bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences between Men and Women in Mortality and the Health Dimensions of the Morbidity Process
Authors: Crimmins Eileen M , Shim Hyunju , Zhang Yuan S , Kim Jung Ki
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

Do men have worse health than women? This question is addressed by examining sex differences in mortality and the health dimensions of the morbidity process that characterize health change with age. We also discuss health differences across historical time and between countries.

CONTENT

Results from national-level surveys and data systems are used to identify male/female differences in mortality rates, prevalence of diseases, physical functioning, and indicators of physiological status. Male/female differences in health outcomes depend on epidemiological and social circumstances and behaviors, and many are not consistent across historical time and between countries. In all countries, male life expectancy is now lower than female life expectancy, but this was not true in the past. In most countries, women have more problems performing instrumental activities of daily living, and men do better in measured performance of functioning. Men tend to have more cardiovascular diseases; women, more inflammatory-related diseases. Sex differences in major cardiovascular risk factors vary between countries—men tend to have more hypertension; women, more raised lipids. Indicators of physiological dysregulation indicate greater inflammatory activity for women and generally higher cardiovascular risk for men, although women have higher or similar cardiovascular risk in some markers depending on the historical time and country.

In some aspects of health, men do worse; in others, women do worse. The lack of consistency across historical times and between countries in sex differences in health points to the complexity and the substantial challenges in extrapolating future trends in sex differences.
A Spoken Silence: Rabindranath and the Ecology of Modern Consciousness
Authors: Shrivastava Assem
Published: November 2018

Rabindranath’s enormous corpus of varied work has been widely un-derstood as that of a poet, a writer, a playwright, a musician and a man of letters. He has only rarely been interpreted as a philosopher, and almost never as an ecological philosopher. Preliminary research shows that he is perhaps India’s first modern ecological philosopher - at growing odds with modernity. The essay argues that Tagore’s perspectives and insights are unique and his intellectual contribution in this area is indispensable to an understanding of the ecological and spiritual implications of technological, industrial modernity. There are few thinkers during the last hundred years anywhere more relevant when it comes to teaching us the significance of how we relate to the natural world (including, needless to add, our very own bodies) and what it tells us about ourselves and the way we have come to live.The focus in this paper is on what we can learn about Tagore’s outlook on the natural world and our relationship to it from a set of letters he wrote to his niece during his years as a young man, looking after his family estate in East Bengal (now, Bangladesh).
Essays
Authors: Fraser Bashabi
Published: November 2018

Essays
Rabindranath Tagore: The Deep-Rooted Environmentalist and The Origins of Sustainability
Authors: Bruce Charles
Published: November 2018

The opening years of the twentieth century witnessed rising public disquiet about evident environmental degradation and the ever more obvious loss of important habitats. In the United States, following the personal intervention of President Theodore Roosevelt, Congress passed an act in 1906 to establish a protected inventory of national parks and forests. A year later the UK Parliament passed an act to establish the National Trust. Following the well trailed campaigns of self-anointed environmentalists such as John Muir and Octavia Hill, the protection of vulnerable landscapes appeared for the first time on the public policy agenda.

Against this background of rising awareness of the unfettered consequences of economic growth, a similar concern can be detected for the plight of rural communities in the Indian state of Bengal, largely as a result of the personal involvement – in both word and deed – of Rabindranath Tagore. It can be argued further that Tagore’s innate empiricism as a result of this growing awareness, anticipated the discourse that would lead eventually to the World Conservation Strategy published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 1980. It was followed by the Brundtland Report (1987) Our Common Future.
Od Kompendium Katechizmu Kościoła katolickiego do YOUCAT. Uwagi o modelach pytań katechizmowych
Authors: Czarnecka Katarzyna
Published: November 2018

Jednym z założeń, towarzyszących ogłoszonemu w 1992 roku Katechizmowi Kościoła katolickiego, jest powstanie opracowań doktrynalnych przeznaczonych dla zawężonego kręgu odbiorców. Przykładem publikacji o charakterze popularyzatorskim są m.in. Kompendium Katechizmu Kościoła katolickiego (wyd. 2005) oraz YOUCAT. Katechizm Kościoła katolickiego dla młodych (wyd. 2011, wierny przekład z języka niemieckiego). Pozycje te łączy powrót do tradycyjnej kompozycji katechizmowej, opartej na blokach składających się z pytania i odpowiedzi (z formy tej zrezygnowano w Katechizmie Kościoła katolickiego). Przedmiotem artykułu jest analiza pytań, zastosowanych na kartach YOUCAT, obejmująca 3 aspekty: (1) status pytań katechizmowych, (2) ich typologię oraz (3) wybrane cechy charakterystyczne, takie jak obecność presupozycji, zróżnicowanie relacji nadawczo-odbiorczych oraz niejednorodność stylistyczna. Autorka wysuwa wnioski dotyczące służebnej, dydaktycznej i perswazyjnej funkcji form dialogowych, kwalifikuje pytania katechizmowe jako pozorne i opisuje ich językową specyfikę, sprowadzającą się do korzystania z kilku schematycznych rozwiązań.
Newly Identified Electrically Coupled Neurons Support Development of theDrosophilaGiant Fiber Model Circuit
Authors: Kennedy Tyler , Broadie Kendal
Published: November 2018

