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The article deals with the problem of reducing rebound and dust formation, as well as increasing the strength of shotcrete. It is known that with “dry” shotcrete, the rebound is especially significant, since the mixture does not have time to acquire sufficient adhesive properties when mixing different phases. As a result, there is an irreparable loss of a significant part of the applied material. The formation of crystal centers that ensure the strength of concrete also occurs slower than with “wet” shotcrete, since the contact of the binder with water in the nozzle of the shotcrete machine is too short. This leads to a decrease in strength characteristics, slowing down the setting of shotcrete. To solve this problem, a method was developed for applying a concrete mixture to enclosing structures using a previously patented experimental nozzle and electrostatic treatment. This method, for a long time, has been successfully used for painting various surfaces, and its modernization will allow the introduction of electrostatics in shotcrete. A systematic ionization of the binder and then the finished mixture is proposed, as a result of which the shotcrete will be attracted to the shotcrete structure along the power lines. To obtain empirical data and confirm theoretical calculations, laboratory tests were carried out, during which the samples of both the initial shotcrete and those exposed to electrostatics were formed. During the application of the mixture, the magnitude of the rebound was recorded at various distances of the nozzle with the nozzle fixed on it from the shotcrete surface. Samples of the resulting concrete were examined on universal testing machines in order to determine the specific heat release, as well as the compressive and bending strength. The experiments showed that electrostatic treatment allows to speed up the time of the initial setting of the cement dough due to faster hydration of the mixture. An improvement in the strength of shotcrete and a significant reduction in rebound were recorded.

The war in Ukraine is now entering its ninth year, and a year has passed since the russian army invaded Ukraine on a large scale. A few months ago, the Ukrainian Renal Disaster Relief Committee of the Ukrainian Association of Nephrologists and Kidney Transplant Specialists was established and began its work to provide immediate support to kidney patients during the war. In this brief report, we present the first data collected on the number of patients receiving kidney replacement therapy, the possibility of enrolling new patients, and the availability of an autonomous electricity and water supply in all regions of Ukraine accessible for communication. In addition, we provide a brief analysis of the dynamics of the regional distribution of patients treated with kidney replacement therapy in the war year.

Метою нашої роботи було вивчити особливості ВГПТ у пацієнтів з діабетичною хворобою нирок, які лікуються методом гемодіалізу. Методи. Ми провели поперечне (одномоментне) дослідження. До дослідження були залучені 263 гемодіалізних пацієнтів з вторинним гіперпаратиреозом. У всіх хворих визначали рівні паратгормону (ПТГ), глікозильованого гемоглобіну (HbA1c), 25-гідроксивітаміну Д (вітамін Д 25-ОН), холестерину (ХС), тригліцеридів (ТГ), лужної фосфатази (ЛФ), С-реактивного білку (СРБ), альбуміну сироватки крові, розраховувався тригліцерид-глюкозний індекс (ТГІ). Проведений аналіз кореляційних зв’язків між рівнями досліджуваних показників та рівнем ПТГ. Було оцінено зв'язок ТГІ з рівнями оцінюваних показників. Результати. У пацієнтів, які лікуються ГД з ДХН порівняно з хворими без діабету рівень ПТГ був достовірно нижчим. Рівень ЛФ, вітаміну Д 25-ОН, альбуміну були достовірно нижчими у пацієнтів з ДХН, а СРБ вищим ніж у хворих без діабету (р

