Energy issue stays a top priority for the national security of most countries. Despite numerous international forums, large-scale geoeconomic research, international and national projects, and the development of appropriate strategies, the issue of energy security assessment and understanding of its terminology is not a universal practice. The presented study has an ambitious goal to develop a methodology that can provide an objective picture of the energy sector on an international scale with cross-country comparisons under the influence of modern megatrends. Based on 29 indicators, according to the World Bank data since 1991, the energy security index is calculated for the set of world states with further analysis of the cluster dynamics of their common trends in energy security. The index showed its objectivity and resistance to existing shocks in geoeconomic dynamics. An important feature of the proposed index is the possibility to compare the energy security index with 1. This value is, in fact, a European average: if a country has an energy security index greater than 1, it means that its energy level is currently better than the European average, and if it is lower than 1, it means that it is inferior to the level of energy security currently achieved on average in Europe. The concept of calculating the index of energy security of the state is based on a unified comparison of all countries, which allows us to move away from the use of signaling approaches and eliminate subjectivity in calculations, as well as provide a basis for dynamic comparison of energy security. The vital aspect of the index is that it takes into account changes in the energy paradigm, the transition to alternative energy sources, and the comprehension of the role of energy efficiency, in particular, of fossil fuels. The study identifies clusters of countries that have consistent similarities in energy security, which can usually be of practical interest in developing energy strategies and understanding the similarity of geoeconomic interests of these states. Thus, this article contributes not only to the development of scientific approaches to the assessment of energy issues, in particular, through the methodological development of a representative index, but also through the presentation of statistically sound results for further effective management decisions at the state level.

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The human aging process is associated with systematic deterioration of cognitive and motor performance. Age-related deficits in motor skills and symptoms of cognitive decline, such as memory, attention and executive functioning problems, are major contributors to a loss of functional independence and reduced quality of life of the elderly. The virtual reality system presented can be used as an aid for effective training of those skills. The use of virtual reality training for therapeutic purposes is promising – not only does it provide encouraging medical and psychological effects but it may also be considered as an interesting leisure activity for seniors. The paper presents a pilot study which aims to qualitatively assess the usefulness of a VR technology-based solution for training cognitive and motor functions. The pre-test phase of the study was conducted on 9 subjects aged 62-81 (M = 71.66; SD = 7.00), who were asked to evaluate the performed tasks in terms of novelty and attractiveness. All subjects completed the pilot study. The SUS result was 55.56 (SD = 9.90), which is a marginal result. However, the UEQ result showed that all aspects of the game were reported as satisfactory. The pilot studies show that VR is well tolerated by the elderly. As demonstrated by the results, the system has moderate utility, but may be a promising solution for training cognitive-motor skills.

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