Olena Bortnikova. Religious and political organizations as subjects of national processes in Ukraine In the article the different approaches to defining the essence of religious and political organizations as subjects of national processes and their role in the functioning and development of society. Attempted to characterize the basic methodological provisions for disclosure of the nature of religious and political actors as structural elements of ethnonational system, identifying different levels of accommodation in terms of social change.

Source: Author: Olena Znanetska In the current article the problem of foreign communicative competence of higher school students has been considered. The notion, the main point and the components of higher school students` foreign competence have been analyzed. The scientific works under the problem have been investigated. ]]>.

The main purpose of the study is a comprehensive economic and legal analysis of the loan agreement in agriculture in the conditions of formation and development of elements of post-industrial economy in Ukraine. The research methodology is based on a systematic approach using the method of cognition from abstract to concrete and special methods of economic and statistical research, which helped to ensure the reliability of research results and validity of conclusions. It was found that the loan agreement in agriculture (...) is an economic and legal category that ensures the further development of agriculture in Ukraine in conditions of further integration of our economy to world market on competitive terms. It was determined that expanding the use of the loan agreement in agriculture is a necessary lever to increase production efficiency, formation and constant restoration of a competitive technological base in modern conditions and further development of the whole agro-industrial complex considering the formation of post-industrial economy. It is proved that the application of the mechanism of crediting of agriculture in Ukraine has a positive effect on the development of the agro-industrial sector in Ukraine. It is determined that the current level and availability of lending to the agro-industrial complex in Ukraine are insufficient for quality modernization and achieving a high level of efficiency of agricultural production. The main value of this study is that it analyzes the concept through the prism of two categories, namely: legal and economic. (shrink)

Interdisciplinarity is one of the features of modern science, defined as blurring the boundaries of disciplines and overcoming their limitations or excessive specialization by borrowing methods from one discipline into another, integrating different theoretical assumptions, and using the same concepts and terms. Often, theoretical knowledge of one discipline and technological advances of another are combined within an interdisciplinary science, and new branches or disciplines may also emerge. Biosemiotics, a field that arose at the crossroads of biology, semiotics, linguistics, and philosophy, (...) enables scientists to borrow theoretical assumptions from semiotics and extend them to different biological theories. The latter applies especially to extended synthesis, wherein culture is viewed as one of the factors influencing evolution. In the present research, the semiotic system of Ukrainian folk ornament is analyzed through the theory of fractals, key features of which are recursion and self-similarity. As a result, an assumption is made about the fractal structure of culture and social life on a conceptual level. What follows is a discussion of how this assumption can contribute to the multilevel selection theory, one of the foundations of extended synthesis, which employs the concept of self-similarity at all levels of the biological hierarchy. (shrink)

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the study of the issue of introducing innovations into educational activities on the basis of foreign and domestic experience of postmodern education. The essence of the problem of introducing innovative technologies in the system of postmodern education in the countries of the world and in Ukraine is revealed. The role of the teacher's professional competence in the application of innovative techniques for organizing the educational process was emphasized. The essential features of postmodern tendencies (...) in foreign and domestic education and teaching practice are combined. In the context of professional postmodern education and to optimize innovative teaching with postmodern tendencies, pedagogical recommendations were submitted on the new conditions and requirements of innovative teaching. The goals of the article, as well as its scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance for postmodern or innovative pedagogy are determined. It is substantiated that the development of innovative technologies in the field of training future specialists is carried out on the basis of a postmodern approach to the analysis of vocational education, which was integrated by means of personality-oriented, activity-based, professional-creative and psychological-pedagogical approaches at the systemic universal level. Considered professional requirements for educators-innovators. (shrink)

For the sake of developing a discussion on the problem of defining “freedom of conscience,” let us start by saying that, at first glance, there is no such problem at the surface. At least, when you have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with this topic in the textbooks on religious studies, where very often only the presence of this democratic institution in our society and the legal guarantees of its existence, or the political principles on which it is based, are (...) given. Meanwhile, the periodical and the scientific press have shown that in many cases the exercise of freedom of conscience in our country is far from what the law requires, as well as from the political demands that justify it. (shrink)

