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The efficiency of biocomposting of bottom silt deposits was evaluated in laboratory conditions. The biocomposting process is reproduced taking into account the main technological parameters and using lowland peat, microbial concentrate and vermiculture as basic components. The composition of the microbial concentrate includes strains of the genera Bacillus spp., Clostridium spp., Pseudomonas spp., causing biosolubilization of a complex organomineral substrate - bottom sediments. The productive line Eisenia foetida Savigny (Lumbricidae) was used as a vermiculture. The evaluation of the efficiency of biocomposting was carried out according to agrochemical characteristics. The greatest effect on the preservation of biogens was obtained during the fermentation of bottom sediments with the participation of microbial concentrate. An increase in the content of N to 1.10%, P – to 0.54%, K – to 0.42% was achieved. The use of vermiculture caused an increase in organic matter – up to 42.1% and humus – up to 14.6%. The results of the experiment allow us to consider biocompost and vermicompost obtained using bottom sediments as a source of elements necessary for plant growth and development.

This article discusses the transformative impact of technology on knowledge acquisition and sharing, focusing on the emergence of the metaverse as a virtual community with vast potential for virtual learning. Learning in the metaverse is found to enhance engagement, motivation, and retention, while fostering 21st-century skills. It also offers personalized and quality education, benefiting students in remote areas. This article explores the Edu-Metaverse ecosystem, which illustrates the interconnectedness of various metaverse components supporting sustainable and equitable learning. The study aims to investigate the alignment of this ecosystem model with teaching and learning activities in exemplary metaverse platforms, its role in fostering inclusive and sustainable learning environments, and how to enhance and rebuild it through 3-D modeling and real metaverse teaching settings experimentation. Throughout this article, the terms "metaverse in education" and "Edu-Metaverse" are used interchangeably. The metaverse is defined as a virtual shared space, ranging from fully virtual worlds, such as virtual reality to partially virtual ones, such as augmented reality. The Edu-Metaverse ecosystem encompasses technologies, platforms, and stakeholders responsible for virtual learning environments. Sustainability, in this context, entails designing systems that withstand environmental, economic, and social pressures while providing equitable and inclusive learning opportunities. Continuous engagement through missions and quests ensures sustainable learning experiences for students. This article highlights the potential of the metaverse to revolutionize education and emphasizes the importance of research before widespread implementation in educational institutions and talent development fields. The Edu-Metaverse ecosystem is presented as a promising framework for advancing virtual learning and fostering inclusive and sustainable education.

The example of a service company demonstrates the need to prevent corruption risks, develop and implement a Regulation on Anti-Corruption Policy (hereinafter – the Regulation) and its implementation even in small companies. Potential corruption risks have been analyzed. The occurrence probability and the risks impact on a company’s goals and results have been assessed. The corruption risks map before and after the Regulation implementation have been developed and the expected results presented. The purpose of the study is to assess the importance of implementing anti-corruption policy for organizations of different sizes in the framework of modern socio-economic realities. The following objectives have been set: to disclose the corruption risks essence based on the analysis of the current crime situation in Russia; to analyze the specifics of a service company’s activities from the point of view of anti-corruption policy; to draw up a risk map based on a predetermined list of potential corruption risks typical for a service company; to develop a Regulation on anti-corruption policy; to assess the expected effect on the organization from its implementation. In order to achieve the stated goal and solve the specified tasks, such research methods as social audit, literature review, documentary sources study, analysis, analogy, description, synthesis, and generalization of the obtained data were used. The application of the above mentioned research methods allowed the most objective and comprehensive study and assessment of the HR corruption risks impact on a company’s objectives, its development trajectory, and the social responsibility degree to all stakeholders (employees, partners, customers, etc.).

Introduction: In Poland, the area of self-medication requires scientific and organizational evaluation. So far, no solutions sanctioning self-medication have been introduced. Therefore, the aim of this study was to recognize and analyze the practical experience of outpatient physicians regarding self-medication of their patients, as well as self-medication of children by their caregivers.Methods: This study enrolled 386 participants and used a Computer-Assisted Web Interview that was disseminated online from 4th of July 2023 to 23rd of August 2023. The survey was addressed to outpatient healthcare physicians working in Poland.Results: In doctors’ perspective the main three reasons for choosing self-medication in Poland were: taking advice from other people - family members or friends (59.1%), finding information regarding treatment online (52.9%) and ability to self-medicate in this kind of symptoms/disease (51.6%). Among adult patients, in 72.1% of cases, an independent decision to start antibiotic therapy was made. Such a decision occurred in 39.8% of pediatric patients. Children caregivers were more likely to visit the physician immediately with symptoms than in the case of adult patients (42.2% vs. 22.1%, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Self-medication in Poland requires educational and organizational support at various levels - both social (information campaigns, school education), the healthcare system (increasing the role of medical professionals, including pharmacists), and finally in the area of legislation. Two areas seem to be particularly alarming - the use of antibiotics by adults and children and the mental health of both populations.

