Spiritual loss Ukraine During the Second World War

Висвітлено питання про втрати культурних надбань, яких зазнав український народ в часи ІІ Світової війни. Показано, що війна завдала великої шкоди українській культурі, зокрема бібліотекам та музеям. Проаналізовано політику окупаційної влади щодо українських бібліотечних, музейних та архівних колекцій напередодні та під час війни. The problems of loss of cultural values that have been put to the people of Ukraine duringWorld War II. It is shown that the war inflicted great losses on Ukrainian culture, such aslibraries and museums. We analyze the policy of the occupation authorities against the Ukrainian library, museum and archival collections before and during the war

CONFLICT IN SUDAN IN THE FOCUS OF THE EU’S CRISIS STRATEGY

The article examines the EU’s crisis strategy in Sudan and South Sudan in conditions of acute armed confrontation between the Sudanese army and forces of rapid reaction. The reasons for increased attention of the EU to these states with intensive internal armed conflicts have been analyzed. The author has noted that towards these states the EU’s crisis strategy has been oriented in the direction of extended application of instruments of «soft power». The motives for refusal of the EU to utilize in the given region the traditional hard-core missions with military and civil components have been examined. In the context of utilization of «soft power» priority attention is devoted to consideration of a new model of the EU’s indirect mediation in Sudan and South Sudan based on providing by the EU assistance to mediation of the «third party». The author underlines that indirect mediation of the EU is built in the EU’s crisis strategy by means of controlling the allocation of financial and other resources provided to its local mediation partners. The conclusion is made that the EU’s indirect mediation could be a prospective and effective instrument of «soft power» concerning complex crisis situations with practical retainment by the EU control over the mediation process

EU – WESTERN BALKANS: PROBLEMS OF INTEGRATION

The article examines the results of December EU-Western Balkans Summit and the EU strategy concerning EU – Western Balkans integration. It notes that the summit became a new step in realization of the EU integration strategy in relation to the Western Balkans states. At this stage the strategy is focused on strengthening its political and economic influence in the region and on alignment of the Western Balkans states with the priorities of the EU common security and defense policy, including on the questions of the Ukrainian conflict and related sanctions. At the same time the EU integration strategy creates incentives aimed at realization of necessary reforms in the region with the purpose of strengthening internal stability in the region and prevention of potential conflicts inside of the Western Balkans states as well as among them and first of all between Serbia and Kosovo. The author analyzes the main conflicts in the region which negatively affect stability and security in the Western Balkans and the integration process in general. Special attention is devoted to the escalation of conflict between Serbia and Kosovo which could create serious threat to stability in the region and jeopardize the integration process itself as well as the EU mediation efforts aimed at normalization of relationships between Serbia and Kosovo. The author considers that further EU strategy would be developed on two parallel tracks – acceleration of integration process with the Western Balkans states and increasing effectiveness of the EU mediation mission aimed at achieving comprehensive agreement on normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosov

Formation of adaptive infrastructure of small and medium-sized enterprises support for vulnerable social groups

