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The inclusion of specialized food products intended for a specific category of the population is one of the measures aimed at improving the nutritional structure of children. The baby food industry is constantly evolving to meet the time challenges. New directions include the production of dishes of a high degree of readiness for baby nutrition. The direction of the production of ready-made meals has not yet been formed in baby nutrition and has broad prospects. The use of modern heat treatment technologies, including the production of dishes with a short shelf life, allows you to bring products and dishes as close as possible to homemade ones.

Different types of crimes are factors negatively affecting tourism worldwide. However, managers and even tourists themselves are refraining from submitting crime reports and whistleblows. The main goal of the study is to analyze the attitude of the hotels’ managers on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, regarding the submission of whistleblows to the competent authorities. In particular, managers of hotels in Albena, Golden Sands, Dunes, St. Constantine and Helena, and Sunny Beach are studied. The main research hypothesis is that hotel managers should ensure the safety of guests by reducing gaps in the control environment, preventing financial frauds, helping for environmental protection, and supporting the process of reporting crimes and suspicious behavior in the hotels. However, the current management policy relies mainly on the installed security devices and the Security Department staff. This results in applying no specific internal rules, procedures, and training for non-security department employees, regarding crime identification and timely reporting. The adopted research methods are based on the logical, deductive, and comparative methods, as well as on the methods of analysis and synthesis. For the empirical study, the method of in-depth interviews is used. The results of the study support the literature by presenting more in-depth data regarding the used security devices and assets by Bulgarian Black Sea resort hotels. Also, more data on the attitude of hotel managers on the safety and security of tourists and the submission of whistleblows, as a factor for sustainable development of tourism on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, is presented.

Background: Progression trajectories of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are currently not well understood. Objective: To classify patients with incident MCI into different latent classes of progression and identify predictors of progression class. Methods: Participants with incident MCI were identified from the US National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set (09/2005-02/2019). Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR®) Dementia Staging Instrument-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score longitudinal trajectories from MCI diagnosis were fitted using growth mixture models. Predictors of progression class were identified using multivariate multinomial logistic regression models; odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. Results: In total, 21%, 22%, and 57% of participants (N = 830) experienced fast, slow, and no progression on CDR-SB, respectively; for FAQ, these figures were 14%, 23%, and 64%, respectively. CDR-SB and FAQ class membership was concordant for most participants (77%). Older age (≥86 versus≤70 years, OR [95% CI] = 5.26 [1.78–15.54]), one copy of APOE ɛ4 (1.94 [1.08–3.47]), higher baseline CDR-SB (2.46 [1.56–3.88]), lower baseline MMSE (0.85 [0.75–0.97]), and higher baseline FAQ (1.13 [1.02–1.26]) scores were significant predictors of fast progression versus no progression based on CDR-SB (all p

Although synthetic biology is an emerging research field, which has come to prominence within the last decade, it already has many practical applications. Its applications cover the areas of pharmaceutical biotechnology and drug discovery, bringing essential novel methods and strategies such as metabolic engineering, reprogramming the cell fate, drug production in genetically modified organisms, molecular glues, functional nucleic acids and genome editing. This review discusses the main avenues for synthetic biology application in pharmaceutical biotechnology. The authors believe that synthetic biology will reshape drug development and drug production to a similar extent as the advances in organic chemical synthesis in the 20th century. Therefore, synthetic biology already plays an essential role in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, which is the main focus of this review.

Purpose Treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains a challenging clinical entity occurring predominantly in older patients with limited treatment options. However, real-world treatment patterns, differential cancer center access, and association with outcomes is lacking in nationally representative clinical practice and will provide context for emerging therapies. Materials and Methods We used SEER-Medicare data to identify patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC of the bladder or upper urinary tract diagnosed between 2008 and 2012. We characterized utilization systemic therapy, including first- and second-line chemotherapy. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded; results were stratified by academic versus non-academic setting. Results 3569 patients met study criteria; 48% received some form of chemotherapy within 2 years of diagnosis. Of these, one-third subsequently received second-line chemotherapy. The majority received a regimen including ≥2 agents. Gemcitabine alone or in combination with platinum was the most common first- and second-line treatment. Similar patterns of first- and second-line chemotherapy were observed between patients treated in academic and non-academic centers. Sensitivity analyses of trial-similar patients demonstrated increased utilization (69%). Receipt of platinum doublet as 1st line therapy was less likely in older patients and those with renal disease, and more likely for grade IV disease. Conclusions Roughly half of all Medicare patients with locally advanced/metastatic UC receive systemic therapy regardless of access to academic cancer centers and despite poor oncologic outcomes. Cytotoxic, gemcitabine-based doublet chemotherapy remains the most common treatment. A substantial population of older patients exists for whom alternative, non-cytotoxic, treatment options may be of benefit.

