A CONTEMPORARY OVERVIEW OF THE APPLICATION OF COLLABORATIVE CONSUMPTION IN TOURISM

Collaborative consumption is a current global trend which is changing the way in which people use goods and services. This trend also affects the state of the tourism market. With reference to this the article studies the increased use of this business model nowadays by outlining its main characteristic features and the reasons that have caused its appearance. In addition, the article classifies the wide variety of services and products that fall within the scope of this model. Special attention is paid to the factors which limit and stimulate its development. The article also provides a summary of the most widely used digital platforms for sharing tourism – related services. In conclusion, it systematizes the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative consumption and its effects on the conventional supply of tourism products and services

In Search of Social Justice: Current Developments in Higher Education and the Labour Market in Bulgaria

The discussions about social justice date from ancient times, but despite the enduring interest in the topic and the progress made, we are still witnessing injustices throughout the world. Thus, the search for social justice, under some form, is an inseparable part of our lives. In general, social justice may be considered as a critical idea that challenges us to reform our institutions and practices in the name of greater fairness (Miller 1999, p. x). In political and policy debates, social justice is often related to fair access (Brown, 2013) but at the same time its meanings seem to vary when we consider different definitions, perspectives and social theories (Zajda, Majhanovich, & Rust, 2006). When seen in the context of higher education, social justice appears in relevant literature as a buzzword (Patton, Shahjahan, Riyad, & Osei-Kofi, 2010). Within the recent studies of higher education and public debates related to the development of higher education, more emphasis is placed on the link between higher education and the economic growth and how higher education could be more responsive to the labour market demands, and little emphasis has been put on social justice. Given this, the present study attempts to at least partially fill the gap with regard to this apparently very topical issue, especially in the context of the unprecedented worldwide expansion of higher education in the last century (Schofer & Meyer, 2005), an expansion that is expected to continue in the next decades. More specifically, the expansion of higher education intensified in the second part of the 20th century, especially after World War II. It was seen as a result of the intertwined dynamics related to demographic, economic and political pressures (Goastellec, 2008a). This trend undoubtedly contributed to the increase of the size of the student body. To illustrate this trend, we may point out that in the period between 2000 and 2007, the number of tertiary students in the world increased from 98,303,539 to 150,656,459 (UNESCO, 2009, p. 205). This growth occurred in all regions of the world, including Central and Eastern Europe, North America and Western Europe, and contributed to raising the number of tertiary graduates. Thus, in the period between 2000 and 2008, the total number of tertiary graduates in the European Union (EU) 27 increased by a total of 35 percent (or 4.5 percent per year). However, this growth was very uneven, ranging from 21.1 percent in Romania to 0.7 percent in Hungary (European Commission working staff document, 2011). The increase of the number of students and graduates was seen as enhancing the social justice in higher education, since it is assumed that expansion “extends a valued good to a broader spectrum of the population” (Arum, Gamoran, & Shavit, 2007, p. 29). However, concerns for a deep contradiction for 21st-century higher education also emerged with regard to its expansion

On caustics associated with the linearized vorticity equation

summary:The linearized vorticity equation serves to model a number of wave phenomena in geophysical fluid dynamics. One technique that has been applied to this equation is the geometrical optics, or multi-dimensional WKB technique. Near caustics, this technique does not apply. A related technique that does apply near caustics is the Lagrange Manifold Formalism. Here we apply the Lagrange Manifold Formalism to determine an asymptotic solution of the linearized vorticity equation and to study associated wave phenomena on the caustic curve

Genetske strukturne populacije brgljuna (Engraulis encrasicolus Linnaeus, 1758) (Osteichthyes: Engraulide) iz Mediterana i Atlantskog oceana