TheDrosophilagiant fiber (GF) escape circuit is an extensively studied model for neuron connectivity and function. Researchers have long taken advantage of the simple linear neuronal pathway, which begins at peripheral sensory modalities, travels through the central GF interneuron (GFI) to motor neurons, and terminates on wing/leg muscles. This circuit is more complex than it seems, however, as there exists a complex web of coupled neurons connected to the GFI that widely innervates the thoracic ganglion. Here, we define four new neuron clusters dye coupled to the central GFI, which we name GF coupled (GFC) 1–4. We identify new transgenic Gal4 drivers that express specifically in these neurons, and map both neuronal architecture and synaptic polarity. GFC1–4 share a central site of GFI connectivity, the inframedial bridge, where the neurons each form electrical synapses. Targeted apoptotic ablation of GFC1 reveals a key role for the proper development of the GF circuit, including the maintenance of GFI connectivity with upstream and downstream synaptic partners. GFC1 ablation frequently results in the loss of one GFI, which is always compensated for by contralateral innervation from a branch of the persisting GFI axon. Overall, this work reveals extensively coupled interconnectivity within the GF circuit, and the requirement of coupled neurons for circuit development. Identification of this large population of electrically coupled neurons in this classic model, and the ability to genetically manipulate these electrically synapsed neurons, expands the GF system capabilities for the nuanced, sophisticated circuit dissection necessary for deeper investigations into brain formation.
Ipsilateral-Dominant Control of Limb Movements in Rodent Posterior Parietal Cortex
Authors: Soma Shogo , Yoshida Junichi , Kato Shigeki , Takahashi Yukari , Nonomura Satoshi , Sugimura Yae K. , Ríos Alain , Kawabata Masanori , Kobayashi Kazuto , Kato Fusao , Sakai Yutaka , Isomura Yoshikazu
Published: November 2018

It is well known that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and frontal motor cortices in primates preferentially control voluntary movements of contralateral limbs. The PPC of rats has been defined based on patterns of thalamic and cortical connectivity. The anatomical characteristics of this area suggest that it may be homologous to the PPC of primates. However, its functional roles in voluntary forelimb movements have not been well understood, particularly in the lateralization of motor limb representation; that is, the limb-specific activity representations for right and left forelimb movements. We examined functional spike activity of the PPC and two motor cortices, the primary motor cortex (M1) and the secondary motor cortex (M2), when head-fixed male rats performed right or left unilateral movements. Unlike primates, PPC neurons in rodents were found to preferentially represent ipsilateral forelimb movements, in contrast to the contralateral preference of M1 and M2 neurons. Consistent with these observations, optogenetic activation of PPC and motor cortices, respectively, evoked ipsilaterally and contralaterally biased forelimb movements. Finally, we examined the effects of optogenetic manipulation on task performance. PPC or M1 inhibition by optogenetic GABA release shifted the behavioral limb preference contralaterally or ipsilaterally, respectively. In addition, weak optogenetic PPC activation, which was insufficient to evoke motor responses by itself, shifted the preference ipsilaterally; although similar M1 activation showed no effects on task performance. These paradoxical observations suggest that the PPC plays evolutionarily different roles in forelimb control between primates and rodents.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn rodents, the primary and secondary motor cortices (M1 and M2, respectively) are involved in voluntary movements with contralateral preference. However, it remains unclear whether and how the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) participates in controlling multiple limb movements. We recorded functional activity from these areas using a behavioral task to monitor movements of the right and left forelimbs separately. PPC neurons preferentially represented ipsilateral forelimb movements and optogenetic PPC activation evoked ipsilaterally biased forelimb movements. Optogenetic PPC inhibition via GABA release shifted the behavioral limb preference contralaterally during task performance, whereas weak optogenetic PPC activation, which was insufficient to evoke motor responses by itself, shifted the preference ipsilaterally. Our findings suggest rodent PPC contributes to ipsilaterally biased motor response and/or planning.
Locus Coeruleus Phasic, But Not Tonic, Activation Initiates Global Remapping in a Familiar Environment
Authors: Grella Stephanie L. , Neil Jonathan M. , Edison Hilary T. , Strong Vanessa D. , Odintsova Irina V. , Walling Susan G. , Martin Gerard M. , Marrone Diano F. , Harley Carolyn W.
Published: November 2018