The aim of this article is to reconstruct the classical Sāṁkhya view on the relationship between a word and its meaning. The study embraces all the extant texts of classical Sāṁkhya, but it is based mainly on the Yuktidīpikā, since this commentary contains most of the fragments which are directly related to the topic of our research. The textual analysis has led me to the following conclusion. It is possible to reconstruct two different and conflicting views on the relationship between (...) a word and its meaning from the classical Sāṁkhya texts. The first view, the source of which is the Yuktidīpikā, is that all words are conventional in their origin. It resembles the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika theory of the primary linguistic convention and the conventional origin of all words. The second view, which is the implication of the Sāṁkhya idea of the authorless Vedas we can reconstruct on the basis of the majority of the classical Sāṁkhya commentaries, is that the relationship between a word and its meaning is natural. This view is probably influenced by Mīmāṁsā. Both of these views are hardly compatible with the Sāṁkhya teaching. It seems like classical Sāṁkhya, not having created its own detailed theory, oscillated between different conceptions. (shrink)

This article compares the ethical attitudes of Ukrainian business professionals with those of United States business professionals. A widely used survey instrument consisting of 16 hypothetical situations involving ethical dilemmas was employed to gather information on ethical attitudes in the two countries. On 13 of 16 vignettes, Ukrainian respondents demonstrated less stringent ethical attitudes than did their United States counterparts. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed, with primary emphasis on the transition from one economic system to another that is (...) underway in Ukraine. Comments from Ukrainian respondents are presented so as to give an indication of the thought processes behind the questionnaire responses. (shrink)

The aim of this study is to clarify the meaning of the term saṁketa, which is usually translated as ‘ convention’, in the Yogasūtrabhāṣya, the first and the most authoritative commentary to the Yogasūtras. This paper is a contribution to the reconstruction of the classical Yoga view on the relation between word and its meaning, for saṁketa is a key term used by this darśana in discussing this relation. The textual analysis of the Yogasūtrabhāṣya has led me to the conclusion (...) that its author’s understanding of the linguistic convention is different from the notion of the linguistic convention of the Vaiśeṣikas and Naiyāyikas and similar to the notion of the linguistic convention of the Grammarians. These are interpretations of the term saṁketa which reflect Yogasūtrabhāṣya’s understanding of the linguistic convention: the tradition of the usage of words, established usage of words. Saṁketa of the Yogasūtrabhāṣya, unlike saṁketa/samaya of the Vaiśeṣikas and Naiyāyikas, is not an agreement established by anyone, but an agreement in the sense of tradition, established practice, or established custom. Unlike the saṁketa/samaya of these philosophers, the saṁketa of the Yogasūtrabhāṣya, having neither beginning nor end, is not re-created, but only made known at the beginning of each cycle of existence of the world. (shrink)

The question as to whether the Vedas have an author is the topic of vivid polemics in Indian philosophy. The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the classical Sāṁkhya view on the authorship of the Vedas. The research is based chiefly on the commentaries to the Sāṁkhyakārikā definition of authoritative verbal testimony given by the classical Sāṁkhya writers, for these fragments provide the main evidence (both direct and indirect) for the reconstruction of this view. The textual analysis presented in (...) this paper leads to the following conclusion. According to most classical Sāṁkhya commentaries, the Vedas have no author. Two commentators state directly that the Vedas have no author, and four commentators allude to the authorlessness of the Vedas. Only one commentator seems to hold the opposite view, stating that all the authoritative utterances are based on perception or inference of imperceptible objects by authoritative persons, from which it follows that the Vedas too have an author or authors. (shrink)

