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Introduction. The article focuses on increasing the objectivity of educational assessment of schoolchildren’s learning achievements. The purpose of the research is to substantiate the increase in the objectivity of educational assessment on the basis of an automated monitoring and evaluation system. Materials and Methods. The study followed an interdisciplinary approach, characterized by integrative properties of educational assessment theory and designing automated learning tools. The authors used the following theoretical research methods: analysis, synthesis and generalization on the problems of improving the objectivity of assessment and the development of automated learning tools. Empirical methods included questionnaires, testing, and educational action research. Results. The factors contributing to the decrease in the objectivity of educational assessment are identified: the subjective and ascertaining nature of assessment, inconsistent recording of students’ academic performance, and delayed correction of students’ learning activities. A system of automated monitoring and evaluation has been developed and implemented, which includes processing, analysis and interpretation of information and monitors the dynamics of students’ learning achievements in real time. During the application of the system, positive changes in the indicators of students’ involvement, motivation and emotional attitude to learning were revealed. The most significant changes were observed in the following indicators: cognitive efficiency, learning motivation, and anxiety (a decrease in the high level of anxiety, an increase in the levels of motivation and cognitive efficiency). The design and implementation of the system were based on organizational, educational and technical conditions. The organizational and educational conditions include various formats for incorporating the system in the structure of the assessment process, while the technical ones set the requirements for the system. Conclusions. The introduction of the automated monitoring and evaluation system contributes to formulating clear criteria for educational assessment, expanding the possibilities for building individual learning trajectories, and increasing the transparency of learning process. The objectivity of the assessment is realized due to the clarity of the requirements for the level of knowledge, skills and abilities of students; specification of the objects of assessment; compliance of the tasks with the goals of educational assessment; well-timed analysis of learning outcomes; and increasing primary schoolchildren’s motivation for learning.

Semi-linear discrete-time control systems with periodic coefficients are considered. The problem of uniform global asymptotic stabilization of the zero equilibrium of the closed-loop system by state feedback is studied. It is assumed that the free dynamic system has a Lyapunov stable zero equilibrium. The method for constructing a damping control is extended from time-invariant systems to time varying periodic semi-linear discrete-time systems. By using this approach, sufficient conditions for uniform global asymptotic stabilization for those systems are obtained. Moreover, the converse Lyapunov Theorem on Lyapunov (non-asymptotic) stability is proved for complex and real linear periodic discrete-time systems. Finally, examples of using the obtained results are presented.

The necessity of developing professional foreign language communicative competence of students of the “Linguistics” training direction in the process of academic mobility is substantiated. The methodological basis for the development of professional foreign language communicative competence of students of the “Linguistics” training direction in the process of academic mobility is the interaction of competent, socio-cultural and personal-activity educational approaches to teaching a foreign language. The strategies of development of professional foreign language communicative competence in preparation for academic mobility are analyzed, the principles of selection of content material and requirements for mastering a foreign language, fixed in the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education, are characterized. It is determined that the development of professional foreign language communicative competence in the process of academic mobility involves the consistent and phased use of an effective set of exercises and tasks aimed at the formation of skills and abilities of the main types of speech activity.

We consider the issue of teaching students of pedagogical universities spontaneous speech on the basis of a dialogic approach. The approach is implemented by the principles of dialogicity, the dominance of speech exercises for the development of skills of spontaneous foreign language speech, taking into account non-verbal means of communication for the greatest immersion in the culture and communication features of native speakers of the studied language, the development of critical thinking. Foreign language teaching is based on the methodological potential of a dialogical approach, which implies a communicative orientation of classes and parallel assimilation of vocabulary and grammar in various speech situations. Deductive and inductive methods for teaching dialogic communication are noted. Training is carried out on the basis of a methodology developed in accordance with the characteristics of spontaneous speech and includes principles, content (methodological, linguistic and psychological components), means (auditory authentic and educational dialogic texts), organizational forms (social role interaction), stages, strategies, techniques and exercises aimed at development skills and abilities of using normative features of spontaneous speech, as well as familiarization with the non-normative features of spontaneous speech based on the interaction of verbal and non-verbal means of communication.

