Gathering Empirical Information for Quantitative Research in an Online Environment

The paper analyses the potential of the online environment for obtaining empirical data. It discusses the positive and the negative aspects of their use in scientific research and attempts to highlight the challenges of using social media for empirical data collection. Facebook and its growing levels of consumption attracts research interest because it facilitates recruitment of respondents, saves considerable money, time and effort, and opens access to hard-to-reach populations and highly engaged citizens in a variety of topics. At the same time, the use of online space for empirical data collection remains problematic in terms of representativeness, accessibility and security. The article briefly describes the process of recruiting Facebook respondents to participate in an online survey - a post-election study. The analysis of the results clearly shows the outreach, based on convenience sampling, to an online sample that is characterized by high interest in political issues, active communication practices, variety of information sources used, well-established practices of civic activism and participation in elections, relatively stable party affiliation and consistency in political orientation

Sustainable tourism as a method of forming a tolerant society

The article concentrates on potential capabilities for the development of sustainable tourism, as well as its role in the formation of tolerant social relations. The authors revealed the profound impact of sustainable and hike tourism on emergence of the phenomenon ‘new tourist’. They also offered the description of levels of tolerance and their influence on the sustainable tendencies in modern tourism. There is a growing trend for tourism in modern international community to act as a high-powered regulator of socio-cultural relations and, simultaneously, as the crucial factor of counteraction to that xenophobia. A head-on clash of local and foreign cultures, which is an integral part of the very notion of tourism, is not supposed to assume itself in highly extreme forms, with the air of predominance of any of them, moreover, to be based on national, racial, religious, linguistic or educational differences. To put the idea across more efficiently, the authors resorted to exploiting such useful tools as the analysis and synthesis methodology, as well as that of comparison and prognostics. What is produced in the outcome of this study is revealing and emphasizing the levels of tolerance, characterizing the uneasy interrelationships between the so-called ‘new’ tourists and local community. The research findings could find practical applications for designing of new tourist products and elaborating of new networks of footpaths for walking tours

Well-being as a Phenomenon: Research Paradigms of the Fifth Age

It is established that active longevity is connected with the intense intellectual activity at any age. Nowadays a man uses only a part of his/her intellectual capacities and it leads to reducing the storage capacity of mental memory. Globalization processes, medical and public health achievements have a positive effect on human longevity. Due to this, there is a problem of transforming “survival probability” into the active part of the human life activity known as “The Fifth Age”. As the subject of research is complex and multidimensional, it requires multifaceted study. In the study different methods such as analysis of information resources reflecting recent data about seniors' well-being, analysis of websites providing medical and social support to seniors, study of scientific papers about seniors' well-being are used. As a result a hypothesis about the conflict between the study of seniors' wellbeing problem and the lack of study of effective methods creating positive path of active aging based on senior's personal memories is formed. Summing up the results it can be concluded that seniors' well-being greatly depends on their participation in cultural memorial practices

Cd(II) and Pb(II) complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The natural polyether ionophorous antibiotics are used for the treatment of coccidiosis in poultry and ruminants. They are effective agents against infections caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. On the other hand, it was found that some of these compounds selectively bind lead(II) ions in <it>in vivo </it>experiments, despite so far no Pb(II)-containing compounds of defined composition have been isolated and characterized. To assess the potential of polyether ionophores as possible antidotes in the agriculture, a detailed study on their <it>in vitro </it>complexation with toxic metal ions is required. In the present paper we report for the first time the preparation and the structure elucidation of salinomycin complexes with ions of cadmium(II) and lead(II).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>New metal(II) complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin with Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions were prepared and structurally characterized by IR, FAB-MS and NMR techniques. The spectroscopic information and elemental analysis data reveal that sodium salinomycin (SalNa) undergoes a reaction with heavy metal(II) ions to form [Cd(Sal)₂(H₂O)₂] (<b>1</b>) and [Pb(Sal)(NO₃)] (<b>2</b>), respectively. Abstraction of sodium ions from the cavity of the antibiotic is occurring during the complexation reaction. Salinomycin coordinates with cadmium(II) ions as a bidentate monoanionic ligand through the deprotonated carboxylic moiety and one of the hydroxyl groups to yield <b>1</b>. Two salinomycin anions occupy the equatorial plane of the Cd(II) center, while two water molecules take the axial positions of the inner coordination sphere of the metal(II) cation. Complex <b>2 </b>consists of monoanionic salinomycin acting in polydentate coordination mode in a molar ratio of 1: 1 to the metal ion with one nitrate ion for charge compensation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The formation of the salinomycin heavy metal(II) complexes indicates a possible antidote activity of the ligand in case of chronic/acute intoxications likely to occur in the stock farming.</p

Influence of Termovet and Prodactive Acid SE preparations on blood parameters of broiler chickens

The studies' results of blood and biochemical parameters of its serum in broiler chickens exposed to high ambient temperatures are presented. Heat stress causes physiological changes in the poultry body, which negatively affects its health, feed intake and digestibility, productivity and product quality. To alleviate the poultry condition, a water-soluble powder of the Termovet preparation of acetylsalicylic acid (750 mg/1 g) was used for oral administration. As well as Prodactive Acid SE - a mixture of organic acids. The chicks' growing period was 34 days. The main period of the experiment began when the poultry reached an average live weight of 1680 g at the age of 4 weeks. Upon reaching an average live weight of 2030 g within 6 days before withdrawal from the experiment, the room was heated to 35 °C from 8 am to 6 pm. At this time, Termovet preparation was poured into the drinkers in the following doses: experimental group I - 100 mg/kg of live weight, experimental group II - 150 mg/kg. Both experimental groups were given Prodactive Acid SE last thing at night in a dose that provided water pH of 4. Research results have shown that the use of these preparations had a positive effect on the hematological and biochemical parameters of chickens when exposed to high temperatures

Ways to increase grain production efficiency

The paper presents an assessment of the current state of grain production in the region, determines the main sectoral strategy of increasing the economic efficiency of grain production. The comprehensive analysis of the development of the industry made it possible to compile a correlation and regression model of the grain yield and leguminous crops, which allowed determining the most significant factors – the expenses of fertilizers, plant protection agents and the maintenance of fixed assets. A methodological approach to the grouping of regions according to the level and efficiency of grain production is proposed, which allows identifying the main zones of concentration and specialization of grain production. The formation of the regional grain cluster, uniting all participants in the production, processing and sale of grain and grain products, stimulating an increase in the volume of grain production in agricultural organizations of the region by 2024 up to 13614.3 thousand centners, the profitability of the industry – up to 31.04 % is substantiated