Approaches to global ethics have drawn on a number of diverse theoretical traditions, such as Kantianism and utilitarianism. While emerging frameworks contribute to a growing awareness of and interest in ethics within a global society, the values that they prioritize are not adequate for realizing a just, equitable and fair system of global governance. This article considers the possibilities of an alternative ethic - a feminist ethic of care - and explores how it can bear on present circumstances, including global (...) inequity and injustice. This care ethic has been put forward as a viable normative approach to politics and policy. Little attention, however, has been paid to the potential of a care ethic within the globalization and ethics debate. This article illustrates how the values and corresponding principles of care, grounded in relationships and responsibilities, are essential to responding adequately to the current challenges of globalization. By examining the relevance of care in this context, the article seeks to broaden dominant ethical worldviews and contribute to the articulation of normative tools for examining globalization while at the same time avoiding the trappings of conventional universality - the abstract and a priori thinking typically associated with conceptions of global ethics. (shrink)

Стаття присвячена актуальній проблемі гуманізації освіти, у контексті якої дослідницький інтерес автора викликає дистанційна освіта як об’єктивний феномен сучасної освітньої сфери. Метою є розкрити гуманістичний потенціал дистанційної освіти. Переважна увага приділяється соціально-філософському осмисленню визначальних сутнісно-атрибутивних характеристик дистанційної освіти. Автор обґрунтовує положення про те, що гуманістичний потенціал дистанційної освіти розкривається у принципово іншому, відмінному від наявного досі, підході до людини та її розвитку, а саме – в забезпеченні умов самоздійснення особистості в усіх її сутнісних та унікально-неповторних вимірах.

Калачакра-тантра в тибето-буддійській традиції – це доктрина часу, яка є основою не лише для певних релігійних практик, а й для буддійських природничих наук (астрономо-астрології та алхіміо-медецини). Стаття присвячена послідовному огляду основних досліджень вчення Калачакри як в межах самої традиції (починаючи з Х ст., коли Калачакра з’явилась в буддійському просторі Індії в якості тантричного вчення), так і на заході (починаючи з XVII ст., коли інформація про культову сторону Калачакри та про пов’язані з нею буддійські науки фрагментарно почала просочуватися в інтелектуальний простір (...) Європи), що умовно можна розподілити на дві гілки студій: апологетичних та критичних, відповідно. В апологетичних студіях було зафіксовано відображення певних періодів еволюції практики Калачакра-тантри та визначено її приналежність до групи вищих тантр ваджраяни. У критичних студіях, з метою з’ясувати культурний та філософський масштаб вчення, було виокремлено декілька головних напрямів дослідження вчення Калачакри: космологічний, астрономо-астрологічний, алхімічно-медичний, есхатологічний, релігійно-ритуальний та тибетологічний. У результаті такого підходу до історіографії Калачакра-тантри було виявлено, що наразі ці дві гілки студій, наближаючись одна до одної, досягли певної межі, за якою може відкритися новий рівень дослідження вчення, що, своєю чергою, підживить діалог буддизму з наукою, де Калачакра-тантрі, яка балансує між фізикою та метафізикою, може бути відведена ключова роль. (shrink)

The article deals with the activities of of Roman Catholic Religious Orders in the territory of Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese, their role and place on contemporary conditions of Ukrainian state.

Actuality of theme. At the end of the XX century, the religious life of Ukraine has undergone significant transformations. With the collapse of the totalitarian regime and the gaining of independence by Ukraine, religious communities were in a new socio-political and socio-cultural environment for themselves. There was a significant increase in the role of religious institutions in the development of civil society.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained popularity due to rapid advancements in the field. For over twenty years, AI has been expanding into various areas of human life, including science, education, medicine, and personal life. As a result of this significant progress, artificial intelligence has become the focus of multiple scientific disciplines; however, the philosophical analysis of the current state of the field remains understudied. The analysis of the development of AI in the 21st century from philosophical perspectives has been conducted. (...) Utilizing Stepin’s concept of the foundations of science, we conclude that since the end of the 20th century, there has not been a scientific revolution in the field of AI. Nevertheless, AI is at the peak of its development due to substantial technological advancements. Each area within the field is open to new practical and theoretical achievements; consequently, the study of artificial intelligence will remain a focus in the future. (shrink)

