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The present research aims to ascertain the views of the people in Russia, about their levels of awareness in terms of hygiene and personal care for protection against the coronavirus. Data for this research were collected through an online questionnaire developed by researchers using a quantitative research approach. A total of 439 people living in different districts of the Russian Federation were involved to the research based on simple random sampling. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages. Results revealed that the participants paid attention to not having close contact with other people to protect themselves against the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also revealed that they wash their hands after visiting the toilet and stand one meter away from other people. It was also found that television is the mass medium through which they follow the information on personal care and hygiene-related to the COVID-19 pandemic most frequently.

The present article addressed the issue of university teachers' working experience in the field of class-oriented online teaching English in higher educational institutions. The central aim of this study was a detailed description of the system for assessing reading skills utilized in English proficiency tests (CAE (C1), TOEFL, IELTS), as well as a comprehensive analysis of testing results. As a part of a thorough investigation, the article detailed three major reading modes and tasks most commonly used in such tests (scan-reading, skim-reading, and in-depth reading). Besides, in order to obtain reliable conclusions about the reasonability of the test tasks, the study took into account the tests' duration, the number and types of tasks, as well as the length of reading passages proposed. The research population comprised 622 second-year students from all faculties of the National Research University "Higher School of Economics" (Nizhny Novgorod Campus, Russia) with English proficiency levels from B1 to C1+. All data required for the study were collected from the outcomes of international English exams (CAE (C1), TOEFL, IELTS), conducted in the form of testing in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The results of this examination showed that 97% of students involved successfully solved multiple choice tasks, 96% demonstrated an understanding of the dependence between headings and text fragments, and 95% succeeded in gap-filling tasks. Provided that research participants were engaged in active work on English reading comprehension improvement throughout the examination period, 95% of students have mastered their reading skills.

Various factors at the individual and school levels contribute to the impairment of academic achievement. We examined whether academic class composition, measured as average class achievement and class heterogeneity (variance in achievement within class), moderates the associations of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity with academic achievement. Data from a two-wave longitudinal study of Russian first graders (N = 2,605, 51% girls) were used. Two-level regression analysis revealed inattentiveness to be negatively associated with math and reading achievement and hyperactivity/impulsivity to be positively associated with achievement but only under control for inattentiveness. The results reveal that the associations of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity with math achievement did not vary in classes of different academic compositions. However, the negative effect of inattentiveness on reading decreased in classes with high average achievement. The results also demonstrated that, controlled for inattentiveness, hyperactivity had a stronger positive association with reading in heterogeneous, rather than homogeneous, classes.

An active discussion of the questions of the advisability of forming new principles of national unity and creating an orderly harmonious world in the minds of people, strengthening the educational functions of the state, its concern for public morality do not primarily concern education, humanization of its content, and revision of the educational process. The formation and implementation of a state policy adequate to this problem must comply with the requirements of our time, create, on the one hand, conditions for ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens, including the observance of the fundamental principles of religious freedom, and on the other, develop legislative norms that regulate these rights. A legal democratic state provides for the formation of public policy in accordance with the needs of society and taking into account public thought. The secular nature of public education is not an obstacle to the introduction of disciplines in the provision of religious knowledge in the educational process of schools, religious knowledge can and should be considered as an element of secular culture. Knowledge of religion should be carried out by secular teachers, be neutral in content and not be accompanied by religious rites. The problems of the formation of moral and spiritual values, the worldview of a person, the introduction of religious disciplines in secondary schools are vividly discussed in scientific, educational, government circles, as well as among representatives of the clergy. The religious component in secular education will give importance to folk culture and traditional religion, which will form concepts such as tolerance and respect for other faiths and cultures, which is important in the context of globalization of the world.

This article discusses the unique experiences and methods of independent examination of the level of communicative (specifically receptive and productive) English language skills of the first year undergraduate students studying English as the first foreign language in a Russian university, who previously passed the Unified State Exam (USE) in English. The results analyzed came from the tests the students took at the beginning of their first academic year. This study attempts to lay the foundations for the transition to level-oriented learning or to introduce differentiation in groups where students' levels range widely -- from A1 to C1. The assessment of the English language proficiency of students studying Philology, Linguistics, Foreign Regional Studies, and Pedagogy was carried out in the format the B2 First Cambridge exam (FCE). The results of the assessment were used to analyze their level of language knowledge and language skills according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR). A number of typical mistakes made by students were revealed, based on which the students as well as their teachers were offered a number of recommendations to improve each of the skills.

The actuality of this research is determined by the acceptance of standards where a new sense of a concept "educational results" is given. Thus, a necessity to evaluate subject, cross-curriculum and personal results of students appears. The ways to evaluate the level of organization of the universal educational actions are reflected in the educational programs on each subject and in the programs of extracurricular activities. The FEM are worked out to monitor and check students' educational achievements with the requirements of the basic educational program in accordance with the requirements of standards.