We evaluated the real-world healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs among patients with high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HG-NMIBC) following Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy. Patients aged ≥ 65 years diagnosed with HG-NMIBC between 2008 and 2015 who received adequate BCG induction and were identified in the SEER-Medicare database. Those who received intravesical chemotherapy or radical cystectomy within 12 months of the last BCG induction dose, and had ≥ 6 months of data availability after treatment (index date), were included. Annualized HRU and mean medical costs (2020 United States dollars) were estimated and compared between patients with versus without progression. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics. Of 986 patients diagnosed with HG-NMIBC who met the inclusion criteria, 257 (26.1%) progressed; the mean ages were similar between patients who did and did not progress (77.6 vs. 77.0 years). The overall population had a mean of 0.96 [standard deviation (SD): 1.18] inpatient admissions, 6.47 (11.40) hospitalization days, 1.38 (2.19) emergency department (ED) visits, and 48.03 (44.97) outpatient visits per patient-year during the study period; total annualized costs per patient post-BCG were $39,102 ($44,244). Patients experiencing progression had significantly higher mean numbers of inpatient admissions [1.61 (SD 1.40) vs. 0.72 (0.99)], hospitalization days [11.77 (14.96) vs. 4.59 (9.29)], ED visits [2.34 (2.92) vs. 1.03 (1.76)], and outpatient visits [65.97 (44.72) vs. 41.63 (43.09)] per patient-year compared with patients without progression (all p

Objective of the study: to determine the relationship between the total weight gain during pregnancy and the development of rhinitis during pregnancy. The study involved 49 pregnant women with symptoms of rhinitis during pregnancy, aged 24 to 41 years (30,4 ± 0,6 years), and 33 pregnant women without symptoms of rhinitis aged 20 to 38 years (mean age 29,7 ± 0,7 years). The study included the assessment of complaints, history taking, otorhinolaryngological examination, calculation of body mass index before pregnancy and by the time of delivery and estimation of total body weight gain during pregnancy, and follow-up study. Based on the study, statistically significant differences between body mass indexes by the time of delivery in study group and in healthy pregnant group were not revealed. However, in the group of women with pregnant rhinitis, the dynamics of body mass index (total weight gain) significantly exceeded this indicator in the control group (13,3 ± 0,9 kg and 10,5 ± 1,3 kg, respectively). Pathological weight gain during pregnancy was observed more often in women with pregnancy rhinitis who were overweight before pregnancy.

The current theoretical paper is a brief reflection with an analytical bias and a descriptive nature, aimed at registering the likely difficulties and presumed risk consequences for preschool children as a result of physical and social isolation in emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic. It applies to parents, students of pedagogical specialties, professionals in the field of education, and is a modest attempt to summarize the hypothetical adverse effects of the social recession in these days of a worldwide hardship. The view of these problems signals to the pedagogical specialists the negatives of the pandemic, unfolding the horizons of their timely preparation and readiness to deal with the influence of isolation on the socialization of children. At this stage, such a theoretical organization is devoid of pretensions to present the complexity of the problem, as well as to be comprehensive in reasoning, despite of a clear sense of the possibility for them to proliferate in a variety of directions, each of which deserves special attention and in-depth analysis.