Background: Exercise capacity reflects the cardiovascular risk after myocardial infarction (MI). The study aims to evaluate the impact of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on exercise capacity after MI. Methods: Consecutive patients referring to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation up to 28 days after MI and participating in the Polish Managed Care after Acute Myocardial Infarction (MC-AMI) program were included. On admission, we assessed the presence and the severity of SDB using the home sleep apnea test (HSAT), patients’ maximum exercise capacity on a treadmill exercise stress test (EST), and a 6-minute walk test (6MWT), as well as the effect of SDB on the results obtained. In the multivariate analysis, we verified the strength of the observed associations concerning age, anthropometric parameters, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Results: A total of 254 patients aged 60.00 (interquartile range 51.00–67.00), including 39 (15.4%) women, with technically adequate HSAT, constituted the study group. Mild SDB was found in 82 (32.3%), moderate in 54 (21.3%), and severe in 51 (20.1%) patients. Among those diagnosed with SDB, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was dominant in 167 (89.8%). With the worsening of SDB, the distance in 6MWT and the maximum physical exertion achieved in EST, expressed in metabolic equivalents (METs) and maximal heart rate (MHR), decreased. The linear regression analysis confirmed the following: (1) inversely proportional relationship between the respiratory event index and METs, MHR, and 6MWT distance (p = 0.005, p = 0.008, and p = 0.004), and the maximum apnea duration and MET and 6MWT distance (p = 0.042 and p = 0.002); and (2) directly proportional relationship between mean arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) during sleep and MET, MHR, and 6MWT distance (p = 0.019, p = 0.006, and p = 0.013), and minimum SpO2 and MET and MHR (p = 0.040 and p < 0.001). However, the independent risk factors for impaired exercise capacity, determined using multivariable regression analysis, were age, female sex, higher body mass index (BMI), and decreased LVEF, but not SDB parameters. Conclusions: SDB negatively impacts exercise capacity after MI. However, the strength of this association may be less pronounced due to the interaction of risk factors common for SDB and impaired exercise capacity, e.g., sex, age, BMI, and LVEF.

The paper shows that it is possible to obtain reliable information on the dependence of the radial distribution of longitudinal birefringence in glass cylindrical elements with a radial distribution of refractive index (GRIN lenses) on the basis of transverse polarization tomography data on residual stresses. This does not require complicated procedures of sample preparation, as is necessary in the case of longitudinal translucency measurements. The approach developed was verified in the experiments with a set of different GRIN lenses formed with the ion exchange technique, and the closeness of the data obtained from transversal and conventional longitudinal transmission measurements was demonstrated.

The relevance of the research consists in the need for evaluating the water resources changes of the Dniester due to global warming. The mountain part of the Dniester Basin is a zone of the river's runoff formation that determines its water content. The subject of research includes a process of climate changes and their impact on the water resources of the Mountain Dniester’s catchments. The research focuses on determining the water resources changes under current and possible future climatic conditions represented by climatic scenarios. The research aims at evaluating the water resources changes of the mountain part of the Dniester’s catchment area at the present and in the future by the mid-21 st century (2021-2050) based on the “climate-runoff” model using meteorological observations data (up to 2018 inclusive) and scenario data (averaged data based on 14 mathematical models of the CORDEX project, RCP8.5 scenario). During the research the resources of humidification, heat (heat equivalent) and water content for modern (1989-2018) and scenario (RCP8.5, 2021-2050) climatic conditions based on application of the "climate-runoff" model were evaluated. The theoretical basis for estimating the natural (undisturbed by water management) annual runoff in this model is represented by the water-heat balance equation. The meteorological characteristics (average monthly air temperatures and precipitation) serve as input data. The runoff calculated using the water-heat balance equation is called a climatic runoff. One of the peculiarities of the research consists in the use of the vertical zoning law with respect to distribution of runoff and climatic factors of its formation. During the comparative analysis the dependence of annual runoff norms on height of the Mountain Dniester’s terrain specified in modern regulatory documents served as a basic dependence. Such dependence reflects an altitude-dependant distribution of runoff for the climatic conditions that preceded the significant impact of global warming on air temperature (until 1989). The analysis of the dependences of average long-term values of the annual runoff depending on the terrain altitude showed that the runoff changes for two studied periods (before and after 1989) are within ±12,3%. The analysis of the graphs of chronological course of annual water flow of the mountain tributaries of the Dniester made it possible to confirm the absence of statistically significant trends in their fluctuations. According to the RCP8.5 climate scenario over the period of 2021-2050 and following the results of calculations based on the “climate-runoff” model, the dependences of the average long-term altitude-related values of climatic factors and climatic runoff were retrieved. It was found that the effects of global warming decrease with increasing altitude. In the foothills (up to 200 m) the annual precipitation decreases (up to 11%), the maximum possible evaporation increases (up to 17%) and water resources decrease (up to 46%). Heat resources cease to increase and water resources cease to reduce at the altitudes over 800 m. The average deviation of the scenario and baseline values for precipitation over the estimated period will amount to 2.41% for precipitation, 5.79% for maximum possible evaporation and 8.87% for water resources. Thus, reduction of water resources in the mountainous part of the Dniester by the mid-21 st century will be insignificant. When evaluating the current state of water resources of the Mountain Dniester no significant changes were discovered, thereby not contradicting the other authors’ data.

