gravimetric analysis. The lowest amounts of carbon deposits were obtained for unmodified Ni-CeZr and Ni-CeNbZr compositions. Ti addition lead to an increased amount of carbon, which was removed at higher temperatures. The use of supercritical supports also resulted in the formation of a higher amount of coke. Catalysts prepared by the supercritical synthesis were tested in DRM for 25 h. The highest activity drop was observed in the first three hours. For all compositions, close values of carbon deposits were revealed.

Cardiac fibrosis contributes to the development of heart failure, and is the response of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) to pressure or volume overload. Limiting factors in CFs research are the poor availability of human cells and the tendency of CFs to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts when cultured in vitro. The possibility to generate CFs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), providing a nearly unlimited cell source, opens new possibilities. However, the behaviour of iPSC-CFs under mechanical stimulation has not been studied yet. Our study aimed to assess the behaviour of iPSC-CFs under mechanical stretch and pro-fibrotic conditions. First, we confirm that iPSC-CFs are comparable to primary CFs at gene, protein and functional level. Furthermore, iPSC-derived CFs adopt a pro-fibrotic response to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). In addition, mechanical stretch inhibits TGF-β-induced fibroblast activation in iPSC-CFs. Thus, the responsiveness to cytokines and mechanical stimulation of iPSC-CFs demonstrates they possess key characteristics of primary CFs and may be useful for disease modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]