The necessity of developing the skills of foreign language writing in high school students based on a personality-oriented approach and the principles of self-actualization, individualization, subjectivity, choice, creativity and success, trust and support is substantiated. The specificity of written speech is considered in comparison with oral speech based on the analysis of the literature of well-known psychologists, linguists, methodologists in the field of teaching foreign languages. Groups of skills (cognitive-pragmatic, logical and rhetorical) are defined. The developed system of exercises is implemented in three stages. At the preparatory stage, there is an activation of the students’ knowledge on the topic, familiarization with new material and the beginning of the development of cognitive-pragmatic, logical and rhetorical skills. At the training stage, the development of logical and cognitive-pragmatic skills continues, as well as exercises for the development of rhetorical skills, with a gradual increase in students’ independence in completing tasks. The main goal of these stages is to write an essay in English.

Background Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in a range of adverse neonatal outcomes, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to investigate the effectiveness of brief interventions (BIs) in eliminating or reducing 1) alcohol consumption during pregnancy; and 2) PAE-related adverse neonatal outcomes; and 3) cost-effectiveness of BIs. Method We conducted a systematic literature search for original controlled studies (randomized control trials (RCTs); quasi-experimental) in any setting, published from 1987 to 2021. The comparison group was no/minimal intervention, where a measure of alcohol consumption was reported. Studies were critically appraised using the Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Oxford critical appraisal tool for RCTs (1). The certainty in the evidence for each outcome was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) (2). Meta-analysis of continuous and binary estimates of effect-size for similar outcome measures for BIs versus control groups were pooled and reported as mean difference (MD) Hedges’ g and odds ratios (ORs), respectively. Results In total, 26 studies, all from high income countries, met inclusion criteria. Alcohol abstinence outcome available in 12 studies (n = 2620) found modest effects in favor of BIs conditions by increasing the odds of abstinence by 56% (OR = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15–2.13, I2 = 46.75%; p = 0.04). BIs effects for reduction in mean drinks/week (Cohen’s d = − 0.21, 95%CI = - 0.78 to 0.36; p = 0.08) and AUDIT scores (g = 0.10, 95%CI = − 0.06 to 0.26; p = 0.17) were not statistically significant. Among seven studies (n = 740) reporting neonatal outcomes, BI receipt was associated with a modest and significant reduction in preterm birth (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.46–0.98, I2 = 0.00%; p = 0.58). No statistically significant differences were observed for mean birthweight or lower likelihood of low birth weight (LBW). Certainty in the evidence was rated as ‘low’. No eligible studies were found on cost-effectiveness of BIs. Conclusion BIs are moderately effective in increasing abstinence during pregnancy and preventing preterm birth. More studies on the effectiveness of BIs are needed from low- and middle-income countries, as well as with younger mothers and with a broader range of ethnic groups.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding cause adverse health outcomes to the mother and child, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).Systematic literature review and thematic synthesis. Original studies that contained reasons for alcohol consumption in pregnancy and while breastfeeding were included. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and the Confidence in the Evidence of Reviews of Qualitative Research (CerQUAL) approach were utilised. The review protocol is available on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42018116998).Forty-two eligible studies comprising women from 16 countries were included. Most commonly reported reasons of alcohol use in pregnancy were societal pressure and the belief that only "strong" alcohol and alcohol in large quantities is harmful. Other reasons were: a lack of awareness of adverse effects on the fetus; coping with adverse life experiences; consumption based on intuitive decision-making and influenced by personal/peer experiences; belief in the beneficial properties of alcohol; advice from medical practitioners; unwanted or unplanned pregnancy; alcohol dependence; and consumption as a cultural/traditional custom. Reasons for alcohol use during breastfeeding included the belief that alcohol stimulates breast milk production, unclear advice from medical practitioners, unawareness of the risks of infant exposure and to improve mood and celebrate events.Understanding the context of reasons for alcohol use in pregnancy is crucial for implementing prenatal health education, and preventing FASD and other adverse maternal and child health outcomes.Individual beliefs, knowledge/advice, culture and personal circumstances influence alcohol use in pregnancy. Data are limited for reasons surrounding alcohol use while breastfeeding.