The article is devoted to the influence of pharyngolaryngeal reflux on the voice acoustic parameters in patients before and after the antireflux surgery (fundoplication). The study involved 12 patients aged 33 to 64 years with a confirmed impedance–pH monitoring diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The control group included 10 patients aged 18 to 33 years. These subjects did not have any upper respiratory diseases (including pharyngolaryngeal reflux) and gastrointestinal tract diseases. Computer voice analysis was used to objectively evaluate the voice acoustic parameters. In patients before fundoplication, a statistically significant increase in Jitter and Shimmer parameters was observed in 100% of cases compared with the control group (p ≤ 0,05). In the late postoperative period, 6 months after surgery, the analysis of acoustic parameters of voice in the study group revealed: Jitter and Shimmer indicators in 100% of cases significantly decreased compared to the preoperative values (p ≤ 0,05), which indicates an improvement in voice function. Jitter and Shimmer were the most diagnostically significant parameters.

In the article there is considered the substantiation of raise demands to the chemical composition of children’s food and indices of their safety, with taking into account the immaturity of metabolic and physiological processes and limitations of “depot” of nutrients in babies. Based on research results of leading experts in the field of children’s nutritiology and according to the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius of the Commission of FAO/WHO, ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition, the EFSA recommendations and EUDirectives there were specified requirements for the ingredient composition, content of essential components and indices of the nutritional value of substitutes for human milk and functional products for the nutrition of infants of the first year of life. There are shown stages of the development of the Russian system of hygienic requirements for baby food, and the direction of its harmonization with international and European standards, particularly for substitutes for human milk and products of dietary therapeutic and dietary preventive nutrition for babies. There are considered aspects of the introduction ofproducts and weaning food dishes into the food ration of infants. There is presented the classification ofproducts of children’s food and the assortment of each group of weaning foods. There is provided the modern legislative framework in the field of the quality and safety for infant nutrition. There was shown the difference between domestic legislation and regulatory framework of the EurAsEC Customs Union of the European countries in the field offood products safety for children older three years. There are presented proposals on the creation of the single regulatory base within the framework of the EurAsEC Customs Union for control the quality and safety of all the baby foods

Total factor productivity is a complex factor that affects not only corporate growth but also other key parameters of industrial companies. This paper explores the impact of this factor on the return on capital invested in these companies. Based on the example of a group of public companies whose shares are traded on the main and alternative markets of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange – Sofia, the level and the dynamics of the return and the total factor productivity is analysed. Dependencies are identified and opportunities for intensifying corporate growth are revealed

The article discusses the role of meat and meat products in the diet of younger children. It contains the data on the chemical composition of raw meat, traditionally used in the children’s diet. The authors outline modern sanitary and hygienic requirements to meat products for children of early age. They present new types of pate canned meat and canned poultry meat, their ingredients and chemical composition. There are recommendations on their use by children over eighteen months of life.

Study question Is there an association between the presence of spermatozoa with double heads and the other sperm abnormalities in human semen? Summary answer Patients with double-headed spermatozoa had a significantly increased percentage of morphological abnormalities (head, midpiece and tail defects). What is known already The morphological evaluation of spermatozoa has a prognostic value for successful IVF procedure. It has been proven that certain morphological defects have a negative impact on fertilization, embryo quality, and pregnancy outcome in in-vitro fertilization cycles. Sperm abnormalities, such as double head, double tail and thin midpiece are rarely observed. However, their effect on the other sperm defects has not been well studied yet. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the presence of double-headed spermatozoa on the frequency of occurrence of the other sperm defects. Study design, size, duration This retrospective study includes 2140 men aged between 18 and 73 years, with a mean of 36 years. It was conducted at Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Bulgaria between October 2015 and August 2020. A comparative analysis was performed between semen samples with and without double-headed spermatozoa and the other sperm abnormalities, as well as the percentage of morphologically normal forms. Participants/materials, setting, methods Morphological analysis was performed according to the Kruger’s strict criteria. Totally 23 types of abnormalities were determined: head defects (small, large, amorphous, elongated, round, pear-shaped, double, acephalic, detached head, small and large acrosomal areas and spermatozoa without acrosome), midpiece defects (thick, bent, asymmetric, thin midpiece and cytoplasmic droplets), tail defects (stumped, coiled and double tail), acrosomal vacuoles, nuclear vacuoles and multiple defects. Statistics: Mann-Whitney U-test and T-test; P ≤ 0.05. Main results and the role of chance Presence of double-headed spermatozoa was observed in 12.62% (270/2140) of the studied samples. In these patients the frequency of occurrence of double-headed spermatozoa ranged between 1% and 29% with a mean of 0.41%±1.71%. Men with double-headed spermatozoa had significantly higher percentage of spermatozoa with small heads (24.51%±22.65%, P = 0.04), round heads (11.69%±10.13%, P Limitations, reasons for caution In this study unequal sample sized groups were compared. We also need to investigate whether the obtained results will be confirmed in patients with certain pathological states, such as oligozoospermia, teratozoospermia, and asthenozoospermia. Wider implications of the findings: The present study revealed that the presence of double-headed spermatozoa in the ejaculate is related to an increased frequency of the other semen abnormalities. The double-headed spermatozoa could be used as an indicator for the total morphological quality of human spermatozoa Trial registration number Not applicable

Drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a significant obstacle for the development of neurological disease therapies. The low penetration of blood-borne therapeutics into the brain can oftentimes be attributed to the restrictive nature of the brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) that comprise the BBB. One strategy beginning to be successfully leveraged is the use of endogenous receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) systems as a means to shuttle a targeted therapeutic into the brain. Limitations of known RMT targets and their cognate targeting reagents include brain specificity, brain uptake levels, and off-target effects, driving the search for new and potentially improved brain targeting reagent-RMT pairs. To this end, we deployed human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived BMEC-like cells as a model BBB substrate on which to mine for new RMT-targeting antibody pairs. A nonimmune, human single-chain variable fragment (scFv) phage display library was screened for binding, internalization, and transcytosis across iPSC-derived BMECs. Lead candidates exhibited binding and internalization into BMECs as well as binding to both human and mouse BBB in brain tissue sections. Antibodies targeted the murine BBB after intravenous administration with one particular clone, 46.1-scFv, exhibiting a 26-fold increase in brain accumulation (8.1 nM). Moreover, clone 46.1-scFv was found to associate with postvascular, parenchymal cells, indicating its successful receptor-mediated transport across the BBB. Such a new BBB targeting ligand could enhance the transport of therapeutic molecules into the brain.

Antibodies that target the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo are of particular interest for the treatment of neurological diseases. Here, we screened a phage display single-chain antibody (scFv) library by brain perfusion in an attempt to isolate scFv that target the rat BBB. After four rounds of screening, the resulting antibody pool remained highly complex and discrete clonal sampling did not identify any scFvs capable of binding to the rat BBB. Thus, the heavy chain CDR3 in the resulting pools was subjected to NGS, and the resulting data was used to identify 12 scFv clones that were of high abundance and/or enriched from round 3 to 4, signifying potential hits. Of these, two scFv, denoted scFv 4 and scFv 40, were identified that bound the rat BBB. Neither of these scFvs was identified by discrete sampling, motivating NGS as a tool to identify lead antibodies from complex in vivo screens.

The sensitivity to various concentrations of NO2 is studied of a 16-MHz quartz crystal microbalance (QCMs) coated by immobilized electrospun amorphous titanium oxide fibers. The morphology, phase and chemical composition of the sensing material are determined by scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (SEM, HRTEM), transmission high-energy electron diffraction (THEED) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Resonance frequency shifts are established of the QCM-TiO2 system within a broad interval of NO2 concentrations. Experimental evidence is found for a reversible gas sorption at the lowest tested gas concentration of 50 ppm. Additional sensor response is established to gradually increasing NO2 concentrations up to 5000 ppm. It is demonstrated that electrospun amorphous titanium oxide fibers are promising sensing materials for NO2 detection.

Tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with the aim to be applied in gas sensors. The films were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and profilometry. To study the gas sensing behavior of these WO 3 films, they were deposited on quartz resonators and the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method was applied to analyze their gas sensitivity. Synthesis of tetragonal-WO 3 films starting from a target with predominantly monoclinic WO 3 phase was observed. The films deposited at 300 °C presented a surface topology favorable for the sorption properties, consisting of a film matrix with protruding craters/cavities. QCM prototype sensors with such films were tested for NO 2 sensing. The PLD grown WO 3 thin films show good sensitivity and fast reaction at room temperature, even in as-deposited state. With the presented technology, the manufacturing of QCM gas sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective, and it is also suitable for energy-effective portable equipment for on-line monitoring of environmental changes.