Duchennova mišična distrofija (DMD) je najpogostejša in ena najresnejših mišičnih bolezni otroške dobe. Gre za na kromosom X vezano recesivno živčno-mišično bolezen, ki jo povzroča mutacija v genu za distrofin. Primarno prizadene skeletne mišice in srčno mišico. Pri večini dečkov se klinični znaki bolezni izrazijo z napredujočo mišično šibkostjo med 3. in 5. letom starosti. Mišična šibkost je bolj izražena v proksimalnih kot distalnih mišicah in v začetni fazi bolj vpliva na poslabšanje funkcije spodnjih kot zgornjih udov. Bolezen postopno napreduje. Pri nezdravljenih otrocih večinoma po 11. do 12. letu starosti vodi v takó resno zmanjšanje zmožnosti gibanja, da le-ti že za premagovanje krajših razdalj potrebujejo invalidski voziček. Napredujoča šibkost dihalnih mišic vodi v kronično dihalno odpoved in potrebo po pomoči pri predihavanju. Okvara funkcije srca je splošno prisotna, kajti po študijah so klinični znaki kardiomiopatije prisotni pri vseh bolnikih po 18. letu starosti. Na podlagi klinične slike diagnozo DMD potrdimo z laboratorijskimi in genetskimi preiskavami. V primeru negativnih rezultatov genetskih preiskav, a ob močnem kliničnem sumu za DMD, pa se za potrditev diagnoze poslužujemo mišične biopsije. Zdravljenje bolnikov z DMD zahteva multidisciplinarno obravnavo. Z uporabo kortikosteroidov (KS), fizioterapije, podpornega zdravljenja in opreme s pripomočki sta se življenjska doba in kakovost življenja bolnikov z DMD izboljšala. V fazi razvoja je več zdravil, katerih delovanje se usmerja v zmanjšanje okvare mišic, a tudi zdravil, ki bi odpravile osnovni, tj. genetski vzrok bolezni.

During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments must now be secured through science-based strategies co-designed with regional decision-makers to lead their societies to prosperity in the face of environmental and institutional challenges. NEESPI scientific research, data, and models have created a solid knowledge base to support the NEFI program. This paper presents the NEFI research vision consensus based on that knowledge. It provides the reader with samples of recent accomplishments in regional studies and formulates new NEFI science questions. To address these questions, nine research foci are identified and their selections are briefly justified. These foci include warming of the Arctic; changing frequency, pattern, and intensity of extreme and inclement environmental conditions; retreat of the cryosphere; changes in terrestrial water cycles; changes in the biosphere; pressures on land use; changes in infrastructure; societal actions in response to environmental change; and quantification of Northern Eurasia’s role in the global Earth system. Powerful feedbacks between the Earth and human systems in Northern Eurasia (e.g., mega-fires, droughts, depletion of the cryosphere essential for water supply, retreat of sea ice) result from past and current human activities (e.g., large-scale water withdrawals, land use, and governance change) and potentially restrict or provide new opportunities for future human activities. Therefore, we propose that integrated assessment models are needed as the final stage of global change assessment. The overarching goal of this NEFI modeling effort will enable evaluation of economic decisions in response to changing environmental conditions and justification of mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Programmed death-1-directed (PD-1-directed) immune checkpoint blockade results in durable antitumor activity in many advanced malignancies. Recent studies suggest that IFN-γ is a critical driver of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in cancer and host cells, and baseline intratumoral T cell infiltration may improve response likelihood to anti-PD-1 therapies, including pembrolizumab. However, whether quantifying T cell-inflamed microenvironment is a useful pan-tumor determinant of PD-1-directed therapy response has not been rigorously evaluated. Here, we analyzed gene expression profiles (GEPs) using RNA from baseline tumor samples of pembrolizumab-treated patients. We identified immune-related signatures correlating with clinical benefit using a learn-and-confirm paradigm based on data from different clinical studies of pembrolizumab, starting with a small pilot of 19 melanoma patients and eventually defining a pan-tumor T cell-inflamed GEP in 220 patients with 9 cancers. Predictive value was independently confirmed and compared with that of PD-L1 immunohistochemistry in 96 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The T cell-inflamed GEP contained IFN-γ-responsive genes related to antigen presentation, chemokine expression, cytotoxic activity, and adaptive immune resistance, and these features were necessary, but not always sufficient, for clinical benefit. The T cell-inflamed GEP has been developed into a clinical-grade assay that is currently being evaluated in ongoing pembrolizumab trials.