Although eye abnormalities are reported in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), no systematic review based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines has been undertaken. Our aim was to document the range and prevalence of eye abnormalities reported in children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and/or FASD.Searches of electronic databases and manual searches. Eligible articles were observational studies in children with PAE and/or FASD; peer reviewed journal articles in the English language; and studies reporting quantitative or frequency data on functional/structural eye abnormalities. Pooled prevalence, odds ratio, and mean differences were calculated.Of the 1,068 retrieved articles 36 were eligible, including articles on children with diagnosed fetal alcohol syndrome/FASD (N = 31); PAE (N = 3); and FASD or PAE without FASD (N = 2). Structural and functional eye abnormalities were identified, the most prevalent being short palpebral fissure length (66.1%), visual impairment (55.5%), epicanthus (53.5%), subnormal stereoacuity (53.0%), abnormal retinal tortuosity (50.5%), impaired fixation ability (33.3%), telecanthus (31.7%), optic nerve hypoplasia (30.2%), and small optic discs (27.0%). Compared to non-exposed controls, strabismus, subnormal vision, ptosis, short palpebral fissure length, microphthalmos, smaller optic disc area, and retinal vessel tortuosity were more prevalent in children with FASD.Examination of eyes and vision should be considered in children with PAE and suspected or diagnosed FASD to enable early identification and optimal management. This first comprehensive, systematic literature review demonstrates the variety and frequency of eye abnormalities reported in PAE/FASD.

Naturally occurring sono- and photoactive minerals, which are abundant on Earth, represent an attractive alternative to the synthesized sonophotocatalysts as cost-effective materials for water and wastewater treatment. This study focuses on characterizing and evaluating the sonophotocatalytic activity of natural sphalerite (NatS) from Dovatka deposit (Siberia) under high-frequency ultrasonic (US, 1.7 MHz) and ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UVA LED, 365 nm) irradiation towards degradation of 4-chlorophenol as a model organic pollutant. Since raw natural sphalerite did not exhibit a measurable photocatalytic activity, it was calcined at 500, 900 and 1200 °C. The natural sphalerite after calcination at 900 °C (NatS*) was found to be the most effective for sonophotocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol, attaining the highest efficiency (55%, 1 h exposure) in the following row: UV < US ≈ UV/US ≈ US/NatS* < UV/NatS* < UV/US/NatS*. Addition of 1 mM H2O2 increased the removal to 74% by UV/US/NatS*/H2O2 process. An additive effect between UV/NatS* and US/NatS* processes was observed in the sonophotocatalytic system as well as in the H2O2-assisted system. We assume that the sonophotocatalytic hybrid process, which is based on the simultaneous use of high-frequency ultrasound, UVA light, calcined natural sphalerite and H2O2, could provide a basis of an environmentally safe and cost-effective method of elimination of organic pollutants from aqueous media.

BackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in a range of adverse neonatal outcomes, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to investigate the effectiveness of brief interventions (BIs) in eliminating or reducing 1) alcohol consumption during pregnancy; and 2) PAE-related adverse neonatal outcomes.MethodWe conducted a systematic literature search for original controlled studies (randomized control trials (RCTs); quasi-experimental) in any setting, published from 1987 to 2021. The comparison group was no/minimal intervention, where a measure of alcohol consumption was reported. Studies were critically appraised using the Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Oxford critical appraisal tool for RCTs. Meta-analysis of continuous and binary estimates of effect-size for similar outcome measures for BIs versus control groups were pooled and reported as Cohens’ d/ Hedge’s g and odds ratios (ORs), respectively. ResultsIn total, 22 studies (4,865 participants), all from high income countries, met inclusion criteria. Abstinence outcomes available in 12 studies (n= 2,620) found modest effects in favor of BI conditions (OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.15–2.13, I2=46.75%). BI effects for mean drinks/week (Cohen’s d=- 0.21, 95%CI=- 0.78 to 0.36) and AUDIT scores (g = 0.10, 95%CI= - 0.06 to 0.26) were not significant. Among seven studies (n = 740) reporting neonatal outcomes, BI receipt was associated with a modest and significant reduction in preterm birth (OR=0.67, 95% CI=0.46-0.98, I2=0.00%). No statistically significant differences were observed for APGAR score, mean birthweight, or likelihood of low birth weight (LBW). ConclusionBIs are moderately effective in increasing abstinence during pregnancy and preventing preterm birth. More studies on the effectiveness of BIs are needed from low- and middle-income countries, as well as with younger mothers and with a broader range of ethnic groups. There is also an urgent need for systematic research seeking to enhance the efficacy of brief interventions.