На ранніх етапах формування українського бізнесу, саме створення інститутів підтримки та обслуговування діяльності малих і середніх підприємницьких структур, було якоюсь самоціллю, перебуваючи в слабкій залежності від реального попиту на їхні послуги з боку конкретних господарюючих суб'єктів. Вважалося, що через створення та розвиток подібних інститутів по суті закладався фундамент майбутньої цілісної ринкової інфраструктури країни. Соціальне підприємництво націлене на пошук ефективних механізмів вирішення соціальних проблем, пом'якшення соціальної напруженості, ініціює розмивання міжсекторальних кордонів. Соціальне підприємництво орієнтоване на задоволення потреб населення і, як наслідок, здатне взяти на себе деякі функції держави, регулярно контактуючи з ним. Соціально-економічні дослідження специфіки і перспектив розвитку соціального підприємництва в українському контексті необхідні для поглиблення знань про це явище, створення необхідної емпіричної бази для прогнозування векторів розвитку національної економіки. Гіпотеза наукового дослідження ґрунтується на сукупності наукових положень і принципів розвитку підприємницької діяльності, які обґрунтовують можливість підвищення ефективності та результативності роботи сектора малого та середнього бізнесу за рахунок вдосконалення його підтримки, заснованої на розробці та впровадженні моделі адаптивної інфраструктури підтримки соціального підприємництва, що передбачає використання вдосконалених і нових механізмів і інститутів. Метою даного дослідження є систематизація і розробка методів розвитку і підтримки соціального підприємництва, виявити актуальні можливості і обмеження його при здійсненні соціально-значимої діяльності. Методи дослідження: загальні методи наукового пізнання, такі як методи єдності аналізу і синтезу, методи узагальнення та прогнозування, економічний аналіз, методи статистики і кластерного аналізу, взаємозв'язку теоретичних і практичних аспектів дослідження. На базі порівняльної характеристики основних підходів до визначення поняття «адаптивність» стосовно до системи інститутів інфраструктурного забезпечення діяльності малого та середнього соціального підприємництва розкрито сутність категорії «адаптивна інфраструктура підтримки малого та середнього підприємництва». Розроблено концептуальну модель формування адаптивної інфраструктури підтримки соціального підприємництва, що враховує вимоги всіх зацікавлених сторін, визначальну роль і місце громадських бізнес-об'єднань в системі її інститутів. Інфраструктурне забезпечення підприємницької діяльності – це система організацій різних видів, функціонального призначення та форм власності, об'єднаних метою створення сприятливих умов для нормального господарювання малих і середніх підприємницьких структур на різних стадіях їх розвитку. Розглядаючи цю систему не лише як сукупність відносин і зв'язків між складовими її елементами, але і як цілісний об'єкт, що має низку властивостей і характеристик, обумовлених властивостями і якістю окремих його елементів і зв'язків між ними, можливо розглядати її як складну адаптивну систему.In the early stage of the Ukrainian business formation the creation of institutions to provide service and support for small and medium-sized business structures was somehow an end in itself. It slightly depended on actual demands for their services from the side of concrete economic entities. It was considered, that the creation and development of such institutions would lay the foundations of the future integrated market infrastructure of the country. Social entrepreneurship is aimed at finding the effective mechanisms to solve social issues, lessen social tension and initiate the blurring of intersectoral boundaries. Social entrepreneurship is oriented to satisfy the needs of population, and, as a result, is able to perform some state functions while being in regular contact with it. Social and economic researches of specificity and perspectives of social entrepreneurship development in the Ukrainian context are essential for deepening knowledge about this phenomenon and creating the necessary empirical base for predicting the vectors of national economic development. Hypothesis of the scientific research is based on the totality of scientific concepts and principles of entrepreneurship development, which give the proof of possibility to increase the effectiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises` activities by the improvement of its support, based on the development and implementation of the adaptive infrastructure model for social entrepreneurship support, using the improved and new mechanisms and institutions. The aim of the research is to systematize and devise the methods of development and support of social entrepreneurship and to reveal its actual possibilities and limitations while accomplishing socially important activities. The methods of the research: general methods of scientific knowledge, such as the methods of synthesis and analysis, methods of generalization and prediction, economic analysis, methods of statistics and cluster analysis, correlation of theoretical and practical aspects of the research. The results of the research: the essence of the category “adaptive infrastructure of small and medium-sized enterprises support” was disclosed in the article. It was based on the comparative characteristics of main approaches to the notion of “adaptivity” with regard to the system of institutions of infrastructural support of small and medium-sized social enterprises activities. Also the conceptual model of formation of adaptive infrastructure of social entrepreneurship support was developed. It takes into account the requirements of all the interested parties, identifies the role and place of social business formations in the system of its institutions. Infrastructural support of the entrepreneurial activity it is the system of organization of different types, functional purposes and forms of property, united by the aim to create favorable conditions for the rational management of small and mediumsized entrepreneurial structures at different stages of their development. Considering this system not only as the totality of relations and connections between its elements, but also as an integral object, possessing a range of qualities and characteristics, specified by the properties and qualities of its separate elements and connections between them, we can regard it as the complex adaptive system