This paper provides the findings from an integrated diagnostic assessment of first-to-fourth-year pedagogics students' social-perceptive attitudes toward the chosen profession and their personal characteristics linked with those attitudes. The authors have explored students' understanding of the reasons behind the choice of the profession and some of the key factors for the profession's attractiveness and unattractiveness and traced the dynamics of the intensity of their professional orientation. The work has investigated the correlation between pedagogics students' social-perceptive attitudes toward the pedagogical profession and their personal characteristics such as self-efficacy assessments, self-attitude, self-organization, perfectionism, tolerance of uncertainty, and perception of the time perspective. The authors have found that among the key reasons behind students' choice of the pedagogical profession are their childhood dream to become a pedagogue, the profession's alignment with their character, and their pursuit of self-actualization goals through it. Their realization of the reasons changes from their childhood dream (first year) to alignment with their character (second year), to pursuit of self-actualization goals (third year), and to opportunity to spend their time usefully and understand better what they want to be (fourth year). That is, many high school graduates are not fully prepared for making a conscious, responsible choice of the pedagogical profession and tend to start conceptualizing the made choice only in their graduation year. Among the key factors for the pedagogical profession's attractiveness are opportunity to self-improve, opportunity to work with people, and alignment with one's potential and character. The unattractiveness factors include low pay, emotional and physical strains, and the job's low social status. The degree of future pedagogues' professional orientation gradually increases from first to third years and decreases by fourth year. There is a positive correlation between a high level of orientation toward the pedagogical profession and the following personal characteristics of students: a sense of their own self-efficacy; belief in the world's benevolence; realization of responsibility for their own actions in life and their personally significant choices; other-oriented perfectionism; tolerance of uncertainty; positive perception of the past and hedonistic and fatalistic perception of the present; global self-attitude (self-respect, self-affection, and self-interest); high degree of self-organization (goal-orientedness, perseverance, and orientation toward the present). The study's findings indicate that school students ought to be purposefully prepared for the choice of the pedagogical profession. During the period of college preparation of pedagogues, special attention ought to be devoted to organizing on-the-job and pre-graduation practical training in the graduation year. Classes and practical sessions ought to incorporate training sessions on boosting self-efficacy and self-organization, fostering a positive self-concept and a positive perception of the world, and cultivating the ability to anticipate and relieve emotional tension.

The widespread practice and results of the introduction of distance learning in several countries prove its economic efficiency. In this article, the authors consider the possibilities and advantages of using a differentiated approach in the practice of distance learning at a university. The article describes the pedagogical experience of structuring distance learning in the form of a new educational model -- a block-modular system used by teachers in the practice of higher education. The authors argue that such structuring ensures the integrity of the perception and presentation of educational material, contributes to a better mastery of the discipline, provides the ability to build personal educational trajectories of students and identifies the following principles: flexibility, individualization, modularity, and differentiated form of control.

In the era of rapid development and the emergence of new methods and ideas for the employees' training in small and medium sized enterprises in Russia, managers need to think about the role that the methodological organization of the educational process, which refers, not only with respect to vocational training, but also in providing the methodological foundation for teaching certain disciplines in small and medium sized enterprises in Russia. The article describes the integrative-praxicological approach in the professional training of employees, it describes the principles and requirements as a methodological basis for the educational process.

The development of an interactive environment that allows for a significant enhancement in interaction opportunities with information resources for a child is one of the primary tasks of the pre-school educational process organisation today. This study involved 50 establishments for children in Chelyabinsk (N = 1280: 230 children, 350 teachers, 700 parents). We used two techniques to collect data: a questionnaire for teachers on the use of Information Exchange in the educational process, their attitude towards ICTs, and the available resources (resources included technological aspects, such as infrastructure, equipment, and software, as well as educational aspects, such as further training and the availability of a qualified methodologist); and a conversation with children on their experience in using and operating digital devices for various tasks. The questions were divided into four groups that provided us with data on the following topics: the degree of inclusion of parents in the interaction (a triad of a child, a digital device, and a parent), the awareness of the child of the capacity and resources of ICTs, motivation and interests that can be realized through digital technologies, and self-reflection as the capacity of the child to predict and analyse their activities. The Hypothesis that the level of readiness for information exchange in subjects of the educational process can be increased through further training of pre-school teachers and the establishment of a single information space in a kindergarten group has been proven right. The findings the study proved such an influence and proposed directions for further studying.

This paper addresses the problem of the formation of the self-regulation of educational activities of students studying in a technical university. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problem of the self-regulation of educational activities of students, presenting data from an experimental study of students' self-regulation. Special attention is paid to the distinction between the terms self-control and self-regulation. This paper presents data on the state of self-regulation among students studying technical specialties. The research methodology is based on the theoretical analysis of the results of scientific works, which present the main provisions on the formation of students' self-regulation. The research methods include questioning and a methodical experiment. The stages of the formation of students' self-regulation are highlighted, and the main directions of teachers' work on the formation of students' self-regulation are determined. The structure of self-regulation is described and the condition for its formation is justified using the technology of self-regulation formation. Based on the study, students' self-regulation is linked to the awareness of their professional and personal goals, as well as to the level of regulatory and reflective qualities. Personal and professional self-improvement in the process of vocational education depends on the level of the formation of regulatory and reflexive qualities.