We consider the methodological potential of environmental pedagogy in foreign language learning. The using modern educational technology of mixed learning “inverted class” in higher education, the introduction of new principles of the educational process in higher education, the search for new organizational forms of learning, interactive methods and technologies of foreign language teaching are necessary. The solution of the research problem is based on theoretical, methodological and practical issues considered in the study. Teaching a foreign language is based on the methodological potential of the noospheric approach. Foreign language teacher is a facilitator, consultant and ensures successful communication of students in the process of carrying out interdisciplinary or meta-disciplinary research projects. It has been determined that in order to form the ecological competence of future bachelors of biology in foreign language classes, it is necessary to use authentic texts, the selection of which takes into account the criteria of authenticity and genre diversity. It is concluded that environmental competence contains a system of environmental knowledge, skills and abilities, includes a behavioral aspect. The development of this competence is carried out in cooperation with special (biological, environmental) disciplines in teaching a foreign language.

This paper evaluates the impact of anti-coronavirus measures on the dynamics of economic activity In addition to primary shocks directly caused by restrictive measures, we assess their secondary effects through inter-industry relationships Our assessments show that secondary effects impact more industries than primary effects do The overall impact of secondary effects on the economy proves to be of a larger scale than the impact of primary effects with high heterogeneity of dynamics by industry В данной работе оценивается влияние ограничительных мер, принятых для предотвращения распространения пандемии коронавируса, на динамику экономической активности Помимо влияния первичных шоков, вызванных непосредственно действием ограничительных мер, мы оцениваем также и вторичные эффекты этих мер через межотраслевые связи Наши оценки показывают, что действие вторичных эффектов распространяется на большее количество отраслей, чем действие первичных эффектов При этом общий масштаб влияния вторичных эффектов на экономику оказывается большим, чем масштаб влияния первичных эффектов при высокой неоднородности динамики по отраслям

Early diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is known to improve outcomes in children. It is less clear if diagnosis in adulthood also conveys benefits. This study investigated long-te...

Spatial vegetation patterns potentially reflect coeval continental climate variations which are also impacted by palaeogeographical settings. Plant functional types (PFTs) and their distribution, frequently applied in ecological studies and biome modelling, serve as a tool for reconstructing palaeovegetation units and ultimately tracing palaeoecological/climate gradients. Earlier quantitative studies focusing on distribution patterns of PFTs and designed to put forward data-model comparisons were carried out on well-dated Middle and Late Miocene floras. Moreover, the PFT approach has been successfully applied to reconstruct Eocene vegetation patterns in several time slices at a global scale as well as in regional vegetation reconstructions throughout the Cenozoic. In the current study, a PFT approach with 41 different classes is applied on Rupelian and Chattian fossil floras of Europe and western Asia to infer spatial vegetation differences across the study area. A comprehensive palaeobotanical record including ~163 macro- (leaves, fruits and seeds) and microfloras was compiled. The floristic components of these palaeofloras are translated to PFTs including herbaceous to arboreal classes. The PFTs are defined using traits and climatic thresholds of key taxa, and comprise species assigned by morphological and phenological features with respect to the related ecosystem. Diversity values of each PFT are calculated for the fossil floras and spatial gradients over western Eurasia are investigated for the Rupelian and Chattian. PFT diversity maps and transects for both time slices reveal basic patterns of the vegetational structure at the continental scale. It is shown that in both time slices studied tropical and broadleaved evergreen PFTs were more diverse in the West and at lower latitudes. Consistently with the global climate evolution as known from marine archives and regional continental records their level was higher in the Rupelian compared to the Chattian. All over low diversities of xeric PFTs coincide with the previously assumed dominance of humid climate conditions in western Eurasia throughout the Oligocene, however, the reconstructed spatial gradients suggest somewhat drier conditions to the southwest and southeast of the study area.