Автор ґрунтовно аналізує проблематику сучасної (зарубіжної та української) державної освітньої політики, висвітлює її формування та характерні ознаки, визначені багатьма дослідниками, які тлумачать це поняття по-різному, що зумовлено різними факторами, розглядуваними під різними кутами зору. У зв’язку з неоднаковим економічним розвитком сучасних держав світу їхня державна освітня політика спрямована на різні елементи систем освіти та їх розвиток. У статті розглядаються об’єкт, принципи та цілі освітньої політики; законодавство, законодавчі та міжнародні правові акти про освіту, міжнародні та міждержавні договори, ратифіковані вищими законодавчими органами, (...) стратегічні документи розвитку освіти тощо. (shrink)

The article considers questions about the role and significance of art education in the context of ensuring sustainable development of society. The features of the development of art education in the postmodern era, its functions and specific features are analyzed. The interdependence of arts education and sustainable development are characterized. The exceptional importance for ensuring sustainable development of an appropriately oriented and updated arts education was emphasized. In particular, it seems possible to ensure a change in stereotypes, ways of thinking (...) and actions of people, the formation of appropriate motivation and public opinion in the context of applied nature through the influence of art. Ways to improve art education with the aim of ensuring sustainable development are proposed: integration of formal and non-formal art education, ensuring innovativeness, interdisciplinarity and multiculturalism of art education, creating an inclusive environment in higher educational institutions. We see prospects for further scientific research in the creation of a model for training specialists with certain properties and substantiation of the features of its implementation in real conditions of the educational process in higher education institutions of the artistic direction. (shrink)

Development and strengthening of private pension funds market is impossible without a thorough analysis of its current state, identify unresolved problems in operation. Given the results of the analysis of investment of a fund can be identified difficulties in development funds: - negative impact of the crisis on the financial system as a whole, so that was undermined public confidence in all financial institutions; - reduce solvency population as rising prices, utility costs, and wages almost "frozen", save for retirement is (...) becoming increasingly difficult; - coagulation participation of employers in pension programs for their employees, because in times of crisis, many companies find themselves in dire financial straits and limited amounts of pension contributions; - negative signal to the scheme as slowed down compared to the pre-crisis period of growth by pension funds; - need to improve pension schemes and improving the investment of pension funds; - data reporting of private pension funds show a decrease yields of most funds. Private pension funds should be able to use options, but only to hedge risks on stocks, as most other assets, placing the premiums of private pension funds - a fixed income. Application options would allow private pension funds to hedge against decline in the market value of the shares. Of course, the use of options will decrease the yield of pension funds, but they will be no significant damage. (shrink)

The article attempts to provide a practical analysis of the psychological basis for the incentives of personality motivation in education managers. In particular, it highlights the results of an empirical study of motivational techniques for normative and value attitudes of education managers in terms of management. It justifies the opinion that leaders of the organizations with strong cooperation between staff and administration and united by a common desire for success, are dominated by the category “hope for success”. And the leaders (...) of such organizations where subordinates are in constant fear of dismissal and under sharp criticism regardless of their work quality, are dominated by the “fear of failure”. It emphasizes the idea that education managers should try to develop “hope for success”. This applies to both men and women, regardless of their work experience. It points out the need to practice methods of overcoming “blame and criticism caused by failure to succeed”. This is especially true for women with over 5 years work experience. It is also worth creating a sense of work efficiency with a positive hope and to overcome manifestations of immorality and injustice to subordinates. Considerable attention in scientific research is paid to the importance of the spiritual component in the personality of modern managers, which requires further study. (shrink)

Review of the book: Ushkalov, L. (2017). The catch of an unprotected bird: the life of Hryhorii Skovoroda. K .: Spirit and letter. -/- The review is devoted to the analysis of a new book by Leonid Ushkalov in which the life and work of Hryhorii Skovoroda are presented in the genre of a philosophical and poetic portrait on the background of Ukraine and Europe of the XVIII century.