According to statistics, currently, approximately 4% of individuals with disabilities or incapacity for work are enrolled in higher education institutions of the Russian Federation. Thus, according to this figure, it is clear that higher education in the Russian Federation is available to a limited number of individuals with disabilities or incapacity for work. To involve more people with disabilities in the higher education system, it is necessary to create special conditions that make training possible and attractive for these individuals. The growing disparity between healthy and physically disabled people has recently created more and more contradictions and crisis situations, due to which the world community is faced with global questions concerning the possibilities of the future existence of human civilization. These dangers to society have become particularly acute in recent decades; this is evidenced by the awareness of the need to develop a concept of sustainable development. The meaning of the original English concept is self-sustained development, i.e. the development of the society that is kind of consistent with the state of all its components, as a result of which society should be considered as a single holistic system. The aim of this study is to determine the role and place of inclusive education in developing the concept of sustainable development of society as a whole. To achieve this, the authors propose to identify the problems that both ordinary students and students with disabilities may face when studying at a university and to outline ways to solve them in order to ensure that the interests and needs of all participants are taken into account and balanced, as it is impossible to ensure the sustainable development of society in a socially unfair world.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of social networks in the formation of professional communication skills. With this aim in view, a number of training approaches initially used in class were adapted to the online format and re-oriented towards developing professional communication skills using social networks. The specially created training course focused on developing professional communication skills included the following tasks: come up with a meme on a given topic, invent a short story, create antinomies, make up compliments, create an online event on social network and count how many people from the group are interested in it. These tasks' fulfillment was proved to facilitate professional communication skills among students, which testifies to their validity and effectiveness. Consequently, they can be suggested for inclusion in educational institutions' academic programs to raise their students' communicative competence.

Relevance of the research: This is determined by an obligation to search for opportunities that can potentially make use of play activities observed during the development of play competencies in pre-school children. The purpose of the study: Its purpose is to identify the features of game playing competencies at pre-school age, to determine the dynamics of development of their abilities at senior pre-school age, and to explore variations in the gaming abilities of the children. Methods of research: The principal method in the study of this problem is the included observation. This approach has enabled a comprehensive analysis of the play competences of children of senior pre-school age. Results of the research: The authors present the specifics of the development of play skills in senior pre-school children. They also verify the features of play competencies in groups of girls and boys, as well as identify the structural organization of the play abilities in the senior pre-school age. Practical significance: The materials of the article can be of practical use for pre-school organizations and establishments, as an aid for training and improving the professional qualifications of teachers of pre-school organizations, plus in the practice of family education.

A mineral with the composition Pd(Bi0.53Sb0.47), intermediate between sobolevskite, ideally PdBi, and sudburyite, PdSb, from the Chineiskii Deposit (Transbaikal region, Russia), was studied by the SEM and XRD methods. Its crystal structure was solved and refined (R = 3.02%) based on single crystal X-ray diffraction data. The structure is orthorhombic, and the space group is Cmcm. The unit-cell parameters are a = 4.1465(4) Å, b = 7.1782(6) Å, c = 5.6843(4) Å, V = 169.19(2) Å3, Z = 2. The series of the structures β-PdBi–Pd(Bi0.53Sb0.47)–PdSb and sobolevskite–sudburyite are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to describe the Media Environment in 2035 Foresight Session held on September 27, 2015 at Artek International Child Center during International Youth Media Forum. The event was attended by 158 school children--the winners of regional Youth Journalism contests. The researchers were entrusted with the task of identifying the specifics of modern teenagers' vision of the future; predicting of most promising media professions--from the point of view of young people; evaluating the possibilities of the emergence of new types of media and attitude towards the impending digital future. Session moderators used a variety of research methods, such as emotional deep problems study, survey of all participants with both open-end and close-end questions, elements of pedagogically organized team play offering different levels of generalization, joint analysis of the results, and divergent presentations of outcomes. The survey findings were confirmed in the course of the team game, where the school children acted as experts and provided the prognostic description of 2035 media reality. During visualization of the ideas at a higher abstraction level the obtained images were identical to those that occurred during the game. From the results of Media Environment in 2035 Foresight Session, the moderators concluded that modern teenagers feel neither threatened, nor scared of the impending future and that is significantly different from media behavior of adults.

The urgency of the problems stated in the paper is conditioned by the need to develop and adopt a new concept of legislation, which would have fixed the starting positions and the principles of legal regulation of relations in the sphere of fuel and energy complex, including the forms of Russia's participation in international projects in the conditions of civilized market relations. The aim of the paper is to develop basic methods and techniques of energy legislation's systematization, which should be an integrated complex of the Russian Federation legislation, a set of normative legal acts regulating the relations arising in the sphere of organization and functioning of the fuel and energy complex of the Russian economy. The leading method to the study of this problem is the simulation method allowing addressing of this issue as a purposeful and organized process of systematization of energy legislation when activating it in an efficient integrated system. The authors conclude that the modernization of the regulatory framework in the energy sector should be carried out on the basis of the developed general economic and legal concept of energy development and energy legislation of modern Russia and must be based on the accumulated legislative experience of Russia and foreign countries, take into account the successful international practice in this area. The proposals made in the paper are aimed at improving the procedural forms of commercial justice in Russia, first of all--support of and use in the practice of pretrial forms of conflicts resolution, alternative forms, such as negotiations, mediation, arbitration courts, commercial arbitration, negotiations within trial to conclude settlement agreements, including with the use of experts and facilitators, as well as integration with the consent of the parties of simplified, expedited forms of proceedings in a relatively small and less complex cases.