We consider a discrete nonlinear control time-varying system x(k + 1) = f(k, x(k), u(k)), k ∈ ℕ, x ∈ ℝn, u ∈ ℝr. A control process of this system is a pair (x(k), u(k))k ∈ N consisting of a control (u(k))k∈N and some solution (x(k))k∈N of the system with this control. We assume that the control process is defined for all k ∈ N. We have obtained sufficient conditions for uniform and non-uniform (with respect to the initial moment) exponential stabilization of the control process with any pregiven decay of rate. Exponential convergence to zero of the deviation of both the state vector and the control vector is guaranteed. The result is based on the property of uniform complete controllability (in the sense of Kalman) for a system of linear approximation.

This article is devoted to the research of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economy of the Russian Federation and other countries of the world and its consequences on society. Today, the social policy of the Russian Federation and the whole world is experiencing great stress. The crisis, which arose due to the imposed restrictive measures to ensure the isolation regime in order to prevent the spread of COVID-2019 by foreign governments, revealed previously existing gaps in the provisions of social protection. The ways of formation and improvement of state support of incomes of the population during a crisis situation all over the world are considered. In the conditions of the crisis, the load on the social system has increased many times over, due to the increase in the number of poor citizens. Funding has been introduced for various measures, methods and ways to improve livelihoods and prevent the closure of Micro-Enterprises, SMEs of all types, self-employed and workers, in order to prevent unemployment caused by the global situation. The analysis of the gross domestic product and the effectiveness of the implemented additional measures of state support of the population’s income has been carried out. For example, the leading countries of the world were considered, such as: Russia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA.

The pandemic has been a catalyst for both negative and positive developments in public transport fares. In the field of public transport, total automation of all segments of passenger public transport is required. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the problems of innovating payment services in public transport as part of the overall ecosystem of the payment business and to find directions for the innovative development of payment services and train payment systems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses a systematic approach and theoretical methods for generalizing and comparing data, a structured description of the characteristics of the Russian payment services market. The proposed directions of innovative development of payment services and train payment systems in public transport are proposed to be implemented in the general system of digital innovation of the economy (integration of automated fare payment systems into a unified system of state and municipal services, inclusion of all intracity and intercity carriers of all types of transport into the automated payment system for passenger transport services, transport roaming / mutual integration of systems, introduction of differentiated fare payment by zones, expansion of the range of payment instruments, fiscalization of the services of transport companies, the transition to a fully automated system of payment for the train with a complete rejection of the physical presence of conductors).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a preventable condition that imposes a significant financial burden on societies. Funding of FASD prevention is a small portion of the total expenditures associated with FASD. This paper aimed to review the literature on the costs of and savings from prevention of FASD and present a model for the United States and Canada of projected savings based on expansion of existing evidence-based prevention models. METHODS A systematic review of published literature on the cost of FASD prevention was conducted and experts in the field were interviewed. Studies that reported the cost of primary prevention of FASD were eligible for further consideration. RESULTS Applying evidenced-based prevention programs to women at highest risk to have a future child with FASD greatly reduces the cost of prevention. In the United States, one case of FASD can be prevented for as little as USD $20 200 - 47 615. Cost of prevention is considerably less expensive than cost of care for a case of FASD. CONCLUSION Expansion of risk-based prevention strategies for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the United States and Canada would be an economically efficient and worthwhile investment for society.

