Experimental research concerning the possibility of the cow manure conversion into biogas

Cow manure has been used since ancient times as an organic fertilizer in agriculture. Being rich in micronutrients, especially zinc, it is suitable to be used for all types of crops. The increase in the number of inhabitants generated the need for a larger amount of food and associated ever growing need of energy supply. Thus, an increase in the number of farms and cultivated agricultural areas was necessary, as well ever-growing secure energy sources. The strict laws on waste management, on reduction of greenhouse gases emission and in general addressing the decrease of the manmade pollution are some of the reasons that have led to the developing and application of alternative energy solutions. This paper aims to shed light on another much more beneficial feature of cow dung through its modern use, by production of biogas through anaerobic digestion. The experimental work is performed on an ultra-modern laboratory installation, capable to generate in 6 separate digesters of the biogas, according todivers receipts. In order to create a favourable environment for the growth of bacteria, the digestate was kept at a temperature of 37° C, thus creating mesophilic conditions. Throughout the experiment the pH value was monitored and recorded, as well the amount of generated methane.

ТРУДОВИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ ЯК ФАКТОР ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА

This study provides insights into the relevance of research on labor potential as a driver of enterprise innovative development. Labor potential is viewed as a manifestation of the human factor imposing direct effects on enterprise business and economic performance. High environment variability triggers a critical need to explore enterprise labor potential to ensure its further adaptability to changes in modern external environment. From a systemic approach perspective, enterprise labor potential should be considered in the comprehensive framework that includes such subsystems as qualification, personal, physiological, psycho-emotional and others. Summarizing a vast array of research, in the context of this study, labor potential is viewed from the positions of such approaches as socio-biological, functional, structural, resource-based, comprehensive and systemic. It is argued that labor potential is a set of workforce abilities and aptitudes which is characterized by certain personal and professional skills that will ultimately contribute to attaining the overall enterprise goals subject to the level of its technical and technological development as well as industry focus. The structure of labor potential covers intellectual, educational, competence-based, historical, cultural, biological, motivational, economic variables, etc. The research findings have revealed that further enhancement of labor potential has important implications for enterprise innovative development, providing favourable environment for creating opportunities to boost innovations in various areas of its activities and their further implementation; facilitating transformation of novelties into innovations, etc. Given essential effects upon business innovative development, within the scope of this study, enterprise labor potential is presented as a consistent on-going process of generation and further implementation of innovations aimed at ensuring the most rational use of its workforce through an optimal combination of a range of intellectual, educational, economic, professional skills and other competence-based elements. A special focus is put that in the result, the above will contribute to gaining the overall business goal and implementating the enterprise strategic objectives.

Trait Based Adaptation and Yield Stability Parameters in Little Millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. ex. Roem. and Schultz.)

Twelve accessions of littlemillet genotypes which included 10 germplasm accessions and two released check varieties were studied over five environments of rainy seasons of 2013 for their grain yield and stability. The results have shown that genotypes TNPsu 141 and TNPsu 28 had possessed around unit regression coefficient (b = 1.24 to 0.82), thus displaying average stability and are adaptable to all the above five different agro-ecological zones. Also, these genotypes had non- significant S2di values enabling it to predict the stability. Genotypes TNPsu 17, PM 29, TNPsu 18, and IPmr 886 manifested significantly higher single plant grain yield than the standard check varieties along with regression coefficient values of greater than one expressing above-average stability. These can be performed better in a favourable environment. However, they were classified as unstable due to their significant S2 di values revealing that the performance of the genotypes was unpredictable for the given environment. These genotypes were performed better under optimum conditions. Out of 12 genotypes MS 1826 and MS 4684 had an average response and appeared unpredictable stability. However, among the genotypes studied, TNPsu 141 possessed low yield and perform better in sub -optimum environments which are inferred by less than unit regression.