Lox-dependent gene expression in transgenic plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

Lox sites of the Cre/lox recombination system from bacteriophage P1 were analyzed for their ability to affect on transgene expression when inserted upstream from a gene coding sequence adjacent to the right border (RB) of T-DNA. Wild and mutated types of lox sites were tested for their effect upon bar gene expression in plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated and biolistic transformation methods. Lox-mediated expression of bar gene, recognized by resistance of transgenic plants to PPT, occurred only in plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. RT-PCR analysis confirms that PPT-resistant phenotype of transgenic plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was caused by activation of bar gene. The plasmid with promoterless gus gene together with the lox site adjacent to the RB was constructed and transferred to Nicotiana tabacum as well. Transgenic plants exhibited GUS activity and expression of gus gene was detected in plant leaves. Expression of bar gene from the vectors containing lox site near RB allowed recovery of numerous PPT-resistant transformants of such important crops as Beta vulgaris, Brassica napus, Lactuca sativa and Solanum tuberosum. Our results demonstrate that the lox site sequence adjacent to the RB can be used to control bar gene expression in transgenic plants.Проанализирована способность lox-сайтов Cre/lox системы рекомбинации бактериофага Р1 влиять на экспрессию трансгенов при расположении этой последовательности непосредственно возле правого бордера (RB) перед кодирующей последовательностью гена. Нативная и мутированная последовательность lox-сайта были размещены в векторах для трансформации возле гена bar и проведена генетическая трансформация растений с помощью агробактерии и биолистическим методом. Lox-опосредованная экспрессия гена bar, обусловливающая устойчивость растений к фосфинотрицину, наблюдалась только у растений, которые получены с помощью агробактериальной трансформации. Методом РТ-ПЦР анализа подтверждено, что в трансгенных растениях, устойчивых к фосфинотрицину, происходит транскрипция гена bar. Сконструирован вектор, в котором ген gus и предшествующий ему lox-сайт размещены вблизи правого бордера, и проведена трансформация табака этим вектором. Экспрессия гена gus задетектирована в листьях трансгенных растений. Векторы, у которых последовательность lox-сайта предшествует гену bar возле правого бордера (RB-lox-bar), успешно использованы для получения устойчивых к фосфинотрицину трансгенных растений таких видов, как Beta vulgaris, Brassica napus, Lactuca sativa и Solanum tuberosum. Наши результаты подтверждают возможность использования последовательности lox-сайта возле правого бордера для контроля экспрессии гена bar в трансгенных растениях

Modeling of the process of spherical form correction for rotors of electrostatically suspended gyros

Improvement of the manufacturing technology for gyroscopic devices, which autonomously generate motion parameters of moving objects, has strategic importance and priority for various industries. The object of current research is a spherical rotor of an electrostatically suspended gyroscope which geometric parameters determine the accuracy characteristics of the device. The paper presents results of the process modeling of spherical form correction for rotors of electrostatically suspended gyroscopes at the stage of its manufacture during the coating deposition process. The proposed mathematical model of the deposition process is based on the placement of a movable screen with a hole between a rotor and a spray source. The axis of the hole lies on the dynamic axis of the rotor and it provides a formation of a spherical segment on the coating rotor surface. During deposition of an additional layer, the screen or rotor moves along the dynamic axis of the rotor changing the distance between the rotor and the screen, and there is additional rotation of the rotor around its dynamic axis. It allows adjusting the curvature of the formed coating on the rotor surface. An analytical model of the technological process for correcting the shape of spherical rotors of electrostatically suspended gyroscopes has been developed. A mathematical description, control factors and significant parameters of the process are given. The results of practical testing of the developed model are presented. The presented mathematical model makes it possible to correct the shape of the rotors during the deposition of a functional coating expanding the technological possibilities and increasing the accuracy of rotors