Item does not contain fulltext CONTEXT: Currently, there is no standard of care for patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who recur despite bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy. Although radical cystectomy is recommended, many patients decline to undergo or are ineligible to receive it. Multiple agents are being investigated for use in this patient population. OBJECTIVE: To systematically synthesize and describe the efficacy and safety of current and emerging treatments for NMIBC patients after treatment with BCG. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (period limited to January 2007-June 2019) was performed. Abstracts and presentations from major conference proceedings were also reviewed. Randomized controlled trials were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data for single-arm trials were pooled using a random-effect meta-analysis with the proportions approach. Trials were grouped based on the minimum number of prior BCG courses required before enrollment and further stratified based on the proportion of patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS). EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Thirty publications were identified with data from 23 trials for meta-analysis, of which 17 were single arm. Efficacy and safety outcomes varied widely across studies. Heterogeneity across trials was reduced in subgroup analyses. The pooled 12-mo response rates were 24% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16-32%) for trials with two or more prior BCG courses and 36% (95% CI: 25-47%) for those with one or more prior BCG courses. In a subgroup analysis, inclusion of >/=50% of patients with CIS was associated with a lower response. CONCLUSIONS: The variability in efficacy and safety outcomes highlights the need for consistent endpoint reporting and patient population definitions. With promising emerging treatments currently in development, efficacious and safe therapeutic options are urgently needed for this difficult-to-treat patient population. PATIENT SUMMARY: We examined the efficacy and safety outcomes of treatments for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy. Outcomes varied across studies and patient populations, but emerging treatments currently in development show promising efficacy.

INTRODUCTION The median survival of glioblastoma (GBM) patients remains less than two years even with state-of-the-art treatment. Current targeted GBM therapies demonstrate initial therapeutic benefit; however, patients relapse due to therapeutic selection of treatment resistant GBM cellular populations. Therefore, we propose targeting pathologic disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) via exposure of neural ECM, rather than disease markers, to overcome therapy-resistant GBM. METHODS We identify Variable Lymphocyte Receptors (VLRs, the antigen recognition system used by lamprey) that demonstrate high specificity for neural ECM. Candidate VLRs underwent further refinement using in vitro binding assays and ex vivo tissue staining. Utilizing pathologic disruption of BBB as an approach for targeting GBM was confirmed in vivo using intracranial murine glioblastoma models. RESULTS The lead neural ECM-binding VLR candidate, named P1C10, demonstrates diffuse binding to parenchymal neural ECM, without detectable binding to other tissues. P1C10 demonstrates nanomolar affinity for in vitro derived neural ECM, and preferentially accumulates at intracranial GL261 and U87 lesions in murine GBM models. Finally, administration of P1C10-targeted doxorubicin-loaded liposomes significantly extends the survival of mice bearing intracranial U87 GBM. CONCLUSIONS We identified VLRs that bind neural ECM, and demonstrate their utility for delivering compounds and nanoparticles to sites of GBM induced blood brain barrier disruption. This novel strategy allows for targeting therapeutics via the underlying physiology of GBM rather than relying on cellular disease markers that are often lost in patients that relapse after targeting therapies.

PURPOSE: Efforts to curb the rising costs of cancer care while improving quality include alternative payment models (APMs), which offer incentives to reduce avoidable spending and provide high-quality and cost-efficient care. The impact of proposed APMs has not been quantified in real-world practice. In this study, we evaluated ASCO’s Patient-Centered Oncology Payment (PCOP) model in existing fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries to understand the magnitude of potential cost savings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SEER-Medicare data were used to identify women with advanced ovarian cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 who either (1) underwent primary debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy or (2) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. Medicare payments in each cohort were used to compare FFS and PCOP and to estimate the potential for cost savings across health care services received, including outpatient emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and imaging. RESULTS: Three thousand seven hundred seventy-seven primary debulking surgery and 866 neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients were included in the study, with mean total costs of $75,433 and $95,138 in 2016 US$, respectively Most costs were related to chemotherapy or hospitalization. Additional PCOP-related payments would be offset if hospitalizations could be reduced by 11.6% or imaging claims by 88%. CONCLUSION: APMs have the potential to reduce costs of current FFS reimbursement via either a large reduction in imaging or a modest reduction in hospitalizations during treatment of ovarian cancer. PCOP is a reasonable payment structure for oncologists if the additional payments can provide the necessary resources to invest in improved coordination of care.