Locus coeruleus (LC) neurons, the source of hippocampal norepinephrine (NE), are activated by novelty and changes in environmental contingencies. Based on the role of monoamines in reconfiguring invertebrate networks, and data from mammalian systems, a network reset hypothesis for the effects of LC activation has been proposed. We used the cellular compartmental analysis of temporal FISH technique based on the cellular distribution of immediate early genes to examine the effect of LC activation and inactivation, on regional hippocampal maps in male rats, when LC activity was manipulated just before placement in a second familiar (A/A) and/or novel environment (A/B). We found that bilateral phasic, but not tonic, activation of LC reset hippocampal maps in the A/A condition, whereas silencing the LC with clonidine before placement in the A/B condition blocked map reset and a familiar map emerged in the dentate gyrus, proximal and distal CA1, and CA3c. However, CA3a and CA3b encoded the novel environment. These results support a role for phasic LC responses in generating novel hippocampal sequences during memory encoding and, potentially, memory updating. The silencing experiments suggest that novel environments may not be recognized as different by dentate gyrus and CA1 without LC input. The functional distinction between phasic and tonic LC activity argues that these parameters are critical for determining network changes. These data are consistent with the hippocampus activating internal network representations to encode novel experiential episodes and suggest LC input is critical for this role.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTBurst activation of the broadly projecting novelty signaling system of the locus coeruleus initiates new network representations throughout the hippocampus despite unchanged external environments. Tonic activation does not alter network representations in the same condition. This suggests differences in the temporal parameters of neuromodulator network activation are critical for neuromodulator function. Silencing this novelty signaling system prevented the appearance of new network representations in a novel environment. Instead, familiar representations were expressed in a subset of hippocampal areas, with another subset encoding the novel environment. This “being in two places at once” argues for independent functional regions within the hippocampus. These experiments strengthen the view that internal states are major determinants of the brain's construction of environmental representations.
Dissociable Disruptions in Thalamic and Hippocampal Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Youth with 22q11.2 Deletions
Authors: Schleifer Charles , Lin Amy , Kushan Leila , Ji Jie Lisa , Yang Genevieve , Bearden Carrie E. , Anticevic Alan
Published: November 2018

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a recurrent copy number variant with high penetrance for developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Study of individuals with 22q11DS therefore may offer key insights into neural mechanisms underlying such complex illnesses. Resting-state functional connectivity MRI studies in idiopathic schizophrenia have consistently revealed disruption of thalamic and hippocampal circuitry. Here, we sought to test whether this circuitry is similarly disrupted in the context of this genetic high-risk condition. To this end, resting-state functional connectivity patterns were assessed in a sample of human youth with 22q11DS (n= 42; 59.5% female) and demographically matched healthy controls (n= 39; 53.8% female). Neuroimaging data were acquired via single-band protocols and analyzed in line with methods provided by the Human Connectome Project. We computed functional relationships between individual-specific anatomically defined thalamic and hippocampal seeds and all gray matter voxels in the brain. Whole-brain Type I error protection was achieved through nonparametric permutation-based methods. The 22q11DS patients displayed dissociable disruptions in thalamic and hippocampal functional connectivity relative to control subjects. Thalamocortical coupling was increased in somatomotor regions and reduced across associative networks. The opposite effect was observed for the hippocampus in regards to somatomotor and associative network connectivity. The thalamic and hippocampal dysconnectivity observed in 22q11DS suggests that high genetic risk for psychiatric illness is linked with disruptions in large-scale corticosubcortical networks underlying higher-order cognitive functions. These effects highlight the translational importance of large-effect copy number variants for informing mechanisms underlying neural disruptions observed in idiopathic developmental neuropsychiatric disorders.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTInvestigation of neuroimaging biomarkers in highly penetrant genetic syndromes represents a more biologically tractable approach to identify neural circuit disruptions underlying developmental neuropsychiatric conditions. The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome confers particularly high risk for psychotic disorders and is thus an important translational model in which to investigate systems-level mechanisms implicated in idiopathic illness. Here, we show resting-state fMRI evidence of large-scale sensory and executive network disruptions in youth with 22q11DS. In particular, this study provides the first evidence that these networks are disrupted in a dissociable fashion with regard to the functional connectivity of the thalamus and hippocampus, suggesting circuit-level dysfunction.
Mouse models of endocrine tumors
Authors: Gahete Manuel D , Jiménez-Vacas Juan M , Alors-Pérez Emilia , Herrero-Aguayo Vicente , Fuentes-Fayos Antonio C , Pedraza-Arévalo Sergio , Castaño Justo P , Luque Raúl M
Published: November 2018

Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors comprise a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms that can arise from (neuro)endocrine cells, either from endocrine glands or from the widespread diffuse neuroendocrine system, and, consequently, are widely distributed throughout the body. Due to their diversity, heterogeneity and limited incidence, studying in detail the molecular and genetic alterations that underlie their development and progression is still a highly elusive task. This, in turn, hinders the discovery of novel therapeutic options for these tumors. To circumvent these limitations, numerous mouse models of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors have been developed, characterized and used in preclinical, co-clinical (implemented in mouse models and patients simultaneously) and post-clinical studies, for they represent powerful and necessary tools in basic and translational tumor biology research. Indeed, differentin vivomouse models, including cell line-based xenografts (CDXs), patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMs), have been used to delineate the development, progression and behavior of human tumors. Results gained with thesein vivomodels have facilitated the clinical application in patients of diverse breakthrough discoveries made in this field. Herein, we review the generation, characterization and translatability of the most prominent mouse models of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors reported to date, as well as the most relevant clinical implications obtained for each endocrine and neuroendocrine tumor type.
Empowered Workflows: Automation for Everyone
Authors: Znamirowski Barbara
Published: November 2018

Written by: Geoff Andrews, Trent University
Clinical Practice Guideline: Maintenance Intravenous Fluids in Children
Authors: Feld Leonard G. , Neuspiel Daniel R. , Foster Byron A. , Leu Michael G. , Garber Matthew D. , Austin Kelly , Basu Rajit K. , Conway Edward E. , Fehr James J. , Hawkins Clare , Kaplan Ron L. , Rowe Echo V. , Waseem Muhammad , Moritz Michael L. ,   SUBCOMMITTEE ON FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE THERAPY
Published: November 2018

Maintenance intravenous fluids (IVFs) are used to provide critical supportive care for children who are acutely ill. IVFs are required if sufficient fluids cannot be provided by using enteral administration for reasons such as gastrointestinal illness, respiratory compromise, neurologic impairment, a perioperative state, or being moribund from an acute or chronic illness. Despite the common use of maintenance IVFs, there is high variability in fluid prescribing practices and a lack of guidelines for fluid composition administration and electrolyte monitoring. The administration of hypotonic IVFs has been the standard in pediatrics. Concerns have been raised that this approach results in a high incidence of hyponatremia and that isotonic IVFs could prevent the development of hyponatremia. Our goal in this guideline is to provide an evidence-based approach for choosing the tonicity of maintenance IVFs in most patients from 28 days to 18 years of age who require maintenance IVFs. This guideline applies to children in surgical (postoperative) and medical acute-care settings, including critical care and the general inpatient ward. Patients with neurosurgical disorders, congenital or acquired cardiac disease, hepatic disease, cancer, renal dysfunction, diabetes insipidus, voluminous watery diarrhea, or severe burns; neonates who are younger than 28 days old or in the NICU; and adolescents older than 18 years old are excluded. We specifically address the tonicity of maintenance IVFs in children.

The Key Action Statement of the subcommittee is as follows:

1A: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that patients 28 days to 18 years of age requiring maintenance IVFs should receive isotonic solutions with appropriate potassium chloride and dextrose because they significantly decrease the risk of developing hyponatremia (evidence quality: A; recommendation strength: strong)
Post-pyrogenic changes in the properties of grey forest podzolic soils of ecogeosystems of pine forests under conditions of anthropogenicloading
Authors: Asotskyi V. , Buts Y. , Kraynyuk O. , Ponomarenko R.
Published: November 2018

This article presents the analysis of results of experimental data of postpyrogenic change of soils of ecological systems of pine forests.Ground fires transform the surface organogenic horizons of soils. The negative influence of low-intensity fires of different intensity on the change of humus stock, qualitative fractional composition of organogenic soil horizons and their chemical composition is shown.Post-pyrogenic transformations of physical and chemical soil characteristics are found, which are not simply their corresponding reaction to the pyrogenic effect, but a clear signal reflecting the state of the soil immediately after the fire, taking into account its strength and intensity, and after a certain period of time. There is a certain dependence of the degree of pyrogenicity on the duration of the effect of fire on the soil. The recent influence of a medium intensity fire on the soil is marked by a clear reaction of the complex of its properties.Physical and chemical properties of soils after fires deteriorate: humus burns, the content of nitrate nitrogen decreases.Forest fires sharply change the morphological state of the upper part of the soil profile. The nature of the surface horizons of soils changes, a new pyrogenic horizon is formed, which differs from natural analogues in terms of physical and chemical properties and the content of ash elements. Under the influence of fire there are changes in such properties as: pH, content of exchange cations, gross and moving forms of nitrogen, etc.The heavy metal concentration in surface horizons increases several times and exceeds the background values due to the mineralization of forest litter and herbaceous vegetation from the combustion and subsequent migration of chemical elements , which presents an environmental hazard.The change in the chemical composition of soils can create conditions for the impossibility of the existence of a root ecosystem, its death, and development, after a certain time, of another modified ecogeosystem.
Mapping the spatial and temporal distribution of changes in the administrative-territorial division
Authors: Havriushyn O.
Published: November 2018