У статті досліджено сучасний стан вітчизняного ринку праці та визначено актуальні проблеми його розвитку з урахуванням економічного та правового аспектів державного управління у сфері праці. Обґрунтовано необхідність удосконалення заходів у галузі регулювання зайнятості населення з метою підвищення рівня життя в державі на основі зростання кількості робочих місць та працюючих підприємств. Узагальнено особливості сучасного етапу розвитку українського ринку праці та визначено доцільність проведення більш активної політики держави та органів місцевого самоврядування у сфері галузевої, професійно-кваліфікаційної й територіальної структури цього ринку. Зроблено висновок (...) про необхідність удосконалення правового забезпечення інституційних та соціальних передумов розвитку ринку праці та зайнятості населення як на державному, так і на місцевому рівні. (shrink)

Суперництво в сучасному спорті – надзвичайно гостре питання. Іноді спортивна боротьба точиться за таку дещицю міліметрів, секунд, кілограмів, що суперники не звертають особливої уваги один на одного. В такі моменти надзвичайно актуальними виявляються моральні засади притаманної спорту змагальності. Остання, зокрема, передбачає таке суперництво, яке ґрунтується на чесності й гідності спортсменів. Засадничим принципом вирішення проблеми чесності в спортивних змаганнях вважається ідеал «Fair play». Водночас спорту притаманні різні відхилення від моральних норм, наявність подвійних стандартів. У зв’язку з вирішенням питань морального виховання та (...) виховання вольових якостей спортсменів потрібно здійснювати загальновизнані дії (самоконтроль, самопереконання, самозаспокоєння та ін.). Звертається увага на негативні соціальні впливи на молодь, на необхідність переосмислення ролі спорту в роботі з юнаками і дівчатами. З метою дотримання етичних норм поведінки в спортивній діяльності розробляються спеціальні кодекси честі, норми і вимоги яких спрямовані на формування гармонійно розвиненої особистості з глибокими морально-етичними переконаннями. (shrink)

Olena Panych’s article «Scientific Atheism as a Cultural System» explores scientific atheism as a worldview and cultural system that were artificially constructed in the USSR in 1960s-80s. Panych argues that scientific atheism had its peculiar specific ethics, practices and discourse. Being essentially a propagandist paradigm aimed at negation of religion, scientific atheism also developed a positive program of the formation of integral worldview. The discourse of scientific atheism was focused on the construction of community that would be alternative to (...) the religious one. In its peculiar way, scientific atheism asserted general collectivist values of the Soviet epoch. (shrink)

Предметом дослідження у статті є концептуальні підходи до формування механізмів антикризової політики держави. Доведено, що в сучасній Україні антикризова політика має ґрунтуватися на використанні податкових механізмів і важелів.

Według Jürgena Habermasa w warunkach eugeniki liberalnej ludzka samowiedza gatunku może ulec zmianie, dlatego należy wprowadzić regulacje, które pozwolą sprawować kontrolę nad wykorzystywaniem i nad rozwojem nowych biotechnologicznych metod. Zachowanie obecnej samowiedzy jest ważne, aby zapewnić podstawę dla funkcjonowania uniwersalistycznie pojmowanej moralności, pozwalającej osobom w sposób sprawiedliwy regulować swoje konflikty. Na dwie przesłanki samowiedzy gatunku składa się: postrzeganie siebie przez osoby jako wyłącznych autorów własnego życia oraz jako członków społeczeństwa, między którymi panują symetryczne relacje. Zachowanie takiej samowiedzy nie jest możliwe (...) w sytuacji, gdy genetycznymi zadatkami jednych osób przed ich urodzeniem rozporządzali inni. Habermas proponuje, aby rozwój biotechnologii poddać regulacjom zgodnym z etyką gatunku, która jest rekonstrukcją warunków samowiedzy do tej pory przez nas posiadanej. Sformułowana przez niego etyka gatunku zakłada nierozporządzalność genetycznymi cechami nienarodzonych, jednak nie przesądza o stosowaniu genetycznych ingerencji w celach terapeutycznych, na które, według Jürgena Habermasa, można zakładać zgodę przyszłych osób, nie naruszając samowiedzy stanowiącej podstawę uniwersalistycznej moralności. (shrink)