The complex analysis of development of hop-growing for 1971-2015 is carried out. In the conditions of the field experiment made in the Chuvash Republic hop-growing intensification elements--technology of its cultivation, mechanization are fulfilled. Based on researches it is established that the main internal allowance of increase in efficiency of hop-growing is transition to resource-saving low-cost technology of cultivation of hop now. The resource-saving technology of cultivation of hop using a complex of machines allows to reduce labor costs from 500-600 to 180 people--days by 1 hectare, promotes increase in productivity of cones for 30-40% and quality for 15-20%.

The aim of article is to provide development of a unified assessment methodology in relation to various technological processes and the actual conditions of their implementation. To carry the energy efficiency analysis of the technological processes through comparison of the established power and the power consumed by the actual technological process during its implementation using real technological equipment, i.e. upon determining the integral ecological quality index of the machine-building technological fabrication processes. This allows to determine the impact of technological processes on the environment due to the energy losses and to implement this process under excessive currents. In this case, the integral ecological quality index is determined by the ratio of the fabrication power set by the technologist and the power consumed by the actual technological process during its implementation using the real technological equipment. The integral ecological quality index is specific due to the fact that it is formed not on with regard to statistical data; it is based on the energy characteristics of the implemented technological process with regard to the real state of equipment and related factors, which are important for assessing the ecological performance of the real technological process.

The purpose of this study was to prove the mechanism of mineralization, when hydroxyapatite (HAP) is formed in blood plasma. These observations were substantiated by in vitro simulation of HAP crystallization in the plasma of healthy adults in a controllable quasi-physiological environment (T = 37°C, pH = 7.4) and at concentrations of dissolved Ca and P ions that resemble those in the blood of healthy adults. Another objective of the study was to investigate the role of Mg2+, Na+Cl - and serum albumin, the main blood protein, in the formation of calcium phosphate. Mineralized aortic and mitral valves of the heart were obtained in operations on patients with rheumatic or septic acquired valvular disease. Macroscopic and histological analyses of these samples were conducted. Primary nanocrystals of HAP formed in the blood may take part in the mineralization of both cardiac valves and vessels. The penetration of HAP nanocrystals may be caused by breaks in the endothelium of blood vessels. The lowering of pH may result from substantial degradation in the valve tissue. The experimental data make it possible to conclude that albumin and Fetuin-A are structural proteins that are responsible for subsequent incorporation of HAP nanocrystals in newly formed bone tissue.

The article is devoted to the formation of linguocultural identity among indigenous children in a multilingual context that is of particular relevance in connection with the linguistic and cultural problems of minority peoples of the North. The aim of this work is to reveal the contents of textbooks on the subjects "Culture of indigenous peoples of the North" and "Technology" for children of primary school age as a component of the basic educational program, forming ethnic, regional, civic linguocultural identity. These tutorials are aimed at preserving native language and culture of the Northern peoples. The article considers different approaches of foreign researchers to the concepts of forms of identity that are appropriate to the age peculiarities. Research findings are important and confirmed by the results of scientific research in the field of ethno-cultural, language and multicultural education of indigenous minorities of the North, held at the Institute of National Schools of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).

The article discusses the problem of foreign language training of students of oil and gas faculty with the use of interdisciplinary integration as an effective teaching method. A brief review of the application of this method in the foreign language classes with students at the Federal State Institution of Higher Education of Tyumen Industrial University is presented. Approvals and the results of the mentioned method are described.

The problem of students' motivation to learn an ever-increasing amount of knowledge (especially in the field of information and communication technologies) is more relevant than ever. This problem can be solved on the basis of students' active involvement in the educational process. This paper surveys modern approaches to motivate students to participate actively in the educational process. A method of involving students in the process of developing a scenario for taking blended learning courses in the university digital educational environment is proposed. The paper provides a detailed description of the method used to design the most preferred educational trajectory with the participation of students, teachers and the university administration. This method was tested by students in the Computer Systems and Networks master's program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Russia). The paper provides the methodology and the results of a student survey to assess the preference for various educational trajectory components (educational elements). These elements are ranked according to the criteria set by three sides of the educational process (students, teachers and the university experts). Thus, three possible educational trajectories are constructed according to each group's preferences. The final educational trajectory is formed according to the ranking method and the Kemeny-Snell median method. A comparison of learning outcomes before and after introducing the design method of an educational trajectory confirms the effectiveness of the proposed method. The diagram of changes in the average grade in the discipline illustrates the positive results of the method's usage.

Family and preschool institutions are the most influential environments for education and development. Therefore, the aim of this research is to study the prospects and drawbacks of early childhood development in the interaction of preschool and family education in Russia. The participants were 79 preschool teachers and 327 parents of children who attend kindergartens. Findings show that the most convenient forms of family-preschool interaction are group lessons, tours and group celebrations. Employees of preschool institutions are the least interested in the utilisation of information and commutation technologies. Commonly, the staff may have children aged 3-5 listening to music, playing board games, reading books, modelling, making applique, drawing and performing small routine tasks (collecting toys and dishes, watering the flowers). In contrast to the institute of family education, preschool education draws more attention to the child development. Findings demonstrate that unlike educators, parents endorse the use of digital technologies but 74.7% of them use technologies for leisure applications, rather than for educational and developmental purposes. The mentioned development methods are applied to reach child development by 28% of parents and 43.65% of educators. The findings may be applied to facilitate communication between parents and preschool teachers.