This study demonstrates targeting of blood-brain barrier disruption to deliver payloads at sites of neurological disease., Diseases that lead to blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption will pathologically expose normally inaccessible brain extracellular matrix (ECM) to circulating blood components. Therefore, we hypothesized that brain ECM-targeting moieties could specifically target the disrupted BBB and potentially deliver therapies. Variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) that preferentially associate with brain ECM were identified from an immune VLR library via yeast surface display biopanning coupled with a moderate throughput ECM screen. Brain ECM binding of VLR clones to murine and human brain tissue sections was confirmed. After systemic administration, P1C10, the lead brain ECM-targeting VLR candidate, specifically accumulated in brains with mannitol-disrupted BBB and at disrupted BBB regions in two different intracranial glioblastoma models. We also demonstrate P1C10’s ability to deliver doxorubicin-loaded liposomes, leading to significantly improved survival in glioblastoma-bearing mice. Thus, VLRs can be used to selectively target pathologically exposed brain ECM and deliver drug payloads.

Nowadays, lignocellulosic agro-wastes, as rice husks, walnut shells, almond shells, woody wastes, etc., are considered on the one hand as a serious environmental concern and on the other hand as a source of highly concentrated carbon, which can be transformed into energy and value-added products through a suitable thermochemical process. Respectively, pyrolysis is described as an appropriate thermochemical process of agro-waste conversion due to a significant reduction in the volume/mass ratio of agro-wastes, thus limiting the problem associated with their disposal or waste storage, in addition to producing value-added products. Various approaches and modifications of “classical” pyrolysis are sought as well in order to direct biomass pyrolysis process to a greater extent to one or another product or to obtain a product with certain characteristics. In this regard, thermal decomposition reactions studies are important, firstly to fundamentally clarify the mechanisms, i.e. the mechanism of reactions, the parameters that affect them and respectively the consequences on the yield and characteristics of the final products, and secondly to implement industrially the developed thermochemical technologies, which require in depth understanding of the kinetics of thermal decomposition. In the current study the thermal stability and kinetic parameters of pyrolysis of virgin and impregnated with ZnCl2 almond shells were investigated and compared. Unequivocally the treatment with ZnCl2 solution of initial almond shells leads to changes in the matrix of almond shells, which affects both, i.e. the process of pyrolysis and the final characteristics of the obtained pyrolytic products. The impregnation alters the thermal decomposition mechanism and it appears that the activation energy of pyrolysis does not depend on the conversion degree and is lower for preliminary untreated almond shells. Based on kinetic parameters, the thermodynamic functions describing the formation of activated complex were determined as well. It appears that preliminary treatment of almonds shells with ZnCl2 solution leads to higher speed proceeding pyrolysis and yields of pyrolytic solid product (char) with well-developed porosity. However pyrolysis of ZnCl2 solution treated shells requires higher energy consumption.

Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The gas sensing of the ZnO films to NO2 was tested in the concentration interval between 10 and 5000 ppm. On the basis of registered frequency change of the QCM, for each concentration the sorbed mass was calculated. Further characterization of the films was carried out by various techniques, i.e. by SEM-EDS, XRD, ellipsometry, and FTIR spectroscopy. Although being very thin, the films were gas sensitive to NO2 already at room temperature and could register very well as low concentrations as 100 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible. Our results for very thin ALD ZnO films show that the described fast, simple and cost-effective technology could be implemented for producing gas sensors working at room temperature and being capable to detect in real time low concentrations of NO2.

This study presents results of benchmarking of corporate growth of public companies in food industry. Security and profitability parameters from growth financing were selected as the main benchmarks. For the benchmarking have been selected results of the best public industrial companies in other sectors. For information were used audited annual reports on an individual basis. The comparative analysis shows that parameters of corporate growth management in food industry are significantly inferior to those of leading industrial companies.