The article is devoted to the development of the content of generalized maps on the history of administrative-territorial division. The purpose of such maps is to reflect the features of the space-time distribution of administrative changes.We have found that it is better to link indicators of dynamics to such spatial objects as the territories of modern administrative-territorial units (or the territory of historical administrative-territorial ones as of a certain date), to polygons of a single history of administrative membership, to administrative-territorial units as dynamic objects.Under the polygons of a single history of administrative ownership, we mean the territories identified during the analysis, all points within which belonged to the same administrative-territorial unit at any time during the analyzed period. Unlike polygons of the smallest common geometry (used in the method of space-time composites), such objects can be allocated for different periods of time and for different administrative levels.For such spatial objects, we propose to calculate and display on the map the number ofchanges in administrative ownership or the total duration of belonging to some administrative-territorial unit (usually, a high level). For larger static areas than the polygons of a single history of administrative affiliation, we suggest calculating and displaying on the map the indicator of administrative variability and the average duration of ownership. In our opinion, the indicator of administrative variability should consider the size of the analyzed territory, the number and volume of spatial changes. We have developed a formula for calculating such an indicator.The indicators that we calculate for historical administrative-territorial units on the map are dis- played within the static contour. However, these indicators are calculated for a dynamic object. These indicators are: the number of changes, the total number of changes in parameters, the total number of dates of change, the spatial configuration variability index, the area-weighted average area and its relation to the modern one. We propose to calculate the index of the variability of the configuration of the administrative-territorial unit as the sum of the relations of the areas of the reassigned territories to the areas of the administrative-territorial unit at the time before the change. Since different administrative-territorial units have different duration of existence, in our opinion, it is important to analyze not only the quantity but also the intensity of the changes. To reflect on the map the course of changes in the administrative-territorial unit in time, we developed a timeline-based chart.
Geo-information modelling of the insolation level within Ivano-Frankivsk region
Authors: Kasiyanchuk D. , Kuzmenko E. , Tymkiv M. , Vitiuk A.
Published: November 2018

Use of alternative energy sources is one of the promising directions in economic and environmental development of any territory. The purpose of this article is to conduct geo-information analysis of the insolation level within Ivano-Frankivsk region located in the western part of Ukraine. When considering any research territory, it is worth conducting a factorial analysis, which gives the possibility to characterize any advantages and disadvantages of the use of alternative energy. Justification of approaches to the study of territories where alternative energy sources are located or generated is needed to create a unified system for assessment of the potential of the renewable energy sources. Ac- cording to data of the European Space Agency, the insolation level on the research territory varies from 1175 to 1425 kW/hour* sq. m/per day. The method of our research involves the statistical analysis of the insolation level and the factor approach to determining the existing level of insolation Insolation values, meteorological and geomorphological factor characteristics are used to substantiate the new methodology for calculating the existing insolation level. According to the statistical analysis and geo-information analysis, this reasonably permits us to structure months by the level of insolation as well as to calculate the insolation level at a specific point for a certain time of year. Taking into account the angle of inclination above the horizon – the Sun’s declination, the slope exposure – the Sun’s azimuth gives us the possibility to reduce the value of the relief point with its selected factor characteristics and the insolation value to the single coefficients, which permits us to clarify the information as to the insolation level of the selected region. Finally, this is resulted in creation of a map with the isolation levels for Ivano-Frankivsk region taking into account the factor characteristics. The map represents the changing of the insolation level for seven grouped months. It should be noted that insolation level is uneven and it is characterized by the widest gradation within the territories with complex relief. In that event, the optimal angle of solar photovoltaic module inclination equals 49° within Ivano-Frankivsk region. Such structuring clearly reflects the dynamics of changes in the insolation level for an individually selected zone. The scientific novelty of the obtained results is assessment of distribution of the solar energy potential required for further selection of areas to design and locate the solar power stations. The practical significance lies in obtaining the digital cartographic materials which allow assessment of the insolation value at a specific point in the studied region. Structuring of the insolation maps gives the possibility for further development of a unified insolation assessment scheme that is convenient for any user.
Hydrography and hydrochemistry of the transboundary river Western Bug on the territory of Ukraine
Authors: Khilchevskyi V. , Zabokrytska M. , Sherstyuk N.
Published: November 2018