The co-authors address the relevant issues concerning the need to implement the principle of the biosphere compatibility as the core prerequisite for the symbiotic co-existence of man and nature. Caring treatment of the biosphere, termination of its excessive exploitation, analysis of the ratio between the biospheric potential of specific areas and the needs of their population represent the most relevant problems. Ecological problems are particularly grave in Russia. However, only the new generation of specialists, having the ecological awareness and applying nature preservation techniques to their activities, can meet the challenge. The authors provide the findings of the sociological survey into the state of the human capital in the Russian urban planning industry and propose a set of actions aimed at its improvement.

Investigations into the relations between phonological processing and math performance have yielded contradictory results. These contradictions might be related to small sample sizes and/or cross-sectional designs of previous studies that limited the possibility of generalizing the findings obtained. The first goal of this study was to estimate the effect of phonological processing on number recognition and math performance during the first year of schooling, controlling for reading achievement. The second goal was to examine whether this effect varied for boys and girls. To achieve these goals, we used a large sample of first-graders (N = 3296, 49% were girls) in Russia and applied fixed effects longitudinal analysis. Participants were assessed twice, at the beginning and at the end of the first grade (mean age was 7.3 years at Time 1). The item response theory scaling procedure was used to estimate individual scores for math performance, number recognition, phonological processing and reading performance. The results revealed that phonological processing had effects on number recognition and math performance. This effect was more salient for number recognition than for math performance, probably due to the greater involvement of the retrieval strategy in number recognition tasks. The results also demonstrated that the effect of phonological processing on number recognition was stronger for girls than for boys.

The possibility of plants growing on serpentine soils and the ability of serpentine minerals to accumulate significant amounts of metals was the basis for developing a method for using serpentine-containing materials to restore vegetation in areas with a high level of metal pollution. Serpentine-containing products obtained from phlogopite mining overburden (Kovdor, Murmansk region, Russia) with and without thermal activation were used in a field experiment on the remediation of industrially polluted peat soil. According to the geochemical mobility of the components, one of four fractions was allocated depending on the acidic (HCl) concentration of the solution used for the material treatment: readily mobile (0.001 mol/L), mobile (0.01 mol/L), potentially mobile (0.1 mol/L), and acid-soluble (1.0 mol/L). This study showed that the addition of serpentinites to peat soil changed the fraction composition. The most significant changes were noted for serpentinite components such as Ca and Mg: their concentrations increased 2–3 times even in the smallest portion of serpentine material. On the contrary, the contents of metals in the readily mobile fraction decreased 3–18, 3–23, 5–26, and 2–42 times for Cu, Ni, Fe, and Al, respectively. The main factor causing the decrease in metal mobility was the pH rise due to the release of Ca and Mg compounds into the soil solution. This study showed that the addition of serpentine-containing material at 25 vol.% to peat soil was sufficient to create a geochemical barrier with a stable-functioning vegetation cover. All serpentine-containing materials are recommended for the remediation of large industrially polluted areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it possible to compare the results in assessments of mathematics across countries with different curricula, traditions and age of starting school? As part of the iPIPS project, a Russian version of the iPIPS baseline assessment was developed and trial data were available from about 300 Russian children at the start and end of their first year at school. These were matched with parallel data from representative samples of equal numbers of children from England and Scotland. The equating of the scales was explored using Rasch measurement. A unified scale was easiest to create for England and Scotland at the start and end of their first year at school when children only differ by a half a year in age, and live in adjacent countries with a common language. Although fewer items showed invariance across the three countries, it was possible to link iPIPS scores in mathematics from the start and end of the first year at school across Scotland, England and Russia. The findings of this study suggest that, despite the apparent difficulties, meaningful comparisons of mathematics attainment and development can be made. These will allow for substantive interpretations with policy implications.

Transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an increasing concern in many countries. We investigated the detection rate of HEV viremia in blood donors in Russia. A total of 20,405 regular repetitive voluntary non-renumerated blood donors from two regions (Moscow and Belgorod) were screened for HEV RNA using the cobas® HEV test in mini-pools of six plasma samples. Samples from each reactive pool were tested individually. The average HEV RNA prevalence was 0.024% (95% CI: 0.01–0.05%), or 1 case per 4081 donations. No statistically significant differences in HEV RNA prevalence were observed between the two study regions. The PCR threshold cycle (Ct) values ranged from 25.0 to 40.5 in reactive pools, and from 20.9 to 41.4 in reactive plasma samples when tested individually. The HEV viremic donors had different antibody patterns. Two donor samples were reactive for both anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibodies, one sample was reactive for anti-HEV IgM and negative for anti-HEV IgG, and two samples were seronegative. At follow-up testing 6 months later, on average, four donors available for follow-up had become negative for HEV RNA and positive for anti-HEV IgG. The HEV ORF2 sequence belonging to HEV-3 sub-genotype 3a was obtained from one donor sample. The sequencing failed in the other four samples from viremic donors, presumably due to the low viral load. In conclusion, the HEV RNA detection rate in blood donors in Russia corresponds with data from other European countries, including those that implemented universal donor HEV screening. These data support the implementation of HEV RNA donor screening to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HEV infection in Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature data on the use of virtual reality in various fields of activity and the prospects for development and possible limitations of the spread of this technology in the Russian Federation and around the world are analyzed and summarized. The relevance of introducing virtual reality technology into Russian pharmaceutical education at various levels of professional training of specialists for the industry is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review is compiled on the basis of the results of using the total ozone (TO) monitoring system for Russia and neighboring territories, which functions in operational mode at the Central Aerological Observatory. The monitoring system uses the data from the national network equipped with the M-124 filter ozonometers and operating under the methodological supervision of the Main Geophysical Observatory. The quality of functioning of the entire system is operationally controlled using the OMI satellite equipment observations (NASA, USA). Basic TO observation data are generalized for every month of the fourth quarter of 2023, for the fourth quarter, and for the whole year. The data of the routine observation of surface ozone in the Moscow region are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of university education on the economy of various countries. Design/methodology/approach: To determine the necessity and expedience of making provision for the effectiveness of university education on the market economy, this work uses the method of regression and correlation analysis. Evaluation of effectiveness of the system of university education is performed separately for students, state, and employers by taking as example countries with specially developed formulas. Findings: The authors substantiate the necessity for provision of effectiveness of university education on the market economy, view the effective system of university education as a basis for the development of a knowledge economy, determine approaches to evaluate the effectiveness of university education on the market economy, perform evaluation of effectiveness of the system of university education by the example of various countries, determine its connection with indicators of economic growth and development, and provide recommendations for provision of effectiveness of the system of university education on modern market economies. Practical implications: The practical value of results of the conducted research consists in the possibility to use the developed formulas for determining the level of effectiveness of the system of university education on various countries of the world. Originality/value: Theoretical value of this paper consists in the possibility for the application of authors' conclusions and recommendations in the process of development of the policy of management of effectiveness of university education system.

Self-control is understood as the ability of the individual to manage his behavior and emotions, thoughtfully react to events that happen around him, and to prevent himself from acting out of undesirable impulses and emotions. This article presents two studies that sought to validate a Russian-language version of the Brief Self-Control Scale that was developed by June P. Tangney, Roy F. Baumeister, and Angie Luzio Boone. The studies tested samples of employees (n = 591) and students (n = 328), respectively, using the scale consisting of 13 items. We demonstrate the one-dimensional structure of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis. The scale has high reliability (Cronbach alpha of 0.84 and 0.79), and it demonstrates predictable current and potential future relationships with self-reported and objective indicators of academic and professional success. Self-control is associated with indicators of successful functioning and well-being. The obtained connections retain statistical reliability when controlling for social desirability. The results show that self-control is an important personal-motivational resource that contributes to success in life and improving psychological well-being. [This article was translated by Kenneth Cargill.]

In this paper, we discuss examples of assignments for a course in discrete mathematics for undergraduate students majoring in business informatics. We consider several problems with computer-based solutions and discuss general strategies for using computers in teaching mathematics and its applications. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted an anonymous survey. The results of the survey provide evidence that our approach contributes to high outcomes and aligns with the course aims and objectives.