In the conditions of innovative economy development, the formation issues of the personnel and research potential of the region at the expense of local universities’ graduates are of particular importance. The article puts forward and confirms the hypothesis that a number of socio-economic development indicators of Kemerovo region significantly affect the number of graduates of regional universities, which can be predicted considering changes in these indicators. With the help of the created model, it is possible to study the impact of each of the arguments of the model on the number of university graduates, predict their dynamics, identify targets for the management decisions development in the field of regulating the number of young specialists with higher education (necessary for the regional economy), as well as formulate strategic planning tasks and assess university development the potential. The results of the study can be used by structural divisions of the Government of Kuzbass, the leadership of universities and organizations of the Kemerovo region.

The relevance of the study is determined by the increasing role of risks in the formation of motivation programs aimed at retaining managers of the middle and top levels of organization management. The purpose of the study was to identify risks that arise in the process of implementing motivation programs for managerial personnel. In the study, the following tasks were solved: determining the sources and risk factors; assessing the probability of risks and the level of possible consequences of a risk event; identifying the risks that are most priority for management based on building a risk map; development of ways to reduce risks that reduce the effectiveness of the implementation of motivational programs to retain managers of the organization. The work uses systematic and situational approaches, expert assessment, the survey method and the Delphi method, risk mapping. The developed measures to eliminate risks will allow organizations to prevent reputational and financial losses and analyze the effectiveness of each implemented motivational tool to retain the leaders of the organization.

Abstract Background Ovarian carcinoma is the leading cause of mortality among gynecological cancers in the world. The high mortality rate is associated with lack of early diagnosis and development of drug resistance. The antitumor efficacy and mechanism of NCX-4040, a nitric oxide-releasing aspirin derivative, against ovarian cancer is studied. Methods NCX-4040, alone or in combination with cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, cDDP), was studied in cisplatin-sensitive (A2780 WT) and cisplatin-resistant (A2780 cDDP) cell lines as well as xenograft tumors grown in nude mice. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used for measurements of nitric oxide and redox state. Immunoblotting analysis of A2780 cDDP tumor xenografts from mice was used for mechanistic studies. Results Cells treated with NCX-4040 (25 μM) showed a significant reduction of cell viability (A2780 WT, 34.9 ± 8.7%; A2780 cDDP, 41.7 ± 7.6%; p < 0.05). Further, NCX-4040 significantly enhanced the sensitivity of A2780 cDDP cells (cisplatin alone, 80.6 ± 11.8% versus NCX-4040+cisplatin, 26.4 ± 7.6%; p < 0.01) and xenograft tumors (cisplatin alone, 74.0 ± 4.4% versus NCX-4040+cisplatin, 56.4 ± 7.8%; p < 0.05), to cisplatin treatment. EPR imaging of tissue redox and thiol measurements showed a 5.5-fold reduction (p < 0.01) of glutathione in NCX-4040-treated A2780 cDDP tumors when compared to untreated controls. Immunoblotting analysis of A2780 cDDP tumor xenografts from mice treated with NCX-4040 and cisplatin revealed significant downregulation of pEGFR (Tyr845 and Tyr992) and pSTAT3 (Tyr705 and Ser727) expression. Conclusion The results suggested that NCX-4040 could resensitize drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin possibly by depletion of cellular thiols. Thus NCX-4040 appears to be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of human ovarian carcinoma and cisplatin-resistant malignancies.

Introduction: Since 2013, the First Care Provider (FCP) model has successfully educated the non-medical population on how to recognize life-threatening injuries and perform interventions recommended by the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC) and the Hartford Consensus in the disaster setting. Recent programs, such as the federal “Stop The Bleed” campaign, have placed the emphasis of public training on hemorrhage control. However, recent attacks demonstrate that access to wounded, recognition of injury, and rapid evacuation are equally as important as hemorrhage control in minimizing mortality. To date, no training programs have produced a validated study with regard to training a community population in these necessary principles of disaster response.Methods: In our study, we created a reproducible community training model for implementation into prehospital systems. Two matched demographic groups were chosen and divided into “trained” and “untrained” groups. The trained group was taught the FCP curriculum, which the Department of Homeland Security recognizes as a Stop the Bleed program, while the untrained group received no instruction. Both groups then participated in a simulated mass casualty event, which required evaluation of multiple victims with varying degree of injury, particularly a patient with an arterial bleed and a patient with an airway obstruction.Results: The objective measures in comparing the two groups were the time elapse until their first action was taken (T1A) and time to their solution of the simulation (TtS). We compared their times using one-sided t-test to demonstrate their responses were not due to chance alone. At the arterial bleed simulation, the T1A for the trained and untrained groups, respectively, were 34.75 seconds and 111 seconds (p-value = .1064), while the TtS were 3 minutes and 33 seconds in the trained group and eight minutes in the untrained groups (physiologic cutoff) (p-value = .0014). At the airway obstruction simulation, the T1A for the trained and untrained groups, respectively, were 20.5 seconds and 43 seconds (p-value = .1064), while the TtS were 32.6 seconds in the trained group and 7 minutes and 3 seconds in the untrained group (p-value = .0087). Simulation values for recently graduated nursing students and a local fire department engine company (emergency medical services [EMS]) were also given for reference. The trained group’s results mirrored times of EMS.Conclusion: This study demonstrates an effective training model to civilian trauma response, while adhering to established recommendations. We offer our model as a potential solution for accomplishing the Stop The Bleed mission while advancing the potential of public disaster response.