The analysis of the hydrographic network of the Western Bug basin on the territory of Ukraine. This basin is estimated according to the requirements of the EUWater Framework Directive and has 2,044 rivers. Classification of the rivers of the Western Bug by area of drainage basins has shown the following results: in this basin within Ukraine there is one very big river, in fact this is the Western Bug itself. There are also three large rivers – Poltva, Rata and Luha. There are also 30 medium and 2,010 small rivers (among which 1,966 rivers have a length of less than 10 km). Theleading role of natural factors in the formation of the hydrocarbonate-calcium ion composition of the river waters of the Western Bug basin is determined. The content of the main ions and the salinity of the river waters are distin- guished by a sufficiently clear seasonal character: a decrease in the spring flood and an increase in the low water level (mineralization of the water of the Western Bug – 497-573 mg/l). Mineralization of the Poltva River (the left tributary of the Western Bug), located in the same natural conditions, is significantly different: in the area of the city of Lviv (the upper reaches of the Poltva River), it reaches 784-871 mg/l, and at the estuary of the river (Busk city, at the confluence of the Western Bug) is slightly reduced - 613-670 mg/l, while in the chemical type of water, sulfates and chlorides appear. This situation is explained by the discharge of sewage from the city of Lviv into the Poltva River. In the regime of nutrients, microelements, and also specific pollutants in the water of the West Bug, no general regularities in their seasonal variations were found, which is associated with the significant idiosyncratic character of the influence of anthropogenic factors on the formation of their concentrations. We estimated the balance of substances, both natural and anthropogenic, which are carried out with the waters of the Western Bug from the territory of Ukraine (93%), as well as from the territory of Poland (7%) to the border with Belarus. The comparative methodological approach allowed us to make a quantitative assessment of the significant influence of the Poltva River on the formation of the chemical composition of the water of the Western Bug, especially in its upper part. The share of Poltva's water flow when it flows into the Western Bug is 58% of its water flow. At the same time, the share of the total ion flow is higher – 66%. The share of the discharge of individual principal ions reaches: 76% (Cl-),87% (Mg2 +) and 98% (SO4 2-). For nitrogen, this figure is 68%, for phosphates – up to 80%.
Media tourism in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone as a new tourist phenomenon
Authors: Krupskyi O. , Temchur K.
Published: November 2018

Every year, the number of tourists in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is increasing. The most numerous visitors are journalists who come to perform theirofficial duties. At the same time, researchers have not yet shown interest in such an interesting and important tourist phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to de- scribe a new phenomenon of media tourism in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and its features. The study was conducted with a help of a qualitative case study analysis method. The websites of the state and private enterprises and mass media publications based on the results of trips to the territory for 2013-2017 were analyzed. As a result, the specific features of journalists who visit the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone were identified. Such journalists mainly have confidence in the absence of a threat to health (55%), developed empathy (45%) and imagination of thinking (45%). Consequently, the tragedy of history and the gloomy appearance of the territory, the suffering of local residents make it attractive to journalists. In addition, due to personal interest, the voluntary travel motive (61,5%) prevails over conditional forced travel (38,5%). At the same time, the attention of journalists to the territory is attracted due to the activities of tourists. The authors describe the so-called «compensation effect», when the reduction of tourists' attention to the territory is balanced by an increase in the attention of the mass media. The presence of risk explains the predominance of men among journalists in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (54%). For example, women can better assess the risk due to greater vulnerability. The peculiarity of journalists' work in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is the risk of radiation exposure and ethical controversy. The study shows that journalists' inherent positive world perception and profound sense of professional duty can successfully overcome these obstacles. The results of the study can be used by the following researchers to identify ways and strategies for promoting media tourism in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The benefit of this study is to draw attention to a new unexplored tourist phenomenon. Mass media have a great influence on the formation of a positive attitude towards the territory and attracting the attention of tourists. Taking into account the specific features of media tourism will help to attract more tourists and improve the quality of rendering service to journalists.
GIS-based Assessment of the Assimilative Capacity of Rivers in Dnipropetrovsk Region
Authors: Kulikova D. , Kovrov O. , Buchavy Yu. , Fedotov V.
Published: November 2018