More than 100 types of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) are ubiquitous in the human population and cause a variety of symptoms ranging from very mild to meningitis and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). Much of the information regarding diverse pathogenic properties of NPEVs comes from the surveillance of poliovirus, which also yields NPEV. The analysis of 265 NPEV isolations from 10,433 AFP cases over 24 years of surveillance and more than 2500 NPEV findings in patients without severe neurological lesions suggests that types EV-A71, E13, and E25 were significantly associated with AFP. EV-A71 was also significantly more common among AFP patients who had fever at the onset and residual paralysis compared to all AFP cases. In addition, a significant disparity was noticed between types that were common in humans (CV-A2, CVA9, EV-A71, E9, and E30) or in sewage (CVA7, E3, E7, E11, E12, and E19). Therefore, there is significant evidence of non-polio viruses being implicated in severe neurological lesions, but further multicenter studies using uniform methodology are needed for a definitive conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study focuses on government support for industrial parks as tools for sustainable development in Russia and other countries. The work investigates the influence of industrial activities, particularly those within eco-industrial parks, on the economic, social, and environmental conditions of regions and the country as a whole. The authors examined the main forms of support, financing, and regulation of industrial park activities and identified problematic aspects of state support for them. The experience of state support for industrial parks in China, Germany, and the USA is analyzed. The main features, approaches, and development tools are highlighted. Based on the analysis, a revised model of state support for industrial parks was developed within the framework of the concept of sustainable development, which can be implemented in Russia. The model consists of three stages of support, which are initiated at various levels of government, impacting both the federal and regional levels, as well as the actions of private investors. It is proposed to increase the use of indirect state support, creating favorable conditions for private investors. This approach is expected to result in more efficient investment utilization, enhanced competitiveness of enterprises, and a shift towards an environmentally-focused approach in industrial parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria of the phylum Verrucomicrobiota colonize a wide spectrum of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. One of the ecosystems where verrucomicrobia represent a significant part of the indigenous microbial community are wetlands. All earlier published information regarding phylogenetic diversity of verrucomicrobia in wetlands, however, refers to raised bogs, while verrucomicrobial diversity in fens remains poorly explored. In this study, we performed a comparative diversity analysis of Verrucomicrobiota in six fens of Vologda region. Nucleotide sequences of verrucomicrobia comprised 4 to 7% of all 16S rRNA gene reads retrieved from the examined peat samples. The most abundant groups were represented by members of the families Pedosphaeraceae, Opitutaceae and the order Chtoniobacterales, as well as the as-yet-uncultivated order-candidate S-BQ2-57. Numerical correlation between the relative abundance of well-represented taxa and peat characteristics was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review is compiled according to the results of exploiting the system of monitoring total ozone (TO) over Russia and adjoining territories, which is functioning in operational mode at the Central Aerological Observatory (CAO). The monitoring system uses the data from the national network equipped with M-124 filter ozonometers under the methodological supervision of the Main Geophysical Observatory. The quality of the functioning of the entire system is operationally controlled based on the OMI satellite equipment observations (NASA, USA). Basic TO observation data are generalized for each month of the third quarter of 2023 and for the third quarter. The data of routine observations of ground-level ozone in the Moscow region are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the growth of a forest insect outbreak epicenter, there are processes that involve the formation and expansion of the primary epicenter of forest damage, as well as secondary epicenters—both connected and unconnected to the primary one. This study characterizes outbreak epicenters in terms of their fractal dimensions and "viscous finger" parameters at the epicenter boundary, highlighting their significance in the context of forest insect management. Local outbreak epicenters were found to be characterized by fractal dimension D = 1.4–1.5, and the boundaries of the epicenters were described using the "viscous finger" model. Proposed models were constructed and validated using remote sensing data obtained from MODIS and Sentinel-2 satellites at epicenter sites and boundaries during the outbreak of the Siberian silk moth Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetverikov from 2014 to 2020 in the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia. The study revealed that the frequency of the mode spectrum of one-stage spatial series of "viscous fingers" corresponds with the data on the development of the outbreak foci area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many small remote cities in the circumpolar North lose population. Our starting point is that such settlements have a viable future when young people see perspectives for their own well-being there. This article studies such perspectives using cases from northern Russia and northern Finland, based on empirically grounded fieldwork. Emphasising contextuality, we analyse how authorities, civil society and industrial companies provide conditions for youth well-being in northern industrial settlements. The results show, how a viable urban community could look like for young inhabitants: crucial determinants are education, social networks and family ties, nature, housing, comfortable infrastructure, meaningful work, mobility and good health. While many of the results resembled between the case study regions, among the differences in the two countries, we found that in Finland notions of a good life in the North base more on individual preferences than in Russia, where collective notions are more important. In conclusion, we suggest that youth well-being becomes a principal component of concepts of viable urban communities, including but not limited to such cases as Arctic peripheral single-industry towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We define non-formal education as a part of general education, which gives students the required tools for cognition and creativity. It allows them to fully realize their self-potential and to set their own professional and personal goals. In this article, we outline the fundamental differences between general and non-formal education from the point of view of determining opportunities for student self-development. We reveal opportunities where non-formal education can advance personal development within the modern educational paradigm of the Russian Federation. [This article was translated by Kenneth Cargill.]

In this paper, we develop a multi-level comparative approach to analyse Trends in International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) and Programme of International Student Achievement (PISA) mathematics results for a country, Russia, where the two tests provide contradictory information about students' relative performance. Russian students do relatively well on the TIMSS mathematics test but relatively poorly on the PISA. We compare the performance of Russian students with different levels of family academic resources over the past decade on these tests compared to students with similar family resources in Russia's neighbours and to Russian students studying in Latvian and Estonian Russian-medium schools. These comparisons and interviews with educators in Latvia and Estonia help us understand why students in Russia may perform lower on the PISA and to draw education policy lessons for improving international test performance generally and Russian students' PISA mathematics performance specifically.