The article, authored by Ukrainian and Polish social researchers, analyses normative approaches towards understanding models of democracy and their relation to civic space. Despite the existence of multiple models of democracy, they can largely be reduced to two main forms: direct and representative democracy.Deliberative democracy is posited as a third form, which, according to some scientists, combines elements of representative, direct, and participatory democracy. The analysis is based on the assessment of democracy and civic space in Ukraine, utilising data from (...) six applied international social studies, as well as the evaluation of the modern characteristics of some components of Ukrainian civic space. According to the rating of CIVICUS Monitor, Ukraine has been classified in the category of countries where the civic space is «obstructed» from 2019 to the present time (Autumn 2023). Currently, the advancement of civic space in Ukraine towards more favourable forms of freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and expression of opinion in the country are threatened by several factors simultaneously, with the dominant role being Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.During the martial law and in the post-war context of Ukraine, civil society acts as an indispensable ally of the authorities in the process of democratic reconstruction. Civil society organizations (CSOs) represent a wide range of social interests, ensuring that the voices of different groups and segments of thepopulation are heard and taken into account. Their broad base allows them to bridge the gap between government and citizens, helping to build trust and ensuring transparency. CSOs have a proven track record of institutional monitoring, which is a critical factor in preserving and strengthening democratic values in a post-conflict environment.The article also uses the results of the authors' previous and current academic research*, as well as the results of twenty years of advocacy and analytical work as public experts in Ukraine and Europe. ==== *Remark. The Ukrainian author relies on the results of her own previous and current academic research within the H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and analytical studies as a public expert, and the research of the Polish co-author was supported by the National Science Center (research project 2019/33/B/HS5/02648). (shrink)

The article examines the historical movement of transcendental foundations in the twentieth century up to their reconstruction in modern rhetorical practices from the standpoint of communicative philosophy. The author also considers the prospects of the relationship and mutual combination of analytical, hermeneutical, semiotic and phenomenological traditions.

Sāṃkhya, in its commentary Yuktidīpikā, responds to the Buddhist claim that a means of valid cognition (pramāṇa) and a valid cognition (pramā), its result (phala), are identical. The response of Sāṃkhya was pioneering: it is one of the two earliest responses to the Buddhists in the lively polemic on the relationship between a pramāṇa and its result. (The other of these two earliest responses is in the Ślokavārttika by Kumārila Bhaṭṭa.) Sāṃkhya’s voice in this polemic is earlier than that of (...) Nyāya, which is, as well as Mīmāṃsā, the main rival of the Buddhists in addressing this issue. This study provides a translation and detailed reconstruction of the Yuktidīpikā’s polemic with the Buddhist opponent, which has not been researched before, as well as a critical assessment of the Sāṃkhya position. The Yuktidīpikā polemicizes against Dignāga. It aptly questions the standpoint of the Buddhist opponent and presents an alternative standpoint, contrasting its own view with that of the opponent. Though the Sāṃkhya position formulated in the Yuktidīpikā evokes several critical remarks, the Yuktidīpikā’s response is an important contribution to Indian thought. (shrink)

The present study aims to reveal how evaluative meanings shape the depiction of Ukrainian emigration and women emigrants in Ukrainian literature of the early 2000s by employing Appraisal Theory developed within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics and subjecting excerpts from the following five novels to an in-depth linguistic analysis: Usi dorohy vedut’ do Rymu by Olesia Halych, Shliub iz kukhlem Pil’zens’koho pyva by Lesia Stepovychka, Ia znaiu, shcho ty znaiesh, shcho ia znaiu by Irena Rozdobud’ko, Hastarbaiterky by Natalka Doliak, (...) and Korotka istoriia traktoriv po-ukraiins’ky by Marina Lewycka. The authors employ various grammatical and lexical items to communicate their assessments of the emigrant women characters and the phenomenon of emigration from Ukraine. Appraisal Theory allows us to identify such linguistic realisations of evaluations and interpret authors’ attitudinal positions voiced or implied in text. This research is significant as the first study of its kind using Appraisal Theory to analyse literary texts written in Ukrainian thus expanding the theory’s reach and relevance. Additionally, employing linguistic techniques when assessing the depiction of women’s emigration and its agents enriches an analysis by providing a detailed and balanced perspective. The findings of this research contribute to the fields of literary studies, linguistics, and migration studies. (shrink)