Abstract Background During 2020, there were no effective treatments or vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. The most common disease contention measures were social distance (social isolation), the use of face masks and lockdowns. In the beginning, numerous countries have succeeded to control and reduce COVID-19 infections at a high economic cost. Thus, to alleviate such side effects, many countries have implemented socioeconomic programs to fund individuals that lost their jobs and to help endangered businesses to survive. Methods We assess the role of a socioeconomic program, so-called “Auxilio Emergencial” (AE), during 2020 as a measure to mitigate the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Brazil. For each Brazilian State, we estimate the time-dependent reproduction number from daily reports of COVID-19 infections and deaths using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered-like (SEIR-like) model. Then, we analyse the correlations between the reproduction number, the amount of individuals receiving governmental aid, and the index of social isolation based on mobile phone information. Results We observed significant positive correlation values between the average values by the AE and median values of an index accounting for individual mobility. We also observed significantly negative correlation values between the reproduction number and this index on individual mobility. Using the simulations of a susceptible-exposed-infected-removed-like model, if the AE was not operational during the first wave of COVID-19 infections, the accumulated number of infections and deaths could be 6.5 (90% CI: 1.3–21) and 7.9 (90% CI: 1.5–23) times higher, respectively, in comparison with the actual implementation of AE. Conclusions Our results suggest that the AE implemented in Brazil had a significant influence on social isolation by allowing those in need to stay at home, which would reduce the expected numbers of infections and deaths.

Abstract Background Oral health, coupled with rising awareness on the impact that limited dental care coverage has on oral health and general health and well-being, has received increased attention over the past few years. The purpose of the study was to compare the statutory coverage and access to dental care for adult services in 11 European countries using a vignette approach. Methods We used three patient vignettes to highlight the differences of the dimensions of coverage and access to dental care (coverage, cost-sharing and accessibility). The three vignettes describe typical care pathways for patients with the most common oral health conditions (caries, periodontal disease, edentulism). The vignettes were completed by health services researchers knowledgeable on dental care, dentists, or teams consisting of a health systems expert working together with dental specialists. Results Completed vignettes were received from 11 countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Republic of Ireland (Ireland), Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden. While emergency dental care, tooth extraction and restorative care for acute pain due to carious lesions are covered in most responding countries, root canal treatment, periodontal care and prosthetic restoration often require cost-sharing or are entirely excluded from the benefit basket. Regular dental visits are also limited to one visit per year in many countries. Beyond financial barriers due to out-of-pocket payments, patients may experience very different physical barriers to accessing dental care. The limited availability of contracted dentists (especially in rural areas) and the unequal distribution and lack of specialised dentists are major access barriers to public dental care. Conclusions According to the results, statutory coverage of dental care varies across European countries, while access barriers are largely similar. Many dental services require substantial cost-sharing in most countries, leading to high out-of-pocket spending. Socioeconomic status is thus a main determinant for access to dental care, but other factors such as geography, age and comorbidities can also inhibit access and affect outcomes. Moreover, coverage in most oral health systems is targeted at treatment and less at preventative oral health care.