In this paper we study linear discrete-time control systems in infinite-dimensional spaces with periodically time-varying bounded input and output operators. For such systems we consider a problem of arbitrary assignability of the upper Bohl exponent by non-stationary linear static state feedback and by non-stationary linear dynamic output feedback. This is a generalization of the stabilization problem, which has been well studied for systems of various types. The main results present sufficient conditions for considered types of assignability.

Background: Alcohol is a teratogen and prenatal exposure may adversely impact the developing fetus, increasing risk for negative outcomes, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Global trends of increasing alcohol use among women of childbearing age due to economic development, changing gender roles, increased availability of alcohol, peer pressure and social acceptability of women’s alcohol use may put an increasing number of pregnancies at risk for prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). This risk has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in some countries. Method: This literature review presents an overview on the epidemiology of alcohol use among childbearing age and pregnant women and FASD by World Health Organization regions; impact of PAE on fetal health, including FASD; associated comorbidities; and social outcomes. Results/Conclusion: The impact of alcohol on fetal health and social outcomes later in life is enormous, placing a huge economic burden on countries. Prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and early identification of affected individuals should be a global public health priority.

To systematically review and conduct meta-analysis on studies that report the type and prevalence of functional and structural ear abnormalities among children with prenatal alcohol exposure and/or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, and Maternity and Infant Care were searched from 1806 through March 2021. Reference lists of relevant articles were manually searched. Studies reporting on functional and/or structural ear abnormalities among children (18 years) with prenatal alcohol exposure and/or FASD were eligible. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by one reviewer and independently checked by another. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted.A total of 31 studies met the inclusion criteria and 25 were included in the meta-analyses, representing a total of 843 children with prenatal alcohol exposure and 1653 children with FASD. Functional ear abnormalities with the highest pooled prevalence were chronic serous otitis media (88.5%; 95% CI, 70.4%-99.3%), abnormal auditory filtering (80.1%; 95% CI, 76.5%-84.3%), and unspecified conductive hearing loss (68.0%; 95% CI, 51.9%-82.2%). Structural ear abnormalities with the highest pooled prevalence were microtia (42.9%; 95% CI, 26.8%-59.7%), railroad track ear (16.8%; 95% CI, 8.1%-27.7%), and misplaced ear (12.3%; 95% CI, 7.6%-17.9%).Our findings highlight the importance of examining the ears during assessment for FASD, and the need for public health messaging regarding the harms of prenatal alcohol exposure.

This study is the first to reveal that the iron-catalyzed photo-activation of persulfate (UV/PS/Fe2+system) under mercury-free KrCl excilamp irradiation (222 nm) is capable of simultaneous degradation of an organic pollutant and inactivation of a microorganism in aqueous media using the herbicide atrazine (ATZ) and E. coli as model contaminants, respectively. Deionized water, natural water and wastewater effluents, contaminated with 4 mg/L ATZ and/or 105 CFU/mL E. coli, were sequentially treated by direct UV, UV/PS and UV/PS/Fe2+ processes. Lowering the pH to 3.5 accelerated both the degradation and inactivation during the UV/PS/Fe2+ treatment of natural water. Comparison of the apparent UV dose-based pseudo first-order rate constants showed the negative effect of E. coli on ATZ degradation by decreasing rates in all of the examined water matrices. This can be due to the competitive effect between ATZ and bacterial cells for reactive oxygen species (ROS). By contrast, E. coli in the presence of ATZ was inactivated faster in natural water and wastewater (but not in deionized water), as compared to the case without ATZ. A scheme of possible synergistic inactivation under ROS exposure in water, containing ATZ, natural organic matter and chloride ions as primary constituents, was proposed. Radical scavenging experiments showed a major contribution of SO4•- to ATZ degradation by UV/PS/Fe2+ treatment of deionized water and natural water. The UV doses, required for 90% removal of ATZ from natural water and wastewater, achieve 160 mJ/cm2 (pH 5.5) and concurrently provide 99.99% E. coli inactivation. These results make the UV/PS/Fe2+ system with narrow band UV light sources promising for simultaneous water treatment and disinfection.

