Choosing a Scenario for Improving the Sustainability of Supply Chains in Construction

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine acceptable methods for choosing directions for increasing the sustainability of supply chains in construction. The  study  also determinate   the  factors  affecting the sustainability of supply chains in construction   Theoretical framework: Supply chain integration in many industries is based on integrated enterprise resource and relationship processing systems (ERP), but the construction industry has traditionally lagged behind in these processes. The need to create effective relationships in supply chains and increase the resilience of supply chains in construction has become evident in the context of the pandemic. However, the weak formalization of these processes in construction has led to the need to find acceptable methods for choosing directions for increasing the sustainability of supply chains in this industry.   Methodology: This is a  descriptive-based  study.  Approaches to factors of the supply chain stability were researched and systemized and from this the situations for the increasing stability of the supply chains are determinated. The choice of a model of the increasing stability of the supply chains was determined by the analytic hierarchy process.  Hierarchy analysis was used as a method for selecting a scenario for increasing the sustainability of supply chains in construction.   Findings: The results of the research carried out to conduct a multi-criteria choice using the opinions of experts in the construction industry. The choice of scenarios for increasing sustainability is due to the fact that the introduction of adaptive information technologies allows to take into account all groups of selected factors, while ensuring synchronization of production planning, product shipment and inventory management, increasing market feedback, ensuring that production volumes correspond to product demand, as well as reducing logistics costs and the price of products for the end customer.   Research, Practical  &  Social  Implication: The  study  contributes  to  a  better understanding crucial factors of the sustainability of supply chains in construction. The processes  of  analyzing   and evaluating   factors contribute  to improving  the sustainability of supply chains in construction,  by  focusing  on  critical  factors,    adopting  them  according  to  the requirements  of the construction. Originality/value: Based on the presented results, concluded that the scenario formation of increasing sustainability of the sustainability of supply chains  by the introduction of adaptive information technologies allows to take into account all groups of selected factors, while ensuring synchronization of production planning, product shipment and inventory management, increasing market feedback, ensuring that production volumes correspond to product demand, as well as reducing logistics costs and the price of products for the end customer

Assessment of the State of Forest Plant Communities of Scots Pine (<em>Pinus sylvestris</em> L.) in the Conditions of Urban Ecosystems

Siberian cities are characterized by one feature: many of them have preserved natural woodlands during construction, which on the one hand give a completely unusual, unique appearance to cities, on the other hand, trees suffer from recreational load, high levels of pollution and other anthropogenic factors. To assess the condition of pine stands, 3 test areas (0.5 ha, 0.1 ha and 1.9 ha) were laid. All considered plantings of natural origin are areas of woodland that were preserved during the construction of the city and are subject to recreational and industrial pollution. The test sites belong to areas with a high anthropogenic load, as they are located along highways and in close proximity to residential and public buildings and are part of parks with a high recreational load. The average age of trees is 70–80 years. The sanitary condition of the massif and its landscape characteristics are also determined. The critical condition of the massif is established, requiring sanitary logging and other forestry measures that could reduce recreational and anthropogenic loads

Quality of education as a requirement of modern society

The aim of the work is to study the compliance of the quality of education in Russia with the requirements determined by the needs of the Russian society. The article reveals the genesis of such categories as" quality of education "and"quality of products and services". The features of educational services as a public good in the forms of market relations are revealed. The structure and role of various consumers of educational services are defined separately, and a classification of the needs and requirements of consumers to the quality of education is proposed. In the course of the research, such methods as analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, and statistical methods for studying the economic situation were used. The empirical base of the research is scientific works of Russian and foreign authors on the problems of education quality, National standards of the Russian Federation and International standards in the field of quality, the Federal law "on education in the Russian Federation", Federal state educational standards of the Russian Federation, official data of the Federal Treasury and the Federal state statistics service of the Russian Federation

Redistribution of TNF Receptor 1 and 2 Expression on Immune Cells in Patients with Bronchial Asthma

Background: The co-expression patterns of type 1 and 2 tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&alpha; membrane receptors (TNFR1/TNFR2) are associated with the presence, stage, and activity of allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the expression levels and dynamics of TNFRs on immune cells and to assess associations between their expression and severity of bronchial asthma (BA). Methods: Patients with severe (n = 8), moderate (n = 10), and mild (n = 4) BA were enrolled. As a comparison group, data from 46 healthy volunteers (HV) were accessed. Co-expression of TNFR1/2 was evaluated as a percentage of cells and the number of receptors of each type per cell. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify diagnostic biomarkers of BA. Results: More than 90% of the monocytes in patients with mild BA were TNFR1+TNFR2+ but had significantly lower TNFR1 expression density compared with HV (7.82- to 14.08-fold, depending on disease severity). Lower percentages of the TNFR+ B-lymphocytes were observed in combination with significantly lower receptors density in BA compared with HV (2.59- to 11.64-fold for TNFR1 and 1.72- to 3.4-fold for TNFR2, depending on disease severity). The final multivariate model for predicting the presence of BA included the percentage of double-positive CD5+ B-lymphocytes and average number of TNFR1 molecules expressed on cytotoxic naive T-lymphocytes and T-helper cells (R2 = 0.87). Conclusions: The co-expression patterns of TNFRs on immune cells in BA differed significantly compared with HV. The expression differences were associated with disease severity. TNFR1 expression changes were key parameters that discriminated patients with BA from those with HV