The impacts of fires on society and the environment are wide-ranging, and examining such fire incidents is of critical importance to communities, governments, and scientists. Satellite imagery analysis enables the monitoring of burned scars and can help us better understand the social, ecological, and economic consequences of fires in more detail. However, most satellite studies measuring fire area and impacts focus on large areas in natural landscapes, typically forests. We highlight the need to develop methods for fire detection and analysis in human-dominated landscapes, specifically, such vulnerable populations as those found in refugee camps globally. We calculate a suite of spectral indices (SI’s) developed from Sentinel-2 data with a random forest algorithm to quantify the fire impact on the Rohingya refugee camps in Teknaf, Bangladesh. For this study, we developed a method called the Fractional Charred Index (FCI) using the field plots within the burn areas inside the refugee camp settlements and compared the FCI with differenced Spectral Indices (dSI’s) to quantitively assess the burn severity at four levels: (i) high severity, (ii) moderate severity, (iii) low severity and (iv) unburned camp. Our study identified 140 acres of burn area, damaging over 8,000 refugee shelters, 1,760 of which were severely damaged and 3,452 of which suffered moderate damage. The FCI-dSIs relationship was measured by a simple linear model which indicated that the differenced Normalized Burned Index (dNBR) and the differenced Char Soil Index (dCSI) have the strongest positive correlation and can be used interchangeably to assess the scale and intensity of the fire-caused damage and fire severity assessment in this and similar types of case studies. The novel method presented here to determine fire severity in human-dominated landscapes, specifically refugee camps, may be quickly deployed and is easily interpretable and computationally inexpensive. Therefore, the proposed method of identifying burned settlements in refugee camps has significant potential for impact monitoring, disaster management, and recovery efforts after such fire events.

We present a simplified version of an average-atom collisional-radiative model employing both local-thermodynamic-equilibrium average-atom and isolated-ion atomic data. The simplifications introduced do not lead to any substantial errors, and they significantly speed up calculations compared with the basic average-atom model involving direct solution of the self-consistent-field equations. Average ion charges, charge state distributions, and emission spectra of non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium (NLTE) gold plasmas calculated using various modifications of the average-atom collisional-radiative model are compared with those obtained using the THERMOS model with the detailed configuration accounting approach. We also propose an efficient method to calculate thermodynamic functions of NLTE plasmas in the context of the simplified average-atom collisional-radiative model.

Objectives To recontact biobank participants and collect cognitive, behavioural and lifestyle information via a secure online platform.Design Biobank-based recontacting pilot study.Setting Three Finnish biobanks (Helsinki, Auria, Tampere) recruiting participants from February 2021 to July 2021.Participants All eligible invitees were enrolled in FinnGen by their biobanks (Helsinki, Auria, Tampere), had available genetic data and were >18 years old. Individuals with severe neuropsychiatric disease or cognitive or physical disabilities were excluded. Lastly, 5995 participants were selected based on their polygenic score for cognitive abilities and invited to the study. Among invitees, 1115 had successfully participated and completed the study questionnaire(s).Outcome measures The primary outcome was the participation rate among study invitees. Secondary outcomes included questionnaire completion rate, quality of data collected and comparison of participation rate boosting strategies.Results The overall participation rate was 18.6% among all invitees and 23.1% among individuals aged 18–69. A second reminder letter yielded an additional 9.7% participation rate in those who did not respond to the first invitation. Recontacting participants via an online healthcare portal yielded lower participation than recontacting via physical letter. The completion rate of the questionnaire and cognitive tests was high (92% and 85%, respectively), and measurements were overall reliable among participants. For example, the correlation (r) between self-reported body mass index and that collected by the biobanks was 0.92.Conclusion In summary, this pilot suggests that recontacting FinnGen participants with the goal to collect a wide range of cognitive, behavioural and lifestyle information without additional engagement results in a low participation rate, but with reliable data. We suggest that such information be collected at enrolment, if possible, rather than via post hoc recontacting.