The objective of this paper is to identify the level of changes in the ecological status of surface reservoirs of Dnipropetrovsk region under the impact of anthropogenic factors and to find a rationale for the limit loads on aquatic ecosystems, based on a quantitative assessment of their assimilative capacity values using GIS-technologies.To characterize and evaluate economic activity in the river basins of Dnipropetrovsk re- gion, the data of state statistical reporting by the form of 2-TP "Water resources management" of the State Agency for Water Re- sources of Ukraine were used. Parameters characterizing the assimilative capacity of water bodies were determined by taking into consideration the perennial average values of river runoff resources of the priority watercourses of Dnipropetrovsk region in the years with varying degrees of supply: with an average (50%), a low (75%) and a very low (95%) river water content. The main indicators characterizing the assimilative capacity of the water bodies of Dnipropetrovsk region are actual and necessary multiplicity of waste- water dilution, the limit to assimilative capacity of surface reservoirs, index of assimilative capacity utilization of river runoff re- sources of varying degrees of supply. A classification that characterizes the level of assimilative capacity utilization for water bodies is proposed. The level of assimilative capacity utilization of the Dnipro River in the reservoir areas, regardless of the degree of river runoff supply, is estimated as “allowable” . At 95% degree of river runoff supply, the level of assimilative capacity utilization of the Oril and Vovcha Rivers is characterized as “moderate”, the Samara River (after the confluence with the Vovcha River) as “high” and the Ingulets River with tributary the Saksagan River, and the Samara River (before confluence with the Vovcha River) as “veryhigh”. It should be noted that irrespective of the level of river runoff supply, the index of assimilative capacity utilization of the Samara River (before its confluence with the Vovcha River) exceeds the limit value by 19-115 times. For the spatial analysis of hydrological parameters and visualizion of the data in the form of thematic maps, the geoinformation system “Rivers of Dnipropetrovsk region” was developed on the basis of the ESRI ArcGIS Desktop10 software package. Using the geoprocessing tools, on the basis of hydrological indices of 7 priority watercourses for each of the 22 administrative-territorial districts of Dnipropetrovsk region, the main indicators characterizing the assimilative capacity of water resources were calculated and ranked. The use of indicatorscharacterizing the assimilative capacity of river runoff resources allows us to identify the threshold levels of anthropogenic transfor- mation of aquatic ecosystems, develop and implement environmental measures to improve the ecological status and ensure environ- mental safety of surface reservoirs.
Recreational skiing in the formation of local settlement systems of Prykarpattya region
Authors: Rusanova I. , Onufriv Y. , Ignatyuk A.
Published: November 2018

The formation of local settlement systems is considered on the example of mountainous areas of Ivano-Frankivsk region (Ukraine), so-called Prykarpattya region, and is based on a complex set of factors. Recreational skiing plays an important role in the functioning and development of such systems and is simultaneously an integral part of them. The settlement systems in the mountainous areas of Ivano-Frankivsk region, which are based on recreational skiing are highlighted and investigated, in particular they are: the Kosiv system, the Yaremche-Vorokhta system (consisting of two subsystems of the Yaremche and Vorokhta -Yablunytsya), the Verkhovyna system and autonomous centers of recreational skiing in the villages Vyshkiv and Guta . Their detailed profile in demographic terms, including migration processes; natural resource possibilities; socio- economic potential and interaction with recreational skiing is outlined. The methodological principles of the spatial structure formation of local settlement systems are based on the following states of the system approach: - the main territorial-planning elements of the systems are defined: skiing complexes (one large enterprise or a group of enterprises) with a ski area and a development zone; center of the system, which is a tourist center with services, production and transport; settlements with rural territories and enterprises of the agro-industrial complex; valuable landscape (national parks, nature reserves); focal points of tourist destinations;- functional and spatial associations of ski recreation facilities with settlements, recreational, natural and nature-protected areas, and engineering-transport infrastructure are established;- the approximate boundaries of systems are determined on the basis of spatial, functional and labour relations, types of their territorial-spatial structure, distances between settlements accepted within the radius of one hour transport accessibility.Planning types, directions and trends of development and spatial transformation of local settlement systems with recreational skiing are identified. The role and significance of local settlement systems with recreational skiing as an urban planning object is demonstrated within the general system of recreational zoning.
On the modern conception of environment
Authors: Sonko S. , Kyselov Y. , Polovka S.
Published: November 2018