Актуальність. Бойова діяльність (БД) військовослужбовців відноситься до дуже важких видів професійної діяльності (ПД), яка вимагає від них значних м’язових зусиль, прояву на високому рівні відповідних фізичних якостей, рухових навичок; підвищеної активності значної кількості різноманітних органів і систем; залучення до роботи великої кількості морфофункціональних і психічних структур організму людини. Це супроводжуєть- ся витратою такої кількості енергії, якої не здатні продукувати механізми енергозабезпечення організму більшості військовослужбовців, що призводить до швидкої втрати працездатності. Підвищення рухових спро- можностей і розширення функціональних резервів організму офіцерів до рівня, що вимагає БД, відбувається під час їх навчання в академії. А його підтримання є актуальним продовж всієї професійної кар’єри офіцера. Однак, одразу після випуску з академії фізична активність більшості офіцерів знижується, а разом з нею й їх фізична підготовленість. Враховуючи, що фізична підготовленість є фундаментом для всіх інших компонентів боєздатності військовослужбовців, актуальним є пошук шляхів забезпечення належного рівня ефективності фізичного вдоскона- лення офіцерів продовж всієї їх служби. Мета роботи – визначення рівня мотиваційно-ціннісного ставлення курсантів до фізичного вдосконалення на початку їх військової служби як умови і передумови доцільних систематичних занять ними фізичними вправами. Методи – аналіз та узагальнення наукових праць, опитуван- ня. Результати. Встановлено, що в структурі мотивації до фізкультурно-спортивної діяльності (ФСД) значної кількості курсантів на момент їх вступу до академії переважають гедоністичні мотиви, а метою їх занять спортом є розвага. Виявлено, що 60,2 % курсантів на початку навчання в академії мають низький рівень мотиваційно-ціннісного ставлення до фізичного вдосконалення, якій характеризується неадекватністю оцінки своєї фізичної підготовленості, відсутністю бажання виявляти зусилля при виконанні рухової активності, що не дозволяє розраховувати на високу результативність фізичного вдосконалення. Висновки. Для підвищення ефективності фізичної підготовки офіцерів у військах потребує посилення формування в них мотиваційно- ціннісного ставлення до фізичного вдосконалення під час навчання в академії.

Introduction: In Poland, the area of self-medication requires scientific and organizational evaluation. So far, no solutions sanctioning self-medication have been introduced. Therefore, the aim of this study was to recognize and analyze the practical experience of outpatient physicians regarding self-medication of their patients, as well as self-medication of children by their caregivers. Methods: This study enrolled 386 participants and used a Computer-Assisted Web Interview thatwas disseminated online from4th of July 2023 to 23rd of August 2023. The survey was addressed to outpatient healthcare physicians working in Poland. Results: In doctors' perspective the main three reasons for choosing selfmedication in Poland were: taking advice from other people - family members or friends (59.1%), finding information regarding treatment online (52.9%) and ability to self-medicate in this kind of symptoms/disease (51.6%). Among adult patients, in 72.1% of cases, an independent decision to start antibiotic therapy was made. Such a decision occurred in 39.8% of pediatric patients. Children caregivers were more likely to visit the physician immediately with symptoms than in the case of adult patients (42.2% vs. 22.1%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Self-medication in Poland requires educational and organizational support at various levels - both social (information campaigns, school education), the healthcare system (increasing the role of medical professionals, including pharmacists), and finally in the area of legislation. Two areas seem to be particularly alarming - the use of antibiotics by adults and children and the mental health of both populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of our study was to assess the effect of nitrate-reducing bacteria and natural nitrate source on the sensory properties of dried meat biltong. Appearance, colour on the cut, aroma, taste and juiciness, acidity, sweetness, and consistency were evaluated. The members of the panel gave their ratings between 1 and 5 according to the characteristics of the samples, with 1 being the lowest rating and 5 being the best rating. In the sensory evaluation of dried meat samples without oxygen absorber packaging, the group (P2) with bacterial culture, celery powder, and NaCl showed the highest scores for appearance, taste, juiciness, acidity, and consistency. Notably, P3 samples had significantly lower consistency scores compared to P2. Additionally, sample P1, with bacterial culture and NaCl, improved the colour on the cut compared to the negative control (C) with only NaCl. The best aroma and sweetness results were in the P3 group with curing salt, although these differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.05). The sensory evaluation of dried meat samples packaged with an oxygen absorber revealed that the combination of bacterial culture, celery powder, and NaCl (AP2) had the most positive influence on appearance, colour on the cut, and consistency. The group with the absorber and curing salt (AP3) showed improved aroma, taste, and juiciness. Acidity was primarily affected by the addition of bacterial culture and NaCl (AP1), as well as by AP2 and AP3. The most pleasing sweetness was achieved by adding bacterial culture and NaCl to samples with the absorber (AP1). Samples with the best consistency when packaged with the absorber were those with bacterial culture and celery powder (AP2). In summary, among dried meat samples with oxygen absorber, those with added curing salt (AP3) had the best overall sensory evaluation compared to the negative control with NaCl (AC). For samples without an oxygen absorber, the highest overall sensory scores were in the group with bacterial culture and celery powder, surpassing the control with NaCl (C). The use of an oxygen absorber and curing salt proved to be effective in the production of biltong, but replacing the curing salt with NaCl and the addition of celery powder and bacterial culture significantly improved the sensory evaluation compared to the other groups (except AP3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]