Aims: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is one of the most widely used screening instruments worldwide. Although it was translated into many languages, not many country-specific adaptations exist, and a formal validation procedure of the Russian version has been carried out only recently. The present contribution documents the different steps taken to formally translate and adapt a Russian-specific version of the AUDIT (RUS-AUDIT). Methods: The AUDIT was translated into Russian following an established protocol, revised and adapted to the country context using an expert panel, and field-tested in an iterative approach, in line with WHO rules on instrument translation and adaptation A total of three pilot phases were carried out on 134 patients from primary healthcare (PHC) and 33 patients from specialised alcohol treatment facilities (narcology), guided by a specially established advisory board. Changes in each version were informed by the findings of the previous pilot phase and a thorough panel discussion. Results: Based on the findings of three different pilot phases, the RUS-AUDIT was developed as a paper-and-pencil interview for PHC professionals. Since various issues with representation and counting of standard drinks for the second test item arose, a special show card was developed to support the assessment. Preliminary AUDIT-C scores indicated that more than one-third of the screened women (34.2%) and about half of the screened men (50.9%) from PHC facilities have exceeded risk thresholds. Conclusions: The RUS-AUDIT was constructed as a feasible assessment tool for interviewers and patients. The large number of PHC patients who exceed the risk threshold has corroborated the need for formal validation and Russia-specific cut-off scores, considering the specific drinking patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the pediatric cases of sitosterolemia, a rare autosomal-recessive genetic disorder, characterized by high concentrations of plant sterols in blood and heterogeneity manifestations. All three patients (two girls aged 2 and 6 years old, and one boy aged 14 years old) were initially diagnosed with hypercholesterinemia. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed homozygous (p.Leu572Pro/p.Leu572Pro) and compound (p.Leu572Pro/p.Gly512Arg and p.Leu572Pro/p.Trp361*) variants in the ABCG8 gene that allowed for the diagnosis of sitosterolemia. Two patients whose blood phytosterol levels were estimated before the diet demonstrated high levels of sitosterol/campesterol (69.6/29.2 and 28.3/12.4 μmol/L, respectively). Here, we demonstrate that NGS-testing led to the proper diagnosis that is essential for patients' management. The variant p.Leu572Pro might be prevalent among patients with sitosterolemia in Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient use of solar energy requires an accurate assessment of the incoming solar radiation. The study involves comparing the accuracy of monthly means of the global solar radiation flux from the ERA5 reanalysis database, the SYN1deg satellite-based observation database, climate reference data, and data of regression models for seven settlements in the east of Russia. The study employs two well-known regression models, including parameters of extraterrestrial solar radiation, total cloudiness, air humidity, minimum and maximum air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and a new regression model, which additionally includes parameters of low-level cloudiness and sun elevation angle. The accuracy of databases and regression models is evaluated by comparing their data with ground measurements of weather stations. The indices of the mean absolute error, root-mean-square error, and mean bias error are calculated. The comparison shows that the data of climate reference books for the period from 1937–1957 to 1980 have the smallest deviation from the estimates of the monthly mean flux of global solar radiation for 2006–2020 at most of the points discussed. The ERA5 monthly mean estimates of the global solar radiation flux are more accurate than the SYN1deg data at five of the seven points considered. The new regression model proposed in the study makes it possible to provide greater accuracy of monthly estimates of the global solar radiation flux compared to the data of SYN1deg and ERA5 for most of the points considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new sodalite-group mineral species slyudyankaite, ideally Na28Ca4(Si24Al24O96) (SO4)6(S6)1/3(CO2)·2H2O, was discovered in altered lazurite-bearing metasomatic rock at the Malo-Bystrinskoe gem lazurite deposit, Baikal Lake area, eastern Siberia, Russia. The associated minerals are diopside, calcite, fluorapatite, phlogopite, lazurite, and pyrite. Slyudyankaite forms green to pale blue isolated anhedral equant grains up to 0.5 cm across and their aggregates. The streak is white and the luster is vitreous. Slyudyankaite is brittle, with a Mohs hardness of 5½. Cleavage and parting are not observed. Density measured by flotation in heavy liquids is equal to 2.46(2) g·cm–3. Density, calculated using the empirical formula and unit-cell volume refined from single-crystal XRD data, is 2.454 g·cm–3. Slyudyankaite was characterized using the IR, Raman, ESR, near infrared (NIR), visible (Vis), and ultraviolet (UV) absorption, XPS and photoluminescence spectroscopy methods. The chemical composition is (wt%, electron microprobe, H2O and CO2 determined by selective sorption of ignition products, CO2 confirmed by quantitative IR spectroscopic method, sulfate sulfur determined by wet chemical analysis): Na2O 19.28, K2O 0.12, CaO 5.13, Al2O3 27.01, SiO2 33.25, SO3 10.94, S 1.75, Cl 0.10, CO2 1.42, H2O 0.90, –O≡(Cl,HS) –0.03, total 99.87. The empirical formula is Na27.57Ca4.05 K 0.11 S i 24.52 A l 23.48 O 96 S O 4 6.06 S 2.42 0 C l 0.12 C O 2 1.43 ⋅ 2.21 H 2 O where S 2.42 0 is the total sulfide sulfur, mainly occurring as neutral S6 and subordinate S4 molecules, according to the structural data. XPS spectroscopy confirms the presence of sulfide sulfur in neutral form. The crystal structure was determined using single-crystal X-ray difraction data and refined to R = 0.0428. Slyudyankaite is triclinic, space group P1, a = 9.0523(4) Å, b = 12.8806(6) Å, c = 25.681(1) Å, α = 89.988(2)°, β = 90.052(1)°, γ = 90.221(1)°, V = 2994.4(2) Å3, Z = 1. Slyudyankaite contains two kinds of sodalite cages occurring in the structure in a ratio of 3:1. Cages of the first kind are completely occupied by S O 4 2 − anions and extra-framework cations, whereas cages of the second type contain only neutral molecules (S6, CO2, H2O, and minor S4). The strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I, %) (hkl)] are: 6.45 (11) (004, 112, 020), 3.716 (100) (204, 220, 116, 132), 2.878 (12) (136, 028, 044), 2.625 (23) (208, 240), 2.431 (6) (209), 2.275 (6) (048), 2.143 (12) (0.0.12, 336), 1.784 (7) (444, 1.1.14, 356, 172). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]