Currently a large number of, geographers and representatives of related sciences claim to have created integrated environmental concepts . This applies, inparticular, to the concepts of "environmental science", "sociogeosystems", "anthropogenic landscape", "eco-geosophia", etc. All of them confirm the importance of solving the global environmental problem, and the need to unite scholars in all specialties. There is a significant revival of interest in the integral essence of geography, especially among anthropogeographers. This testifies to the fundamental unity of geographical science without its distinct division into natural and social geography, which divides the discipline up into a plethora of specific objects and subjects. Anthropogeographers have come to understand that the earth's space was initially organized by Nature itself. Mankind from the Neolithic Age has transformed his use of nature into the noosphere. If before the Neolithic revolution there still existed natural landscapes on the surface of the planet , then the Neolithic populations of Homo sapiens started to actively change the environments they inhabited. Approximately then, the search for ways to justify such, often destructive, intervention began. Such a change in the landscape was brought about by man, which encouraged scientists unwittingly to develop an "intentional paradigm", according to which the methodology of each science tries to take into account the role of man not only as a component of nature, but as its researcher. Even Strabo having realized the many-sidedness of human existence on our planet, already in ancient times, considered himself "not a geographer, not a historian, but a philosopher." Hettner, with his idea of "embedding" into the earth's space of all things, considered the object of studying geography this very earthly space with objects and phenomena that filled it and interacted with each other. According to Hettner, the connections between them have a landscape causal nature. To such systems of geobjects, Hettner also related human society. The idea of "through" was found in the works of our contemporary physicist and geographer Aleksey Reteyum, who discovered integral (socio-natural) spatial entities on the surface of the planet ("choriones" and "sphragids"), once again proving the "right to exist" of the noosphere suggested by Volodymyr Vernadsky. At present, it is geographers who must create an adequate concept of the environment, which is not yet developed in completed form. Its final design will require the rejection of the mechanistic perception of the world, divided into objects and subjects of research. It is geographers who should identify in time and space such integrated environmental systems (socio-natural systems, whose subsystems can be natural landscape systems and sociogeosystems), which are shaped as a result of the joint development of nature and society. Prospects for the productive development of environmental science are related to the concept of noosphere ecosystems.
Organization of tourist and recreational activity within the objects of the natural protected fund in the Odessa region
Authors: Yavorska V. , Hevko I. , Sych V. , Kolomiyets K.
Published: November 2018

The article deals with the issues of nature use in protected areas, the exploitation of objects of the nature reserve fund for recreational and tourist purposes.It is emphasized that ecotourism, which includes, first of all, orientation of tourists to the consumption of ecological resources – recreational aspect, preservation of the environment – nature protection, is an important direction of recreation within the territories of the nature reserve fund, support of the traditional way of life of the local population – social aspect. The purpose of the work is to find out the features of the present state, to determine the problems and perspectives of the organization of recreation within the natural reserve areas of the state level in the Odessa region. Recreational and tourist attraction of the region for visitors are not only a wonderful climate and water resources but also available on territory of the region objects of the nature reserve fund,among which there are 16 objects of national importance. According to the recommendation of the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Ukrainian legislation, most of the categories of objects of the nature reserve fund provide for tourist and recreational activities within their territories in specially designated areas. Thus, the Danube Biosphere Reserve and two national natural parks, «Nizhnednistrovsky» and «Tuzlovsky Limany», joined the tourists for both short–term and long–term recreation. With the purpose of ecological education, the abovementioned objects of the nature reserve fund of national importance are used to create ecological trails and organize tourist routes. Thus, the most popular water tours in the Danube Delta to the mouth of the river with a visit to the symbolic «0 km» of the Danube, as well as tours for the observation of birds. On the river Dniester are popular sport fishing trips, as well as landscape tours. On the relatively untouched coast of the Black Sea, including the territory of the national park «Tuzlovsky Limany» lies one of the most interesting and cognitive routes of the Odessa region, which includes elements of ecological, rural, ethnic and extreme tourism. It is established that at the present time, organizational and recreational activities within the protected areas of Ukraine, as well as the Odessa region are at the stage of formation, the result of which is that its economic efficiency is extremely low.
The dependence of the technosols models functional properties from the primary stratigraphy designs
Authors: Zhukov O. , Maslikova K.
Published: November 2018

In the present article the assumption that the design of the soil-like artificial body in zero-moment of existence determines the dynamics and trajectory of soilforming process was tasted. It was shown that an important aspect of the experiment is the search criteria that you can perform evaluation of the functional properties of the generated structures depending on their organization. The study of the water infiltration dynamics from the soil surface is highlyinformative non-destructive testing for evaluating the properties of the soil body. Studies showed that technosols as artificial creation have fundamental differences between the natural soils for which the classic Philip equitation was proposed. Technosoils are porous, but heterogeneous formations. The process of filtering in technosols is not laminar, periods of smooth water infiltration is outbreak by disastrous water absorption. To simulate this process it was showed that the better results may be obtained due to originally modified Philip equitation. Specific constant C describes the dynamics of the infiltration process the early stages of the experiment and is a specific indicator for technosols. In natural soils this constant is zero. The sorptivity of the pedozems was reveled to be depended from the underlying layer. Organic components contribute to the formation of aggregate most of which is water resistant. Such for- mations smooth density variation of clay soil resulting from swelling and shrinkage processes that can maintain stable structure of the pore space. As a result, the soil after phytomeliorative rotation gets such features as reduced infiltration rate, but increased level of filtration. The artificial mixture of clay has significant waterproof properties, which ultimately can lead to complete discontinuance of water absorption by technosols. Waterproof properties of soil may increase the risk of water erosion of technosols. For technosoils structural change of the pore space state are inherent in contact with water because hydrolabile units of their structure. Accordingly, during the infiltration process there are significant changes in the course of the rate of filtration of water.