Secretory phospholipase A2: a biomarker of inflammation in autoimmune, bacterial and viral diseases

Secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2) represent a large superfamily of enzymes with a molecular weight of 14-19 kDa, including 15 groups and more than 30 isoforms belonging to four types: secretory (sPLA2), cytosolic (cPLA2), calcium-independent (iPLA2) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LP-PLA2, PAF-AH). Eleven species of secretory sPLA2s (IB, IIA, IIC, IID, IIE, IIF, III, V, X, XIIA, and XIIB) have been found in mammals, performing versatile functions and participating in the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases. On the one hand, sPLA2 may promote elimination of damaged, apoptotic cells by hydrolyzing membrane phospholipids, and exerts a strong bactericidal and antiviral properties, including pronounced effects against antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms. In this regard, the use of sPLA2 may represent a new strategy for the treatment of bacterial and viral infections. Moreover, due to the action of sPLA2 on its substrates, a number of biologically active molecules (arachidonic, lysophosphatidic acids, lysophospholipids, fatty acids, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, thromboxanes) are formed, which provide strong inflammatory, detergent, coagulating effects and increase vascular permeability. This pro-inflammatory role of sPLA2 may explain its increase levels and activity in cardiovascular, respiratory, autoimmune, metabolic, oncological, bacterial and viral disorders. The review article presents a classification of sPLA2 isoforms, their substrates, regulatory factors, biological significance, and mechanisms of their strong bactericidal, virucidal, and pro-inflammatory activity in the heart and lung disorders, autoimmune, metabolic, bacterial, and viral diseases. In particular, the mechanisms of the selective action of sPLA2 against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms are discussed. We consider diagnostic and prognostic significance, correlations between elevated levels and activity of sPLA2 and distinct clinical symptoms, severity and outcome in the patients with coronary heart disease (CAD), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), atherosclerosis, acute inflammatory lung injury (ALI), respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, bacterial infections, septicemia and viral (COVID-19) infections. The opportunity of using sPLA2 as a biomarker of the severity and outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bacterial infections, sepsis and viral infections, including COVID-19, is also considered

The comparison of 2D and 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography values in young athletes

Objective: to analyze the parameters of 2D and 3D transthoracic echocardiography (TEE) with speckle-tracking technology in young athletes. Materials and methods: 79 athletes (52 male, 27 female, median age 20,5±3,7 years) undergone prospective analysis. Participants were divided into groups by level of training (group A-professionals and group B-amateurs) and by gender (group 1-men and group 2-women). Athletes underwent 12-lead ECG, 2D TTE and 3D TTE with a speckle-tracking. The evaluation of LV function was performed using the speckle-tracking method with the assessment of LV longitudinal strain in the Automated Function Imaging mode. Results: significant differences in LDV (

Graphs and Reflection Groups

It is shown that graphs that generalize the ADE Dynkin diagrams and have appeared in various contexts of two-dimensional field theory may be regarded in a natural way as encoding the geometry of a root system. After recalling what are the conditions satisfied by these graphs, we define a bilinear form on a root system in terms of the adjacency matrices of these graphs and undertake the study of the group generated by the reflections in the hyperplanes orthogonal to these roots. Some ``non integrally laced " graphs are shown to be associated with subgroups of these reflection groups. The empirical relevance of these graphs in the classification of conformal field theories or in the construction of integrable lattice models is recalled, and the connections with recent developments in the context of ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric theories and topological field theories are discussed.Comment: 42 pages TEX file, harvmac and epsf macros, AMS fonts optional, uuencoded, 8 figures include