Assessing Parental Preferences Regarding a Plant-Based Game for Educating Children about More Sustainable and Healthier Diets

Environmental damage or health concerns related to diet are some alarming consequences of our behaviour in the near future. Consumers can make a difference depending on their eating behaviour and conscientiousness about minimizing environmental damage. One way to make children more aware of the environment and induce them to eat healthier food in the future might be educational games where they could learn the importance of the environment and the effect of the food they eat on their health status. In this study, we investigated parental behaviour when feeding their children and their willingness to pay for a game product with educational and eating functions. The sample consisted of 300 parents of children aged from 4 to 12. A hypothetical choice experiment has been used and a latent class model estimated the parents’ preferences for a plant-based product game carrying two attributes, namely, the price and narrative context of the game The results indicated that parents were willing to pay more for a product with a storybook related to healthy eating habits or recycling than one with no storybook. Moreover, two dominant feeding styles in households were found: indulgent parents and uninvolved parents. This alternative approach is oriented toward educating people from the early stages of their lives, creating a favourable environment for the development of preferences for healthier food.

Unravelling the Immunomodulatory Effects of Viral Ion Channels, towards the Treatment of Disease

The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for the research community to develop a better understanding of viruses, in particular their modes of infection and replicative lifecycles, to aid in the development of novel vaccines and much needed anti-viral therapeutics. Several viruses express proteins capable of forming pores in host cellular membranes, termed “Viroporins”. They are a family of small hydrophobic proteins, with at least one amphipathic domain, which characteristically form oligomeric structures with central hydrophilic domains. Consequently, they can facilitate the transport of ions through the hydrophilic core. Viroporins localise to host membranes such as the endoplasmic reticulum and regulate ion homeostasis creating a favourable environment for viral infection. Viroporins also contribute to viral immune evasion via several mechanisms. Given that viroporins are often essential for virion assembly and egress, and as their structural features tend to be evolutionarily conserved, they are attractive targets for anti-viral therapeutics. This review discusses the current knowledge of several viroporins, namely Influenza A virus (IAV) M2, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 Viral protein U (Vpu), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) p7, Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-16 E5, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Open Reading Frame (ORF)3a and Polyomavirus agnoprotein. We highlight the intricate but broad immunomodulatory effects of these viroporins and discuss the current antiviral therapies that target them; continually highlighting the need for future investigations to focus on novel therapeutics in the treatment of existing and future emergent viruses.

Why Does Tobacco Agriculture in Thailand Persist?

The rigorous tobacco controls advocated by both international policy players and national government are foreseen to lowering demand in tobacco consumption, and consequently, the contraction of tobacco agriculture. This paper seeks to reveal why tobacco agriculture, albeit with the declining trend of tobacco farms, continues to persist. Theoretical guiding the investigation is based on the institutional arrangement of contract farming system, the idea that derived from New Institution Economics, and farmers’ striving to attain livelihoods. The study adopts qualitative methods, utilising purposive sampling, with 53 tobacco farmers recruited from four provinces, namely Phrae, Phetchabun, Roi-et and Nongkhai, who took part in four focus group discussions. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with two provincial agricultural promotion officers, three provincial excise officers and four staff members of the local office of the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly. The data was analysed using content analysis. This paper found that supportive institutional arrangements, the adaptation of communities and households creating a favourable environment and the emergence of new markets for roll-your-own cigarettes are contributing to the persistence of tobacco agriculture. In light of tobacco control, two policy measures are proposed. First, the regulations for roll-your-own cigarette industries – both smallholders and manufacturers – must be revised and instituted. Second, to encourage tobacco farmers to move away from tobacco growing, institutional support for alternative crops, such as price guarantees, inputs and technical support should be provided in the same manner that the tobacco growers currently receive.