Inductive hyperthermia treatment plans were built using Comsol Multiphysics software for patients with breast cancer metastasis to lymph nodes. To assess the influence of electromagnetic irradiation on temperature increase in metastatic lymph nodes, treatment plans were based on moderate hyperthermia parameters (< 42 °C). The proposed technology can be used to provide a more personalized approach to treatment planning for patients with locally advanced breast cancer receiving combination therapy which involves neoadjuvant chemotherapy and expand eligibility for organ-preserving surgery.

Background: With the advent of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) the World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted global strategy to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by 2030. In Europe, people who inject drugs (PWID) account for the majority of new cases, however testing and treatment remain suboptimal. The aim was to monitor progress in HCV policy and cascade-of-care for PWID, led by the civil society organisations (CSO) that provide harm reduction services for PWID across Europe. Methods: In period 2020–2023, CSOs representing focal points of Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network were annually invited to complete online questionnaire on use/impact of HCV test-and-treat guidelines for PWID, availability/functioning of continuum-of-care, and role/limitations of harm reduction services for PWID. A retrospective longitudinal analysis of responses to questions answered each year by the same respondents was performed, and a comparison among the studied years was made. Results: Twenty-five CSOs from cities in 25 European countries were included and responded to 25 questions. Between 2020 and 2023, there was positive trend in number of HCV treatment guidelines, separate guidelines for PWID, and their positive impact on acess to testing/treatment (24/25, 5/25, and 16/25 in 2023, respectively). DAAs were available in all countries, predominantly prescribed by specialist physicians only (slight increase at primary care), with restrictions including active drug use, stage of liver fibrosis or/and reimbursement policies (2/25, 4/25, and 3/25 in 2023, respectively). A decrease in HCV testing sites was noted. Treatment was consistently most common at clinical settings, however an increase outside the specialist settings was detected, particularly in prisons (12/25 and 15/25 in 2020–2021, respectively). Comparing 2022–2023, number of HCV-testing services increased in many cities with positive dynamic in nearly all the settings; increase in treatment at harm reduction services/community centres was noted (6/25 to 8/25, respectively). Between 2020 and 2023 the frequency of various limitations to CSOs addressing HCV was oscillating, presenting an increase between 2022 and 2023 (9/25 to 14/25, respectively). Conclusion: The overall progress towards WHO HCV elimination goals across Europe remains insufficient, most probably also due to the influence of Covid-19 pandemic. Further improvements are needed, also by including CSOs for PWID in continuum-of-care services, and in monitoring progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation sequencing technologies have not only defined a breakthrough in medical genetics, but also been able to enter routine clinical practice to determine individual genetic susceptibilities. Modern technological developments are routinely introduced to genetic analysis overtaking the established approaches, potentially raising a number of challenges. To what extent is the advantage of new methodologies in synthetic metrics, such as precision and recall, more important than stability and reproducibility? Could differences in the technical protocol for calling variants be crucial to the diagnosis and, by extension, the patient's treatment strategy? A regulatory review process may delay the incorporation of potentially beneficial technologies, resulting in missed opportunities to make the right medical decisions. On the other hand, a blind adoption of new technologies based solely on synthetic metrics of precision and recall can lead to incorrect conclusions and adverse outcomes for the specific patient. Here, we use the example of a patient with a WHO-diagnosed desmoplastic/nodular SHH-medulloblastoma to explore how the choice of DNA variant search protocol affects the genetic diagnostics outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathepsin‐K (CTSK) is an osteoclast‐secreted cysteine protease that efficiently cleaves extracellular matrices and promotes bone homeostasis and remodeling, making it an excellent therapeutic target. Detection of CTSK activity in complex biological samples using tailored tools such as activity‐based probes (ABPs) will aid tremendously in drug development. Here, potent and selective CTSK probes are designed and created, comparing irreversible and reversible covalent ABPs with improved recognition components and electrophiles. The newly developed CTSK ABPs precisely detect active CTSK in mouse and human cells and tissues, from diseased and healthy states such as inflamed tooth implants, osteoclasts, and lung samples, indicating changes in CTSK's activity in the pathological samples. These probes are used to study how acidic pH stimulates mature CTSK activation, specifically, its transition from pro‐form to mature form. Furthermore, this study reveals for the first time, why intact cells and cell lysate exhibit diverse CTSK activity while having equal levels of mature CTSK enzyme. Interestingly, these tools enabled the discovery of active CTSK in human osteoclast nuclei and in the nucleoli. Altogether, these novel probes are excellent research tools and can be applied in vivo to examine CTSK activity and inhibition in diverse diseases without immunogenicity hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inflow of water from the left-bank tributaries of the Upper Dniester is an important component of the runoff formation for the whole river. The study of changes in their water content in the context of global warming is quite urgent and agrees with the provisions of the strategic programme for the Dniester Basin for 2021-2035 aimed at ‘climate change mitigation’ and ‘promoting the principles of sustainable water management’. The paper's objective is to carry out a research into the changes in climatic factors and runoff characteristics that occurred on the left bank of the Upper Dniester in the early 21st century. The research was performed on the basis of hydrometeorological data for the period of 1945-2018. The main research methods include the regression analysis and the method of differential integral curves. It is found that, within the area under study, there is an increase in average annual air temperatures against the background of constant or insignificantly increasing amounts of annual precipitation, thus creating unsatisfactory conditions for runoff formation. It is established that, during the months of cold period, there is an increase in air temperature and that since 1989 the frequency of cases, when the temperature crosses the range of positive values, keeps increasing. 1989 is a turning point in the chronological course of average annual air temperatures; a positive phase of long-term fluctuations starts since that year. With regard to annual precipitation fluctuations from the mid-60s of the last century up to 2013, a positive phase was also identified; within this phase there was a short period of insufficient moisture (1981-1996). It was found that the response of runoff characteristics to climate change was not the same. Maximum runoff during the spring flood is the most sensitive to global warming, since such warming has worsened the conditions for accumulation of water reserves in the snow cover. The transition of maximum runoff fluctuations to the low-water phase took place in 1981. The average long-term decrease in the maximum water flow rates during the spring flood for the period of 1950-2018 amounts to -16.9%. Unlike maximum runoff, the characteristics of the annual and minimum runoff changed gradually during the winter and summer low-water periods and the final transition to the low-water phase of fluctuations occurred only in 2009-2011. Certain inertia of changes in the water resources of Podillya rivers under the warming conditions is caused by the subsurface component making a high contribution to the annual runoff formation (60%). Significant portion of the groundwater supply ‘mitigated’ the effects of surface runoff loss during spring floods. The research allowed establishing the occurrence of statistically significant negative trends in the annual and minimum runoff fluctuations since 1998. If continue to preserve, the identified climate change trends will decrease the inflow of water from the Podillya rivers to the main Dniester River.