We consider a local version of the pole assignment problem for linear discrete time-varying systems. Our aim is to obtain sufficient conditions to place the Lyapunov spectrum of the closed-loop sys...

The article focuses on the shift from traditional to techno-scientific biomedical discourse in health-related media communication. The Russian case should be put in context of successes and failures of governmental policies and campaigns, as well as diverse changes in social life that took place in the last decade. To this end, we developed a method for the reconstruction of the timeline that triggered the ongoing techno-scientific progress in Russia based on the decade-long history of healthcare media reports. The dataset includes news reports collected using health and medicine-related keywords from two prominent Russian newspapers ("Rossiyskaya Gazeta" and "Kommersant", from 2010 to 2019). The method employs text-mining tools including topic modelling (Latent Dirichlet Allocation-based), term statistics and graphs of keyphrase relationships to analyze the dynamics of media communication in healthcare during the study period. The results of the study confirm that before 2015 the coverage of health-associated topics includes criminal incidents and the "modernization" of the state healthcare system. After 2016, we detected the spread of a new discourse related to drugs elabeling, new drugs, networks and databases development.

In this article, we study the problem of asymptotic stabilization for nonlinear affine discrete-time control systems with periodic coefficients via state feedback. It is supposed that the origin of the free dynamic system is (non-asymptotically) stable. The method for constructing a damping control is extended from time-invariant systems to time varying periodic affine discrete-time systems. This method is based on the Krasovsky–La Salle invariance principle for periodic systems. Using this approach, we obtain sufficient conditions for uniform local and global asymptotic stabilization for those systems.

The sudden onset and quick development of an unknown epidemic may lead to tragic consequences: panic of population due to victims and unpreparedness of authorities for effectively help to population. These circumstances define extremely high requirements to the tools for short-term operational forecast. Namely, such tools should provide reliable results when model of phenomenon is unknown (factors of disease spreading) and data are limited (time series of observations). GMDH-based algorithms just meet these requirements unlike modern differential or advanced statistical models. In this study we test different algorithms from GMDH Shell platform on the example of Covid-19 epidemic in Moscow during the period March 30-April 12, 2020. The forecast horizon is from 1 to 7 days, the initial information is only the official dynamics of diseased patients. Our model is autoregression with variables of different powers. The results of forecast are compared with the accuracy of popular statistical autoregression using exponential smoothing with trend. We suppose that the proposed approach will be useful for short-term forecast at the start of epidemic due to its simplicity and reliability.

Molecular mechanisms underlying muscle-mass retention during hibernation have been extensively discussed in recent years. This work tested the assumption that protein synthesis hyperactivation during interbout arousal of the long-tailed ground squirrel Urocitellus undulatus should be accompanied by increased calpain-1 activity in striated muscles. Calpain-1 is known to be autolysed and activated in parallel. Western blotting detected increased amounts of autolysed calpain-1 fragments in the heart (1.54-fold, p p p p

Background Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a leading cause of lifelong developmental and physical disabilities and behavioural problems. This study describes the characteristics of individuals diagnosed with or at risk for FASD in British Columbia, Canada. Methods A retrospective chart review and cross-sectional analysis were conducted on records of individuals diagnosed or at risk for FASD at the Asante Centre from January 2015 to July 2019. Descriptive statistics results were stratified by age, sex, and involvement with the criminal justice and child welfare systems. Logistic regression was used to investigate potential associations. Results 161 individuals with diagnosed or at risk for FASD, (53 % male; mean age = 15.7 years, SD = 9.1) were included in the analysis. High levels of psychological/developmental disabilities (78 %), physical comorbidities (38 %), substance use (50 %), and involvement in child welfare (75 %) and criminal justice systems (30 %) were found across the entire group. Individuals over 20 reported the greatest proportion of any past substance (60.9 %), alcohol use (39.1 %) and stimulant use (30.4 %), compared to individuals aged 10–19 (41.3 %; 12.0 %; 14.1 %, respectively). Involvement with the child welfare system was associated with higher chances of having anxiety (OR 4.1; 95 % CI: 1.25–15.00). Involvement with the criminal justice system was associated with higher rates of past substance and cannabis use. Conclusion Individuals with FASD demonstrate a significant need for access to mental health and addiction services, especially among those with involvement in the child welfare and criminal justice systems. These findings point to the importance of improving policies to support the unique needs of individuals with FASD.