Psychology of Terrorism: Intimidation by Destroying One’s Own Life in the Donetsk Basin

The article presents the psychological genesis of terrorism in eastern Ukraine, referred to as the Donetsk Basin, during the Soviet era, which resulted from prioritising coal over the lives of Ukrainians affected by famine, executions, evictions and repression imposed by Russians. The replacement of the ethnic composition of the population by people from Russia led to the formation of a group of colonisers of Ukraine. This required creating an atmosphere of constant tension, fear and criminalised violence. As a consequence, the Donetsk Basin has become a favourable environment for Russians and their supporters, who were potentially prone to terrorist acts, and the most dangerous category of such persons — suicide bombers. The paper describes the emergence of a wave theory concerning terrorism in Europe, radical movements in Ireland, Macedonia, Serbia, Italy and Spain, as well as the current state of terrorism in Italy, Germany, Japan and many other countries. It covers the first terrorist act of Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine near the village of Kamyanka, in the Donetsk region, where a checkpoint of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was attacked by a suicide bomber using a minibus loaded with explosives. It was also a place where other similar terrorist acts took place and the manifesto of Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant was distributed in the centre of Ukraine by a terrorist group from the Russian Federation in order to involve prone persons in subversive activities on racial and religious grounds. The study was created using a nonparametric typology, based on the analysis of at least two parameters: the nuclei of vulnerabilities (targets of influence) and the features of intrapsychic formations arising under their influence. This allowed identifying five psychotypes of potential suicide bombers: of a person who has lost emotional connection with the outside world; of a fanatic of faith, associated with the activation of ‘mortido’ — the desire for death; of a fanatic of an idea, which considers the cessation of life as a spiritual transformation, and martyrdom as an integral element of the spiritual path; of a potential suicide bomber associated with extreme manifestations of protest behaviour; persons with psychopathic changes in personality structure. The paper establishes the prevalence of these psychotypes and comparative possibilities of influencing each of them.

Extracellular Vesicles in Bone Tumors: How to Seed in the Surroundings Molecular Information for Malignant Transformation and Progression

Bone is a very dynamic tissue hosting different cell types whose functions are regulated by a plethora of membrane-bound and soluble molecules. Intercellular communication was recently demonstrated to be also sustained by the exchange of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These are cell-derived nanosized structures shuttling biologically active molecules, such as nucleic acids and proteins. The bone microenvironment is a preferential site of primary and metastatic tumors, in which cancer cells find a fertile soil to “seed and blossom”. Nowadays, many oncogenic processes are recognized to be sustained by EVs. For example, EVs can directly fuel the vicious cycle in the bone/bone marrow microenvironment. EVs create a favourable environment for tumor growth by affecting osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes, adipocytes, leukocytes, and endothelial cells. At the same time other crucial tumor-mediated events, such as the premetastatic niche formation, tumor cell dormancy, as well as drug resistance, have been described to be fostered by tumor-derived EVs. In this review, we will discuss the main body of literature describing how the cancer cells use the EVs for their growth into the bone and for educating the bone microenvironment to host metastases.

Do Animals Have Any Rights in Slovakia?

This article focuses on assessing whether the current Slovak legal framework provides animals with a sufficient level of protection against cruelty and maltreatment. Past and current Slovak legislation on animal protection was analyzed in light of the major animal welfare challenges that Slovakia faces today. Contrary to what the title of the study suggests, a different approach was chosen to strengthen the protection of animals – not through the concept of animal rights, but the concept of human rights to a favourable environment. In addition, the possibility of using the already existing environmental law legal instruments when the well-being of animal is threatened was discussed.

Qualification Enhancement in Intellectual Property for the Teaching Staff of Institutions of Higher Education

The paper substantiates the need and importance of cultivation of a competence in intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in the teaching staff in higher education during their qualification enhancement (QE) as a condition for their further development and provision of quality higher education in Ukraine. The survey was conducted under the state-funded R&D topic to evaluate the attitude to intellectual property among the teaching staff of institutions of higher education (IHE). It looks into the factors and mechanisms of IPR protection and inclusion in the QE programmes for the IHE teaching staff. Knowledge in IPR protection encourages creation of a favourable environment for intellectual activity development, where an important role in its dissemination belongs to the teaching staff. The findings reveal that acquisition of such knowledge and skills is currently not commonly included in the corresponding QE programmes, while the number of those interested in them is significant. Another red flag in this regard is overbureaucratization of the process and the working overload of the teaching staff. Therefore, changes are in order in the QE programmes to include the relevant portion of knowledge and training in IPR, their exercise, protection, and commercialization.