The problem of acute respiratory tract infections (including acute bronchitis) remains urgent in the whole world independent of human age, especially when disease rates are considered. The World Health Organization reports annually on 1.5 billion cases of acute respiratory diseases. In Ukraine, the disease rate is 3.6 times higher among children than among adults (totally, it is equal to 67,000 cases per 100,000 individuals). The highest rate is observed among under-6-year-old children. In contrast to the average bronchopulmonary disease rate in Europe, the same Ukrainian index remains slightly higher for the last decades. Among children, the acute bronchitis rate is 6.2–25.0% within all bronchopulmonary diseases, reaching 50.0–90.0% if there are recurrences. Our literature review aims to compare different researchers’ perspectives, selecting articles and analyzing data as to how thyroid hormones and cortisol influence immune response in children’s bronchopulmonary diseases. In the literature review, the modern perspective of children’s hormonal state in bronchopulmonary diseases is studied. The hypothalamus-hypophysis-thyroid and hypothalamus-hypophysis-paranephros interaction roles in bronchopulmonary adaptive responses are explained. The thyroid hormone and cortisol importance for organism resistance are regarded. The manifestation, pathogenetic progress mechanisms, diagnosing methods, and treatment of different subclinical hormonal shifts (particularly euthyroid sick syndrome) are researched. The interconnection of hormonal and immunological indicators is covered (whose change is a predictively significant marker – that can foresee the disease progress, its duration and consequences for patients). Therefore, the relevance consists in researching the influence of thyroid hormones and cortisol on immune response by different pathological states of children’s bronchopulmonary diseases.

The significant spread of chronic viral hepatitis in Ukraine and the whole world, an increase in the incidence of medical personnel, and the lack of wariness of the population regarding the diseases of this group make it necessary to have a statistical analysis of the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of viral hepatitis among different population groups.Aim. To study and analyze the awareness about viral hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) of patients who undergo treatment in various departments (infectious, surgical, therapeutic) and the students who didn't take the course of infectious diseases.Materials and methods. A questionnaire was developed to establish the level of awareness among patients with viral hepatitis. The study was conducted through a sociological survey (full-time, one-time, individual) with the preservation of confidentiality conditions. The study was conducted in the infectious department of Sumy Regional Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital named after ZY Krasovitsky, Surgical Department of Sumy City Clinical Hospital №5, therapeutic department of Sumy Regional Clinical Hospital of the 4th year of Sumy State University Medical Institute in 2019. In total, 147 people took part in the survey: 20 were in treatment at the therapeutic ward, 20 - in the surgical ward, 20 - in the infectious diseases department, and 20 - 4th-year students.Conclusions. Viral hepatitis is currently one of the most pressing health problems. It is used for the sociological survey we developed to determine the level of knowledge of the population about the causative agent of viral hepatitis, transmission, prevention (not specific and specific), clinical features, laboratory methods of diagnosis, and treatment.Among all the surveyed results, recipients gave most of the correct answers to questions about the causative agent of viral hepatitis and transmission routes. The worst known are patients in the surgical wards about the presence of an effective hepatitis B vaccine (20.00%); patients of infectious and therapeutic wards (20.00% each) and 4th-year students (25.00%) - about the presence of effective hepatitis C therapy; (95.00%) and a reference group of physicians (100.00%) on the etiology of viral hepatitis. Patients in surgical wards (84.30%) answered the most frequently asked questions about the ways of transmission of viral hepatitis.

The article considers the specifics and features of application of the simplified taxation system in Ukraine. Small business entities can apply either general or simplified taxation system. On the basis of generalizations of literary sources and current practice, the advantages and disadvantages of the simplified system at the present stage of economic development are determined. The biggest advantages of the simplified taxation system are tax advantages, which consist in the absence of the obligation to pay certain types of taxes, as well as a simplified system of accounting and reporting for small business entities, the ability to take into account the socio-economic situation of a particular geographic area, because a single tax has to be paid to the local budget. The disadvantages are primarily associated with abuse by economic entities and their evasion of payments. Four groups of single tax payers are characterized depending on the level of annual income, the number of employees and legally established rates. The dynamics of single tax receipt is analyzed and its share in the structure of tax revenues to the Consolidated Budget of Ukraine for 2016-2020 is determined. The proportion of the single tax in the context of taxpayers for 2016-2020 is determined and it is found that the largest share of this tax comes from individual entrepreneurs. The actual problems of functioning of the simplified taxation system in Ukraine are distinguished. The main legally justified reforms are analyzed: new limits for individual entrepreneurs and introduction of registrars of settlement operations. Some changes and postponements in the legislation in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic are noted. As a result, conclusions are drawn about the need to reform the simplified taxation system, which should be aimed at improving it along with preventing abuse.