Muscle proteins of the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus L. were analyzed using starch gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing on thin polyacrylamide ampholine gel. Twenty-two protein loci were analyzed and polymorphism was found in six of them. Based on genetic-biochemical data, we hypothesize that there are two anchovy subspecies, European and African. The former inhabits the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean coast of Europe, and the Aegean, Marmora, Black, and Azov Seas. The latter is found in the Cape Blank region of the Atlantic Ocean and, probably, along the northwestern part of the African coast. The Aegean anchovy consists of hybrid populations, resulting from introgressive hybridization between the European and the African populations. No evidence for subspecies differentiation between the populations from the European coast of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean was found. Genetic distances between the Azov and Black Sea populations show that the former probably entered the Black Sea during the Karangad period and the latter during the last connection of the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The genetic distance between the Black Sea anchovy and the Azov anchovy shows that they could be specified as two different populations. Probably some earlier subspecies differences disappeared as a result of introgressive hybridization.Analizirani su mišićni proteini europskog brgljuna (Engraulis encrasicolus L.) upotrebom škrobno gelne elektroforeze i izoelektričnog fokusiranja na tankom poliakrilamidnom gelu. Analizirana su 22 proteinska položaja i kod šestorice je dobiven polimorfizam. Postavljena je hipoteza na osnovi genetsko-biokemijskih podataka da postoje 2 podvrste brgljuna: europska i afrička. Prva naseljava Mediteran, mediteranske obale Europe, te Egejsko, Mramorno, Crno i Azovsko more. Druga je nađena u području Cape Blank u Atlantskom oceanu i vjerojatno uzduž sjeverozapadnog dijela afričke obale. Egejski brgljun se sastoji od hibridnih populacija koje su rezultat introgresivne hibridizacije. Nema uvida u diferencijaciju podvrsta između populacija s europske obale Mediterana i Atlantskog oceana. Genetske udaljenosti između populacija Azovskog i Crnog mora ukazuju da je prva ušla u Crno more tijekom karangadskog razdoblja, a druga tijekom zadnje veze Crnog mora i Mediterana. Genetska udaljenost između brgljuna iz Crnog mora i brgljuna iz Azovskog mora upućuje na to da se mogu razlikovati različite populacije. Vjerojatno su neke razlike u podvrstama nastale kao rezultat introgresivne hibridizacije

STUDY ON INFLUENCE OF SOME CONVENTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL FERTILIZERS ON THE BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND DRIED FRUITS OF 'TEGERA' PLUM CULTIVAR

The study presents the results of the effect of different fertilization types on the biochemical composition of fresh and dried plum fruit of 'Tegera' cultivar. The scientific experiment was carried out in 2016 at Research Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture - Troyan. Three fertilization types were applied in the experiment: biological, conventional and granulated chicken manure. Higher values for sugars, anthocyanins, tanning substances and pectin were reported as a result of fertilization in comparison with the control. The highest content of total polyphenols in fresh 210.00 mgGAE/100 and dried 390.00 mgGAE/100 fruit was found in the conventional fertilization. The greatest level of antioxidant activity of fresh fruit was found in the variant of chicken manure - 926.67 μmolTE /100 g and the conventional fertilization - 597.78 μmolTE/100 g, while it was 220.00 μmolTE / 100 g in dried fruit variant with the biological fertilization

Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks, a safety method of anesthesia in patients with sepsis with an initial acute respiratory failure - presentation of two clinical cases

Anesthetic management of patients with severe sepsis is a great challenge. Systemic inflammation and acute organ dysfunction in response to infection is a major problem, especially respiratory failure and hemodynamic instability. Avoidance of lung injury during mechanical ventilation is possible with peripheral nerve blocks.Clinical case 1: We present a 73-year-old male hemodialysis patient with sepsis. He had infectious complication of aneurysm formation of A-V fistula. The patient was hypoxic – SpO2 86-88%, with presence of tachypnea, RR-150/75, HR-125/min, Temp -380 C, coagulation abnormalities - INR 1, 58 (clopidogrel intake), elevated CRP and WBC.The patient was indicated for emergency procedures of incision, drainage and ligation of A-V fistula. We performed supraclavicular brachial plexus block + sedation.Clinical case 2: We present a 61-year-old woman with sepsis, with past medical history of diabetes, COPD, and endometrial cancer. She was with clinical presentation of necrotizing fasciitis of the upper extremity.We performed ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block – ”in plane” technique, 30 mL/25 mL ropivacaine 0.5% in moderate sedated patients.During the operation the patients were conscious, hemodynamically and respiratory stable, with oxygen supply by a mask, and with excellent intraoperative and postoperative pain control.We think that ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks are safe and effective alternatives for septic patients with/without coagulation abnormalities

Application of dexamethasone as an adjuvant to the local anesthetic in the performance of a US-guided femoral block for postoperative analgesia on patients after total knee joint replacement