Стаття висвітлює важливий аспект різнобічної діяльності митрополита Андрея Шептицького - охорону природи Галичини. Автор доводить, що природоохоронна діяльність митрополита була спрямована на посилення процесів національного відродження в краї, мала неабияке значення для утвердження власної гідності галичан, вела до неухильного розширення їх духовного світогляду. У статті наведено ряд архівних документів, що засвідчують факти природоохоронної діяльності митрополита на теренах Галичини в 1930-1940 рр.

The article highlights the issues of nature protection in Halychyna region that have been arising since ancient times till1939. Inthe 20-30s of the XXth century the solution of this problem was considered in the search of separate valuable objects of nature, their expropriation from the sphere of economic usage and complete protection. In the hard interwar period, the Polish government, scientists and some land owners were doing their best to protect nature. This intense activity had a significant public basis, as (...) the main legislative basis of Poland of that time facilitated development and distribution of nature-protective activity in Halychyna region. Poland had a significant public legislative foundation for environmental protection and isolation of valuable natural areas/objects. First of all, since 1852 Halychyna had the valid Austrian law on forest conservation, according to which all forests, regardless of ownership form, had to be supervised by the State Forest Administration. In 1900 the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture issued the Circular concerning conservation of natural tracts and old trees. Later on, in 1927 the President of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth issued the Decision on the protection of forests that were not owned by the state; in1934 anew public law about monuments of nature was adopted in Halychyna, which greatly simplified and facilitated the procedure of conserving valuable natural objects in the country. In addition, Poland had a number of other valid laws on nature usage with the elements of environmental protection. In the 1920-1930s, nature conservation and isolation of national parks in Halychyna were performed by both the government authorities of Poland and numerous Polish academic-social entities, such as the State Council for Nature Conservation of Poland, Polish Committee for Nature Protection in Lviv city, the Polish League for Nature Protection, Department of Reserves of the Research Institute of State Forests, Nature Conservation Commission of the State Geological Institute. Apart from that, Poland also had various public nature protection societies of local history and natural sciences, such as the Copernicus Society of Naturalists, Society of Tree-Lovers, Society of Planting Local Hylads, Zoological and Botanical Society, Society for Animal Protection, 'Stowarzyszenia c.k. straznikow lasowych i dozorcow skladow', 'Straz Lesna w Kosowie', "Akademickiego kola Przyrodnikow wszechnicy Lwowskiej' and others. A number of protected state reserves have been created. In addition to the public ones, there were a lot of community nature reserves, which were bought by the Polish scientific-cultural societies and organizations, as well as private reserves, created on private lands by some land owners. Thus, in Halychyna region the issue of nature conservation was developing very actively in those years, yet under the auspices of the Austrian environmental organizations. Correspondingly, the new protected objects became Austrian or Polish state property. No Ukrainian natural reserves existed, and no national societies for nature protection. Therefore, the problem of nature protection in the 1920-1930s in the society turned from the purely ecological problem into the ecological-national one. Ukrainian patriots, uniting around their spiritual leader - the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, started a broad nature protection activity in Halychyna, focusing at conserving and multiplying the natural resources. First of all, they founded the Permanent Commission for Nature Conservation at the Taras Shevchenko Scientific Society, which was carrying out an active nature conservation activity in the given region. (shrink)

Development of gene transfer systems provides a key tool for understanding gene function. Exciting and often unexpected consequences from embryo manipulations are yielding insights into molecular mechanisms underlying development under normal and pathogenic states, and are providing animal models for diseases. Contributing to this progress is the elegant work on c‐fos(1), where Wagner and coworkers identify this proto‐oncogene as a primary factor which directs cell differentiation along the osteoclast/macrophage lineages, and thus regulates bone remodeling. Their studies support a link between (...) skeletogenesis, marrow formation and hematopoiesis, and may help to delineate mechanisms underlying the oncogenic transformation of skeletal and hematopoietic cells. (shrink)