The paper reviews a prospective measures of diversifying agricultural production through the development of low-cost pond aquaculture, allowing to create new production chains with high added value, unaffected by numerous weather and market risks inherent for agriculture, especially under risky conditions of southern Russia and its Volgograd region, where poaching catch of river crayfish decreased its natural population and made it a high-demand delicacy. Due to this, pond crayfish farming becomes a competitive direction of freshwater aquaculture, and for its implementing on rural territories paper proposes developed by authors’ project of small aquaculture enterprise based on breeding of crayfish and auxiliary production of carps. Being suitable for family farms and environment-friendly, this project could generate for farm up to $13,800 of profit yearly and thus become a basis for sustainable development of inclusive green economy within rural territories of Russia.

We discuss relations between the four formulations of the problem of assignability of the Lyapunov spectrum for discrete linear time-varying systems by a time-varying feedback. For two of them: global assignability and proportional local assignability, we have already [2, 3, 4] obtained sufficient conditions in terms of uniform complete controllability and certain asymptotic properties of the free system. In the present paper we discuss the assumptions of our papers and demonstrate the use of the obtained conditions by numerical examples. We also compare our results with the classical pole placement problem. Finally, we formulate a couple of directions for further research in this area.

The concept of sustainable development involves maintaining the stability of social systems through the development of human capital. The formation of values and universal skills of the youth population is an important component of human capital. The article studies the problem of the universal readiness of school leavers for academic activity and professional labor that is expressed by the degree of formation of value orientations, which are the basis for non-specialized soft skills. The level of development of soft skills of senior high school students in modern comprehensive schools, that ensures the behavioral characteristics of self-organization and work ethics, depends on the values they share, which were studied using the survey method. The randomized survey of senior high school students in Rostov region (N = 4037, 59.3% of girls), carried out in 2019, was aimed at identification of the elements of social collectivism - social egoism in the minds of young people and normative - deviant components of behavior motivation. The studied value orientations of young people were re-duced to social-cognitive elements and attitudes. The authors proceeded from the fact that evident social collectivism - social egoism is directly associated with manifestations of normative / deviant behavior. As a result of processing of the data obtained, a quantitative analysis and explication of the development of value orientations and soft skills in the field of work and organizational ethics of the modern contingent of secondary school students was represented, what made it possible to formulate the preferential directions of pedagogic work.

Aim To conduct a systematic review and quantitative analysis of the world literature on the economic impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Methods A comprehensive literature review was conducted using multiple electronic databases and reference materials. Results Thirty-two studies from 4 countries met the inclusion criteria (United States [n = 20], Canada [n = 9], Sweden [n = 2], and New Zealand [n = 1]). The studies reported the economic impact of FASD on health care, special education, residential care, criminal justice system, productivity losses due to morbidity and premature mortality, productivity losses of caregivers of children with FASD, and intangible costs. The economic estimates vary considerably due to the different methodologies used by different studies. The mean annual cost for children with FASD was estimated to be $22,810 and for adults $24,308. Residential costs for children with FASD were 4-fold greater than for adults with FASD. The costs of lost productivity for adults were 6.3-fold greater than for children. Conclusions The data on the economic burden of FASD are scarce, and the existing estimates likely underestimate the full economic impact of this disorder on the affected individuals, their caregivers, and society. However, the current research is sufficient to demonstrate that FASD is a serious public health problem associated with tremendous economic burden.

We consider a version of the pole assignment problem for linear discrete time-varying systems with linear state feedback. Our aim is to prove that all the systems from the closure (in the topology of pointwise convergence) of all shifts of the original system have an assignable Lyapunov spectrum if and only if the original system is uniformly completely controllable. We also provide an example to show that uniform complete controllability is not a necessary condition for assignability of the Lyapunov spectrum of the original system.