THE CONTENT OF CD4+ AND CD8+ EFFECTOR MEMORY CELLS AND THE PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY OF T LYMPHOCYTES IN BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract. T-lymphocytes play a key role in the pathogenesis of this allergic disease. The reduction in number of naive T cells and the accumulation of memory T cells in bronchial asthma are accompanied by dysregulation of T lymphocytes function. In present study, it was investigated the content of different subpopulations of T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, in unstimulated and PHA-stimulated cultures, as well as their proliferative capacity in patients with bronchial asthma and healthy donors. The study included 10 patients with bronchial asthma (age 45.4 ± 11.8 years). One half of patients was in remission and the other half - in the stage of exacerbation of the underlying disease. The group of donors was formed by healthy individuals matched by gender and age to patients. Based on the expression of cell surface markers CD45R0, CD62L and CD197 (CCR7) CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were divided into central (Tcm) and effector memory cells (Tem), naive T-lymphocytes (Tnaive) and terminal-differentiated effectors (Temra) using flow cytometric technique. The proliferative activity of Tcm, Tem and Tnaive was evaluated in response to PHA as a functional marker of T cells. It was found that the percentage of CD4+TemCD62L+ and CD8+TemCD62L+ in the peripheral blood of patients in the exacerbation of asthma was significantly reduced compared to donors. After stimulation with PHA, these differences in T cell subsets between the groups of patients and donors were disappeared. We performed a correlation analysis between memory T cells and age . It was determined that the relative amount of CD4+ and CD8+ memory cells increased with age in asthmatics, but not in healthy donors. The analysis of mitogen-induced proliferation showed that Tcm and Tnaive cells divided more actively compared to other subpopulations in both groups. At the same time, the proliferative activity of CD4+ T lymphocytes and subsets of CD8+Tcm, CD4+Tcm and CD4+Tem62L- was higher in the group of patients in remission of asthma, than in groups of patients in exacerbation of the disease, and healthy donors. The revealed increase in the relative number of memory T cells with age suggests that these cells participate in the development of bronchial asthma. The proliferative response of the studied subpopulations, which was comparable with the donor values, indicates the retention of the functional characteristics of memory T cells and naive T lymphocytes in bronchial asthma. The increased proliferation of some T-cell subpopulations in asthmatics in remission points to the activated state of memory T cells. The observed decrease in the number of CD4+TemCD62L+ and CD8+TemCD62L+ in patients in exacerbation of asthma, by our opinion, may be associated with an active inflammatory process in the airways

The Influence of Severity and Disease Duration on TNF Receptors’ Redistribution in Asthma and Rheumatoid Arthritis

One of the mechanisms of cellular dysfunction during the chronization of immune-system-mediated inflammatory diseases is a change in the profile of expression and co-expression of receptors on cells. The aim of this study was to compare patterns of redistribution of TNF receptors (TNFRs) among patients with different durations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or asthma. Subgroup analysis was performed on RA (n = 41) and asthma (n = 22) patients with disease duration10 years and on 30 comparable healthy individuals. The co-expression profile of TNFR1 and TNFR2 was assessed in T cells, B cells, monocytes, regulatory T cells, T-helper subsets, and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte subsets. Percentages of cells with different co-expression combinations and receptor density per cell were estimated. Longer disease duration was significantly associated with a redistribution of receptors in immunocompetent cell subsets with an increase in the expression of TNFR1 in asthma but did not correlate with significant unidirectional changes in receptor expression in RA. In asthma, a higher proportion of cells with a certain type of TNF receptor (as compared with the healthy group) was correlated with a simultaneous greater density of this receptor type. In RA, an inverse correlation was observed (compensatory lower receptor density). Mechanisms of long-term changes in the expression of TNF receptors differ significantly between the diseases of autoimmune and allergic etiology. The formation of irreversible morphostructural alterations was strongly correlated with changes in the expression of TNFR1 in asthma and with changes in the expression of TNFR2 in RA

Genetic and Epigenetic Aspects of Skin Collagen Fiber Turnover and Functioning

One of the most important functions of the skin, i.e., protection from mechanical damage, is ensured by collagen fibers and their interaction with other elements in the extracellular matrix. Collagen fiber turnover is a complex multi-stage process. At each stage, a disruption may occur, leading to a decrease in the mechanical properties of the connective tissue. Clinically, collagen formation disorders manifest themselves as increased flabbiness and looseness of the skin and as early signs of facial aging. In addition to the clinical picture, it is important for cosmetologists and dermatologists to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of collagenopathies. In our review, we summarized and systematized the available information concerning the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in skin collagen fiber turnover. Furthermore, we focused on the functions of different types of collagens present in the skin. Understanding the etiology of impaired collagen formation can allow doctors to prescribe pathogenetically based treatments, achieve the most effective results, and minimize adverse reactions

Proteolytic Resistance Determines Albumin Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Properties and Increases Cathepsin B, D, and G Expression

Proteolytic activity is pivotal in maintaining cell homeostasis and function. In pathological conditions such as cancer, it covers a key role in tumor cell viability, spreading to distant organs, and response to the treatment. Endosomes represent one of the major sites of cellular proteolytic activity and very often represent the final destination of internalized nanoformulations. However, little information about nanoparticle impact on the biology of these organelles is available even though they represent the major location of drug release. In this work, we generated albumin nanoparticles with a different resistance to proteolysis by finely tuning the amount of cross-linker used to stabilize the carriers. After careful characterization of the particles and measurement of their degradation in proteolytic conditions, we determined a relationship between their sensitivity to proteases and their drug delivery properties. These phenomena were characterized by an overall increase in the expression of cathepsin proteases regardless of the different sensitivity of the particles to proteolytic degradation