Introduction: The article discusses the use of dexamethasone as an adjuvant to local anesthetic solution for ultrasound (US)-guided femoral nerve block in patients after total knee joint replacement. A literature review on the clinical use of other adjuvants is also presented.Design: This was a clinical prospective randomized study.Aim: The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of dexamethasone adjuvant on the local anesthetic solution when performing a US-guided femoral block in patients after total knee joint replacement.Methods: The study included 53 patients, randomized into two groups:  Group 1: single shot femoral nerve block (FNB) + constant infusion through a perineural catheter 15 mL bolus (ropivacaine 0.5%/levobupivacaine 0.375%) with a subsequent infusion of 5-9 mL per hour, including 20 patients; Group 2: single shot FNB  20 mL bolus (ropivacaine 0.5%/levobupivacaine 0.375%) +/- dexamethasone 4 mg, including 33 patients.  In Group 2, 2 subgroups were formed: patients with single shot FNB with chirocain - 10 patients; patients with single shot FNB with ropivacaine - 23 patients. Of these, 15 patients were fasted with single shot FNB  with ropivacaine + dexamethasone 4 mg, and 8 patients with pure ropivacaine.Evaluation of effective control of pain relief symptoms was done on 2nd, 4th, 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th, and 36th hours postoperatively according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).Results: No statistically significant difference in VAS scores was observed between the two groups in the 2nd, 6th, 12th, 18th and 36th hours. Such was found only in the 24th hour. We did not detect statistically significant benefits of this adjuvant. We do not have clinically registered adverse drug reactions (ADRs). We have not established a correlation between these occurrences and the use of dexamethasone.Conclusion: Although our results correspond to those of authors who refute the benefits of dexamethasone as an adjuvant to the peripheral nerve block (PNB), we believe, based on clinical observation data, that it actually attenuated reversible hyperalgesia (patients did not report abruptly, acute, sudden onset of pain), therefore prolongation of the analgesic effect was observed until the 18th, 20th postoperative hour

Multifunctionality of rapeseed meal protein isolates prepared by sequential isoelectric precipitation

Rapeseed meal is a by-product of the oil-producing industry with a currently underesti-mated application. Two protein isolates, PI2.5–8.5 or PI10.5–2.5, were obtained from industrial rapeseed meal after treatment with an aqueous ethanol solution. The alkaline-extracted proteins were sequen-tially precipitated by two different modes, from pH 10.5 to 2.5, and vice versa, from 2.5 to 8.5, with a step of 1 pH unit. The preparation approach influenced both the functional and antioxidant properties of the isolates. The PI10.5–2.5 exhibited higher water and oil absorption capacities than PI2.5–8.5, reaching 2.68 g H2O/g sample and 2.36 g oil/g sample, respectively. The emulsion stability of the PI2.5–8.5, evaluated after heating at 80 °C, was either 100% or close to 100% for all pH values studied (from 2 to 10), except for pH 6 where it reached 93.87%. For the PI10.5–2.5, decreases in the emulsion stability were observed at pH 8 (85.71%) and pH 10 (53.15%). In the entire concentration range, the PI10.5–2.5 exhibited a higher scavenging ability on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals than PI2.5–8.5 as evaluated by DPPH and 2-deoxyribose assays, respectively. At the highest concentration studied, 1.0%, the neutralization of DPPH radicals by PI10.5–2 reached half of that exhibited by synthetic antioxidant butylhydroxytoluene (82.65%). At the same concentration, the inhibition of hydroxyl radicals by PI10.5–2 (71.25%) was close to that achieved by mannitol (75.62%), which was used as a positive control. Established antioxidant capacities add value to the protein isolates that can thus be used as both emulsifiers and antioxidants.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhanced solubility of rapeseed meal protein isolates prepared by sequential isoelectric precipitation

The solubility of plant protein isolates is a key determinant of their potential application. Two protein isolates (PI) from ethanol-treated industrial rapeseed meal, PI10.5–2.5 and PI2.5–8.5, were prepared by sequential isoelectric precipitation of alkali-extracted proteins (pH 12) starting from pH 10.5 to 2.5 or from pH 2.5 to 8.5, respectively. Biochemical analyses revealed that PI2.5–8.5 contained a higher amount of crude protein (72.84%) than PI10.5–2.5 (68.67%). In the same protein isolate, the level of total phenols (0.71%) was almost two-fold higher than that in PI10.5–2.5 (0.42%). No glucosinolates were established in both protein isolates. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that PI10.5–2.5 contained 10 to 15 kDa protein fractions in a relatively higher amount, while PI2.5–8.5 was enriched in 18 to 29 kDa protein fractions. PI10.5–2.5 exhibited high solubility, varying from 41.74% at pH 4.5 to 65.13% at pH 6.5, while PI2.5–8.5 was almost two-fold less soluble under the same conditions. Up to pH 5.5, the addition of NaCl at 0.03 and 0.25 M diminished the solubility of PI2.5–8.5, while the solubility of PI10.5–2.5 was increased. The supplementation of PI10.5–2.5 with 0.25 M NaCl enhanced the protein solubility to 56.11% at pH 4.5 and 94.26% at pH 6.5. The addition of 0.03 M NaCl also increased the solubility of this protein isolate but to a lower extent. Overall, the approach for sequential precipitation of proteins influenced the biochemical characteristics, protein fractional profile and solubility of prepared protein isolates.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio